WAR ECONOMY

Question 1

What happened to German military expenditure between 1939 and 1941?

Answer 1

Doubled.

Question 2

When was rationing introduced? What was rationed a few months later?

Answer 2

At the start of the war.

Clothes rationing started a few months later.

Question 3

What was the impact on the workforce when the labour market was mobilised for war?

Answer 3

By 1941 some 55% of the workforce worked on war-related projects.

Question 4

What was the result for armaments production through these policies mobilisation for war?

Answer 4

Production remained low.

Question 5

How much did the number of planes produced increase from September 1939 to June 1941?

Answer 5

From 8,290 in September 1939 to 10,780 in June 1941.

Question 6

Where else (besides in plane production) was there a disappointing increase? What was the impact of this when Germany invaded the USSR in 1941?

Answer 6

Tanks.

When Germany invaded it had just 800 more tanks than when it invaded the West in 1940.

Question 7

In May 1939, how many men were employed in the economy?

Answer 7

24.5 million.

Question 8

By 1940, how many had been called from work in labour to fight in the armed forces?

Answer 8

4 million, causing a shortage of labour.

Question 9

How much of the workforce was made up of women as early as September 1939?

Answer 9

37%

Question 10

By 1941, how much of Germany’s GDP was being spent on war?

Answer 10

47%

Question 11

By 1941, what had happened to armaments production?

Answer 11

Actually lower than that of Britain.

Question 12

What did Hitler issue regarding the armaments production shortage in Dec 1941?

Answer 12

The ‘rationalisation Decree’, which was intended to reform the economy and eliminate waste.

Question 13

Who was appointed Minster of Armaments in February 1942?

Answer 13

Albert Speer.

Question 14

What did the Central Planning Board introduce?

Answer 14

• using prisoners as workers.
• employing women in armament.
• ending conscription of skilled workers.
• eliminating industries non-essential to the war.

Question 15

What circumstance caused Goebbels to call for ‘total war’?

Answer 15

The surrender of the German army at Stalingrad.

Question 16

What did this idea of ‘total war’ in Feb 1943 mean?

Answer 16

The total commitment of all human and material resources in the nation to waging war was an official policy.

Question 17

What happened to production in Speer’s first six months in office?

Answer 17

• Total arms production rose by 59%.

Question 18

Why couldn’t the economy produce even more under Speer in early 1943?

Answer 18

Due to:

• Party Gauleiters at local level.
• The SS exploiting land for personal gain.
• Impact of allied bombing.

Question 19

What was the result overall for the total war economy?

Answer 19

Germany was unable to meet the demands of total war and, although, production levels peaked in 1944 it was still below full potential.

Question 20

What was the consequence of rationing when the total war economy was confirmed?

Answer 20

Ration cards were no longer honoured. Instead, people had to rely on the black market for food.