government in war time, 1939-45 Flashcards
LO: the growing power of the SS, new ministries and a new Council for Defence, problems of the growing Reich, losing control
how did the power of the SS grow during the war?
the SS became a ‘state within a state’ by 1939, with its own police, military, and economic control, becoming increasingly powerful with the onset of war
how large was the SS by 1944?
over 1 million members, including 800,000 Waffen-SS
how did the SS’s role evolve as Germany expanded its territory?
the SS took on expanded roles in security, military, economy, and racial policies, including the management of concentration camps and exploitation of occupied lands
what was the role of the SS in the economy during the war?
the SS created a massive commercial organisation with over 150 firms, exploiting slave labour for manufacturing goods and extracting resources
what were the four ways the SS’s power was enhanced during the war?
security (expanded policing)
military (growth of Waffen-SS)
economy (control of occupied lands)
ideology (racial policies and concentration camps)
what was the SS’s role in the Germanisation process
the SS was responsible for removing non-German populations from occupied lands and for facilitating the settlement of ethnic Germans
what was the Germanisation policy and how was it implemented?
the process of removing non-Germans and resettling Germans in newly acquired territories e.g. ovr half a million ethnic Germans were moved to the Warthegau region of Poland
what happened to Poland under Nazi control?
Southern Poland became a ‘colony’ called the General Government, while other rreas were absorbed into the Reich and Germanised
why were Jewish ghettos created in Poland?
to control and contain the Jewish population, as plans for their ‘resettlement’ placed a strain on food and transportation systems
what was the disagreement between Greiser, Foster, and Frank in their Germanisation efforts?
Greiser was strict about Germanisation, while Foster declared entire groups Germanised without evidence. Frank complained about being overwhelmed with non-Germans dumped into his territory
what powers did the Gauleiters gain from 1942?
they were given control over civil defense measures, inc. firefighting, bomb damage clearance, and rationing. In 1944, they gained control over local bureaucracy and businesses
how did the German govt react to the USA joining the war in 1941?
the German forces were overstretched, and Germany began suffering from the war
whaat were some of the rationing measures at the start of the war?
rationing of food, clothes, and basic items like soap. rations were reduced to about 10% of the minimum calorific standard
what happened to the German civilian situation in the final year of the war?
rationinng led to severe food shortages, and the lack of clothes and luxuries like magazines or sweets made the situation worse
what were the key events from June 1944 to May 1945?
in July 1944 the Allies landed in Normandy. By April 1945, Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide in their Berlin bunker. Goebbels and his family followed suit on May 1, 1945
why did Martin Bormann become the second most powerful person in Germany ?
Bormann replaced Rudolf Hess as Hitler’s secretary and controlled access to Hitler, becoming the second most powerful figure in the Nazi regime
where did Hitler spend most of his time during the final years of the war?
Hitler spent most of his time at his military headquarters, the Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair) in East Prussia, rarely seen in public
