Germany Had Switched to a War Economy in 1930's
- R-Bob The Great!
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Germany Had Switched to a War Economy in 1930's
Call me dumb but, I am hearing a lot about Hitler not switching to a war economy until it was too late. What if he did. What would this mean, what does switching to a war economy include? And if he did how much would it have affercted the war. And if he did it in the 1930's would public opinion still be behind him and if it wasn't would it matter.
- peter_suciu
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Not really. In Russia every man, woman and child worked for the war effort. In Germany during the war women did volunteer but it wasn't until the final stages that men aged 16-65 had to even fight in the people's army. Russian children and old people were digging trenches and working in factories. That is a total war economy.They did, more or less. when war came, the German economy was geared to military purposes to a much higher degree than the adversaries.
In the United States women were in the factories, ration books for everything were passed out, children were sent out to collect scrap metal, etc. That kind of thing didn't happen to the same extent in Germany.
Yes. But the question was industrial mobilisation before the war. And notwithstanding US, British and Soviet economic mobilisation after the war started, German economy was most definitely on a war footing in September 1939 compared to any other country.Not really. In Russia every man, woman and child worked for the war effort. In Germany during the war women did volunteer but it wasn't until the final stages that men aged 16-65 had to even fight in the people's army. Russian children and old people were digging trenches and working in factories. That is a total war economy.
In the United States women were in the factories, ration books for everything were passed out, children were sent out to collect scrap metal, etc. That kind of thing didn't happen to the same extent in Germany.
cheers
Hmm... sivilian goods like perfume and other lux items was produced in germany until 1942/43.. Not before after the defeat in stalingrad did the germans go to full war that included hardship on its ppl.
Up until mid 43 the general life quality was better in germany than england who banned the production of such "waist" products much earlier.
Up until mid 43 the general life quality was better in germany than england who banned the production of such "waist" products much earlier.
- peter_suciu
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- R-Bob The Great!
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- peter_suciu
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The point was that Germany was already producing a lot of weapons while also making its people happy. I don't think Germany had a large enough economic base to produce more weapons AND keep its civilians happy too.
Plus, even more arms and weapons need more people. But the most important thing to remember is a lot of German industrial output was wasted. The German craftsmanship was almost too high for too long. High quality guns and helmets when simple should have been the way to go.
Why build battleships when U-Boats would have been better, why use the jet fighter program to build bombers, why delay the introduction of the MP-44 assault rifle? It goes on and on. Wasted resources and production.
Plus, even more arms and weapons need more people. But the most important thing to remember is a lot of German industrial output was wasted. The German craftsmanship was almost too high for too long. High quality guns and helmets when simple should have been the way to go.
Why build battleships when U-Boats would have been better, why use the jet fighter program to build bombers, why delay the introduction of the MP-44 assault rifle? It goes on and on. Wasted resources and production.
Hi,
Talking about war-years: For example passanger (even luxury) cars were produced until 1941. Level of civilian consumption in Germany was way too high until 1943-44. Gravest mistake was total failure in use of manpower (one of the greatest bottlenecks in German war-economy), German women were allowed to stay at home, attrocities and other alianating actions in conquered countries, uneffecient use of POW manpower (actually extermination policy toward Soviet prisons), jewish holocaust, etc... Germans lost tens of millions man-years because all these mistakes.
There was subtantial fat that could have been sliced and used for purposes that would benefit military. Hitler was always afraid of what happened in Germany in 1917-1918 - and because of that they did go to the other extremity in early to mid -years of WW2.
Regards, Mark V
Talking about war-years: For example passanger (even luxury) cars were produced until 1941. Level of civilian consumption in Germany was way too high until 1943-44. Gravest mistake was total failure in use of manpower (one of the greatest bottlenecks in German war-economy), German women were allowed to stay at home, attrocities and other alianating actions in conquered countries, uneffecient use of POW manpower (actually extermination policy toward Soviet prisons), jewish holocaust, etc... Germans lost tens of millions man-years because all these mistakes.
There was subtantial fat that could have been sliced and used for purposes that would benefit military. Hitler was always afraid of what happened in Germany in 1917-1918 - and because of that they did go to the other extremity in early to mid -years of WW2.
Regards, Mark V
- peter_suciu
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- R-Bob The Great!
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