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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 • • • • • • 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 • 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. • Collaborators suggested the Nazi occupation was a judgment on the corrupt, secular, and liberal Third Republic. Some collaborators sympathized with Nazi ideology. • 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. • 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.