The Impact of War 1939-1945 Flashcards
At the beginning of the war, what was the Nazi’s aims?
To keep the German public onside
When were there decrees issuing food rationing?
August 1939
What did you need a permit to buy?
Clothes
What did food rationing and permits cause?
Panic buying
Did the rationing system work effectively between 1939 and 1941 and why?
Yes - the Nazis could exploit new countries for food e.g Russia for grain
What invasion in 1941 caused rations to be reduced like meat from 500g to 400g?
Invasion of Russia
What is the first phase of the war, from September 1939 to June 1941?
Blitzkreig
Which countries did Bitzkreig contain?
Poland and other European countries
Between January 1940 and June 1941, how many major speeches did Hitler make?
9
In Blitzkreig, what was the morale like?
Pretty okay - sweeping victories were presented on the news and Hitler was presented as a military genius
When did Germany invade Russia after Blitzkreig, that was later halted by the Red Army in November 1941?
June 1941
When did Germany declare war after Blitzkreig on the USA?
December 1941
When was the ‘spreading war’?
June to December 1941
Which invasion in June 1941 caused a crusade against ‘Jewish-Bolshevism’ and raised public morale?
USSR
What did the SD find about public morale in the ‘spreading war’?
People believed the war would go on for years
What during the ‘spreading war’ undermined the Nazi propaganda?
Letters from soldiers that denoted hopelessness and also the power of the Soviet Union
During the ‘spreading war’ as a result of decreased morale, what conspiracy was used as a scapegoat for the continuing war?
A Jewish international conspiracy to destroy Third Reich + Aryan Race
When was the ‘turning of the tide’, after the ‘spreading war’?
January 1942-January 1943
During which part of the war did Germany start to lose against the USSR?
‘turning of the tide’
During the ‘turning of the tide’, which two things disillusioned people to the realities of war?
Rising casualty figures
Letters from soldiers
What thing by Goebbel’s during the ‘turning of the tide’ deepened disillusionment?
Appeal for people to collect winter clothes for soldiers
What did the SD report in January 1942 during the ‘turning of the tide’?
‘Faith in the Fuhrer is unshakeable’
What event in January 1943 caused a defeat of propaganda and a rise in war weariness among the German public during the ‘turning of the tide’?
Stalingrad
What began in February 1943 and lasted until the end of the war in May 1945?
Total War
Who’s total war speech in 1943 was welcomed?
Goebbels’
What began to decline during total war?
Hitler myth
Which events during total war decreased morale?
Failure of U-boat campaign
D-Day June 1944
Bombing
Liberation of Paris in August 1944
Which events during total war increased morale?
D-Day June 1944 Goebbel’s secret retaliation with weapons
Use of V1 and V2 missiles in 1944-1945
What did an SD report in August 1944 during ‘total war’ state?
‘most compatriots, even those whose belief has hitherto between unshaken, have lost all faith in the Fuhrer’
When did Allied mass bombing begin, which started in Lubeck?
March 1942
How many German cities were attacked by bombing in 1943?
43
How many times was Hamburg bombed between 25th July and 3rd August 1943?
7
What did the police report from Hamburg in July 1943 state?
‘nowhere displayed signs of panic’
After Lubeck in March 1942, what did the people do?
Open their shops
Despite bombing, how long did German production last until?
The end of 1944
What did different parts of the elite believe about the war?
Some believed Nazi regime was evil
Some were patriotic but believed Hitler was leading Germany to destruction
Some were traditional aristocratic conservatives who wanted a return to an authoritarian government
Some opposed Nazis because of the disturbing treatment of others
Which member of the elite opposed the Nazi regime because of the treatment of others?
Helmut von Mulke
What in September 1939 imposed wage reduction, ans banned the payment of bonuses and Sunday work and night shifts?
Decree on the conversion of the whole german economy onto a war footing
Because of increased abseentism because of the decree in September 1939, what happened in October 1939?
Wages restored to pre war levels
Payment of bonuses reintroduced
However, wage rates not allowed to increased
Because of total war, what happened in August 1944?
Ban on holidays
Working week of 60 hours
Payment for overtime abolished
If workers didn’t conform to the total war measures, what could happen to them?
Could have reserved statis removed = conscription to armed forces and even the Eastern front
If you had good attendance records during total war, what did you get?
Extra rations
By May 1944, how much of the workforce was women?
51%
What resulted in 6.4 million women being in employment and making up 37.4% of the labour force?
Four Year Plan
What did Hitler refuse to sanction in 1940 becuase of ideology?
More women working in industry
What did the regime provide so that women didn’t have to work?
Benefits
Did the amount of women in the workforce increase or decline between 1939 and 1941?
Decline
In June 1941, what did Goering issue a decree about?
Women had to work if they had already given up work and didn’t have children or they had to give up a family allowance
What did Goering’s decree in June 1941 spark?
Class resentment because the limited amount of women who were eligible were middle class
As a result of Goering’s 1941 decree, how many women were sent to the armaments factories?
130,000
What defeat in January 1943 caused women between 17-45 to have to register for work?
Stalingrad
How many women were sent to work by June 1943 because of the defeat at Stalingrad?
Fewer than half a million
By 1945, how much of the workforce were women, because Hitler was forced to agree to allow women older than 45 into the workforce?
60%
In the early years of the war, were young people conscripted or did they continue their work in the BDM and Hitler Youth as usual?
Weren’t conscripted continued as normal
In 1940, at what age was a young person viable to be conscripted to the armed forces?
19
In 1943, at what age was a young person eligble to be conscripted?
17
By November 1942, how many military camps were there for the Hitler Youth?
120
In January 1943 because of total war, 16 and 17 year old boys were conscripted into what?
Luftewaffe
Naval auxillaries
Air defence duties
In 1945, at what age was a young person viable to be conscripted?
16