1.

The Weimar achieved economic prosperity as they received loans from the USA as in the form of Dawes
Plan and Young Plan and by 1928 their economy reached its pre-war state.

- They used some of the money from the Dawes Plan to build public works such as a high-speed rail line
from Berlin to Hamburg

- Locarno Treaties in 1925 and joining the LON in 1926

- The culture in the Weimar Republic was thriving as there were 900 dance bands by 1927

2. The depression in Germany led to mass unemployment as in 1929 1.6 million were unemployed and by
1932, 6 million were unemployed. By 1933, over half of people aged 16-30 were unemployed.

- Highlighted the issues with the Weimar Republic as they were highly dependent on US loans that were re-
called in the wall street crash of 1929

- President Hindenburg activated Article 48 which meant that he could make decisions without getting par-
liamentary support. This was unpopular with people as it went strongly against the democratic ethos of the
Weimar Republic.

3. Pointing out problems with the Weimar Republic and calling that desperate times called for desperate
measures

- Hitler gave speeches and became a well respected man among Germans; they did not blame him for the
Nazi’s actions. Hitler spoke about Aryans as a superior race and gaining lebensraum for the German peo-
ple. Hitler travelled by plane on a hectic tour of Germany to spread his message and befriend the German
people. This hit close to the heart for many Germans as they believed that in such desperate times they
needed a strong and committed leader like Hitler.

- This was an example of the effective use of propaganda used by the Nazis as they used films, radio and
records to bring their message to millions and they used effective slogans.

- The Nazis used ‘negative cohesion’ as leverage to vilify the Communists and portray themselves as a bet-
ter alternative. They used every opportunity to state that Jews, Communists, Weimar politicians and the
TOV were to blame for Germany’s misfortune

4. Promoting Aryans as a superior race and demanding lebensraum for the German people

- In the 25 point programme of February 24 1920 the Nazis laid out some of their key political policies:
Abolition of the TOV, Union of Germany and Austria, superior Aryan race, large industries and busi-
nesses to be nationalised, generous old-age pension and a strong central government

- They expressed contempt for the the democratic system and said that it was unable to solve Germany’s
economic problems.

5. Hitler became Chancellor on 30 January 1933 after he struck a deal with Von Papen as he said that he
would make him vice-Chancellor if he could convince Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor.

- The Enabling Act was passed on 24 March 1933 which allowed Hitler to pass decrees without the presi-
dent’s involvement, making him a legal dictator
- Hitler banned trade unions on 2 May 1933 and made Germany a one-party state on 14 July 1933

- The Reichstag was set on fire on 27 February 1933 allegedly by a Dutch Communist called Marinus Van
Der Lubbe. HItler used this to stir up an anti-communist belief in German.

- On 30 June 1934, the Night of the Long Knives took place where Hitler killed the leader of the SA, Ernest
Röhm and Von Schleicher who fiercely criticised Hitler. Hitler was crushing any possible opposition.

- Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934 and Hitler combined the posts of Chancellor and President to become
Der Fuhrer and German armed forces signed an oath of allegiance to him.

6. The Weimar Republic could be said to be stable as they had a strong culture, a growing economy and had
some political stability

- Culture: 900 dance bands by 1927, first Bauhaus architecture exhibition attracted 15,000 people. Marlene
Dietrich was an internationally acclaimed actress and Fritz Lang was a highly celebrated director. Berlin
was known as having a thriving night life.

- Economy: Support from loans like the Dawes Plan in 1924 which gave Germany 800 million marks to
spend on their economy. They put this money into German businesses, replacing old equipment with the
latest technology. Some of it went into public works such as high-speed rail line from Berlin to Hamburg.
These loans also paid for public swimming pools, sports stadia and apartment blocks. The Young Plan in
1929 also lightened the reparation burden on Germany.

- Political Stability: Locarno Treaties of 1925 meant that Germany accepted its Western Borders. They also
joined the LON in 1926. Following WW1, a new democratic constitution was set up (Weimar Republic)
and this was a stark contrast to the rule under Kaiser Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II.

The Weimar Republic could be said to be unstable as its economy was very reliant on loans, the thriving cul-
ture represented a morale decline and the political parties were unevenly supported.

- Culture: People believed the thriving nightlife was a sign of a morale decline; this was shown by the Wan-
dervogel movement, who called for a return to simple country values and wanted more help for those in
the countryside.

- Economy: The German economy was heavily reliant on US loans that were eventually recalled by the
USA in 1929 following the Wall Street Crash. This put Germany in financial disarray and highlighted the
instability of the Weimar Republic. It also caused mass unemployment. The economic distribution was
very uneven as it strongly favoured large landowners and big businesses. Peasants also experienced a lack
of demand for the food they produced after the first war

- Political Stability: People saw joining the LON as the German leaders accepting the TOV so criticised
Stresseman. German communists also attacked the Locarno Treaties, claiming they were a part of a plot
against the communist government in USSR. Around 30% of the vote regularly went to extremist parties
that stood against the republic. President Hindenburg was opposed to democracy as he wrote to Kaiser in
exile for approval before taking up the post of chancellor

7. Successful policies and a strong leader in Hitler.

- People supported the idea of a superior Aryan race and bringing on a ‘cleaner’ Germany in a time of such
instability

- Hitler spread his message relentlessly as he travelled by plane on a hectic tour of Germany and was a
well-respected man who could articulate himself well and gain support from the people. In these testing
 times, people were drawn to a strong and powerful leader like Hitler who claimed to be able to find a way
of pulling Germany out of this calamitous position.

- The Nazis successfully used ‘negative cohesion’ to their advantage to vilify the opposing parties; this is
shown in the Reichstag Fire on 27 February 1933 where a Dutch Communist, Marinus Van Der Lubbe,
was accused of burning down the Reichstag and in doing so stirred up a strongly anti-communist belief in
Germany.

Effective use of propaganda to promote the Nazi regime

- The Nazis had an effective use of propaganda as Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minster, made many
strides in controlling the media and the culture. He set up Nuremberg rallies that would take place annu-
ally and emphasise the ‘order’ of the Nazi regime.

- He provided people radios so the Nazis could broadcast their beliefs and regime to more and more Ger-
man people.

- Things like music, books and art were all censored to ensure there was only support of the Nazis from the
wider community in Germany.

- Goebbels ordered that all films had to carry a pro-Nazi message and Goebbels censored all foreign films
coming into Germany

- Posters were plastered around Germany in case people missed the radio broadcasts

The economic depression left desperate people in need of a radical change in leadership

- Many people lost their jobs during the economic depression as in 1929, 1.6 million people were unem-
ployed but by 1932, 6 million people were unemployed. Over half of people aged 16-30 also became un-
employed. To many German people this signalled a need for radical change and so they turned to extrem-
ist parties like the Nazis.

- Heinrich Brüning raising taxes and cutting social benefits, after he became Chancellor in March 1930,
also left people disappointed with the government at that time.

- The Nazis’ extreme ideologies seemed very suitable for the desperate times the countries found them-
selves in and so appealed to voters who wanted a change desperately.

8. Reichstag Fire reinforced the anti-communist belief in Germany at the time.

- On 27 February 1933, a Dutch Communist, Marinus Van Der Lubbe was accused of burning down the
Reichstag. This allowed the Nazis to both promote their own party and vilify the communists, who were
an opponent of theirs.

- On 28 February 1933, Hindenburg signed the Reichstag Fire Decree into law by using Article 48 of the
Weimar Constitution. It suspended most civil liberties in Germany, including habeas corpus (someone has
the right to a trial before being arrested), freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the secrecy of
the post and telephone.

- Hitler also used these powers to arrest 4,000 communists and other nazi opponents. This removed practi-
cally all anti-nazi discourse.
- This ensured the Nazis had a tight control over the German people as the people understood that any op-
position to the Nazi regime would very likely be found out and would result in them being arrested; forc-
ing practically everyone into believing Nazi ideas.

Hitler also ensured there was little opposition to his regime during the Night of the Long Knives.

- On 29-30 June 1934 Hitler ordered the assassination of Ernest Röhm, the leader of the SA. Röhm, a
known homosexual (which went strongly against the Nazi ideals and beliefs), attempted to obtain more
power for the SA. Hitler saw this as a threat and ordered for him to be assassinated as well as around 400
others. This also included the former chancellor, Von Schleicher, who had fiercely criticised Hitler.

- All of this highlighted that the Nazis would willingly kill anyone who stood up against the Nazi regime. It
also subtly reinforced their hatred of minorities that they wanted to force upon the German people as
Röhm, a known homosexual, was killed.

The Nazi police state instilled an acute sense of fear into the German people.

- On 17 February, Goering ordered local police forces to co-operate with the SA and SS so that any anti-
Nazi beliefs would be punished.

- The Gestapo was a secret police state, set up on 26 April 1933, under the command of Reinhard Heydrich.
They were notorious for having a network of ‘informers’ listening in on people’s conversations; this cre-
ated a real fear-factor as any anti-nazi statements were likely to be punished.

- The SS were fanatically loyal to Hitler and led by Heinrich Himmler. This added to the sense of fear and
added to the prominence of the Nazi police force.

- The Nazis had control over magistrates, judges and the courts. This created a form of self-imposed control
and opponents of Nazism rarely received a fair trial.

- Concentration Camps were the Nazis’ ultimate sanction against their own people. These camps were bru-
tal as food was limited and prisoners suffered harsh discipline. This was, of course, terrifying for the Ger-
man people. 1.3 million Germans spent at least some time in German concentration camps between 1933
and 1939

- Acute sense of trepidation as the punishments were clear to anyone who planned to broadcast their anti-
Nazi beliefs.

Enabling Act

- 24 March 1933 the Enabling Act was passed. This allowed Hitler to pass decrees without the president’s
involvement, making him a legal dictator.

- Off of the back of this, Hitler banned all trade unions on 2 May 1933 so all workers now belonged to new
German Labour Front (DAF)

- On 14 July 1933 Hitler made a law against the formation of New Parties and Germany became a one-
party state.

- This allowed Hitler to solidify his position as a strong dictator and suppress all German opposition.
The Army Oath and Hitler making himself Der Fuhrer

- Hindenburg died on 2nd August 1934. Following this, Hitler made combined the positions of Chancellor
and President to make himself Der Fuhrer

- On that same day, the army signed an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler. They agreed to stay out of politics
and to serve Hitler. In return, Hitler spent vast sums of on rearmament, brought back conscription and
made plans to restore Germany as a great military power.
- This ensured Hitler would have the support of the army and he would have the ability to do whatever he
wished.

9. Reinforce the anti-Communist belief within Germany

- On 27 February 1933, a Dutch Communist, Marinus Van Der Lubbe was accused of burning down the
Reichstag. This allowed the Nazis to both promote their own party and vilify the communists, who were
an opponent of theirs.

- Hitler also used these powers to arrest 4,000 communists and other nazi opponents. This removed practi-
cally all anti-nazi discourse.

- Displaying their willingness to punish anyone who opposed the Nazi regime and, thus, ensuring they
would remain unchallenged.

Evoked a sense of fear among the German people and removed any opposition that might come against
them.

- On 28 February 1933, Hindenburg signed the Reichstag Fire Decree into law by using Article 48 of the
Weimar Constitution. It suspended most civil liberties in Germany, including habeas corpus (someone has
the right to a trial before being arrested), freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the secrecy of
the post and telephone.

- This gave the Nazis a stronger grip over day-to-day life in Germany and induced a fear factor as people’s
rights were becoming more and more dismissed

10. The Weimar Republic

11. While it could be argued that Hitler’s charisma and character was key in the Nazis being able to take
power, the people around him and the policies of the party itself were far more influential.

People respected Hitler and his ability to persuade

- Hitler travelled by plane on a tour of Germany and was a well-respected man who could articulate himself
well and gain support from the people.

- Hitler über Deutschland (English: Hitler over Germany) was the name of a campaign stunt and film for
Hitler's run in the 1932 Germany Presidential Agreement. During this tour Hitler would visit as many as
five cities in one day, addressing rallies of tens of thousands of people. He would also give speeches dur-
ing the Nuremberg rallies, which would take place annually.
- Munich Putsch from 8 to 9 November 1923 where Hitler was arrested for announcing his revolution. This
kind of crime would usually give someone life in prison but Hitler’s charm enabled him to persuade the
judge into only giving him 5 years (he only went on to serve 9 months in the luxury of Landsberg Castle).
This highlighted his persuasive nature and ability to win people over, like he did with the German people
to popularise the Nazi Party.

- Hitler’s respectable character was integral to popularising the Nazis and it seems to assume that this
would not have been possible without him.

Economic Depression and the Weimar Republic’s inability to deal with this effectively several times
throughout the crisis.

- Wall Street Crash of October 1929 means that the USA recalled many of their loans, which the Weimar
Republic had greatly relied on

- This led to mass unemployment as in 1929, 1.6 million Germans were unemployed but by 1932, 6 million
were unemployed and more than half of people aged 16-30 were unemployed by 1933. This led to great
anger towards the Republic for placing German people in this position and it seemed they were unable to
get them out of this situation.

- This discontent among Germans was worsened when Heinrich Brüning, appointed chancellor in March
1930, raised taxes and cut social benefits. This suggested that the Weimar Republic was failing and did
not know what to do to save Germany from this disastrous situation.

- The Reichstag seemed to have become irrelevant as it met for only five days in 1932. Brüning relied on
Hindenburg's emergency powers and bypassed the democratic process all together, undermining its impor-
tance.

- The Nazis were an extremist party and were inevitably going to gain support from the people as such dire
circumstances seemed to require such radical change - with or without Hitler.

People identified with and supported Nazi policies

- The Nazis laid out their points in the twenty-five point programme on 24 February 1920, where they out-
lined things like abolishing the TOV, Anschluss and a strong centralised government. Hitler had only
joined the party in 1919 and the party was being led by Anton Drexler.

- These things were bound to strike a chord and be successful with the German people as there were numer-
ous protests against the TOV. People believed the TOV also worsened as they had to pay 132 billion gold
marks in reparations

Another prevalent reason was negative cohesion - people supported the Nazis not because they shared Nazi
views but because they shared Nazi fears and dislikes

- Many people felt that the recently emerging culture in cities promoted degeneracy and decadence instead
of a thriving social scene. Due to this, the Nazis gained the support of many people, this of course leading
to them gaining power, as they stood for traditional values and making people living in rural areas feel
more important and satisfied.
- Additionally, the Nazis were able to take power due to people feeling acute apprehension in regard to the
prospect of communists coming into power. Business leaders feared the communists because of their
plans to introduce state control of businesses, as they had in the USSR. They were also concerned about
the growing strength of Germany's trade unioins and believed that Nazis would combat these threats.

- Farmers were alarmed by communists as in the USSR, the communist government had taken over all the
land; millions of peasants had been killed or imprisoned in the process. In contrast, the Nazis promised to
help Germany's struggling small farmers.

1. People had been terrorised by being sent to concentration camps. Between 1933 and 1939, 1.3 million
Germans spent at least some time in concentration camps.

- The Gestapo also instilled great fear into the German people as it was a secret police state as they were
said to have a group of ‘informers’. This suggested that the Germans were always being watched and there
was a constant fear of being punished by the Nazis.
2. Strength through Joy (KDF) provided Germans with cheap holidays and courses, by 1939 over 2 mil-
lion people had gone on one of these holidays.

- Beauty of Labour improved working conditions for German people like low cost canteens and washing fa-
cilities

- The Volkswagen Beetle Scheme where thousands of Germans saved 5 marks a week to buy the Volkswa-
gen Beetle for themselves

3. Radios and posters as a means of spreading the Nazi message.

- Goebbels made cheap radios called ‘people’s receivers’ and handed them out to German people as a
means of spreading the Nazi message. By 1941, 65% of German households had one of these. He also
placed loud speakers in the streets. Hitler’s speeches were repeated constantly on these to the point where
the German people believed the things he was saying like expansion into eastern Europe and the inferior-
ity of Jews.

- Listening to broadcasts like the BBC was punishable by death; this showed the Nazis’ desire to use these
radios as purely a means of broadcasting the Nazi message.

- If people missed these radio broadcasts, they would see the posters Goebbels plastered Germany with and
receive the Nazi message this way. This ensured complete indoctrination of the German people.

- This constant bombardment of pro-Nazism engrained these Nazi ideals into people’s brains.

There was also mass censorship of books, newspapers and films in Nazi Germany.

- No books could be published without Goebbels’ permission and, in 1933, he organised a high profile
book-burning. This highlights the extreme censorship under the Nazis.

- Goebbels also controlled the newspapers. The newspapers could no longer print anti-Nazi ideas and and
Jewish editors and journalists found themselves out of work shortly after the Nazi takeover. Newspapers
became so pro-nazi and, thus, so dull, that the circulation of them fell by about 10%
- Goebbels also ordered that all films had to carry a pro-nazi message. The newsreels that preceded feature
films were full of the greatness of Hitler and the achievements of Nazis.

- All of this ensured that there was no circulation of anti-nazi ideas so people were forced into submitting to
Nazi policy

4. In order to make strong, dedicated Nazis who were committed to the party.

- At schools, in History, students were taught about things like how the German army had been ‘stabbed in
the back’ by the weak politicians who had made peace and how Jews squeezed profits out of honest Ger-
mans and by the time you left school you were likely to strongly believe that the Fuhrer was good. Aryans
were also taught as being the superior race in Biology.

- Free time in Hitler Youth, established on 4 July 1926, would be devoted to HItler and the Nazis

- All of these linked to the Nazi ideals and indoctrinated young Germans and, consequently, prevented
young people from resenting Nazi ideas due to being exposed to them so frequently from such a young
age.

To prepare them for the roles they would have to presume in later life

- A large portion of the day was dedicated to the sports. They would be strong cross-country runners as it
was integral that they stayed in shape and they also needed to be confident at reading maps.

- Boys would also be taught how to clean a rifle and keep it in good condition. This shows the Nazis’ at-
tempts to prepare the boys to become soldiers and comfortable using guns.

- Girls were also a part of the German Maidens’ League. This league would focus on maintaining a good
physical health and housekeeping skills. This showed the Nazis preparing the girls to fulfil their motherly
roles.

- The Nazis devoted so much time to youth policies to prepare the boys and girls for the roles Hitler ex-
pected them to take up in society to ensure his vision for his Nazi Germany.

5. It could be said that Hitler was, in fact, able to win over the hearts of Germans people but it could also be
said that this roots from the relentless propaganda and fear-factor present in Germany.

Hitler managed to win over many groups of people through multiple schemes and his charismatic personality
as a leader.

- Strength Through Joy (KDF) was set up and it provided German workers with jobs and experiences. By
1939, 2 million German workers had gone on a holiday through KDF.

- Beauty of labour was set up and improved working conditions, making low cost canteens and washing fa-
cilities

- The Volkswagen Beetle scheme was also set up. This allowed German people to save 5 marks per week to
buy their own Volkswagen Beetle

- The Reich Food Estate of 1933 was set up and it gave farmers guaranteed prices for their goods. The Re-
ich Entailed Farm law was also set up and it ensured that Banks could not seize farms from the farmers.
- Dr Hjalmar Schact organised funds to create a huge scheme of work creation. National Labour Service
sent up for men aged 16-25 to provide jobs for young people and workers join the German Labour Front

- There were major house-building programmes and grand new public building projects such as the Reich
Chancellery in Berlin. This caused a great sense of national pride among the German people because they
felt their nation was being rebuilt and cared for again.

- Hitler über Deutschland was the name of a campaign stunt for Hitler's run in the 1932 Germany Presiden-
tial Agreement. During this tour Hitler would visit as many as five cities in one day, addressing rallies of
tens of thousands of people. This highlighted his desire to win over the German people. Many people were
moved by his speeches and his willingness to travel over the country and took it as a sign of a caring
leader

However, although Hitler’s policies were able to win over the German people, they soon realised that the
many drawbacks and downsides to them.

- The Reich Entailed Farm law only applied to around 30% of German farmers and also resulted in banks
refusing to give land to farmers.

- The workers lost their main political party (the SDP), Trade Unions were banned on 2 May 1933 and
workers had to join the German Labour Front which kept a tight control over them and prevented them
from striking for more desirable pay and working conditions.

Furthermore, it could be said that the people followed the Nazi regime out of fear and an excessive use of
propaganda

- The Gestapo was a secret police state that was said to have a number of ‘informers’ and soldiers who
would take people away in the middle of the night and send them to concentration camps. This induced a
fear among the German people and left them with no choice but to support Hitler and his regime.

- The Nazis also controlled magistrates, judges and the courts so people understood that they would have no
fair trial to justify their anti-nazi actions.

- The Chief of propaganda, Josep Goebbels, also issued a large number of Germans with radios to broadcast
the Nazi message. By 1941, 65% of households owned a ‘people’s receiver’. There would also be count-
less speakers throughout the street. These speakers and radios would play Hitler speeches and other pro-
Nazi pieces of media. Newspapers even became so pro-Nazi that the circulation of Nazi newspapers fell
by 10%. This shows the sheer amount of Nazi propaganda and the indoctrinating effect that it would have
on the German people.

6. Although many Germans must have been heavily influenced by the constant fear factor of the Nazi police
state. It could also be said that people were used to Nazism and respected Hitler, especially following the
Weimar government, which seemed to disillusion many people.

The Nazi Police state made people very fearful of speaking out against the Nazis and so limited any potential
opposition that there might be.
- The Gestapo was a secret police state that was said to have a number of ‘informers’ and soldiers who
would take people away in the middle of the night and send them to concentration camps. This induced a
fear among the German people and left them with no choice but to support Hitler and his regime.
- The Nazis also controlled magistrates, judges and the courts so people understood that they would have no
fair trial to justify their anti-nazi actions.
- There was also an overarching fear of being sent to a concentration camp which led to many people doing
everything they could to avoid being sent to one - and so made sure to not oppose the Nazi regime. Be-
tween 1933 and 1939, around 1.3 million Germans had spent at least some time in a concentration camp
and so understood the horrors that occurred there and most likely relayed these experiences to other Ger-
man people.

There was widespread and effective use of propaganda to glorify the Nazi regime and vilify anyone who op-
posed it.

- The Chief of propaganda, Josep Goebbels, also issued a large number of Germans with radios to broadcast
the Nazi message. By 1941, 65% of households owned a ‘people’s receiver’. There would also be count-
less speakers throughout the street. These speakers and radios would play Hitler speeches and other pro-
Nazi pieces of media.
- Newspapers even became so pro-Nazi that the circulation of Nazi newspapers fell by 10%. This shows the
sheer amount of Nazi propaganda and the indoctrinating effect that it would have on the German people.

People respected Hitler as a charismatic leader and also appreciated the improvements he made to people’s
lives.

- Hitler über Deutschland was the name of a campaign stunt for Hitler's run in the 1932 Germany Presiden-
tial Election. During this tour Hitler would visit as many as five cities in one day, addressing rallies of tens
of thousands of people. This highlighted his desire to win over the German people. Many people were
moved by his speeches and his willingness to travel over the country and took it as a sign of a caring
leader

- Strength Through Joy (KDF) was set up and it provided German workers with jobs and experiences. By
1939, 2 million German workers had gone on a holiday through KDF.

- Beauty of labour was set up and improved working conditions, making low cost canteens and washing fa-
cilities

- The Volkswagen Beetle scheme was also set up. This allowed German people to save 5 marks per week to
buy their own Volkswagen Beetle

- The Reich Food Estate of 1933 was set up and it gave farmers guaranteed prices for their goods. The Re-
ich Entailed Farm law was also set up and it ensured that Banks could not seize farms from the farmers.

- Dr Hjalmar Schact organised funds to create a huge scheme of work creation. National Labour Service
sent up for men aged 16-25 to provide jobs for young people and workers join the German Labour Front.
Public work programmes were established where unemployed men aided in the construction of autobahns,
schools and hospitals

- There were major house-building programmes and grand new public building projects such as the Reich
Chancellery in Berlin
- This was a stark contrast to the unemployment levels of 1932 that saw 6 million Germans unemployed.
Hitler also seemed more caring when compared with Heinrich Brüning, appointed Chancellor in March
1930, who raised taxes and cut social benefits.

- All of this meant that Hitler was a well-respected leader for improving the lives of German people and
did not just play off of the fact that the German people were afraid of the punishments that might be put
upon them

Although Hitler received little opposition from people because he helped them, the overarching fear of death
and punishment from the Nazi police state was the main reason people did not oppose the Nazis.

1. War criminals being punished as, for example, German Review Boards were set up and they investigated
around 3.5 million and just under 500 were executed.

- The Berlin Wall being set up on 13 August 1961, separating East and West Berlin.

2. A large number of casualties and destruction of German areas.

- On 30 May 1942 the first British ‘thousand bomber raid’ was launched against the German city of
Cologne
- Over the next 3 years: 61 German cities, with a combined population of 25 million, were attacked

- 3.6 million homes were destroyed; 7.5 million people were made homeless; 300,000 – 400,000 Germans
were killed in the raids; and 800,000 people were wounded. However, German industrial production con-
tinued to increase until mid-1944

- A significant example was the bombing of Dresden in February 1945, in which between 35,000 and
150,000 people were killed in 2 days

The War also had an effect on the everyday life.

- Rationing introduced in 1939

- Working hours increased to over 50 hours a week

- Albert Speer directed the economy to prepare for TOTAL WAR so much of their resources were diverted
towards the war effort

- Postal services were suspended and postboxes were closed

- All places of entertainment shut down apart from cinemas

- Increasing number of women drafted to the labour force

- Country areas had to take evacuees from the cities and refugees from eastern Europe

3. The USA and USSR realised what a momentous task the process of Denazification truly was
- There were not enough Soviet officials to handle such a huge job (Job = Commissions across the Soviet
sector, which investigated thousands of former members of the Nazi Party) so they appointed German of-
ficials to carry out this process. This emphasises the true scale of this process as the Soviets ask the Ger-
man officials to decide which Other German officials and soldiers ought to be punished.

- Ulbricht got tired of this whole process and preferred to look forwards rather than backwards

It was difficult to convict these Nazis as there was little evidence to support their claim

- The tribunals took a long time and were usually sympathetic to Germans who had been Nazi party mem-
bers, because they understood the pressures that people had been under

- Around 200,000 individuals were held prisoner but were later released as there was not enough
evidence to put them on trial
- German Review Boards set up in September 1945 investigated around 3.5 million cases; but only
about 4000 people were found guilty and just under 500 were executed

4. Impact of War on German people

- Conscription was ongoing throughout the war so people were forced into fighting. This is shown in Hitler
ordering the formation of Volkssturm which involved inexperienced people being prepared for war. 5 mil-
lion Germans injured and 5 million Germans killed in the war.

- The bombing of Dresden in February 1945, in which between 35,000 and 150,000 people were killed in 2
days

- Over the next 3 years: 61 German cities, with a combined population of 25 million, were attacked

- 3.6 million homes were destroyed; 7.5 million people were made homeless; 300,000 – 400,000 Germans
were killed in the raids; and 800,000 people were wounded. However, German industrial production con-
tinued to increase until mid-1944

Changes in employment

- 13.7 million German men served in the army during the war, and this created a huge labour shortage on
the home front.

- Women played a vital role in WW2. They worked in armaments factories and as medics. There was com-
pulsory agricultural labour service for unmarried women under 25.

- In 1943, women from 17-45 had to register for work.

- By 1943, 21 per cent of the German workforce were foreigners

- Working hours increased to over 50 hours per week

Rationing and standard of living worsened throughout the war

- Food was rationed immediately in 1939, where Germans would be fed lots of bread, potatoes and pre-
serves, although Germans did not experience chronic shortages until 1944

-There were meat shortages due to lack of imports from the USA. Meat rations dropped from 750 grams per
week in 1939 to 250 grams per week in 1945.

- Food consumption per person fell 25 per cent by 1941.

- Postal services were suspended and postboxes were closed. All places of entertainment shut down apart
from cinemas.

5. The USA and USSR realised what a momentous task the process of Denazification truly was and how dif-
ficult it was to convict Nazis with such little evidence to support their accusations

- There were not enough Soviet officials to handle such a huge job (Job = Commissions across the Soviet
sector, which investigated thousands of former members of the Nazi Party) so they appointed German of-
ficials to carry out this process. This emphasises the true scale of this process as the Soviets ask the Ger-
man officials to decide which Other German officials and soldiers ought to be punished.

- The tribunals took a long time and were usually sympathetic to Germans who had been Nazi party mem-
bers, because they understood the pressures that people had been under

- Around 200,000 individuals were held prisoner but were later released as there was not enough
evidence to put them on trial
- German Review Boards set up in September 1945 investigated around 3.5 million cases; but only
about 4000 people were found guilty and just under 500 were executed

Managed to punish and arrest some Germans despite it being such a difficult task

- Leading Nazis were arrested and they managed to find 4000 people who were guilty and execute
500 despite how difficult the task really was
- Around 300,000 Germans were convicted of low-level involvement in the Nazi regime in the
Soviet sector.
- Western allies investigated senior officials and around 50,000 of them were dismissed

They stamped out Nazism and ensured that people move on

- Wanted to re-educate the Germans so had them view pamphlets, photographs and newsreels
- All Nazi symbols, flags, and banners were destroyed
- Ulbricht got tired of the Nazi punishment and preferred to look forwards rather than backward