WARTIME ECONOMY

Question 1

WHEN did the German economy reach full mobilisation?

Answer 1

1942

Question 2

WERE there shortages during the initial years of the war?

Answer 2

Yes, there were shortages of weapons and equipment, but there were few issues due to the successes of Blitzkrieg

Question 3

WHEN did supply shortages start to be felt during the war?

Answer 3

1941, due to Operation Barbarossa (Russian campaign)

Question 4

WHAT aspects of the German economy were unprepared for war in 1939?

Answer 4

• The Luftwaffe or the navy weren’t fully expanded yet
• Production was still more focused on research and development
• Firms weren’t set up for mass production of weapons

Question 5

WHO was in charge of the economy in the initial years of the war?

Answer 5

Goering

Question 6

HOW effective was Goering in charge of the economy at the start of the war?

Answer 6

Ineffective. He lacked the technical economic knowledge and had too poor relations with military/business leaders to provide centralised coordination of the economy

Question 7

WHEN was Speer appointed Armaments Minister?

Answer 7

1942

Question 8

HOW was production rationalised during the war under Speer?

Answer 8

• Central allocation of labour, equipment and material to armament factories
• Introduced standardised production
• Greater use of mass production techniques
• Shift working to keep factories open 24 hours

Question 9

By HOW MUCH did German aircraft production increase 1941-1943?

Answer 9

It increased by 200%

Question 10

HOW did Allied bombing impact production during the war?

Answer 10

• Damaged supply lines
• Factories had to be dispersed intermittently
• Weakened worker morale

Question 11

HOW was the labour force used in the most efficient way during the war

Answer 11

• Non-essential workers were released for military service or moved to munitions industries
• Increased use of foreign labour

Question 12

WHEN was full-scale conscription of labour into essential ar work implemented?

Answer 12

1943

Question 13

WHERE were foreign labourers conscripted from during the war?

Answer 13

• Occupied countries in Western and Eastern Europe
• Prisoners of war from the USSR from 1941
• Concentration camp inmates

Question 14

HOW MANY foreign workers were working for Germany in 1944?

Answer 14

7 million were working in Germany and a further 7 million were working in occupied countries.

Question 15

WHAT fraction of the German labour force was made up of foreign labour by 1944?

Answer 15

1/4

Question 16

HOW were Eastern European workers treated compared to Western European workers?

Answer 16

• Poorer conditions
• Harsher discipline
• Paid about half Western European and German workers were paid

Question 17

HOW were prisoners of war and concentration camp inmates treated when working for the Germans?

Answer 17

• They were used as slave labour with no payment
• They had starvation rations