World War II Questions of the Day Part 3

1. World War IIQuestions of the Day Part 3 Daniel W. Blackmon IB HL History Coral Gables Sr. High

2. Essay of the Day • How comprehensively are the characteristics of "total war" illustrated by the Second World War? (1990) (HL)

3. Define “Total War” • War conducted with the purpose of the complete destruction of the enemies’ ability to resist. • The mobilization of the entire resources of a nation-state

4. Define “Total War” • We will examine the Second World War in Europe • Political • Economic • Social • Intellectual • Military

5. Political • “No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country. . . . . War does not always give over democratic communities to military government,

6. Political • “but it must invariably and immeasurably increase the powers of civil government; it must almost compulsorily concentrate the direction of all men and the management of all things in the hands of the administration.

7. Political • “If it does not lead to despotism by sudden violence, it prepares men for it more gently by their habits.

8. Political • All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and the shortest means to accomplish it.” • Alexis de Tocqueville (qtd in Wright, 236)

9. Political • Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union were already on a war footing. • The totalitarian regimes in each had already converted the nation into a garrison state.

10. Political: Great Britain • Winston Churchill as Prime Minister combined that post with Minister of Defense, which gave him direct oversight over all three branches.

11. Political: Great Britain • The Emergency Powers Act gave the British government “practically unlimited authority over British citizens and their property.”

12. Political: Great Britain • Churchill operated through a small War Cabinet and a four man Chiefs of Staff Committee (C.O.S.) • Churchill and C.O.S. increasingly directed the war.

13. Political: The United States • As President of the United States, FDR was already Commander-in-Chief.

14. Political: The United States • In the U.S., FDR created the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) along the model of C.O.S. • Anglo-American cooperation was achieved through the Combined Chiefs of Staff Committee (the C.O.S. and the J.C.S.)

15. Political: The United States • This very close cooperation plus the firm personal relationship between Churchill and FDR cemented the Anglo-American coalition. • A reminder, coalition warfare is always difficult.

16. Political: The Soviet Union • In the Soviet Union, Stalin created a five man State Defense Committee chaired by himself. • Stalin also named himself Commissar for Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

17. Political: The Soviet Union • Stalin created a supreme military headquarters, called Stavka, which exercised close control over operations.

18. Political: The Soviet Union • Stalin involved himself deeply, directly, and frequently disastrously in military decisions. • Stalin continued to distrust the military, even after the purges, and many officers became scapegoats.

19. Political: The Soviet Union • Stalin remained completely informed during the war. He required briefings 3 times a day. • He worked very long hours, and Stavka worked 18 hour days.

20. Political: The Soviet Union • Stalin punished mistakes ruthlessly. • However, he expected to told the true situation.

21. Political: The Soviet Union • Gradually, Stavka gained more credence, and Stalin began to accept the advice of his professional soldiers more often.

22. Administering the War • Churchill, FDR, and Stalin all understood that the war had to be managed. • The managers were professionals. • Promotion was by merit, and effectiveness rather than loyalty was rewarded.

23. Administering the War • Britain: Chief the Imperial Staff Sir Alan Brooke • USA: Army Chief of Staff George Catlett Marshall • USSR: Chief of Staff Alexei Antonov

24. Administering the War • Brooke, Marshall, and Antonov were all powerful personalities and enormously talented men. • They were also thoroughly professional.

25. Administering the War • Hitler, by contrast, provided catastrophic leadership.

26. Politics: Germany • Following his purge of Blomberg and Fritsch in 1938, Hitler made himself Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, a task he took literally.

27. Politics: Germany • He created an armed forces high command, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) • The chief of OKW was Wilhelm Keitel • OKW was a secretariat rather than a staff, and Keitel nothing more than a slavish assistant.

28. Politics: Germany • Chief of Staff for OKW was Alfred Jodl • Jodl was the closest thing to a military adviser Hitler had. • He, like Keitel, thought Hitler a genius. • Both were hanged at Nuremberg

29. Politics: Germany • Hitler dealt directly with his service chiefs: • In 1939, Brauchitsch and Halder for the Army • Raeder and later Doenitz for the navy • Goering for the Luftwaffe

30. Politics: Germany • Only Hitler had complete access to all information. • There were no staffs to coordinate decisions on strategy, logistics, manpower, weapons development or economic mobilization.

31. Politics: Germany • Hitler further separated the command structure by using OKH to control all activities against the Soviet Union, while using OKW for all other theaters.

32. Politics: Germany • Neither OKW nor OKH knew the plans or problems of the other. • Both competed for scarce resources

33. Politics: Germany • This approach was duplicated in all other areas of the German war effort: what has been called • “administrative anarchy.”

34. Axis Coordination • Nor did Hitler coordinate strategy with Mussolini or Japan. • Mussolini did not tell Hitler he was invading Greece. • Hitler did not tell the Japanese he was invading Russia. • The Japanese did not tell Hitler they were attacking Pearl Harbor.

35. Axis Coordination • In many ways, Hitler and Stalin are parallel figures. • However, as the war progressed, Stalin used the talents of his professionals more and more; Hitler increasingly ignored the advice of his professionals.

36. Axis Coordination • The Axis powers did not so much fight the war as a coalition as they each fought parallel wars.

37. Economics: Germany • Hitler’s Four Year Plan of 1936 aimed at increasing autarky. • Synthetic rubber and oil programs were instituted. • Strategic materials were stockpiled. • 3 year stockpile of ferroalloys

38. Economics: Germany • Hitler chose to arm “in breadth” for a short war rather than “in depth” for a war of attrition. • Arming in depth would have pushed war back to 1943

39. Economics: Germany • Arming in breadth meant a short war fought out of existing stocks of arms. • German industry would not have to be totally mobilized for war.

40. Economics: Germany • In fact, Germany continued to produce steady amounts of consumer goods until 1942. • Germany did not adopt complete mobilization until 1942

41. Germany: Exploitation of Occupied Empire • The Polish Corridor, Silesia, Western Prussia, Luxemburg, Alsace, and part of Lorraine were annexed.

42. Germany: Exploitation of Occupied Empire • The rest of Poland was organized as the General Government under the brutal Gauleiter Hans Frank • Two other territories were created: Ostmark (Baltic states and Belarus) and Ukraine.

43. Germany: Exploitation of Occupied Empire • Indirect control was used in western and southern Europe. • Bohemia-Moravia was a “protectorate” with Reinhard Heydrich the protector. • Slovakia was a satellite ally under Father Tiso.

44. Germany: Exploitation of Occupied Empire • Norway became a satellite under Vidkun Quisling. • Vichy France became a satellite under Marshall Petain. • Croatia became a satellite under Ante Pavelic.

45. Germanization • Hitler created a Reichs Commissariat for the Strengthening of Germandom, or RKFVK and gave it to Himmler. • Originally a million Poles and Jews were evacuated to the General Government and their property confiscated.

46. Goering on Exploitation • “There must be removed from the territory of the Government General all raw materials, scrap, machines, etc. which are of any use for the German war economy.

47. Goering on Exploitation • “Enterprises which are not absolutely necessary for the meagre maintenance of the bare existence of the population must be transferred to Germany.” (qtd in Yahil 157)

48. Germanization • “Our duty in the East, is not Germanization in the former sense of the term, that is, imposing German language and laws upon the population, but to ensure that only people of pure German blood inhabit the East.” Himmler, 1942

49. Germanization • Himmler wanted to resettle German peasants in the east. • He had to compete with Alfred Rosenberg’s Ministry for Occupied Eastern Territories.

50. Germanization • Himmler’s plan was to push the border to the Urals. • Some Slavs would be permitted to remain as cheap labor, but they would not be allowed over a 4th grade education, nor to own land or capital.