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Germany And West Germany 1918 - 89 > Economic Development and Policies Nazis > Flashcards

Economic Development and Policies Nazis Flashcards

1
Q

3 phases of Nazi economy, periods and who it was dominated by:

A

1) 1933 - 36 –> Recovery, dominated by Schaht’s new plan
2) 1936 - 39 –> Rearmament, dominated by Goering’s Four Year Plan
3) 1939 onwards –> War, dominated by Albert Speer

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2
Q

What land did Hitler want to gain and what was this term known as?

A
  • Lebensraum = Territory that a grp believes is needed for its natural development
  • Czechoslovakia and Poland
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3
Q

What were Hitler’s aims for economic policy?

A
  • Reasonable living standards for morale
  • Necessary resources for rearmament
  • Autarky
  • Resources for major architectural projects to redesign country for Aryan race
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4
Q

What did Hitler believe in and what did this mean?

A
  • Primacy of politics
  • Economic policy should serve political objective + good of the race
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5
Q

What 2 main methods did the Nazis try to stimulate the economy (give examples) ?

A
  • Indirect stimulus eg. tax cuts, gov grants means more money to spend, which boosts spending
  • Direct stimulus eg. schemes employing people
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6
Q

In which 3 key economic areas did the Nazis cut taxes in?

A
  • Farming
  • Small business
  • Heavy industry
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7
Q

Who were gov grants given to?

A
  • Businesses to repay debts/buy new machinery/employ more
  • Newly married couples for furniture
  • Home owners to finance home imporvement/employment of domestic services
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8
Q

In general what were the Four Year Plans designed to do?

A
  • Make armed forces ready for war in around 4 years
  • Achieve autarky
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9
Q

When was the first Four-Year Plan announced, up until when did it last and what was its main aims and targets?

A
  • 1 Jan 1933
  • Until 1936
    Aim:
  • Autarky
    Targets:
  • Unemployment
  • Agriculture
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10
Q

When did unemployment hit its peak and at what number? Compare this w/ 1936

A
  • 1932 –> 6 mil
  • 1936 –> 1.6 mil
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11
Q

How did the Nazis have such an effect on unemployment?

A
  • Depression had already hit its lowest point –> recovery was bound to happen as part of economic cycle
  • Statistics manipulated
  • Built on economic policies created between 1930 and 32 eg. RAD was an expansion
  • Work created and businesses encouraged to do this, especially temporary ones for long-term unemployed
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12
Q

How were employment stats manipulated by Nazis?

A
  • Women discouraged from working
    Definition of workforce changed:
  • Jewish people no longer allowed to work in civil service and others –> not part of workforce
  • Married women who left/sacked not counted workforce
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13
Q

How many young people were removed from the unemployment register by RAD?

A

400,000

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14
Q

What programme was established on 1 Jun 1933, with what law, who drew it up and how much did it commit to public work schemes?

A
  • Reinhardt Programme
  • Law to Reduce Unemployment
  • Drawn up by Minister of Finance, Fritz Reinhardt
  • RM1,000 mil
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15
Q

How did Hitler make it seem like they were doing a lot for the people and what was actually the case?

A
  • Through public work schemes eg. RAD
  • Extended those initiated in 1932 under Brüning
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16
Q

What other law was established on 1 Jun 1933 and what was it?

A
  • Debt Regulation Law
  • Restructured agricultural debts to reduce/write them off
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17
Q

How did gov spending on work creation change between 1932 and 1933?

A
  • 1932 –> RM1455 mil
  • 1933 –> RM1985 mil
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18
Q

When was conscription to the military and rearmament announced and as a result, what number did the army increase from and to between 1933 and 1939?

A
  • 16 Mar 1935
  • 1933 –> 100,000
  • 1939 –> 1,400,000
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19
Q

What scheme was created, what did they provide, when did it become compulsory and what were the conditions like?

A
  • Reich Labour Service (RAD) schemes for unemployed
  • Provided manual work for people between 19 and 25
  • 26 Jun 1935 –> Became compulsory
  • Excluded from unemployment rate even though they are unpaid
  • Gave women a marriage loan in vouchers if they leave work when they marry
    Conditions:
  • Often less pay than unemployment pay
  • Basic food and accommodation
  • Tents/Barracks
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20
Q

What did work creation schemes do?

A

Sent people, esp young women, to work on farms/building projects

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21
Q

What stat shows how successful these measures were, specifically gov schemes?

A
  • Between 1933 and 1934 –> 2.8 mil jobs created
  • 20% of these created through gov schemes
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22
Q

The appointment of which man to the position of president of Reichsbank boosted business confidence, when did this happen and when did this man also become Economics Minister?

A
  • Hjalmar Schaht
  • Mar 1934
  • Aug 1934 –> Economics Minister
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23
Q

What approach did Schaht take to stimulate recovery and what is this?

A
  • Deficit financing
  • Spending more than they have
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24
Q

When was the law to expand the pre-Nazi autobahn scheme actually established?

A

22 Jun 1933

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25
Q

What benefits did the autobahn schemes have (give stats)?

A
  • Increased car and truck manufacture eg. between 1934 and 1936 –> 126,000 trucks built
  • Improved communications when moving goods to support other industries
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26
Q

What stat shows the road-building scheme did not offer as much employment as suggested?

A

Between Dec 1933 and 1935 –> Max number of workers on project at any one time was 84,000 (often fewer)

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27
Q

How did the actions taken by Schaht create a balance of trade crisis and how did this impact rearmament?

A
  • Creating more jobs led to more spending of imported goods
  • Public work schemes did not create additional goods so GER’s exports were low
  • To rearm, raw materials would have to be imported, however this would worsen the trade deficit
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28
Q

Who was the minister of agriculture and what did he do in his first weeks in office (when was this?) as part of the Four-Year Plan?

A

Jan 1933:
- Alfred Hugenberg
- Increased import tariffs, making GER’s produce cheaper
- Banned banks from repossessing farms from farmers in debt
- Margarine manufacturers had to use German farmers’ butter in their margarine

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29
Q

When did Hugenburg resign, who replaced him, what did this man set up, when and what was its purpose?

A
  • May 1933
  • Richard Darré
  • 13 Sep –> Set up Reich Food Estate (RNS)
  • Regulated food production and distribution of farm produce
  • Set prices and farm wages
  • Reich Entail Farm Law –> banned selling of large and medium-sized farms
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30
Q

Why were Darre’s reforms concentrated on the protection of the peasantry?

A

Believed they were the purest of all Aryans as they were not corrected by urbanisation

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31
Q

However, how did these reforms disadvantage workers?

A
  • Price controls reduced farmers’ profits –> Hard to have high wages that would attract workers
  • Sale of food supervised by Reich Food Estate which took a cut from the money raised
  • Banks refused to offer loans based on value of land as they could no longer be sold (Reich Entail Farm Law)
  • Women also lost out –> new laws took away their right to inherit farmland
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32
Q

What percentage of the total workforce were farmers in 1933?

A

29%

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33
Q

Why did agriculture not seem to be a big problem for senior Nazis?

A
  • Rearmament was the priority
  • Believed it would be solved by gaining Lebensraum
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34
Q

Up to what amount could this organisation fine people and what did it set up for what purpose?

A
  • Up to RM100,000 for not conforming
  • Reich agencies
  • Control imports of farm produce
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35
Q

In 1928, what percentage of farm produce was provided by GER farmers and how did this change in 1934?

A
  • 1928 –> 68%
  • 1934 –> 80%
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36
Q

For what reasons was rearmament difficult?

A
  • Expensive
  • Banned by Treaty of Versailles
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37
Q

What company was set up to initially buy armaments with what system and how was this helpful?

A
  • Mefo GmbH, a private company placing orders for military goods
  • Company would pay for armaments using Mefo bills
  • Similar to IOUs
  • Allowed gov to hide its actions and delay payment
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38
Q

What is a Mefo bill and what is the procedure when using it?

A
  • Credit note saying you owed a specific amount
  • Converted into RMs and paid w/ interest after 5 yrs
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39
Q

What was the purpose of Mefo bills?

A

Increased public expenditure without causing inflation

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40
Q

When did Schaht begin issuing these Mefo bills and give examples of industrial companies who were producing aramaments for Mefo GmbH by APR 1934?

A
  • Autumn 1933
  • Krupp
  • Siemens
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41
Q

In total, what fraction of all military spending did Mefo bills finance between 1933 and 39 and what value was this?

A
  • 1/5 of military spending
  • RM 12 bil
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42
Q

Which businesses were supportive of the Nazis and which were not?

A

Supportive:
- Big businesses and cartels eg. steel industry and I.G. Farben
Unsupportive:
- Those reliant on exports
- Those suffering from measures introduced to help small businesses

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43
Q

How many employees did I.G. Farben have by 1939, how much was it worth and how significant was their input in economic policy?

A
  • 200,000
  • RM1.6 mil
  • Advised gov on formation of Four Year Plan
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44
Q

Give an example of how support for small businesses impacted larger ones

A
  • 12 May 1933 –> Law for the Protection of Retail Trade
  • Stopped building of new stores + expansion of existing ones
  • Department stores made 80% less in 1934 compared to 1929
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45
Q

Why did Nazi propaganda discourage the use of department stores?

A

Small businesses had supported Hitler, whereas most big businesses had not

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46
Q

When was 1 May made an official holiday?

A

1933

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47
Q

What was announced on 6 May 1933, was this voluntary or compulsory, what was the benefit of this new organisation for big businesses and who led it?

A
  • Now only 1 union: DAF (German Labour Front)
  • Voluntary however it became quite difficult to get work as a non-member
  • Easier to exploit workers as they could set their own working conditions
  • Robert Ley
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48
Q

Between 1933 and 1939, how did membership for DAF change?

A
  • 1933 –> 5 mil
  • 1939 –> 22 mil
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49
Q

When were divisions created within DAF and give examples of these?

A
  • 24 Oct 1933
  • Strength Through Joy
  • Beauty of Labour
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50
Q

How helpful were the Reich Trustees of Labour as a last resort, what was this, what were they responsible for, how many were there across the country and what did they control?

A
  • Regulated working conditions under Ministry of Labour
  • Usually sided w/ employers
  • Set wages + fix holidays
  • 12 across country
  • Councils of Trust
51
Q

When were the Councils of Trust created, what Weimar system did it replace, what did they discuss and how did one become a member?

A
  • Jan 1934
  • Work councils
  • Discussed plant output + safety and workers’ welfare
  • Nominated by plant leader/ elected by plant workers
52
Q

What was the NSBO?

A
  • National Socialist Factory Cell Organisation
  • Workers organisation for factory workers
53
Q

What happened in 1934 to GER’s debts and how significant was this?

A
  • Failed to pay US debts
  • Trade w/ USA collapsed
  • Not very important as Nazis did not intend to rely on foreign trade
54
Q

What did Schaht draw up, when and what was this?

A
  • ‘New Plan’
  • Spring 1934
  • Made trade treaties w/ other countries
  • Involved exchanging goods rather than paying for imports
55
Q

As part of the New Plan what was introduced to limit consumer imports but continue imports of goods w/ military applications? What goods had they done this on?

A
  • Series of import quotas
  • By Summer 1934 –> strict quotas on wool, cotton, leather, fur and precious metals
56
Q

By Aug of the same year, what had Schaht created, what was their purpose and what industry was given priority?

A
  • 25 new departments in Ministry of Economics
  • Issue import licenses for an increasing number of controlled goods (illegal to import w/out one)
  • Priority to arms industry
57
Q

What moves did Schaht make that meant trade initially improved, however what was the implication of this (give example)?

A
  • Shift of GER’s trade esp to Balkan states
  • Use of exchange of goods through bilateral trade agreements
  • However, by 1935, many countries were demanding cash eg. Bulgaria wanted cash for their oil
58
Q

Why was this a problem for GER and as a result, what decision did Schaht have to make?

A
  • Still not self-sufficient
  • Need to import raw materials –> for rearmament and work creation
  • Need to import food –> shortages of fats and meat
  • Schacht did not want to increase borrowing, so he had to cut consumption and press for higher production (guns v butter) –> formed basis of Four Year Plan of 1936
59
Q

How did the poor harvests of 1934 - 35 lead to eventual creation of a command economy?

A
  • Darre lobbied for imports of food to keep prices down, otherwise regime would become unpopular
  • Hitler authorised more food imports for the time being to avoid rationing (more unpopularity)
60
Q

Even though Goering was willing to try and import food, what major problem did they face?

A

They did not have the foreign currency to be able to do this

61
Q

Give stats to show how bad the food shortages got:

A
  • 1935 –> Butter rationed
  • 1934 to 1936 –> Price of pork and ham rose by 30%
62
Q

How did Nazis re-educate people in an attempt to prevent rationing (give examples) ?

A

Told them to consume less and change eating habits to be more patriotic
- Less meat, more fish
- Jam w/ bread, not sausage

63
Q

Give stat to show success of jam propaganda

A

Jam consumption trebled between 1928 and 1938

64
Q

What countries did Schaht seek to trade with, why these ones and what were the advantages of doing this?

A
  • Developing countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America eg. Yugoslavia, Peru
  • Did not have the money to trade freely with great powers
    Advantages:
  • GER had more powerful economy therefore more favourable trade deals
  • Barter deals could be negotiated w/ some of these countries
65
Q

Even though the New Plan was successful, what were the consequences of prioritising rearmament?

A
  • Standard of living dropped
  • Limiting imports of materials like wool collapsed textiles industry (20% of country’s industrial workers)
  • Price of clothing rose much faster than that of goods in 1930s
66
Q

What stat shows that the Nazis did not drop standard of living and what depressed their real incomes?

A
  • Hourly wages increased by only 1% a year
  • Depressed due to compulsory membership dues for DAF and Winterhilfe + insurance and tax deductions
67
Q

Why did Hitler put Goering in charge of the Office of the Four Year Plan and when did he do this?

A
  • Schaht wanted to slow arms expenditure but Hitler became impatient
  • 4 Sep 1936
68
Q

Who was in charge of the Four Year Plan of 1936, until when did it last, what was the focus and how many departments did the Office of the Four Year Plan have (what were each of these?)

A
  • Goering
  • Until 1942
  • Autarky and prep for war
  • 6 departments: raw material, agricultural production, distribution, labour, prices, foreign exchange matters
69
Q

What happened to the raw materials GER could not produce (give examples) and what did this mean?

A
  • GER manufactured synthetic alternatives (Ersatz) eg. rubber replaced by Buna
  • New factories had to be constructed
70
Q

How fast were results from synthetic production and why?

A
  • Not much
  • New processes
  • Technical difficulties
71
Q

How much coal was required to produce a tonne of synthetic fuel and by 1939, what fraction of GER’s raw materials depended on imports?

A
  • 6 tonnes
  • 1/3
72
Q

Give examples to show how Nazi economic plans were way too ambitious:

A
  • Ambitious targets for production
  • Overestimated the ease with which they could extract foreign resources
  • Made military plans on the basis of the success of their economic plans
73
Q

Give one fig to show ambitious targets of Four Year Plan and one where the target was actually fulfilled

A
  • Oil (including synthetic petrol) only ever came to half of target (6,260 of target 13,830) in 1942
  • Brown coal was at 245,918 tonnes in 1942 when target was 240,500
74
Q

What shows the fact that the Nazis overestimated how easy it would be to extract foreign resources?

A
  • Planned invasion of Stalingrad to seize control of Soviet oil fields and extract the oil, which they thought would be easy
  • However, shortage of skilled workers + drilling machinery meant they were unable to extract significant quantities
75
Q

Give an example of a military plan made on the expectation of successful economic plans:

A
  • 1941 –> Hitler went ahead w/ invasion of USSR
  • However, Luftwaffe was too small to fulfil this
76
Q

How had percentage of imports changed between 1934 and 1938?

A

Decreased from 20% to 17%

77
Q

What was the result of setting very ambitious targets?

A

Businesses resisted Goering’s control as it was uneconomic for them

78
Q

What were Goering’s weaknesses as the head of many departments (give example)?

A
  • Too many roles that he didn’t want to delegate either
  • Allocated resources in a way that served his interests eg. promoted those that were no threat to him rather than talented ones
79
Q

Give one example of someone Hitler appointed because he was weak and submissive and had total belief in Fuhrer

A

Rudolf Hess

80
Q

Rudolf Hess:

A
  • Joined Freikorps + SS general
  • Took part in Munich Putsch
  • 1925 –> Became Secretary
  • 1933 –> Deputy Fuhrer of Nazi Party
  • Main significance in developing cult of the Fuhrer
81
Q

When did Schaht resign as Minister of Economics and head of Reichsbank and why?

A
  • 1937 –> Minister of Economics
  • Disagreed w/ focus of Four Year Plan
  • His Ministry of Economics had no power once Goering’s Office of Four Year Plan was created (conflict between Schaht’s import control policy and Goering’s increased expenditure + Ersatz goods)
82
Q

How did Schaht’s resignation change economic policy?

A

Became more radical and greater gov control as w/out Schaht no-one was willing to work w/ businesses

83
Q

Successes of Nazi economy:

A
  • Coal production increased from 319.7 mil in 1936 to 380.9 mil tonnes in 1938
  • Self-sufficient in terms of bread, sugar + potatoes
    Four Year Plan:
  • Steel production increased from 19.2 mil in 1936 to 22.6 mil tonnes in 1938
  • Ersatz rubber production increased by 500% between 1936 and 38
84
Q

How did GER manage to increase steel production?

A
  • Goering nationalised big steel companies
  • Controlled main deposits of iron ore
  • Created new company Reichswerke Hermann Goering, which began mining the ore (German industrialists did not do this as it is uneconomical)
85
Q

What were some limitations of increased steel production in Four Year Plan (give examples)?

A
  • As it was uneconomical to extract, this steel was more expensive than imported steel
  • Consistently unable to deliver steel demanded by military eg. 1937 –> 750,000 tonnes of steel requested, however only 300,000 was received
86
Q

Failures of Four Year Plan:

A
  • Only 20% of the artificial oil needed was actually produced
  • Airline production declined in first year
  • Process of producing ersatz rubber was expensive –> better to have imported it
  • Military leaders advised Hitler they would not be ready for war until 1943
  • Brink of inflation crisis
87
Q

Why did Hitler succeed in comparison to the Weimar Republic when tackling economic issues?

A
  • Took the intervention approach rather than the ‘laissez faire’ approach
  • Reducing unemployment was his top priority, whereas Brüning used it for wider aims
  • More difficult to take action under Weimar due to Hindenburg, lack of laws, constitution
  • Ending of reparation payments and work schemes set up previously helped Hitler
88
Q

What else made things even more challenging for the Nazi economy?

A

In 1938 and 39, GER gov found it difficult to borrow money as banks were unwilling to lend to a country already in huge debt

89
Q

Why was only 20% of the artificial coal needed actually produced (give stats) ?

A
  • There weren’t enough coal miners
  • 1938 –> officers in Four Year Plan organisation estimated another 20-30,000 miners would be needed to produce necessary coal
90
Q

Give one reason why there weren’t enough coal miners:

A
  • By 1938 –> all areas of GER industry facing labour shortages so production for extra coal was impossible
91
Q

Why did airline production decline in the first year of the plan?

A
  • Goering rejected plans to introduce production lines into aircraft factories as they destroyed German craftsmanship so traditional techniques were used
  • Lack of fuel, steel and workers (not prepped for war)
92
Q

Why was GER on the brink of an inflation crisis?

A

No new consumer goods being produced so new money from paying for arms only pushed prices further up

93
Q

What were the initial events that led to war?

A
  • 1 Sep 1939 –> GER invades POL, GBR demands them to leave (they do not)
  • 3 Sep 1939 –> GBR declares war
94
Q

When war broke out how prepped was GER compared to GBR and FRA (give examples)?

A

More prepped but not as much as Hitler wanted eg. they wanted 4 months’ worth of supplies however in Sep 1939, there were 6 weeks’ worth

95
Q

What happened in Dec 1939, which confirmed the priorities of the economy?

A

War economy decrees issued, outlining vast programmes of production

96
Q

During the war, how was the Office of Four Year Plan handling the organisation of war production and why was it like this?

A
  • Managing it badly
  • Several organisations involved in war production eg. this office, Ministry of economics, air force
  • Goering favoured air force as he was also head of this so those experienced in engineering and production techniques were often ignored
97
Q

Who did Hitler make minister of armaments and munitions, what task was he given and when?

A
  • 26 Feb 1940
  • Fritz Todt
  • Organising industry to full production
98
Q

What did Todt need to fulfil this task, but what did Hitler do instead and when?

A
  • Needed centralised control
  • 3 Dec 1941 –> Hitler gave memorandum about army, navy and air force keeping demands as low as possible to rationalise needs and stay efficient
  • However, he did not force centralisation plans
99
Q

Describe who GER was fighting against by 1941 and what impact this had on their success:

A
  • Against GBR, USSR and USA
  • USA was richest country in world
  • GBR was at centre of world’s largest empire
  • USSR was one of fastest growing economies
100
Q

Give example of wrong priorities in the Nazi economy:

A
  • Final Solution (eradicating Europe Jewish pop) was expensive and needed a lot of labour power, though it served no military purpose
  • Goebbels demanded money and labour to make major films during war
  • Military prioritised research and development of new weaponry & production of secret super weapons
  • Continued production of goods that were good for morale eg. cosmetics w/ no military purpose
101
Q

Give an example of one of these films that were made and how many resources it used:

A
  • Kolberg
  • More than 100 railway wagons used to bring salt to film set as snow
  • 10,000 troops called from front line to act as extras
102
Q

What were the positives and negatives of prioritising development of new weaponry?

A

Positive:
- Weaponry was extremely well-made
Negative:
- Expensive process –> in 1940 –> $6 mil spent on production of weapons compared to GBR who had spent $3.5 mil and yet produced 50% more aircraft

103
Q

What were the positives and negatives of producing secret super weapons (V1 and V2 rockets, jet fighter planes) that Hitler and Goering insisted would change course of war?

A

Positives:
- Impressive engineering achievements
Negatives:
- Not powerful enough to affect the course of war

104
Q

When did Todt die and how?

A

8 Feb 1942 in a plane crash

105
Q

Who was Todt’s replacement, what did he convince Hitler to do and when did he do this?

A
  • Albert Speer
  • Mar 1942 –> Decree issued giving Speer undisputed authority (Speer convinced him)
  • 22 Apr 1942 –> Decree set up Central Planning Board to distribute raw materials, decide on building new factory/extend existing one and organise transportation
106
Q

What did Speer do to rationalise the economy?

A
  • Established Central Planning Board
  • Established Armaments Commission to oversee standardisation of munitions
  • Introduced modern production methods
  • Prevented conscription of skilled workers
  • Excluded military leaders from eceonomic decisions
  • Encouraged employment of women
  • Greater use of concentration camp labour
107
Q

What did the Central Planning Board include?

A

Variety of committees w/ specialists and engineers, each responsible for a type of armament eg. tanks

108
Q

What did the committees do?

A
  • Looked at all factories producing same equipment
  • Closed down smaller factories
  • Standardised factory machinery so there was only one model of each part –> easier repairs + construction
  • Production had to become more mechanised
109
Q

Why did production have to become more mechanised (give examples)?

A
  • Thousands more being conscripted –> in 1929, 1.4% of workforce in army, compared to 13% in 1944
  • Less skilled women and foreign workers doing these jobs instead
110
Q

As a result of this need for munitions workers, what happened to the number of women in the workforce between 1933 and 39?

A
  • 1933 –> 1.4 mil
  • 1939 –> 14.8 mil
111
Q

Compare the avg woman’s wage to the avg man’s wage:

A

Avg woman’s wage was about half of the avg man’s

112
Q

Give stats to show the extraordinary effect of these changes on production between 1942 and 44:

A
  • Arms production increased by 59%
  • Tank production increased by 25%
113
Q

What tactic meant GER was performing very well before 1940 and which single Allies was left by Jul?

A
  • Blitzkrieg
  • By Jul –> GBR
114
Q

How did the need for diff equipment change throughout war and what did this mean?

A
  • 1st year –> Planes, tanks + armoured vehicles
  • 22 Jun 1940, when FRA fell –> U-boats + longer range planes to go against GBR
  • Jun 1941 (Operation Barbarossa when GBR did not surrender) –> Tanks + armoured vehicles again
  • There were still delays despite new system
115
Q

In 1941, what fraction of troops had inadequate equipment?

A

1/3

116
Q

In 1945, what had war production been badly affected by (give examples) ?

A
  • Allied bombing –> wiped out factories, mines, towns + transport links
  • Loss of land providing raw materials eg. upper Silesia’s coal
  • Damage to electricity, water and gas supplies
  • Sabotage by foreign workers eg. ‘mistakes’ damaging machinery
117
Q

What had food production been affected by?

A

People were starving due to:
- Loss of farm workers to frontline
- Bombing of transport links

118
Q

What other events caused the economy to slow to a stop by 1944?

A
  • Army falling back and deserting
  • Allies advancing
119
Q

What crisis was there by late 1944?

A

Fuel crisis

120
Q

From Dec 1944 to Jan 1945, what percentage had production declined by?

A

60%

121
Q

During the last stage of the war, what did Hitler order Speer to do and what did Speer do instead?

A
  • Destruction of all German factories and farms that would fall into hands of their enemies
  • Speer realised policy would condemn many who survived the war to death by starvation
  • Worked w/ industrialists to save a large number of these
122
Q

What event led to a greater strain on resources?

A
  • As Red Army advanced from East, refugees fled into GER
123
Q

When was Germany defeated and what was the main cause?

A
  • May 1945
  • Military and economic collapse

Germany And West Germany 1918 - 89 (11 decks)

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