Nazi Germany at War

The key features of the Nazi wartime experience are:

* The impact of the war on German people during the years 1939-1941 (ie. when the war was by-and-large going in Hitler’s favour).

* The central significance of the start of Operation Barbarossa in 1941 and the era of Total War it brought in.

* The changes in living conditions brought about by Total War and impending defeat, in terms of factors such as living standards, the effect of Allied bombing campaigns, the drafting of increasingly large sectors of the population.

* The sacrifices expected of ordinary Germans as expressed in Nazi propaganda.

* The increasing economic strain under which Nazi Germany was placed in the total war years.

* The state in which Germany found itself at the end of the War.

Example Questions

How successful were the Nazis in moulding the German population in line with Nazi ideology?

‘The Nazis were only able to consolidate power through their use of propaganda.’ Discuss.

‘Hitler was able to become Fhrer entirely through legal methods.’ Discuss.

How important was the use of terror in preventing opposition to the Nazi regime?

Why did no real opposition to the Nazis emerge during the 1930s?

To what extent could it be said that Germany was prepared for Total War?

Could it be said that the Nazis brought prosperity to ordinary Germans?

Recap: The Big Questions

* How and why Hitler was able to come to power in 1933, and the factors that made the Nazis more appealing to the electorate.

* How Hitler was able to consolidate his power once he became chancellor.

* The economic and social reforms implemented by the Nazis and their impact on Germany as European power and on different groups within German society.

* Nazi Germany at war, especially in relation to the impact of ‘total war’ on the German population.

Key Information

Using our revision guide and your own notes, note down key information relating to the principal questions above, dividing it into the following areas:

Hitler’s Rise to Power and the Consolidation of Nazi Rule

Nazi social and economic reforms.

The Nazi propaganda machine.

Nazi Germany at War.