Download World War II Homefront Notes

World War II Homefront Notes
Germany
1939-1942
• Not on a war footing economically
• Hitler feared the loss of public support if civilian shortages occurred; thus, consumer
demands for good were to be met
• Swift German victories mad this policy possible
1942
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When USSR did not fall quickly, German domestic policy had to change
Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect, became minister for armaments and munitions
His goal was to meet military needs not produce consumer goods
Shortages of consumer goods resulted in a decline in standard of living
Food rationing began in April 1942
To reduce food shortages, the Nazis simply took food from occupied territories
1943
• Need for more workers became serious
• Teens and retired were recruited to work in factories
• Role of women as housewives and mothers was still the primary role for women; however,
the need for workers made it necessary to expand the role of women
• Women who worked in factories or conserved food were seen as patriotic figures whose
work aided the war effort
• Women continued to be viewed as the preservers and producers of a racially pure Aryan
state
• Retail businesses were closed, as were theaters
• Mail and rail service were reduced
1944
• Output of military goods had tripled
Propaganda was used throughout the war to boost support. Hitler feared lost of domestic support
because he felt it had been partially responsible for the loss in World War I.
Joseph Goebbels used film and radio initially to show the ease by which the Nazis won victory
after victory. As the tide of war turned, propaganda was used to instill fear of the consequences of
defeat.
Terror bombing such as the fire bombing of Dresden and Hamburg only served to support the
Nazis’ claims of the viciousness of the Allies and what defeat would bring to the German people.
France
1940
• Northern 3/5’s of France occupied by Germany
• Southern 2/5’s puppet regime at Vichy under leadership of Marshall Petain
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From the beginning of the occupation to early 1942, not much organized resistance in
France. The Free French under Charles de Gaulle used the radio to gain support for
resistance movement.
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Collaborators suggested the Nazi occupation was a judgment on the corrupt, secular, and
liberal Third Republic. Some collaborators sympathized with Nazi ideology.
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Vichy was viewed by some collaborators as a way to reshape French national character.
Vichy restored the R.C.C. to prominence. Religious instruction was restored in the public
schools, divorce was forbidden in first three years, and very difficult after that.
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Vichy supported an intense nationalism and embraced anti-Semitism. When the Nazis
began to round up and deport French Jews, Vichy made no attempts to protest or prevent
the deportations.
1942
• Late in 1942 the resistance began to grow when the Germans began to force young
Frenchmen to work in German factories
• However resistance was small until the tide of war change in early 1944
1944
• August 9, 1944 – Committee of National Liberation declared Vichy illegitimate
• de Gaulle urged French to resist Nazis and their Vichy collaborators
1945
• October 21, 1945 – voted to end Third Republic and adopted new constitution as basis for
Fourth Republic. New republic would be haunted by disputes over who had resisted and
who had collaborated during the war
Great Britain
1940
• May 22 – Parliament granted emergency powers to government. This allowed the
government to
• Institute compulsory military service
• Ration consumer goods including food
• Exercise various controls over economy
• All parties joined in a national government under the leadership of Winston Churchill
• This national government moved quickly to mobilize the nation
• Lord Beaverbrook was recruited to lead the effort to produce more planes for the Battle of
Britain.
• A massive campaign to gather scrap metal soon began; thus, building enthusiasm for the
war effort
• Blitz began
• Began moving children to the countryside when government provided for their food and
medication
1941
• End of 1941, British production of armaments exceeded German production
• Factory hours had been extended
• More women were brought into the work force
• Unemployment had disappeared
• Taxes were increased and saving was encourages as way to counteract inflation as
demand for goods grew
Most challenging aspect was living through the “blitz”. Thirty thousand people died as a result
of the bombings. Sacrifices were numerous -- getting from place to place became a challenge as
transportation facilities were strained; securing food and clothing was difficult; gasoline was scarce
as were private cars.
The BBC was used for propaganda purposes. Their broadcasts to all of Europe encourage
those who were trying to resist the Nazis. Domestic radio programs were broadcast to the troops
so that they could feel connected with those at home.
Odd as it may seem, for the masses the standard of living improved as did the general health.
Many connected this with active involvement of the government. Perhaps this helps to explain
why Churchill was replaced by Attlee. Churchill was a conservative who might had reduced
government involvement after the war ended; whereas, Attlee was a liberal and more likely to
support continued government involvement.
USSR
The Soviet Union had been under a command economy since Stalin instituted his Five Year
Plans and had collectivized agriculture; therefore, when Hitler invaded the country did not have to
switch economic gears. Stalin had complete power and as such conducted the war as virtual
chief of the armed forces. As the war continued the army did gain some degree of independence,
but the state was still dominated by one man, Stalin.
Stalin used nationalism to his advantage – calling this the “Great Patriotic War”. To make sure
that the Soviet people were not influence by British or German radio broadcasts, the government
confiscated radios. Russian novels were republished, Serge Eisentein, a renown filmmaker,
produced Ivan the Terrible which glorified this brutal tsar, Dimitri Shostakovich, composed several
scores to boost support, including the Leningrad Symphony.
Stalin even made peace with the Orthodox Church, hoping to paint the USSR in a better light
for those living in eastern Europe.
Some of the strongest resistance movements were in eastern Europe where Soviet soldiers
who had escaped capture by the Germans engaged in guerrilla warfare. They gain support from
locals. Stalin supported these efforts and as the Soviets began to drive westward, they
incorporated the resistance fights into the regular army.
This war served to increase the power Stalin and the influence of the Soviet Union in world
affairs.