WW2

• While Germany achieved substantial increases in war production, especially towards the end of the war, the combination of internal inefficiencies, resource limitation and allied bombing prevented them from ever achieving a fully coordinated total war economy 
• Hitler's decision-making was often impulsive and based on personal beliefs rather than strategic considerations.
• Germany's military strategy was flawed as they relied too heavily on blitzkrieg tactics which were effective at first but became less so over time.
• Allied air power played a crucial role in disrupting German industry and transportation networks, causing significant damage to key infrastructure such as factories, railways, and ports.
• The German army suffered significant losses due to poor leadership and lack of training, particularly during the Battle of Stalingrad.
• In the early war years, Germany was not a total war economy, given that the nazi leadership avoided measures that might initially undermine civilian morale, like rationing and full mobilisation of women into the workforce. This was not reflective of a total war economy given that armament production remained low, The invasion of France was delayed by seven months, speculated that the reason for this was because they lacked the armaments to confront the superior french army
• However 1941 marked a turning point, at this point Germany was at war with Britain, the USSR and USA, Blitzkrieg had proved a failure, and its arms production was significantly below britain.
• Hitler Solution to this was to pass the rationalization decree in December 1941, which meant the systematic saving of materials and manpower in order to achieve the highest possible quantities of output.
• The appointment of Speer as minister of armaments enabled germany to reach a total war economy, however it should have been done sooner for it to have been effective.
• Speer established the central planning board
• The central planning board 


   increased female mobilisation

  • recruited foreign workers and prisoners, and redistributed the workforce to prevent skilled workers being wasted to military conscription
• Foreign labour increased by 6 million between 1942-44
• Speer Increased total arms by 59%
• Rationing


  • introduced early in the war
  • 2/3 of Germans became healthier
  • rations increased in Christmas 1942 after the demoralisation of the 1941 Russian Campaign
  • total war declared in 1943
  • as government became increasingly chaotic, ration cards were no longer honoured
  • people relied on the black market
• when was total war declared


  1943
• who was Germany at war with by the end of 1941


  • Britain and it's empire
  • the USSR
  • the USA
• armaments production were lower than that of Britain
• What was the function of the 1941 rationalisation decree


  • reform the economy
  • eliminate waste
• What was Speer's position in 1942


  Minister of Armaments
• Speer was able to use his close relationship with Hitler to cut through conflicting interests and implement 'industrial self responsibility' to ensure mass production
• Speer's policies to ensure all resources were exploited

  • concentration camp prisoners as workers
  • employing women in factories
  • ending the conscription of skilled workers
  • eliminated anything that did not contribute to war effort
• Stalingrad


  The beginning of the end of German advances and one of the turning points of the war. The invasion of Russia had failed
• It was only with the surrender of the German army at Stalingrad, in February 1943, that Goebbels called for total war
• Successes of Speer's policies (First six months)


  • tank production rose by 25%
  • ammunition rose by 97%
  • total arms production rose by 59%
• Speer's sucesses

  • Tank production rose by 25%
  • ammunition production rose by 97%
  • total arms production rose by 59%
• Limitations to Speer's economic policy

  • The influence of Party Gauleiters
  • The SS exploited conquered land for personal gain rather than benefit of the war economy
  • conquered territories were being plundered rather than exploited
  • the impact of Allied bombing
• Production levels peaked in August 1944
• When did air raid targets begin in Germany


  1940
• By 1942, bombing raids had become more frequent and intense
• The attack on Hamburg in 1943 caused a firestorm, killing 30,000 people
• Effects of the 1945 bombings in Dresden


  • 150,000 killed
  • 70% of property destroyed
• how many civilians were killed in the bomb raids throughout the war

  600,000
• The impact of Bombing on Morale on the home front

  • made people question propaganda
  • the shared suffering brought the party and people closer
  • increased resentment of the enemy rather than desire to surrender
  • Goebbels gained popularity from visiting bombed areas
• The development of V1 and V2 rockets made people believe hitler could win the war
• Many kept fighting because they shared Hitler's vision of the 1000 year Reich
• Edelweiss pirates killed a member of the gestapo, but were caught and killed
• Limitations to Hitler Youth post 1939

  • emphasis on militarism deterred parents
  • leadership conscripted
• White Rose Group, Munich


  • distributed leaflets exposing Jewish policy and atrocities on Eastern Front
  • instructed Germans not to contribute to War effort
• White Rose Group, Munich

  • distributed leaflets exposing Jewish policy and atrocities on Eastern Front
  • instructed Germans not to contribute to War effort
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer 


  • founding member of confessing church
  • condemned Jewish policy
  • involved in assassination plot
  • imprisoned at concentration camp
  • later executed