Defeat of Geramy in WW2

**Can only be tested in Section B as SEQ – fairly simple

to explain once u have described the factor- but make sure
you guys get the facts right first !!

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 Contents

Role of USA
1

Germany’s Weakness
2

Allied Resistance
3
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1. USA’s Role in the War

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Was the entrance of the USA into
WWII the main reason for
Germany’s defeat in WWII?

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 Lend-Lease Act (1939-1941)
Contribution to Allied War Effort Importance of Contribution

Ø 1937 Neutrality act was revised in September Ø The lend-lease act injected fresh resources
1939, allowing B&F to buy arms on a ‘cash and to the Allied War Effort
carry’ basis- B&F could pay in cash and get Ø By the end of 1940, B resources were
weapons nearing exhaustion and it could not afford
Ø However, President Roosevelt persuaded to purchase arms on ‘cash & carry” terms
Congress to pass the Lend-Lease act – USA
could supply food, weapons and equipment to B
Ø Thus, the USA’s lend-lease act provided the
and any country whose defense was vital to Allies with resources such as weapons and
threat of USA’s equipment as well as food supplies.
Ø Later extended to the USSR when G launched Ø The supplies and resources enabled the
Operation Barbarosa in June 1941 Allies to eventually defeat G, which was also
Ø Under the lend-lease act, payment for purchase drained by the war.
of weapons could be deferred and payment
may not be in cash. Almost $50billion of
resources was provided to the Allies, including
the USSR.
Ø Lend-Lease act signaled the end of American
neutrality – ie, they are siding with the Allied
Powers

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 Contribution of Manpower and Resources to Britain
Contribution to Allied War Effort Importance of Contribution

Ø Roosevelt firmly believed that the USA Ø The support of the USA provided the Allies
should be the ‘arsenal of democracy’ with the psychological and material
Ø This meant that the USA should play an support toward the war effort
active role in supporting the Allies Ø By equipping the Allies with resources, the
Allies were able to gain military superiority
against the Axis powers, short of
over G, which was drained as the war
entering the war dragged on
Ø After F fell to G in 1940, the USA Ø This ultimately enabled the Allies to achieve
stepped up its aids to B, giving 50 old victory over the Axis Powers.
destroyers in return for 8 naval bases in
the Caribbean
Ø Stronger binds were forged between
USA and B as the 2 leaders
corresponded frequently with each
other.
Ø In response, G and I joined J in the
Tripartite Pact

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Tripartite Pact –
the Axis Powers
Article 3 of the pact : “(The Three
Powers – J,G,I) will assist one another
with all political, economic and
militart means when one of the 3
parties is at war with a power at
present not involved in the European
war or the Sino-Japanese conflict..”

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 Expanded and re-equiped the US Army and Navy, and stepped up
rearmament
Contribution to Allied War Effort
Ø Roosevelt had planned to expand the
US army and Navy, and stepped up
rearmament
Ø The USA had the largest advantage of
being the largest producer of goods and
it efficiently converted its factories to
produce military resources at a faster
rate than the Axis Powers
Ø The USA also sent a large number of
American military personnel to aid
Allied military campaigns. For example,
a total of 11 million American soldiers
fought alongside B’s 4.5 million soldiers
and F’s 2.5 million soldiers
Importance of Contribution
Ø Roosevelt’s ‘freside chats’ convinced
American of the need to end isolationism
and of being more involved in the war. The
support of the Americans provided moral
support for the Allies
Ø The USA was able to produce military
resources at such a rapid rate that the AXIS
powers could not keep up
Ø The additional troops bolstered the Allied
war capabilities and with the increased
numbers, ultimately contributed to the
defeat of G’s drained and war weary army
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 Provided escort roles for all Allied convoys at sea
Contribution to Allied War Effort
Ø The US navy provided escort roles for all
Allied convoys at sea after being
attacked by German U-boats in late
1941.
Importance of Contribution
Ø Allied shipscarrying essential war supplies
to support the ongoing war effort against
Germany were able to cross the seas safely
as they were escorted by the US Navy
Ø This prevented Britain from starving to
death and kept the resistance against
Germany going
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 Economis Sanctions
Contribution to Allied War Effort
Ø USA imposed economic sanctions on the
Axis powers
Ø Resources such as iron were restricted
to Japan for the war effort
Ø J’s assets in the USA were also frozen
when it invaded French Indochina in
1941.
Importance of Contribution
Ø The economic sanctions deprived the Axis
powers of essential resources required for
the war effort
Ø With the supplies drained due to the long
drawn war, the Axis powers were weakened
militarily due to the US sanctions
Ø This contributed to G’s ultimate defeat
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 Declaration of War against Japan after Pearl Harbour

Contribution to Allied War Effort Importance of Contribution

Ø USA formally entered WWII in the Asia- Ø The formal entrance of the USA into the war
Pacific theatre when J launched a meant that further expansion of US’s aid as
surprise attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 well as collaboration with the Allies in
December 1941 military strategies, which eventually led to
the fall of Germany.
Ø The USA declared war on Japan in
response
Ø Hitler declared war on the USA à
because of the Tripartite pact

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 Collaboration with the Allies on Military Strategies
Contribution to Allied War Effort
Ø The USA’s participation in crafting Allied military
strategies helped the Allies achieve superiority
of the air and sea.
Ø The Allies were able to destroy many G cities,
military sites and oilfields. This slowed down G’s
production of war materials. G also focused on
the production of anti-aircraft guns rather than
tanks. This heavily compromised the military
readiness of the G army. The Luftwaffe lost
control of the air
Ø Allies were able to gain control of the sea by
using vital bases in the mid-Atlantic. The Allies
also produced longer-range aircraft which
successfully attacked German U-boats
(submarines) and planes. The Allies also
produced better equipment such as anti-
submarine weapons, radio communications and
radar. G was forced to recall its U-boats in 1943,
and hence enabling the Allies to gain
superiority of the sea.
Importance of Contribution
Ø Control of air&sea ultimately contributed to
G’s defeat as essential resources were not
able to reach G ; G could not replenish its
war resources, making them weak and
enabling the Allies to defeat them.
Ø Control of air and sea also led to Allied
tactical success against G
Ø Eg: D-day of June 1944 involved the
combined military and equipment from the
Allied powers which resulted in a decisive
Allied Victory
Ø Eg, Allies invaded Italy which made Hitler
send forces south away from the Eastern
Front
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D-Day, 6 June
1944
Allied invasion of Nazi-dominated
Europe through landings in
Normandy. It was the largest
seaborne invasion in history. D-Day
laid the foundations for Allied
Victory on the Western Front

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2. Germany’s Weakness

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 How did Germany’s
Weakness contribute to
its defeat in WWII?

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 Inappropriate use of resources and military funds
Ineffectiveness of Military Tactics
The military leaders of the army, navy and air force
competed with each other for limited funds instead of
working together to produce an effective Wehrmacht
(defence force)
Ø Instead of using these funds to bring about an
effective front consisting of the three sections of the
Wehrmacht, the competition only led to funds not
being used wisely
Ø Also Hitler insisted on making all the important
decisions himself, and often went against the advice
of his experienced generals à In the Battle of Britain,
Hitler had ordered the Luftwaffe to attack Britain’s
cities instead of focusing on destroying the British
Royal Air Force (RAF)
Ø This gave the RAF time to recover and enabled it to
prevent B from falling to G à Eg, in 1941, Hitler
again went against the advice of his generals and
attacked other Russian cities, such as Ukraine, instead
of focusing on capturing Moscow. This cost the G the
opportunity to secure a victory against the USSR.
Slow and inefficent armament
production
Ø In G, there were not enough workers to
produce the weapons needed
Ø This was because slave laborer's in the
factories were starved and G women were
discouraged from working and contributing
to the war effort: Nazis were ideologically
opposed to women working/ All jewish &
Polish males had to perform unpaid forced
labour
Ø G also produced too many types of weapons,
making it necessary to produce even more
types of spare parts needed for the repair of
these weapons --. Eg, focus on producing
tanks instead of spare parts (eg, engines,
gearboxes)
Ø In contrast, the West focused on only proven
weapons, making it unlikely to be lacking in
spare parts
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 Inappropriate use of resources and military funds
Shortage of proven weapons and
essential equipment
Ø Hitler constantly demanded the most up-to-
date weapons. Some weapons were not even
tested before mass production
Ø Thus, there was a shortage of proven weapons
and equipment such as trucks, infantry vehicles
and sustainable clothing to deal with the
Russian winter when G invaded the USSR à For
eg, Allied Powers used cotton webbing,
Germans continued to use leather belts and
ammunition pouches that bent, warped,
cracked, and could become tangled and
constricting, especially when soldier had to
crawl or roll about on the ground
How were all these factors
important for German Defeat ?
Ø Thus, producing a huge variety of weapons was
too costly and inefficient. At the same time,
workers were inadequate and thus G suffered
from slow and inefficient rearmaments
Ø This weakness was further aggravated by the
fact that G did not utilize its already limited
resources & military funds astutely and this put
G at a further disadvantage compared to the
Allies.
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KRUMMLAUF – THE GUN
THAT FIRED ROUND
CORNERS
In use, it was found that the barrel
attachment became distorted and
quickly wore out from the pressure
of the rounds being fired. Also, the
bullets often shattered on exiting
the krummlauf àeg of German
failed and unproven weapons

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 Ineffective Command Structure
Consequence on G’s effectiveness in sustaining the war
The G state and military command structure was a confusing system
of overlapping authority
Ø Wehrmachtà unified armed forces of Nazi Germanyà Heer
(army) +Kriegsmarine(navy) + Luftwaffe (air force)
Ø Commander-in-chiefà Adolf Hitler
Ø Armed Forces High Commandà Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
(OKW)à General Field Marshal Wilhel Keitel
Ø OKW coordinated all military activities BUT Keitel’s authority over
army, air force and navy were limited
Ø Each branch of the army had its own High Command aka :
1. Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH)
2. Oberkommando der Marine (OKM)
3. Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL)
Ø OKW had operational authority over the Western Front
Ø OKH had operational authority over the Eastern Front
Ø OKW was also given task of central economic
planning & procurement, but authority and influence
of the OKW’s war economy office was challenged by
the procurement offices of each branch of service, as
well as Ministry for Armament & Munitions, which
was later merged together after the Ministry was
taken over by Albert Speer in early 1942.
IMPORTANCE FOR GERMAN DEFEAT
ü The ineffective command structure cost the G dearly
as the G suffered one setback after another
ü The inability of G to secure a decisive victory in the
fight against B meant the war dragged on, draining G
of its resources, contributing to its defeat
ü Similarly, the G found themselves unable to defeat
the Red Army and hence unable to end the war
against the Soviets quickly
ü This cost G massive military losses and accounted for
G’s eventual defeat in WWII.
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 Heavy Reliance on Petroleum

Consequence on G’s effectiveness How was this important for

in sustaining the war German Defeat ?
Ø Petroleum was essential for the G war effort. Ø G’s heavy reliance on petroleum rendered its
However, G lacked adequate petroleum war machines & war efforts vulnerable
reserves Ø Without adequate supply petroleum resources,
Ø It invented synthetic oil which was then used as G was severely weakened, and this made its
a substitute for refined petroleum product defeat inevitable.
Ø The Nazi occupied countries, such as Austria and
Romania, were also used for the G war effort
Ø Allied Oil Campaign of WWII
ü When the Allied forces achieved control of the
air, G oil targets were heavily bombed and put
out of operation
ü From 1943 onwards, G synthetic oil plants and
oilfields were subjected to heavy bombing by
the USA
ü The Ploesti oilfields in Romania which were G’s
chief source of oil imports, were put out of
operations as a result of Allied attacks

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 War on Two Fronts
Consequence on G’s effectiveness
in sustaining the war
Ø While still fighting the West in Europe, Hitler
invaded the USSR in 1941 (Operation
Barbarossa). This is because Hitler wanted to
quickly achieve his goal of lebensraum
Ø When he seemed to be gaining the upper hand
against the Soviets, Hitler again declared war
against the USA
Ø Hitler was convinced that the USA would be
busy fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific
and not focus on the war in Europe. However,
Roosevelt concentrated his troops in North
America and Europe.
How was this important for
German Defeat ?
Ø As a result, G’s limited war resources were
strained as it had to fight a war on two fronts
at the same time – G war resources depleted by
a considerable amount, leaving it few resources
to sustain the war on two fronts
Ø Having to fight a two-war front proved to be a
costly mistake which contributed to Germany’s
defeat.
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3. Allied Resistance

And this is the subtitle that makes

it comprehensible

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Did Allied Resistance play an
important role in Germany’s
defeat in WWII?

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 Reorganisation of the Soviet Military
Action taken by Allied Nation Impact on Germany’s Defeat
Ø When G invaded the USSR, it was unprepared and Soviet Forces Ø With assistance, the USSR managed to defeat
suffered heavy casualties almost 80% of the Wehrmacht
Ø However, the USSR soon gained the upper hand. G tactical errors, Ø By 1943, the USSR was scoring decisive victories
the resistance of Soviet troops helped by the harsh winters set G against the retreating G military -- > winning
forces back and gave the USSR time to reorganize and rebuild its the Battle of Stalingrad & Battle of Kursk
military
Ø EG, Stalin handed control of the Red Army to competent generals
such as Georgi Zhukov who directed the defence of Moscow
against the G Army in 1941.
Ø Eg, Stalin eliminated incompetent generals and
retreating/fleeting soldiers by having them killed – this led to
soldiers standing their ground in battle as they were too scared to
desert
Ø Eg, the Red Army made use of bitter winter of 1941 to launch
counter-attack to defeat G in the Battle of Moscow
Ø Major Russian industrial plants were moved to central and eastern
Russia, beyond German bombing reach. These industrial plants
were devoted solely to military production, and this helped the
USSR to rebuild its military rapidly – in 1940, Soviet production of
modern combat airplanes increased over 70% from the previous
year.

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 Battle of Britain AKA British Resistance
Ø When F fell to G in 1940, Hitler had hoped that B would discuss peace
terms with G. However, Churchill made it clear that B would fight to
the end
Ø Allied Propaganda
ü Keep Calm and Carry On Posters
ü Dunkirk Spirit : Originated from the Dunkirk Evacuation – when
Allied soldiers were evacuated from the beaches and harbor of
Dunkirk, France, as they were cut off and surrounded by the G army
during the Battle of France. Some civilians contributed their boats as
means to help in the evacuation even though they knew they were
risking their lives. Since the evacuation was successfully pulled off, it
was presented as a miracle to the public Thus, the Dunkirk Spirit
is used to describe the British public pulling together and
overcoming times of adversity
Ø Resilience in the face of G attacks
ü Since it was one of the principal strategies of the G attack to attack
shipping bound for B, there were extreme shortages
ü The Ministry of Food instituted system of rationing
ü This kept the nation from starving into submission
Ø Royal Air Force Resistance
ü Rapid extension of the RAF following the outbreak of war in Europe
ü 3 major combat commands: RAF Fighter Command (defence of UK), RAF
Coastal Command (to protect Allied shipping and attack enemy shipping &
RAF Bomber Command (offensive against the enemy)
ü Bomber Command: 2 areas of attack – strategic bombing campaign against
German war production + bombing of coastal waters off G to contain its
naval operations & prevent the U-boats from freely operating against Allied
shipping
ü RAF developed new technology and tactics
1. Navigational aids
2. Electronic aids in defence and attack
3. Supporting electronic warfare aircraft
4. Tactics to overwhelm G defences control system
5. Tactics to directly combat against G night-fighter forces
6. Target marking techniqueas
Impact on G defeat
Ø At the same time, the resilience of the British people strengthen their
resolve to defeat the Germans
Ø This also enabled Britain to remain the base of operations for the
Western Front and for D-day
Ø The fierce resistance in the Battle of Britain ultimately drained G’s war
resources and contributed to its defeat.
DUNKIRK
Codenamed Operation Dynamo, the
Dunkirk evacuation sought to
evacuate Allied Soldiers from France
after Germany’s invasion.

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 Resistance Movements aka Resistance in Europe
Action taken by Allied Nation Impact on Germany’s Defeat
Ø Resistance movements in Nazi-occupied Europe provided vital
information and support to the Allies Ø Thus, these resistance movements strained
Ø Before 1941, the sudden brutal G attack meant there was German resources as considerable manpower
limited resistance, as most people were too traumatized to and equipment had to be used to put down
resist these resistance movements
Ø However, when G attacked the USSR, the communists who were Ø This weakened the G war effort further, leading
experienced in underground movements were involved in to its eventual defeat.
resisting the Nazis
Ø These resistance movements were involved in sabotage
operations, spreading false intelligence to the Germans, and
helped gather intelligence for the Allies
Ø Eg, Soviet partisans fought guerrilla warfare behind Axis lines
from bases within Soviet-held territory to disrupt Eastern
Front’s road and rail communications for Germany
Ø Eg, Polish resistance movement was the largest underground
resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe- most notable for
disrupting German supply lines to the Eastern Front, providing
military intelligence to the British, and for saving more Jewish
lives in the Holocaust than any other Allied organization or
Govt
Ø Impressed by the success of the communist resistance
movement, many in Europe joined the communist resistance

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THE RESISTANCE
BANKER
Firstly, its on Netflix !! A dutch banker
and a resistance leader, Walraven
(Wally) van Hall founded the bank of
the Resistance which was used to
distribute funds to victims of
the Nazi occupation of the
Netherlands and fund the Dutch
resistance.

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 Thoughts ?

‘It was Soviet Blood rather than American Might that allowed the Allies to win
in WWII” How far do you agree? Explain your answer [12]

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End of Defeat of
Germany

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