WW2 & the German People Flashcards
What did rationing allows the average German to have per week in 1939?
435g of meat, 2.2kg of bread and 340g of fats and sugar.
When could hot water be used?
2 days a week, soap was also rationed.
What did most Germans found themselves subsisting on?
A diet of black rye bread and vegetables, with only the prospect of one egg a week to keep them going.
What did war tabacco end up as?
Rare enough to act as a form of money.
What happened in December 1942?
Christmas rations were handed out to raise morale.
What did total war mean?
Any activity that wasn’t linked to the war effort was stopped. Manufacturing materials for the army took over factories, and professional sport was stopped.
Why was there a labour shortage?
Men were needed for the front line.
Who was put to work when there was a labour shortage?
Prisoners of war, Jews and political prisoners.
How many prisoners of war were there by May 1944?
7 million
In the summer of 1944 what did Goebbels order?
All workers transfer to arms factories and that war work be compulsory for all women up to the age of 50.
What else happened during the war?
Railway services were reduced and letter boxes sealed to save fuel. Theatres and musical halls, but not cinemas were closed.
What happened between August 1940 and May 1945?
2,679,473 tonnes of bombs were dropped on Germany by the allies.
Were did these bombs land?
50% landing on residential areas.
How many people were killed by these bombs?
800,000
How many people were made homeless by these bombs?
7,500,000.
How had the government lost control?
Ration cards weren’t honoured and people relied on the black market and scavenging.
Who were the swing youth?
Middle class group of people who enjoyed swing music, English clothes, smart cafes and girls who wore more makeup. Nazis hated them.
Who were the Eidelweiss pirates?
They were a working class group who roamed the countryside in search of Hitler youths and other pirate groups to beat up.
Who were the white rose group?
They attacked Nazi policies towards the Jews, Pols and used civil disobedience.
Who led the white rose group?
Munich medical students Hans and Sophie Scholl and Christof Prost.
Who was in the Kreiseau Circle?
Led by essentialy conservaite, aristocratic and deeply religious Germans but included liberals and former trade unions as well as landowners.
What did the Kreiseau Circle do?
They maintained contact with resistance groups across Europe and worked hard to keep other governments informed of conditions inside Germany. Their aim was to create a new and humane Germany.
