Impact of WW2

Question 1

WW2’s damage to the population

Answer 1

• around 4.3 million German troops were killed in the war
• 2/3 of the men born in 1918 didn’t survive the war
• millions of widows were left as a result, having to look after children and elderly relatives alone
• between 350,000-500,000 civilians were killed as a result of the allied bombings
• 20 million Germans were left homeless

Question 2

WW2’s damage to industry

Answer 2

• key cities in German were destroyed by the allied bombings

- e.g. Dresden

Question 3

WW2’s damage to agriculture

Answer 3

• agriculture production dropped to 35% of its pre-war levels by 1945

Question 4

occupation of Germany

Answer 4

• following the German surrender on the 7th of May the country was occupied by Soviet troops
• other allies, e.g. US, Britain and France also occupied shortly after

Question 5

life for the German people

Answer 5

• food shortages were common
• civilians were treated poorly
• incidents of rape were common

Question 6

Postdam conference

Answer 6

• 1945

division of Germany

• Germany should be reduced in size and divided
• country to be split into 4 occupied zones controlled by the US, France, Britain and Soviet Union respectively
• Berlin was also to be divided into 4 occupied zones
• Allied Control Council (ACC) was set up to help govern Germany

reparation

• Stalin wanted harsh reparations to be paid as it feared Germany
• Britain and the US didn’t want to be too severe
• they believed that reparations after WW1 were a factor leading to WW2

USSR Potsdam gains

• Soviet Union would receive 25% of industrial output from the other 3 zones
• 2500 factories were acquired from Germany

Question 7

Atomic bombs

Answer 7

• the US dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japan in august 1945

- the power dynamic between the US and USSR altered due to this, and led to tense relations at Potsdam

Question 8

demilitarisation of Germany

Answer 8

• Germany army was disbanded

Question 9

impact of WW2 on the Nazi party

Answer 9

• Nazi party was to be banned

- Nazis removed from positions of importance e.g. education and government

Question 10

removal of Nazis

Answer 10

• there were efforts to remove Nazi from key positions
• however, the most qualified people for the roles were the Nazis
• there were very few competent Germans who had not bee affiliated or associated with the Nazi regime in some way
• 94% of judges and prosecutors in Bavaria were former Nazis by 1951

Question 11

war criminals

Answer 11

• prosecuted at Nuremberg Trials in August 1945
• they were an important judicial function, since it showed that the Nazi criminals would be punished
• it also had an important pedagogical functions, a lesson for others
• only a small amount of germans were actually punished
• the trials were put in place to make an example of a few Nazis on a global platform

Question 12

the success of denazification

Answer 12

• denazification was pushed different by each state
• for Britain and France the focus was on rebuilding, and many Nazis were unpunished
• the USSR installed their own pro-communist officials into former Nazi positions
• the US wanted to punish all Nazis severely
• this was impractical however, since it would damage the economy
• the US relaxed their policy and economic improvements resulted