What's the objective of the Nazi Four-Year Plan?

[nebelwerferXXX]

Hello!
What's the objective of the Nazi Four-Year Plan?
for the 1st year...?
for the 2nd year...?
for the 3rd year...?
for the 4th year...?
Thanks!

[nebelwerferXXX]

Hello!
What's the objective of the Nazi Four-Year Plan?
for the 1st year...?
for the 2nd year...?
for the 3rd year...?
for the 4th year...?
Thanks!

Since no one have tried to answer my questions, Forgive me, if I let myself to answer it. Not in order:

year 1 = Completion of the 'Z-Plan' ships
year 2 = Creation of 36 panzer divisions (7,992 Panzer III tanks), 1,000-ton 'land monitor' & 100-ton 'super heavy tanks'
year 3 = Amerika-bomber and Ural-bomber Projects to be implemented
year 4 = All Hitler's Secret Sciences comes into reality

My listings are only my personal view points. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks!

[mescal]

You're joking, aren't you ??

Either this or you're so wrong on so many levels I do not even knwo where to begin....

Well, let's try
First, let's be factual ...the four year plan dated from 1936... hence there cannot be completions of ships scheduled by a 1939 program or procurement of planes or tankes not even designed by that date
Second, there is not necessarily 'intermediate' yearly objectives, but a global target.
Third the four year plan was not merely an ammunition procurement plan.

Overall, the plan had a very global purpose.
It was to prepare Germany for war. That is to create the conditions under which Germany could produce huge amounts of weapons and ammunition to sustain a global war.
Remember that in the 30's Germany's economy had been gutted first by the Versailles Treaty and then by the crisis.

There is much much more to say, but I would suggest you to do some reading - for example the posts in this thread.
Else, Tooze's Wages of Destruction has many good pages on this 4-year plan topic.

[nebelwerferXXX]

No! I'm not joking...I'm an avid fan of The Nazi Four Year Plan...

[nebelwerferXXX]

Hello!
What's the objective of the Nazi Four-Year Plan?
for the 1st year...?
for the 2nd year...?
for the 3rd year...?
for the 4th year...?
Thanks!

The Nazi Four Year Plan was mentioned in the HBO movie 'Conspiracy'

[Dave Bender]

Prior to 1934 German defense spending was less then 1% of GDP. 1936 Germany couldn't even defend itself against an attack by France or Poland. And you think they were preparing for war?

[Paul Lakowski]

You're joking, aren't you ??

Either this or you're so wrong on so many levels I do not even knwo where to begin....

Well, let's try
First, let's be factual ...the four year plan dated from 1936... hence there cannot be completions of ships scheduled by a 1939 program or procurement of planes or tankes not even designed by that date
Second, there is not necessarily 'intermediate' yearly objectives, but a global target.
Third the four year plan was not merely an ammunition procurement plan.

Overall, the plan had a very global purpose.
It was to prepare Germany for war. That is to create the conditions under which Germany could produce huge amounts of weapons and ammunition to sustain a global war.
Remember that in the 30's Germany's economy had been gutted first by the Versailles Treaty and then by the crisis.

There is much much more to say, but I would suggest you to do some reading - for example the posts in this thread.
Else, Tooze's Wages of Destruction has many good pages on this 4-year plan topic.

You need to read historians other than Tooze. He misses a number of key issues related to German rearmament. His focus is more on Hitler than Germany. Years before Hitler got in power their was a multi phased strategic programme in place to build towards a total war economy to support a mechanized armed forces supplied for a two year blitz across Europe. Hitler hijacked this process for his four year plan since he was unwilling to wait until the mid to late 1940s for the programme to be completed. Hitler substituted his version of Blitzkrieg for the German strategic vision , that relied on a limited war economy that he would use in conjunction with surprise alliances ; attacks and deception combined with German racial superiority to implement his racial vision of the world. Tooze is correct in recognizing that Munich further derailed German rearmament efforts when Hitler realized that America was the real enemy of Germany and only a world war would solve this and their was no point in putting this off any longer. From Hitler’s fevered mind this all added up to war , his way. That’s why many historians refer to WW-II as Hitler’s War.

[nebelwerferXXX]

In this period, from 1936, 1937, 1938 up to 1939, the key points of the plan were protectionism, a policy of economic independence and control of the labor market. The task of managing the four-year plan was placed in the hands of Hermann Goring.

1) The Economic Recovery favored chemical and heavy industry:
The production of iron ore rose from 443,000 tons in 1932 to 3,928,000 tons in 1939; synthetic rubber from 1,000 tons (1936) to 22,000 tons (1939); and aviation fuel from 43,000 tons (1936) to 302,000 tons (1939).

2) Labor force employment:
3) Public Works:

4) Re-armaments program:
This explains the marked increase in air strength (Junker-88 bombers in particular) and the navy. For Hitler, it was essential that the program be activated quickly so that the start of the war could be brought forward.

By the summer of 1939 Germany possessed modern weaponry and could mobilized 4,500,000 men within 12 hours.

The Land Forces...6 panzer, 4 mechanized, 4 light panzer, 86 infantry and 3 mountain divisions.

The Navy:
---2 battleships
---3 light battleships
---1 heavy cruiser and 6 light cruisers
---21 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats and 57 submarines
(but the program of naval construction was due to be completed in 1944).

The Luftwaffe, commanded by Goring comprised 302 STAFFELN (12-plane squadrons), with 2,370 crews and 2,364 operational aircraft (bombers, dive-bombers and fighters), plus a crack parachute corps. Aircraft production rose from 1,968 in 1934 to 5,112 in 1936 and 8,295 in 1939.

[nebelwerferXXX]

By the summer of 1939 Germany possessed modern weaponry and could mobilized 4,500,000 men within 12 hours.

The Land Forces...6 panzer, 4 mechanized, 4 light panzer, 86 infantry and 3 mountain divisions.

The Navy:
---2 battleships
---3 light battleships
---1 heavy cruiser and 6 light cruisers
---21 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats and 57 submarines
(but the program of naval construction was due to be completed in 1944).

The Luftwaffe, commanded by Goring comprised 302 STAFFELN (12-plane squadrons), with 2,370 crews and 2,364 operational aircraft (bombers, dive-bombers and fighters), plus a crack parachute corps. Aircraft production rose from 1,968 in 1934 to 5,112 in 1936 and 8,295 in 1939.

By the time Hitler invaded Poland in Sept 1939. Hitler's War Machine comprised the following as posted from the above statistics. Hitler's War Machine suffered the first setback during the Battle of Britain (Luftwaffe). Second, was the Sinking of the battleship Bismarck (KM) and third, the defeat at the Battle of Moscow (Heer).

[South]

Good morning Nebelwerfer XXX,

May I ask you to confirm the numbers that in the summer of 1939 Germany could mobilize 4 million 500 thousand in twelve hours.

Thanks in advance.

Warm regards,

Bob

[nebelwerferXXX]

Good morning Nebelwerfer XXX,

May I ask you to confirm the numbers that in the summer of 1939 Germany could mobilize 4 million 500 thousand in twelve hours.

Thanks in advance.

Warm regards,

Bob

It's from the book: A New Illustrated History of WORLD WAR II: Rare and Unseen Photographs 1939-1945 at page 30.

[nebelwerferXXX]

You're joking, aren't you ? Either this or you're so wrong on so many levels I do not even know where to begin....

No ! I have so many references in my shelves...thanks !

[steverodgers801]

The four year plan was essentially a copy of the Soviet 5 year plan in which the economy was to be planned out, objectives were set in order to re arm the country.

[Takao]

Regretfully nebelwerferXXX, you are joking...

Germany took great pains to avoid calling up so many men so quickly. Such a large mobilization depletes the overall combat effectiveness of the German armed forces, that is why Germany did her mobilization in "waves", thus avoiding taking in to many untrained "soldiers" at once.

[RJ55]

Regretfully nebelwerferXXX, you are joking...

Germany took great pains to avoid calling up so many men so quickly. Such a large mobilization depletes the overall combat effectiveness of the German armed forces, that is why Germany did her mobilization in "waves", thus avoiding taking in to many untrained "soldiers" at once.

Indeed. They would take two active divisions, and make them three by posting an infantry regiment from each to form the third div. In that way, all three divs had 2/3 of their infantry as experienced troops, and only one third were recruits. Later in the war, they would use only a regiment/brigade as cadre for a new unit, and thus lost some fighting power. As the war went on and the casualties mounted, the training cycles were shortened, thus causing more casualties due to the lack of training.

Of all the late war units that were activated, only the 130 Panzer Lehr div was composed of 100% experienced troops, as they were drawn from training and demonstration staff and troops of the armoured schools. GD was only able to perform so well because exceptions were made and both troops and equipments of the former Watch regiment were under Hitler's eye. So the very best of everything went to GD. Which was a little strange because he didn't seem to put any great faith in the Wehrmacht in general, as he allowed Himmler to greatly expand the Waffen-SS which caused disruptions and shortages elsewhere.