21) The impact of war on German society (1939-45)

• when was rationing introduced?

  August 1939, before the war
• when was clothing rationed from?


  November 1939
• what was allocation of food based on?

  age, occupation and race

  manual labourers received more and jews less
• rationing in spring 1945


  supply and distribution collapsed and many faced the prospect of starvation
• phases of war: Blitzkrieg


  September 1939- June 1941

  optimism that the war would end quickly
• How many major speeches did Hitler make between January 1940 and June 1941

  9
• phases of war: spreading war

  June - December 1941

  invasion of USSR and entrance of USA

  decline in morale
• phases of war: turning of the tide


  1942-1943

  defeat at Stalingrad

  letters home from soldiers undermined propaganda and moral
• phases of war: 'total war'


  February 1943 - May 1945

  Hitler made few speeches and collapse of Hitler Myth
• How did Goebbels attempt to raise morale in 1944

  through talks of a secret weapon to retaliate against bombings but was only a temporary boost in morale
• phases of war


  1. Blitzkrieg (Sep 1939- June 1941)

  2. Spreading of war (June- Dec 1941)

  3. Turning of the tide (Jan 1942 - 1943)

  4. 'Total war' (Feb 1943 - May 1945)
• what was the aim of bombing from 1942?

  disrupt production of war materials and break morale of workers and civilians
• result of bombings on production

  31% fewer aircrafts and 35% fewer tanks
• how many German civilians killed in air raids?

  around 410,000
• workers response to 'total war' measures in 1943


  increased absenteeism and bad timekeeping
• impact of war on women

  increase in female employment, especially after 1943 but many were except for having children, married to framers, pregnant etc
• what was the age of conscription in 1943

  reduced from 19 to 17
• How many German casualties in Stalingrad?

  300,000