Germany’s Weaknesses

Chapter 5Germany’s Defeat in WWII

How Germany’s weaknesses contributed to its defeat in WWIICommand StructureUse of ResourcesReliance on petroleumFighting on two fronts

Lesson Objectives

Ineffective Command Structure

German state and military command structure was a system of overlapping authority Confusing!Only Hitler had access to all information

Hitler vs. GeneralsHitler wanted to be the chief decision-

maker – often went against his generals’ advice

Ineffective Command Structure

i) Battle of Britain (Aug-Sep 1940)Hitler ordered Luftwaffe to attack Britain’s

cities instead of focusing on destroying RAF Gave RAF time to recover – prevent Britain from falling

Ineffective Command Structure

ii) Folly on the Eastern Front1941: Hitler went against advice of his

generals and attacked other Soviet cities instead of focusing on Moscow Germans missed chance to secure victory over USSR

Ineffective Command Structure

Results? Failure to achieve swift victory

over Britain = prolonged war on western front

Failure to defeat Soviet Union = Germans trapped in Russian winter and suffered huge military losses

Ineffective Command Structure

Inappropriate Use of Resources and Military Funds

Ineffectiveness of military tacticsExample of earlier German attempts to

invade Britain – invested heavily in battleships and cruisers instead of the more effective U-boats

Inappropriate Use of Resources and Military Funds

Intra-military competition: army, navy and air force competed for limited fundsLimited effectiveness of military tactics –

competition led to funds not being used wisely

Inappropriate Use of Resources and Military Funds

Slow and inefficient armament productionGermany didn’t have enough workers to

produce necessary weaponsSlave labourers starved, women discouraged

from workingGermany produced too many types of

weaponsToo many types of spare parts needed Producing such a variety was expensive and

inefficient

Inappropriate Use of Resources and Military Funds

Shortage of proven weapons and essential equipmentHitler wanted the most up-to-date

weaponsSome weapons were produced before they

were testedThere was a shortage of proven weapons

and equipment such as trucks, infantry vehicles and appropriate military clothing to fight in the Russian winter

Inappropriate Use of Resources and Military Funds

V-WEAPONS

Results? Germany had comparatively fewer

resources and funds after the USA and the Soviets joined the war on the Allied side

Failure to use these resources and funds wisely placed them at a greater disadvantage vis-à-vis the Allies

Inappropriate Use of Resources and Military Funds

Heavy Reliance on Petroleum

Heavy Reliance on PetroleumWhy do you think

petroleum is important in warfare?MachineryTanks Ships, etc

Heavy Reliance on PetroleumPetroleum was

crucial to the German war effort but Germany lacked sufficient petroleum reserves Germans invented

synthetic oil as a substitute for petroleum products

Heavy Reliance on PetroleumOilfields of German-

occupied territories ,like Austria and Romania, were also used for the war effortFrom 1943, German

synthetic oil plants and oilfields were subjected to bombing by the USA

Heavy Reliance on PetroleumFrom 1943,

German synthetic oil plants and oilfields were subjected to bombing by the USAPloesti oilfields in

Romania, chief source of Germany’s oil imports, put out of operation after Allied attacks

Results? Heavy reliance on petroleum made war

operations vulnerableAllied control of the air German oil targets bombed and put out

of operation Insufficient oil resources = weakening

German military = inevitable defeat

Heavy Reliance on Petroleum

Fighting on Two Fronts

Invasion of the Soviet Union: Hitler’s Biggest Mistake?

Alan Bullock: ‘Hitler invaded Russia for the simple and sufficient reason that he had always meant to establish the foundations of his thousand-year Reich by the annexation of the territory lying between the Vistula and the Urals’ – What does this tell you about Hitler’s aims?

Hitler wanted to achieve his goal of Lebensraum

Fighting on Two Fronts

Hitler: ‘We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.’ What can you infer about Hitler’s

attitude towards the Soviets?

Fighting on Two Fronts

COMPLACENT!

Overconfident!

Operation Barbarossa launchedBlitzkrieg on an awesome scale –

Russians caught off-guardBattle of Stalingrad (23 Aug 1942 – 2 Feb

1943)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd_Wt4N1Sss Battle of Kursk

Fighting on Two Fronts

Hitler also declared war on the USA – why?Thought the USA would focus on

the Pacific but FDR adopted a Europe-first strategy

Fighting on Two Fronts

Results? Fighting a war on two fronts strained

Germany’s limited military resources Prolonged warfare also served to

hurt German morale

Fighting on Two Fronts