Summary 11 - Phase four of the war - Total war and defeat Flashcards
When did phase four of the war take place?
Phase four of the war took place between February 1943 and May 1945.
When did Goebbels declare that Germany was engaged in ‘total war?’
February 1943
Why did German cities suffer particularly badly during phase four of the war?
They were bombed relentlessly by the US and British?
When was D Day and what did it involve?
D Day took place in June 1944.
It is the name given to the allied landings in Normandy.
It opened a second front in Europe.
When did the allied forces reach Germany?
They were inside Germany by April 1945.
When was Berlin captured by Soviet Forces?
April 1945
The Allied forces entered Berlin two days behind the Soviets.
When did Hitler commit suicide and when did Germany surrender unconditionally?
Hitler committed suicide in May 1945.
Germany surrendered unconditionally on the 8th May 1945.
In February 1943, Goebbels called for Germany to engage in ‘total war’ in his speech. How did he intend to prevent Germany from losing the war?
He realised that radical new measures were needed to mobilise the German people and the economy.
How did the German people view Hitler in the later years of the war?
The Hitler myth began to wane, he was no longer viewed as a military genius.
Describe the mood amongst Germans in Spring 1944?
The mood was sombre, the bombing and string of defeats were beginning to take their toll.
Give two events which raised German morale?
D Day surprisingly saw the mood rally, some Germans looked forward to finally taking on the USA and Britain.
New weapons such as the V1 and V2 rockets raised spirits.
When did most Germans begin to see defeat as inevitable?
By August 1944, Paris had been liberated and the German army experienced further defeats in the east. This meant that many Germans began to see defeat as inevitable.
