The War Economy, incl the Roles of Speer and Todt, the Start of Total War Flashcards
What helped lead to the tactic of Blitzkrieg
the failure of the four-year plan too reach its targets forced the got to rely on plundering conquered countries in Blitzkrieg
Which countries adapted to Toral War demands much quicker than G?
Britain and uSSR
When was Total War economy
1941-45
What did Hitler’s series of war Decrees Dec 1939 do?
outlined vast programmes for every possible aspect of war production eg. submarines and aircraft, suggesting that Nazis went well beyond demand of Blitzkrieg and a limited war
When did Hitler issue a series of war decrees?
Dec 1941
In real terms, German military expenditure doubled from —
1939-41
When was Todt Minister for Armaments?
1940-42
What org did Todt help found that helped organise workers and engineers in construction?
Nationalist Socialist Union of German Engineering
What was the Todt Org, (in a sent)?
a Third Reich civil and military engineering group named after its Founder Todt
What did the Todt Organisation do?
Responsible for huge engineering projects in Germany and occupied territories during war
What did the Todt Organisation create (2 egs)
Siegfried Line and Atlantic Wall
What did the Todt Organisation become notorious for? (stat)
Using forced labour
From 1940-42, overall only 1% workers were Gs rejected from military and the rest POWs and compulsory labourers from conquered countries
How was forced labour people treated in the Todt Organisation?
Effectively treated as slaves to work for Ruthless totalitarian state.
Survival rates were low
When was Todt given responsibility for restoring the road and rail system in the USSR?
1941
What was Todt given responsibility for restoring in the USSR 1941?
Road and rail system
Todt was a
technocrat
What was Todt’s ‘Speaker System’?
A program of technocratic lectures began in 1941
What did Todt call his program of technocratic lectures?
‘Speaker System’
What did Todt caution Hitler about in 1941?
Not to go to War w most technologically innovative and powerful country in the world, the USA
When was Todt killed in a plane explosion?
February 1942
Who succeeded Todt as Minister for armaments in 1942?
Albert Speer
At the outbreak of war, economic planning was shared by rival orgs(3)…
- office 4year Plan under Goring
- Minister of Economics Walther Funk
- General Thomas who led the Econ section of the ministry of war
When did Speer establish the ‘Central Planning Board’?
1942
What was the function of Speer’s Central Planning Board of 1942
- first attempt economic rationalisation
- oversaw every major sector of econ
——— increased under Speer (spec pt.)
Production rates
When did German weapons production triple?
1942-44
Within 6mts Speer in charge, ammunitions production rose by
97%
W/in 6mts Speer in charge, tank production rose by
25%
w/in 6mts Speer in charge, total arms production rose by
59%
What four big changes did `Speer make to increase production rates?
- modern methods of mass production
- working pattern changes of three shifts a day
- extended use conc.camp labour
- changed Nazi position on women in the workforce
Economy dramatically expanded under Todt then Speer by what year
1944
Under Todt then Speer, ammunition production increased
sixfold
Where was Speer unable to exercise complete control?
not always able to conquer Gauleiters at a local level
which org, operated their own law in conquered lands, weakening the wartime economy
SS
How did Allied Bombing affect the wartime economy?
Forced diversion of 2mil men into anti-aircraft service, putting increasing strain on Econ esp after 1943
What at end war seriously restricted G production
Aliied Economic Blockade
USSR and USA by what year easily outstripped G in armaments production?
1944
German aircraft —- below target
31%
Tank production — below target level
35%
Why did absenteeism reach 25% near end war?
illnesss, stress and dislocation from enemy action
What levels did absenteeism reach end war?
Rife, 25%
