4 Persec. of Jews & GER. home front '39-'45 Flashcards
PERSEC of Jews ‘40-‘45
‘39: Ger. army invaded Poland & 2M Jews came under Nazi control
‘40: H. built ghettos to isolate Jews in E EUR
CONC CAMPS [‘33-‘45]
After ‘39, grew in size to accommodate racial opponents
e.g. Buchenwald increased from 1 000 prisoners in ‘37 to 10 000 in ‘39
Einsatzgruppen ‘39-‘41
- Security police & SS units followed GER army into E EUR
- Systematically murdered ‘undesirables’
By ‘45, had killed a total of 1.5M
Wannsee meeting & Final Solution ‘42
Jan 20 ‘42: Nazi officials met to implement the ‘Final Solution of the Jewish Question’
Agreed to deport all Jews to death camps
Death camps ‘42-‘45
After Wannsee, six purpose built death camps were set up [murder of Jews on industrial scale]
March ‘42, first death camp began operating in Belzac, Poland
By ‘44, 90% of Jews in Ger & E EUR had been killed
As RA forced GER to retreat; imprisoned Jews were marched west to camps in GER
Further 250 000 died as a result of ‘death marches’
IN TOTAL 6M Jews were killed by Nazis
The Home Front [quick timeline]
Phase 1: ‘39-‘41 life remained unchanged
Early success in W EUR maintained morale
- stolen goods were sent to GER public / limited rationing
Phase 2: by ‘41, conditions changed radically
GER. attack against SU stalled
- By May ‘42, food rations reduced
Phase 3: TOTAL WAR ‘43-‘44
After GER. defeat at Stalingrad, G. gave speech mobilising public
/ geared every part of GER. society to war effort
Phase 4: ‘44-‘45
DEFEAT / by ‘44, allied armies pushed back GER in west & east
EFFECTS [changing role of women]
‘39- ‘41: no. of women working in heavy industry increased by a third
‘41: women without children were drafted into workforce
Total War meant all women were drafted
Some worked as auxiliaries in armed forces[operating searchlights & anti-aircraft guns]
EFFECTS [‘Total War’] ‘43-‘45
1 Places of entertainment & non-essential businesses closed
June ‘43: Kolberg
8.5M marks & 187 000 soldiers
2 War product. became priority
‘44: working hours increased to 60 hours a week & holidays banned
Pol. prisoners worked to death in labour camps [21% of GER workforce consisted of foreigners]
Effects [rationing]
‘39: introduction of rationing; limited due to early successes
May ‘42: rationing reduced to half loaf of bread & 20 g of meat a day
Effects [allied bombing]
‘42: allied bombing
Incendiary bombs; ‘area bombing’
July ‘43: bombing raids on Hamburg [10 square miles destroyed & 50 000 citizens died]
+ raids targeted supply lines & factories / vital aircraft + tank product. decreased by a third
BY end of war, 500 000 GER civilians had been killed; millions displaced
OPPOSITION [the Edelweiss Pirates] ‘39-‘45
Woking class youth group; formed in ‘39
..from ‘43-‘45, activities grew in severity
distributed Allied propaganda leaflets; committed acts of sabotage
In ‘44, 13 Edelweiss Pirates were hanged for death of Gestapo chief
OPPOSITION [the White Rose Group]
Group of students.. founded in Munich.. exposed wartime suffering
In ‘43, Hans & Sophie Scholl were arrested
OPPOSITION [from the Churches]
Niemoller..
Galen..
During the war, some individ clergy attempted to do more
- Bonhoeffer joined GER. military intelligence & passed messages to Allies
Arrested in ‘43
OPPOSITION [from the military]
While war was successful ‘39-‘42, opp. was subdued
- By ‘42.. blamed H. for defeats
July Bomb Plot ‘44
20 July ‘44: Count Stauffenberg attempted to kill H. with a bomb in his briefcase… bomb was moved
5 000 people arrested for suspected part in plot [inc. 19 generals & 26 colonels]
GER.’s defeat
By Apr. 45, Soviet troops surrounded BER.
H. moved to an underground bunker
- 28 Apr: married Eva Braun
- 30 Apr: they both committed suicide
7 May ‘45: GER. surrendered to Allies
