Impact of War Flashcards
when do Hitler and Mussolini (Italy) form the axis powers?
1936
in what year does Hitler organise for Germany to invade and annex Austria?
1938
what are the axis powers?
countries that fought against the allies in WW2- Germany, Italy, Japan etc
in what year does Hitler invade Poland?
1939
what is the Nazi Soviet Pact of 1939?
German and Russian pact to divide up Poland after invasion
what was the ‘pact of steel’?
pact between Italy and Germany that stated they would defend and support one another if either of them got involved in war. This cemented their friendship
what happens at Stalingrad in 1943?
German army surrenders and this is the turning point of the war in Russia, as Germany were very unprepared and underestimated the power of the USSR
why may Germany be considered as successful in war during 1933-1941?
France and Britain failed to tale initiative and despite promises they did not support Poland, who was left to fight alone, making them weaker which aided Germany’s cause
Germany had a Blitzkrieg strategy of rapid advances at the start of war and this overwhelmed their enemies within the first two years
French relied on the Maginot line which was also overwhelmed
Lebansraum expansion from 1938 onwards allowed Germany better access to labour and resources
The USSR were not expecting the German attack in June 1941 due to the non-aggression pact of 1939- meaning they were not prepared which aided Germany
But- by December 1941 the German advance had stalled
when does Hitler invade Russia and break the non-aggression pact of 1939?
June 1941
In what year is Mussolini killed?
1945
In what year does Hitler commit suicide?
1945
Who is Ludwig Erhard?
Director of the economic council of the Bizone and oversaw currency reform
Who is Hans Frank?
Governor General of Poland between the years 1939-1945
who is Albert Speer?
he was appointed minister of armaments and oversaw rise in production
who is Fritz Todt?
he was appointed the first minister of armaments in 1940
Who is Walter Ulbricht?
he supported the foundation fo the SED and became the partys leader
what does Blitzkrieg mean? (German tactics during war)
lighting war
essentially rapid advances
What was the bizone?
merged zones of Britain and the USA
what does the term black market mean?
an illegal trade in scarce goods
what was the Allied Control Council?
military occupying body of the four allied zones
what was the Cold war and how did it impact upon the division of Germany?
this was a period of tension between the USA and the USSR between 1945-1990
what does collectivisation mean?
this is where small independent farms are combined into a larger farm which is under the control of the state
what does DDR mean?
German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
what is meant by the term democratic centralism?
this is when decisions taken are passed down to the people and the views of the people are passed up to the centre
what are ersatz?
substitute products- autarky.
‘Buna’ for example
what is the FRG?
Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
how does Churchill describe the divide between east and west Germany?
an Iron Curtain
what may be argued as a reason that the White Rose Group were able to operate for a while without being caught?
the distraction of war
despite the fact Hitler removed Communists as a threat in 1933, how did they cause opposition again in the 1940’s?
Some members of the 1919 Spartacist uprising that were imprisoned were able to establish an underground political organisation- the Spartacus League. They published their views in Spartacus Briefe- a newspaper
After June 1941, a handful of soviet agents which were mostly exiled German Communists entered Germany to help underground KPD cells take action
In 1942, two groups emerged lumped under the term ‘Red Orchestra’
Focus on war gave Communists another opportunity to flourish
what term is used to describe German churches during the period 1933-1945?
Kirchenkampf - ‘church struggle’
despite no collective and open opposition to the Nazis by the church, what could they be described as?
the earliest form of opposition- Pope denounces Nazi practices in the late 1930’s
and Anti-church policies of the Nazis would have provoked resistors
who led the Kreisau Circle?
Helmuth James Graf Von Moltke
what sort of background did Kreisau Circle members come from?
a mix/wide range of social and political backgrounds
what did the Kreisau Circle do?
they met to discuss their views upon how Germany could be improved but did not have any consensus on what it should be like
their ultimate and shared belief was that it needed to be changed and this change should be based upon Christian values
what did the Kreisau Circle establish in 1943?
their ‘Basic Principles for New Order’ which outlined their beliefs
what did the Kreisau Circle want to do that they could not agree on how to do?
overthrow Hitler with a foreign government
when are the Kreisau Circle brought to an end?
1944
leader arrested Janurary 1944
some went on to be a part of the July Bomb Plot
how did war effect workers?
unemployment strategies- DAF, public work schemes etc
drag Germany out of recession, increase GNP and autarky provided more jobs (regulate trade- more exports than imports etc)
However… war impacted workers by:
1942- morale falls due to Germany’s stall in Russia. Therefore, standard of living fell, food shortages in May 1942 on meat and bread (work longer hours- possibly triggered workers)
Hitler began employing foreigners so German men could be put to use directly at war
12% of bombs fell on industrial parts and factories and so more German men joined the war out of anger- effected their work, therefore their ability to eat and provide for family
what percentage of bombs fell on residential areas?
50%- clearly had huge effect on German population
how did war impact women?
with men away at war, women had to fill these jobs which reversed their traditional roles ( Nazis were forced to sacrifice their ideology and principals they held based on practicality)
Nazi aim of promoting population rise stalled- men away and nobody getting pregnant- drop in birth rate
women had to work the ‘double shift’ -housewife/mother and full time employed work
from 1943, how many women did the Nazis try to force into work aged 17-24? what actually happened?
tried to force 4 million
only 1 million went
(wanted to stay at home, traditional role)
how did the war effect youth?
Nazified education methods were effected as children had be evacuated
had to take on parental role/older sibling role as they were evacuated away which again disrupted education
they had to endure power cuts, malnutrition as a result of rationing (effected them more than adults as they were growing), wear gas masks. live with complete strangers
forced to work towards the end of the war
how many children were evacuated at the start of the war, from September 1940?
2 million
how did the Hitler Youth membership fall as a result of the impact of war?
originally 8.8. million in 1939 (start of war), however dropped significantly to just over 1 million
this was because leaders were drafted off to war
what did Speer move the economy to in 1942?
a full war economy- this prioritised war
eg: in 1939, only 23% of GNP was spent on war, but by 1943, 63% was spent on war
rationing also meant more war spending
who did Speer take over from?
Todt
how did the Allied Bombing Campaigns impact Germany?
allies had air superiority over Germany in 1943 and so bombed cities etc
did not directly effect Speer’s work, and he was able to continue working
Allied assaults had no significant effect on German production until the last year of the war.
over 400,000 killed but no rebellion or public unrest
how many foreign labourers were employed for the war effort?
10 million
paid 1/2 of German workers earnings
how did propaganda change in response to the war?
stressed to absolutely everyone what would happen if the Soviets won the war
portrayed Germany as the ‘defender’ of western culture against a Jewish/Bolshevik threat
what did Goebbles organise in 1942?
‘the Soviet Paradise’
evhibited in Berlin and aimed to show the deception of Jewish Bolsheviks
what happened to the Soviet Paradise?
it was set alight by Baum
an example of succeeding opposition against Goebbles propaganda
how did propaganda effect morale?
Goebbles Winter War Campaign Dec 1941- Jan 1942 giving warm clothing to soliders in Russia
the Vica comic in France- against allies
It was Goebbels’ job to propagate the anti-Bolshevik statements of Hitler and aim them directly at neighboring countries with German-speaking minorities (through radio)
how did war impact the Holocaust?
Madagascar Plan could not
go ahead not only due to being too far away and most would die on the way there but crucially Britain’s blockage of Baltic sea etc
what did Soviets try to do in Poland?
deceive the Poles into believing that they entered Poland to help them fight Germany
what was the Wannsee Conference and when was it?
20th January 1942
in Berlin
essentially decided the Final Solution- agreed to have gas chambers etc
when is Auschwitz liberated?
January 1945
when is Germany defeated by the Allies?
May 1945
why is D-Day a turning point for Germany?
unsuccess for Germany as British troops arrive on French soil
what was the Yalta Conference and what was decided there? When was it?
February 1945
Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin
agreed a protocol of proceedings that had 5 points of discussion
dealt with long-term political issues rather than immediate social and economic needs
what was Yalta’s protocol?
divide Germany into 4 zones- Britain, France, USA and USSR
Bring Nazi war criminals to trial
set up a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity- free and unfettered elections asap
help the freed people of Europe set up democratic and self-governing countries by maintaining law/order, carrying out emergency relief measures, set up gov.t- hold elections
set up a commission to research reparations
what was the aim to help democratic countries set up decided at Yalta called?
Declaration of Liberated Europe
why does the relationship between Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill change between Yalta and Potsdam?
Roosevelt dies and Truman replaces him- not a nice guy. does not get on with Stalin- Cold War
Truman wanted to ‘get tough’ with the Russians
what happened in March 1945?
Stalin invited non-communist polish leaders to meet him and he arrested them
what was Operation Unthinkable?
plans for a total war on Russia to impose will
things got so bad with the communist meeting this is what was decided as a result by the British Joint Planning Group
what was agreed at Potsdam, 17th July-2nd August 1945?
4 zones (already agreed at Yalta)
Nazi gov.t/laws and party were to be destroyed (de-Nazification)
German education controlled to eliminate Nazi ideas
Nazi war criminals to trial
Russia was allowed to take reparations from the Soviet zone and 10% of industrial equipment of Western xones as reparations
USA and Britain could take reparations from their zones
recognise Polsih Provisional Government of National Unity
what were communications like at Potsdam?
ill-tempered, although presented as a compromise, there was little agreement!
what does stunde null mean and why was it used by German people at the end of the war in 1945?
‘zero hour’
felt their country had entirely collapsed
what were the immediate problems affecting Germany in 1945 as a result of war?
population dislocation-German refugees from the East
German soliders
lost families
displaced people
urban issues-
food
fuel
accommodation
economic dislocation-
infrastructure
debts/inflation
social pressures- women
what was de-Nazification like in the US zone?
wanted to destroy Nazism completely
anyone who had been a party member since 1937 was dismissed from office
dealt with Germans severely
what was de-Nazification like in the British zone?
more lenient than US zone
allowed ex-party members to return to positions and even have leadership roles
as a result of this more lenient policy, some students moved from US to GB zone
what was de-Nazification like in the French zone?
limited
more concerned with defence and security of their zone
what was de-Nazification like in the Soviet zone?
had social and economic policies mimic communist policies of Russia
had large scale round ups and removals of Nazis from key positions
wanted to remove opposition of their communist governance ways via de-Nazificiation
what was established in the Soviet zone to supervise occupation?
SMAD
Soviet Military Administration
what parties merged in 1949 under pressure from the USSR dictatorship?
KPD AND SDP
this was not widely supported by the German population
what party did the merge of the KPD and SDP form?
the SED
Social Unity Party
this advocated democratic centralism
what was the soviet zone run like by 1949?
like Stalin’s dictatorship
what took place under Soviet occupation?
wanted to pursue reparations claims
skilled workers sent to USSR
firms brought under Soviet control and industrial plants were dismantled
banks were brought under national control (complete nationalisation of industry) 1945-46
collectivisation was widespread
what did the Soviet zone create to administer the economy?
DWK
German Economic Commission
what were VEBS?
people owned but state controlled factories
what did the soviet zone set up to recoup reparations?
SAGS
Soviet State controlled companies
what percentage of housing had been destroyed by war in the western zones?
25%
this meant that there was poor housing conditions and they had to struggle to accommodate for refugees
what had collapsed after the division of Germany?
coal production
no heating in homes
a fuel crisis
major issue
despite malnourishment and the decline of rations, what urged Germans to comply with the western powers?
food parcels that were sent and international charity intervention to aid them
what did Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech effectively lead to?
the creation of the Bizone in 1947
USA and Britain
fear of growing Soviet influence, it became clear that working together was more beneficial
what did the German Economic Council do in western zones?
administer zones and encourage Germans to take responsibility for running the area
why was a new currency necessary?
high inflation post-war- 50% of trade was based on black market bartering (increased inflation)
necessary to avoid destabilisation
who opposed the new currency?
the soviets
what was the new currency called and when was it introduced?
1948
DM
Deutsche Mark
this was one year before complete division (1949) and so arguably triggered it as Soviets were not happy
what caused a political crisis in Berlin?
currency reform
causes black market to collapse
stimulated business production and resurrected trade
the capitalism and communism divide between zones prompted crisis
each individual was stubborn- power play
neither Churchill/Truman or Stalin could back down
what occurred as a result of the currency reform and political crisis?
The Berlin Blockade
Soviets attempt to integrate Berlin into their zone and therefore can do everything the Soviet way
they blocked access to West Berlin
Stalin tried to pressurise Western powers to give up the new currency
eventually ended when it was realised it was not working
short term success, but did not solve any long term problems as Western powers refused to give in
what provided food and fuel supplies to the people of West Berlin during the Berlin Blockade?
the Berlin airlift
when was the Berlin Blockade?
June 1948-May 1949
When is Trizonia formed?
May 1949 (France, UK, US) (FRG)
what did fears of poverty causing people to turn to Communism create?
Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan/Aid
what made the Western powers realise it was better to work together?
initial shortages needed to barter and trade/hoarder and so zonal boarders were relaxed
what does the Soviet zone immediately do in September 1945?
confiscate Nazi land and property (re-distributed-communist)…
instead of accepting the Deutsche Mark what do the Soviet introduce?
East German Mark
when is the GDR/DDR created?
7th October 1949
what was the Truman Doctrine?
Truman declaring that they must make an effort to stop Communism spreading, as Greece one of the last countries in Europe left to be taken over by Communism in 1947
Britain could no longer afford to keep their soldiers in Greece = Truman Doctrine March 1947
what occurred as a result of the Truman Doctrine?
Marshall Plan- General George Marshall asked Congress for $17 billion agreed in March 198 after Czechoslovakia turned Communist 'everything from medicine to mules' funded food, transport etc
what did Stalin do as a result of Marshall Plan?
forbade the Cominform countries from applying for it
why did the July Bomb Plot 1944 take place?
some military figures began to believe that Hitler’s leadership was dooming Germany to be defeated
a briefcase placed at desk during meeting by Stauffenberg
who were the main people a part of the bomb plot?
Ludwig Beck
Claus Von Stauffenberg
Helmuth Von Moltke (Kreisau Circle)
when was the plot?
20th July 1944
what was it nicknamed?
Operation Valkyrie
what happened to those involved in the plot?
The conspirators, including Stauffenberg, based in the War Office were rounded up. They went through the farce of a court martial and were then shot by a firing squad
what is the significance of the bomb plot?
important as it showed even those working close to Hitler opposed his methods
