Download Why was Germany defeated in 1945?

Broadwater KS4 History
Why was Germany defeated in 1945?
Germany was defeated because of a combination or reasons. By the end of the war Allied farms / industries were
producing more / less than their German counterparts. This enabled the Allies to supply more / less men and to,
crucially, put less / more aircraft into the skies over Europe. This caused the Germans to divert resources away
from the fighting fronts. Another factor was that Germany was fighting a two / three front war, with miles of
coastline / roads to defend. They were also forced to maintain an army of occupation and to cope with active /
inactive resistance movements.
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Blitzkrieg helped the Germans to advance too far and too quickly
The Germans were overstretched trying to maintain an army of occupation
Hitler made a mistake with his attack on the Soviet Union
Hitler never managed to invade the United Kingdom
Hitler never managed to gain control of the North Atlantic
Nazi Germany was never able to match the resources of the USA
Hitler was forced to fight a two and later three front war
The Wehrmact lost a number of key battles
The Luftwaffe lost control of the skies over Germany
The High Command lost confidence in Hitler
Germany ran out of military resources
Key American Naval Victories like the Battle of Midway
American and British air-power allowed hastened the defeat of Japan
Hitler interfered in military matters on too many occasions.
In May 1940 he ordered the German tanks to stop on the outskirts of Dunkirk.
Hitler stopped attacks on Fighter Command on 7th September 1940
Hitler held back production of U-boats in 1939 and 1940, so that when the
Battle of the Atlantic began in 1941 the German Navy only had 37 Submarines.
The determination of the British people in holding on alone from June 1940 until
June 1941 showed that the British people were not prepared to give in.
Churchill again played a key role in maintaining morale by his speeches and visits to bombed areas.
Britain also received invaluable aid from President Roosevelt of the USA. After the USA declared
war on Germany on 11 December 1941, aid to Britain was stepped up.
By 1943 US war production was in full swing, producing four times as much each month as
Germany. In the end the military and economic might of the USA was to be a key factor in victory.
From 1942 the RAF began to bomb Germany every night. When the USAF arrived it began to
bomb during the day. By 1943 1000 bomber raids were organised which plastered German cities
with incendiaries and heavy explosive.
In 1943 Hitler sent aid to Mussolini, when Italy was invaded by the Allies.
This meant that German forces were very thinly spread.
But the real body blows to Germany were struck on the Eastern Front, where the German armed
forces suffered 90% of their total casualties in the war.
In the West, British, US and Canadian forces landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944. The German
commanders were convinced that the attack would take place at Calais and Hitler refused to allow
Panzer divisions to be used against the invaders.
The D-Day landings were very carefully planned. Floating harbours were built and towed across
the Channel, 10,000 aircraft gave the Allies complete superiority, and sea-sickness pills were
invented for the invasion force.
Although the war lasted another eleven months, the superiority of the Allies in Men and supplies
was overwhelming.
By 1945 Germany was on its knees, having been bombed around the clock and starved by the
Allied blockade. The surrender was signed in northern Germany on 8th May 1945.