The impact of WWII on German Society Flashcards
Impact of Rationing
- Shortages of rations were one of the main causes of growing war-wariness
- Panic buying before the Aug 1939 rationing decree led to the inclusions in clothing into the scheme by November
- Manual labourers received more than white collar workers
- Jews received smaller rations
- The pregnant, nurses and the sick received more
- No serious food shortages 1939-1941
Was rationing successful from 1939-41 and then from 1941 onwards?
There were no food shortages 1939-41
After the invasion of the Soviet Union June 1941 rations were reduced and by the end of the war had become very unpredictable and many Germans were experiencing malnutrition
(500g meat cut to 400g which was later cut again meaning meat couldn’t be eaten daily)
What were rationing allowances per person August 1939?
- 500g meat
- 125g butter
- 250g sugar
- 62.5g cheese
- 1 egg
What was introduced in November 1939?
Clothes rationing
Impact of propaganda and indoctrination on morale
- Maintenance of morale was a high priority of the regime
- Goebbels sophisticated propaganda system controlled the flow of info to the German people
- SD and Gestapo monitored public mood
4 Phases of the War
- Aug 1939-June 1941 - Blitzkrieg
- June-Dec 1941 Spreading War
- Jan 1942- Jan 43 Turning of the tide
- February 1943-May 1945 Total War and defeat of Germany
Phase 1 - Blitzkrieg - Events
Defeated Poland in the East and achieved quick success in various European countries such as Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg
Phase 1 - Blitzkrieg - Public Mood
- Volatile mood as propaganda wasn’t always effective
- Quick and easy victory were cause for celebration and Hitler presented as military genius
- Propaganda led people to believe war would be over soon
Despite rationing, why was it relatively easy to maintain German morale between 1939 and 1941?
The war was going spectacularly well for Germany
Phase 2 - Spreading of the war - Events
- Germany invade USSR June 1941
- Declare war on USA December 1941
- Germany now faced the Grand Alliance ending hope for a short war
Phase 2 - Spreading of the war - Public Mood
- People optimistic over success of German forces in USSR as it was a crusade against ‘Jewish Bolshevism’
- Soviet success downplayed
- Hopes of a quick and easy victory disipated
Why was the German invasion of the USSR somewhat of a surprise?
The Nazis had been allied with the Soviet since the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939?
Why was the German invasion of the USSR not really a surprise?
One of Hitler’s main aims was to destroy communism.
He also wanted to lebensraum (living space) and eastern Europe/the USSR was the obvious place for him to acquire it.
Phase 3 - Turning of the tide - Events
- The Soviets fought back fiercely
- German losses started to mount in the harsh winter conditions
Phase 3 - Turning of the tide - Public Mood
- Rising casualties and letters from serving soldiers awakened civilians to reality
- Defeat at Stalingrad a huge shock where Goebbels had built up unrealistic expectations
- War weariness more evident despite the deep well of patriotism and ‘Faith in the Fuhrer’
Phase 4 - Total War - Events
- Total War declared by Goebbels Feb 1943
- Biritish and Amrican relentless bombings of German cities
- Berlin captured by German forces
- 8th May 1945 Germany conceded unconditional surrender
Phase 4 - Total War - Public Mood
- Clear Germany was struggling for survival
- Hitler myth declined and crumbled away
- V1 and 2 missiles temporarily raised spirits until defeat became inevitable
Impact of Bombing on morale
By 1943 43 German cities had been bombed
Workers continued showing up for work and the people didn’t panic and stayed composed
But bombing wore down morale and defeatist mentality developed but didn’t completely break down the will of the people
The End of the War for people that left Germany
- Last few months brought unrelenting misery
- Jan 1945 3.5 million Germans fled to escape the fighting
- These people had to walk hundreds of miles facing the cold, hunger, disease and attacks by Allied forces
- Between 500k to 1m died on these marches
The End of the War for people in Germany
- Cities devastated
- Transport caesed to function
- Water and sewage systems damaged
- Food shortages
- Morale collapsed
Impact of War on Elites
Some felt Nazi regime was evil and that Germany was being led to destruction
Elites fared much better than the rest of society as they were still living very comfortable lives and some felt guilt over this
Impact on War on Workers
- Wages reduced
- Working hours a week increased to 60 by 1944
- Workers guilty of absenteeism could be conscripted
Impact of War on Women
- Bore the brunt of the war effort
- 51% of workforce were female by 1944
- Benefits given to families of conscripted soldiers
- Assigned auxiliary roles
Impact of War on Youth
- 2 million teenagers organised to aid harvest
- Age of conscription gradually dropped to 16 by 1945
- 12 year olds conscripted to Volkssturm
