World War Two

Question 1

What were Hitler’s aims when he began World War Two?

Answer 1

• Destruction of Treaty of Versailles
• Restoration of pre-WW1 boundaries and lebensraum (living room)
• Union of German speaking peoples

Question 2

How did Hitler destroy the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 2

1935: introduced conscription

Question 3

How did Hitler restore pre-WW1 boundaries and create lebensraum?

Answer 3

Rhineland remilitarised, March 1936

Munich Agreement gave Sudetenland to Germany, September 1938

Question 4

How did Hitler unite German speaking peoples

Answer 4

Anschluss, March 1938

Question 5

Build up to World War Two?

Answer 5

March 1939: invaded a non German speaking country - Czechoslovakia
1 September 1939: invaded Poland, Britain and France declared War

Question 6

What was Germany’s initial victory?

Answer 6

Defeated Poland in a matter of weeks through Blitzkreig. Gained access to raw materials, and received Russian aid from the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

Question 7

Why was it initially known as the Phoney War?

Answer 7

No attack on the Western front until May 1940.

Unbeknownst to them, Germany did want to destroy France and pressure Britain into an alliance.

Question 8

What happened to France?

Answer 8

Battle of France, May-June 1940: Germany defeated France.

Hitler now ruled from Paris to Warsaw, and was surrounded by friendly powers (Spain, Italy, USSR)

Question 9

What happened in the Battle of Britain?

Answer 9

Hitler wanted to negotiate with Churchill, but he refused. Therefore, Hitler aimed to secure air superiority to defeat them (there was no way that Britain would lose a naval battle)
However, Germany lost significantly in 1940 - and this was cemented by Hitler’s decision to focus on the USSR.

Question 10

What was Operation Barbarossa?

Answer 10

June 1941 Invade USSR with Blitzkrieg.

November 1941 Germany occupied Moscow to Leningrad.

Question 11

What was the reason for Germany’s initial success (until 1941)?

Answer 11

• Poland fought alone
• Blitzkrieg overwhelmed enemies
• France’s Marginot Line strategy was powerless against Blitzkrieg
• German’s initial expansion gave access to resources
• USSR was taken by surprise, as they were convinced Germany was loyal due to the Nazi Soviet Pact

Question 12

When did problems start to arise for Germany?

Answer 12

December 1941 Pearl Harbour globalised the Conflict - America and Japan were now involved.
1942: Britain showed their supremacy in North Africa.
1943: surrender at Stalingrad
1943: Soviets reconquered Ukraine in Battle of Kursk.
30 April 1945 Soviets enter Berlin, Hitler kills himself.
7 May 1945 Germany surrenders

Question 13

What happened to Polish Jews when Poland was occupied?

Answer 13

September 1939 Hitler set out on a harsh racial struggle against the 3 million Polish Jews
The SS executed 16,000 there in Poland.
1939-41: Ghettos set up in Poland.
Spring 1940: Ghettos sealed. Food supplied reduced, sanitation declined (cases of tuberculosis) and 100,000 died from the cold by 1941

Question 14

What happened to Russian Jews when Russia was occupied?

Answer 14

June 1941: SS rounded up Jews and Communists,. They killed 300,000 in total

Question 15

When was the Final solution ordered?

Answer 15

January 1941 - Himmler given a Fuhrer order to solve the Jewish Question
October 1941 - Eichmann began transporting Jews from ghettos.
September 1941 - practice gassings began

Question 16

What was the Wannsee Conference?

Answer 16

A meeting on 20 January 1942, that decided the fate of the Jews.
Extermination subsequently began in 1942: Auschwitz, Treblinka and Sobibor set up.
6 million Jews were murdered.

Question 17

What happened to Gypsies?

Answer 17

They were seen as ‘subhuman’ and deported to camps in Poland.
An estimated 225,000 to 500,000 were killed.

Question 18

What were the living standards like on the Home Front?

Answer 18

• Rationing of food and basics from the start
• People were well fed until 1944
• Furniture sales fell by 40%
• Clothes were in short supply
• Production of luxuries like sweets were altogether stopped

Question 19

What happened to workers during the War?

Answer 19

• Non essential industries conscription
• Bonus and overtime payments reintroduced
• Income tax raised
• 12 hour working days
• Skilled labour was in short supply
• Foreign labour relied on

Question 20

What happened to Peasants during the War?

Answer 20

• Conscription

- Forced labour from Eastern Europe helped out. Benefitted as they were self sufficient

Question 21

What happened to women during the War?

Answer 21

-Conscription from 1943
-> women 60% of workforce
The NSF (National Women’s Association) said that “a woman’s home is in the kitchen, but we must serve wherever we can best do so”

Question 22

What happened to youth during the War?

Answer 22

1943 formal exams stopped
1944 school stopped altogether
Compulsory membership of Hitler Youth (1939) alienated Edelweiss Pirates. Its members were rounded up and had their heads shaven.

Question 23

What happened to bombing during the War?

Answer 23

• 400,000 killed

- 36m homes destroyed

Question 24

What were the evidences of resistance during the War

Answer 24

Communist cells in large cities (like the Uhrig Circle in Berlin) were discovered.
Operation Valykrie attempted to assassinate Hitler in 1941.
White Rose Group distributed leaflets throughout the war, but was found by the Gestapo and its five members were executed in 1943.
Bishop Bonhoeffer offered assistance to the Kreisau Circle - behind Operation Valkyrie!

Question 25

What was the Christian resistance?

Answer 25

Bonhoffer offered political resistance with the Kreisau Circle.
He helped Jews to emigrate until he was caught in 1943.

Question 26

What was the White Rose Group?

Answer 26

1942-43: distributed leaflets in Munich University and in various towns.
February 1943: Leaders found and executed

Question 27

Who were the Kreisau Circle?

Answer 27

Group of rebels that met regularly at the Kreisau Estate.
In August 1943, they released the Basic Principles for the New Order calling for law, freedoms and an independent Europe.

Question 28

What was the Stauffenberg Plot?

Answer 28

The unarrested members of the Circle in July 1944 placed a bomb near Hitler. He sustained minor injuries, however 5000 were executed following, like Friedrich Fromm the General behind it, and who condoned it.

Question 29

How did the Nazis expand their economy during WW2

Answer 29

1939-41: military expenditure doubled
1939: rationing of war
1941: at this point, 55% of the workforce were in war related projects. this was 60% by the end of the war.
HOWEVER consumer goods declined by 20%

Question 30

What were the limitations of the War economy?

Answer 30

By 1941, Germany had 10,000 aircrafts. Britain had 20,000.
The multitude of agencies caused conflict. The ministry of armaments conflicted with those of economics, finance and labour.

The office of the 4 Year Plan, the SS and Wehrmacht (the army) all wanted to control armaments.

Question 31

How did the War economy change

Answer 31

December 1941: the Rationalisation Decree was effective in reducing waste of labour and materials.

Question 32

What did Speer replace constraints on business with

Answer 32

April 1942: Central Planning Board with Speer as director, Committees each represented a sector of the economy.

• Freedom to industrialise
• Speer had ultimate control
• Industrialists and engineers encouraged to join ministerial team.

Question 33

What did Speer do to encourage higher production

Answer 33

• More women into factories
• Used forced labour
• Did not conscript skilled workers

Question 34

Achievements under Speer

Answer 34

Ammunition doubled

Question 35

What did aircraft production look like by 1944

Answer 35

Germany, although had now advanced Britain with 40,000 aircrafts, still was nowhere near USA’s 100,000

Question 36

How did they use forced labour

Answer 36

25% of workforce

Production was limited: bad conditions, minimal food!

Question 37

How did bombing effect Germany

Answer 37

Only really had an effect from 1942.
Blanket bombinf prevented increased production, even though bomb targeting was usually sporadic and certainly not aimed!
Much of German production still went to underground sites to avoid too much harm from bombing.