Wartime Economy and the work of Speer Flashcards
Mobilisation of the German economy for war
Germany had been preparing for war since the Four Year Plan 1936
Hitler hadn’t anticipated the war outbreak in 1939 and felt it would only begin once Operation Babarossa was launched in 1941
With Goering in charge of the Four Year plan his lack of economic and technical knowledge uncovered its weaknesses by 1941
Why didn’t Hitler anticipate the outbreak of war in 1939?
He thought the allies would concede to his demands with Poland as they did with Czechoslovakia and Austria
An example from the German production line to suggest Germany wasn’t prepared for war in 1939-41
There was zero standardisation of the weapons being requested by the military
However proportion of labour force in armaments had increased from 21% to 55% 1939-41
What was Speer’s title and when was he appointed?
Armaments Minister 1942
The work of Albert Speer
With Hitlers support, Speer was given full executive powers to establish a central planning agency and control the whole production process with no interference from the Army
Rationalisation of production
Speer rationalised production through coordinating the allocation of labour, equipment and materials to armament factories
What 2 things did Speer introduce to rationalise production?
Greater use of mass production techniques
More shift working kept factories open 24 hours a day
What did rationalised production lead to?
A production miracle
German aircraft production increased by 200% whilst tank production was up by 250%
Economic impact of Allied Bombing
The gains in production achieved by Speer occurred despite the damage from the Allied bombing 1942-45.
Resulted in 35% fewer tanks and 31% aircrafts
The Use of Foreign Labour
Workers were recruited from occupied countries 1940-1942
Hitler agreed Russian prisoners of war could be used as slave labour in 1941
Conditions were harsh and wages were low
The Use of Foreign Labour Statistics
1942- 4 million foreign workers in Germany
1944 - 7 million foreign workers in Germany which was a quarter of the workforce
Mobilisation of the Labour Force Overview
War meant more men were conscripted whilst at the same time there was a need to increase the production of armaments
How was the mobilisation of the Labour Force achieved?
- Labour force needed to be used in the most efficient way possible
- Using foreign labour
- Non-essential workers released for military service
- Full scale conscription of labour into essential war work after the first 2 years of war
What did Hitler oppose in Industry and how was this problem solved?
Hitler opposed women in industry which created a shortage of labour.
Solved through increasing the use of foreign labour
What did the defeat at Stalingrad cause Hitler to issue?
The Decree for the Comprehensive Deployment of Men and Women for Reich Defence Tasks issued Jan 1943
What was the Decree for the Comprehensive Deployment of Men and Women for Reich Defence Tasks?
- Men aged 16-65 and women 17-45 had to register for work
- Small businesses deemed not essential and should be transferred to more essential work
