IMPACT OF THE WAR

Question 1

WHAT was allocation of food rations based on in Nazi Germany?

Answer 1

Age, occupation and race

Question 2

WHY was the Nazi regime reluctant to cut civilian consumption too much?

Answer 2

Heavy rationing and shortages during WW1 were key reasons for civilian war-weariness in Germany 1917-18

Question 3

Comparatively, what level was consumption at in Germany at the start of WW2?

Answer 3

Civilian consumption was cut more in Germany than in Britain. However, there were no serious shortages from 1939-41.

Question 4

WHEN did serious food shortages start to appear in Germany during WW2?

Answer 4

After the invasion of the Soviet Union (1941). Many were experiencing malnutrition

Question 5

WHAT is the definition of ‘Blitzkrieg’?

Answer 5

Literally ‘lightning war.’ A military tactic which involved a series of quick and decisive short battles, targeting an enemy state before it could fully mobilize. It was used fairly successfully by the German army from 1939-41.

Question 6

WHAT was public mood like during the first 21 months of the war (before the invasion of USSR)?

Answer 6

• Public mood was volatile and propaganda was not always effective in lifting morale
• The victories were a cause for celebration, and Hitler took the credit for military successes

Question 7

HOW was propaganda used from 1939 to end of 1941?

Answer 7

• Initially it was optimistic and it led people to believe that the war would be over soon
• Scapegoats were used to explain the spreading of the war (e.g. the British/Soviets/Americans, as well as the idea of a Jewish international conspiracy)
• Increasing anti-Semitism

Question 8

WHEN did Germany invade the USSR?

Answer 8

June 1941

Question 9

WHEN did Germany declare war on the USA?

Answer 9

December 1941

Question 10

WHAT was public mood like in 1941 (immediatley after invasion of USSR)?

Answer 10

• Some optimism after initial defeat of Red Army, but there were reports of fears that the war would be long
• Letters home from soldiers undermined Nazi propaganda about Germany’s success

Question 11

WHEN did the Nazis start to do less favourably during WW2?

Answer 11

1942 onwards. A major turning point was the defeat at Stalingrad, which was one of the largest and costliest urban battles in the entirety of history.

Question 12

WHAT was public mood like in 1942 (as German losses increased in the USSR)?

Answer 12

• Civilians were awakened to reality through rising casualty figures and pessimistic letters home
• Scepticism about propaganda increased
• Hitler myth began to lose some of its potency, but an SD report still stated that ‘faith in the Fuhrer was unshakeable’

Question 13

WHY was the defeat at Stalingrad such a turning point for German civilian morale?

Answer 13

Propaganda had concealed the truth, building up unrealistic expectations of a German victory. Therefore, when news of the defeat broke, the public was shocked and propaganda started to lose its hold on the people.

Question 14

WHEN did Goebbels declare that Germany was engaged in ‘Total War’?

Answer 14

February 1943

Question 15

WHEN did bombings start in Germany?

Answer 15

March 1942, and they increased in 1943

Question 16

HOW did the bombings effect public mood in Germany?

Answer 16

• Initially, police and SD reports spoke of civilians’ resilience and continued support
• Personal reports disagree with this sentiment
• Growing exhaustion from shortages, sustained terror and loss of sleep from the bombings night and day.

Question 17

HOW were defeatist views combatted from 1942-1945?

Answer 17

• Defeatist views started to be repressed by the regime
• Goebbels spoke of retaliation with secret weapons to combat pessimistic views

Question 18

WHAT did the civilians of the German Reich do in the final months of the war?

Answer 18

Milions of Germans across eastern Europe were forced to walk hundreds of miles eastwards facing cold, hunger and disease

Question 19

WHAT was public mood like at the end of the war?

Answer 19

• There were huge losses from the marches and many were left homeless
• Civilian population was exhausted, but there were few signs of outward resistance or rebellion.

Question 20

HOW MANY Germans in eastern territories are thought to have died on marches at the end of the war?

Answer 20

500,000 to 1,000,000

Question 21

WHAT was public reaction to the fall of the Nazi regime?

Answer 21

The final collapse of the Nazi regime was quick and the general population reacted passively to it.

Question 22

HOW did the war impact the elite’s view towards the Nazi regime?

Answer 22

Most of the elite were involved in the army and so knew the reality of the war, causing them to lose faith in Hitler.

Question 23

WHAT are some examples of reasons why the elite opposed Nazism during the war?

Answer 23

• Moral conviction
• Patriotism (believed Hitler was leading Germany into destruction)
• Many believed in personal freedom and individual responsibility

Question 24

HOW did the war impact workers?

Answer 24

• Wage reductions (that were later changed back to the normal level)
• Increased hours
• Increased pressure on workers to produce more due to new pay system proportional to production

Question 25

By WHAT year was half of the German workforce women?

Answer 25

1944

Question 26

HOW did Nazi policy toward women working in industry change during the war?

Answer 26

1) Initially, women working in industry were discouraged
2) By 1943 Hitler had to abandon ideology and started to force women into employment.
3) All restrictions were gone by 1944
4) By the end of the war, women became involved in the military as well.

Question 27

HOW were the Hitler Youth impacted by the war?

Answer 27

• At first, activities continued as usual
• They helped collect for the Winter Aid programme
• Military training camps were set up with the Hitler Youth

Question 28

HOW did the age of conscription change during the war?

Answer 28

1940: 19 y/o
1941: 18 y/o
1943: 17 y/o
1945: 16 y/o