Impact of WWII Bombing, Rationing, and Resistance in Nazi Germany

IMPACT OF BOMBING

AIR RAIDS 1940

-don't start straight away as its immoral

-only hit industrial targets

-increases moral in Britain

-doesn't have a large effect on Nazis

AIR RAIDS POST 1942

-Change focus to bombing civilians

-cologne

>3000 buildings destroyed

>486 civilians killed

>long term affect minimal though

-mohne dam

>destroy 2 dams

>1300 people killed

>high short term impact

>not long term as they rebuild

-Hamburg firestorm

>30000 killed

>large mental and emotional impact on the Nazis

>bombed as it had two shipyards

>after 5 months back up to 80%of industry so they recover

-bombing of Dresden

>3 months befor surrender war is basically won

>very controversial as no military or industry targets

>150000 killed

>aim to break down moral

-meant germany has to put money in to rebuild

EFFECTIVE

-Germans loose faith

-propaganda cant work

-significant impact on economy as they had to rebuild

INEFFECTIVE

-brings people closer

-only impacted effective area

IMPACT OF BOMBING ON ECONOMY

EFFECTIVE

-1942- bombing of Ruhr meant production fell by 200000 tonnes

-people left cities for sanctuary

-600000 dead

-communication disrupted

INEFFECTIVE

-limited overall effect

-only targeted place once so just rebuild

-output stays the same

NAZI WAR ECONOMY

war economy (1939-42)

FRITZ TOD

-Expansion of the war economy - Dec 1939 onwards... series of decrees​

-Partial economic mobilisation - 1939-1942.

-1939-1941 - German military expenditure more than doubled (BUT Britain's trebled!)​

By 1941 - 55% workforce were working ​

on war-related projects.

-aim to increase number of tanks and ammunition

>only a small increase

FAILURE

-production still low

-Planes did increase from 8000, but only to 10,500 in June 1941

-inefficient- war began to early

-Labour shortage: 24.5m in 1939 down to 20 m by 1940 (men away fighting).

-Used foreign workers from occupied Europe, but had to be heavily policed.

-By Sept 1939, women made up over 37% of the workforce.

OVERALL A FAILURE

NAZI WAR ECONOMY

rationing

-all clothes and some food rationed

-aim to ensure autarky

SUCCESS

-shared out resource meant more for military

-DID NOT feel the worse effects till end of the war 1944

FAILURE

-had to rely on black market

-as defeat became more likely things collapsed

OVERALL A SUCCESS

NAZI WAR ECONOMY

total war economy (1942-45)

SPEER

-appointed minister of arms

-use of concentration camp workers and foreign labour

-employed women

-skilled workers couldn't be conscripted

-eliminated consumer goods

SUCCESS

-first six months where a turning point

>total arms 59%

-by august 1944 three times increase on war materials

FAILURE

-never achieved its full potential because of ideology

-ss used land for own gain not economy

-impact of allied bombing

-women never fully mobilised

-failure at stalingrad

NAZI WAR ECONOMY

problems

WORKING FOR THE FUHRER

-​Generated fierce rivalry between the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Navy.​

-lack of central control meant people where doing what they want

-constant infighting

-SS, army and four year plan all responsible for armaments

IDEOLOGY

-The nuclear weapons development programme was fatally harmed by the exodus of key Jewish scientists and by Nazi scientists' rejection of particle physics as a Jewish theory.

-reluctant to get women into the workforce

INEFFICIANT

-to many departments

-war declared to early

-never met targets

-gauleiters would stock pile

OVERALL ECONOMYIS A FAILURE

IMPACT OF RATIONING AND MORALE

-More prepared for rationing than in WW1 as low morale amongst German civilians was problematic in WW1.

-The Nazis knew that this would impact morale and they were prepared as they were planning for war and trying to reach autarky (not achieved but they made significant gains). Rationing did not significantly impact German civilians until late 1944-1945, with a small drop in 1942.​

Calorie statistics

- Most Germans are not significantly below the daily calorie requirements until late 1944-1945.​

>average calorie intake for man 2000 to 3000

-The Nazis used foodstuffs and materials in conquered lands for German civilians which meant rationing was not too bad for most of the war.​

-During the last 2 years, the black market became prevalent and civilians were sourcing most food via the black market by 1945 as the invasion of Germany took hold.

OVERALL NOT TO BAD

OPPOSITION

young people

-1939-82% in Hitler youth

-increased people joined swing youth but not a threat

-some edweiss pirates helped shelter jews

>murdered head of gestapo in cologne

-the white rose

>tried to locally protest against Nazis

>not successful and executed

INEFFECTIVE

-lacked money and influence

OPPOSITION

church

DIETRICH BONHOFFER

-The Confessing Church -> underground seminaries​

-Joined the German resistance.​

-Was involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler.​

-Oct 1942 was arrested - > concentration camp​

-Hanged April 1945

-mostly just individuals so did not do much

-wanted to ensure the survival of Christianity

FAILED

OPPPOSISTION

communists

-Small Communist cells in many cities ever since around 1935.​

-Formed the Rote Kapelle - the Red Orchestra. They infiltrated the government and military as spies for the Soviet Union.​

-Transmitted vital information (eg about German tank designs andaircraft production) back to the USSR, and ---printed anti-Nazi pamphlets.​

-Destroyed by the Gestapo at the end of 1942.

FAILURE

OPPOSITION

elites

-military failures led to the elite trying to expose the Nazi regime

THE KREISAU CIRCLE

-senior civil servants and military leaders

-'Basic principles of the new order'

>a gov witch would get rid of the populist dictatorship

-lacked support

FAILED

OPPOSISTION

the army

-most potential to overthrow Hitler

OPERATION VALKYRIE

-July bomb plot 1944

-General Ludwig Beck, Conservative politicianGoerdeler, and Colonel von Stauffenberg.​

-Failed to kill Hitler, and failed to move quickly to take Berlin.​

-The plotters were arrested and executed.​

-Hitler used it as an excuse to arrest 7000+ opponents of whom nearly 5000 were killed.

FAILED BUT MOST SUCCESSFUL

RACIAL POLICY

occupation in the east

1941​

-> Escalation of the policy.....​

Actions of the SS Einsatzgruppen - murdered500,000 Jews in occupied regions in the east.​

-Warsaw uprising

>a ghetto 700 jews stood up

>led to 42000 being moved then killed

CHANGE IN RACIAL POLICY

1942 WANNASEE CONFERENCE

-Himmler and other leaders decided on the final solutions

Nov 1944 - DEATH MARCHES - the Nazis forced25,000 Jews to walk over 100 miles in rain and snow from Budapest to the Austrian border .Himmler ordered the destruction of the crematoria at Auschwitz.

WHAT LED TO THE FINAL SOLOUTION

HITLER

-Anti-Semitic attitudes, writings and speeches.​

Determination to remove Jews from the population.​

-Others desire to please Hitler.

WAR

-Occupation -> more Jews​

-The failure to win quickly​

-Failure of resettlement plans​

-War brutalised people ->acceptance of killing​

-War intensified paranoia about the enemy within &encouraged nationalism &extremism​

-War removed concern about international opinion

-pressure from soliders on eastern front

THE PEOPLE

-'Hitler's Willing Executioners'(Goldhagen)

-Acceptance - through conformity & apathy &effectiveness of the propaganda​

-Inability to prevent it​

-Unawareness of it

NATURE OF THE STATE

-people where trying to constantly please Hitler this would only ever result in one ending

-Totalitarian state - impact of propaganda, repression ,emphasis on blind obedience