Impact of War 1939-1945 Flashcards
Outline the war up until the ‘turn of the tide’ and reasons for success up until this point
Poland- Blitzkrieg strategies and help from USSR
Phoney War- 1939-1940 when there was no aggression on Western front
Low countries and France- defeated in 6 weeks, major control of the continent
Battle of Britain- 1940 failed to win it so turned to attack the USSR
Operation Barbarossa- invasion of USSR initially successful in 1941
Success- Poland left with no help, Blitzkrieg strategy was better the French defensive, expanision = more resources, USSR surprised by attack
Outline the ‘turn of the tide’ and the reasons for it
1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and declared war on USA
Hitler lost military intuition by 1941
Failure of capturing Stalingrad and British victory at El Alamein pushed Germany out of Africa
Start of Soviet counter offensive
fighting war on two fronts
Ally mobilisation
Outline German defeat and the reasons for it
Allied co-operation and superiority
Bombing cause dislocation and destruction
Attempted assassination of Hitler 1944
Loss of Battle of Normandy 1944
Soviets in Berlin = Hitler kills himself and surrender on 7th May 1944
How successful was the policy of economic mobilization?
War economy decrees in 1939- expanding war production
Military expenditure doubled
55% of people employed in war related positions
Still limited amount of weaponry produced
Inefficient and poorly coordinated
Premature outbreak meant not everything was ready
Conflict Ministry f Armaments vs Economics, finances, labur and Gauliters
Outline the transition and success of the war economy
Speer appointed in 1942
Central Planning board
‘Industrial self-responsibility’- mass production
employed women, used labor force more effectively, keep skilled workers from conscription
Arms production rose by 60% but still wasn’t fully exploited- conflict still remained, conquered areas not exploited, poor conditions of foreign labor
What were the economic effects of allied bombing?
Blanket bombing inaccurate but did prevent expansion of Germany’s war economy- broke up communication etc
Impact of Nazi racial policy in Poland
Mass shooting by Einzatgrupen. Split into; annexed territories, General Government and Soviet Occupied.
Polish Jews- torture, resettlement plan for Lublin failed in 1940, ghettos set up in 1939-41 with poor food and heating as well as rife with disease.
Impact of Nazi racial policy in Russia
Einzatgrupen moved in behind troops too round up Jews. 600, 000 killed in mass shootings etc. Turning point of racial action.
How was the final solution developed?
Wannasee Conference: Jan 1942, only to decode how to implement the final solution, so decision made prior around September 1941
Extermination: Jews transported by train from ghettos to concentration camps
Effects on Nazi racial policy on gypsies
Outsiders as they had their own culture, non-white, lifestyle.
Nuremberg laws 1935- rendered them alien
1938- registration of Gypsies
Deported after start of war to Poland in working camps. 1940 mass murder via gassing of Gypsy children.
Effect of the war on workers and peasantry
Workers- higher taxes, more pressure like longer working days, short supply of skilled labor due to conscription, foreign workers, closure of non-essential business. Rewards and bonuses limited.
Peasantry- conscription meant shortage of labor, used cheap labor from Eastern Europe, more self-sufficient so didn’t suffer the same.
Effects of war on women and youths
Women- conscription introduced in 1943 but not that effective, pressures both to work and care for family, had to run families and farms alone, conflict with ideology
Youth- poor education due to conscription, lowered age f conscription to 16, alienation eg edelweiss pirates.
Effects of war on morale and propoganda
Bombing- close to home, 3.6 mill homes destroyed, did it bring them together or break morale?
Goebbels speech 1943 for total war encouraged endurance. Used cinema to distract them but still increasing discontent from 1943.
How threatening was communist resistance?
Underground groups eg Red Orchestra infiltrated government, produced leaflets. Destroyed in 1942.
Failed as they were associated with Stalin, initial German-USSR co-operation, remained isolated, waited for Soviet ‘liberation’.
How threatening was Christian resistance?
Bonhffer- political resistance with Kreisau Cricle, helped Jews emigrate. Stopped 1943.
Von Galen- 3 sermons condemning euthanasia and the program was stopped
Delp- implicated in Stauffenbrg plot in 1945.
