KEY DATES Flashcards
When was food rationing introduced?
August 1939: before the war had began.
When was clothing rationing introduced?
November 1939
Why were food rations reduced in 1942?
After invasion of Soviet Union in June 1941, imports of food were stopped from there.
When did food rations become precarious?
Autumn 1944.
When did supply & distribution of food collapse & Germans faced prospect of starvation?
Spring 1945.
What happened in the “Blitzkreig” part of the war (Sept 1939 - June 1941)?
Invasion of Poland (1939), quickly followed by invasions of Belgium, Norway, France etc, all defeated quickly.
What happened during the “Spreading of War” (June 1941 - Dec 1941)?
June 1941: Germany invaded USSR & was occupying territory
Dec 1941: Red Army halted Germany’s advance.
Dec 1941: Germany declared war on USA, after it’s ally (Japan) attacked Pearl Harbour.
What happened during the “Turning of the Tide” part of the war (Jan 1942 - Jan 1943)?
British stopped German & Italian advances in North Africa.
Defeat of entire German army at Stalingrad (Jan 1943) was big turning point in war.
What happened during the “Total War” & defeat of Germany (Feb 1943 - May 1945) part of the war?
British & American bombing of German cities brought destruction & loss of civilian lives.
D-Day landings in France (June 1944) opened up a 2nd front in Western Europe.
Berlin captured by Soviet forces (April 1945).
Germany surrenders 8th May.
What did Hitler do to workers at the start of the war (Sept 1939)?
Hitler imposed wage reductions & banned bonuses - caused discontent & more absenteeism.
Impact of War on Workers? END
Aug 1944: Total ban of holidays, working week increased to 60 hours, working conditions getting worse and worse.
Impact of War on women? START
May 1939: made up 37.4% of industrial labour force.
Hitler believed that they should focus on childbearing and care.
But didn’t have children and expected to work.
Impact of War on women?
END
Jan 1943: decreed all woman 17-45 should work
1945: situation so grave women made up 60% of labour force.
Impact of War on youth? START
1939: membership to Hitler Youth compulsory - trained to be soldiers.
Impact of War on youth? END
1942: 600 000 boys & 1.4mil girls organised to help gather harvests.
1943: conscription age = 17
1945: conscription age = 16 - lots of pressure put on youth to join war.
By summer of 1931 what had happened to German banking system?
In crisis, following collapse of Austrian bank. Banks temporarily closed & brought under gov control. Issues NOT resolved.
What happened to industrial production during 1929-1932?
Fell by 58% of its 1928 level.
By how much did Germany’s export trade decline by after the 1929 Great Depression?
61%.
By 1932 approx how many German workers were registered as unemployed?
1/3.
How many people do estimates of 1933 suggest were unemployed?
8mil.
What did a new law for married female civil servants in May 1932 mean?
Allowed for them to be dismissed.
POLITICAL Impact of the 1929 Depression: March 1930
*Grand Coalition collapsed (over reducing unemployment benefits)
*Hburg appointed Brüning as Chancellor - DIDN’T have support form SPD so had to rely on Article48
*Brüning imposed cuts in employment & government worker’s wages & raised tax - “Hunger Chancellor”.
POLITICAL Impact of the 1929 Depression: September 1930
*Reichstag elections - Nazis made breakthrough, 2nd largest party.
*KPD gained lots of votes from SPD.
*Violence increased at street level, especially between Nazi Stormtroopers & Communist Red-Front Fighters’ League.
POLITICAL Impact of the 1929 Depression: April 1932
*Brüning banned SA to try reduce street violence. Ban = ineffective, SA continued to grow. Ban lost Brüning support from Schleicher, who thought this would cause a Nazi Uprising.