Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils undergo a period study that provides an unfolding narrative which tells a story about a period that shaped the world we live in today. They look at the key events, developments, people and stories that defined the chosen period.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe how the Second World War affected Nazi Germany and its economy.

Key Notes

• Hitler's rearmament and economic self-sufficiency prepared Germany for a war economy before 1939.
• Early victories brought rewards, but defeats in Russia and U.S. entry in 1941 changed the war's course.
• Speer's Total War policy prioritised weapons over civilians, relying heavily on forced labour.
• Rationing, shortages, and bombings led to hunger, homelessness, and a collapse in German morale.
• By 1945, Germany's economy was ruined, cities destroyed, and millions of civilians displaced.

Vocabulary To Learn

• Total War: a type of war where the entire country is involved; all people, soldiers and civilians, must contribute; the government redirects the whole economy, industry, and society to support the war effort
• labour: work, especially physical work done for wages
• rationing: a system where the government controls how much food, fuel, or goods each person can have during shortages; everyone gets a fixed amount to ensure fair distribution
• refugees: people forced to flee their homes due to war, danger, or disaster, often with nowhere to go
• morale: the emotional and psychological state of a person or group; it reflects levels of confidence, hope, or despair, especially during dangerous or difficult situations

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Students may believe Germany fully mobilised its population, including women, like the Allies did.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• 1923, the Ruhr and hyperinflation Study Guide
• Early unrest and the Treaty of Versailles Study Guide
• Economic recovery under Stresemann Study Guide
• Employment in Nazi Germany Study Guide
• Germany before the First World War Study Guide
• Germany's naval ambitions before the First World War Study Guide
• Goebbels and propaganda in Nazi Germany Study Guide
• Hitler's creation of a dictatorship Study Guide
• How Hitler became Chancellor of Germany Study Guide
• Industrialisation, social reform and the growth of socialism Study Guide
• Nazi racial ideology and the treatment of minorities Study Guide
• Opposition and resistance to Hitler and the Nazi Party Study Guide
• Stresemann's international achievements Study Guide
• The Final Solution Study Guide
• The First World War and the German Revolution Study Guide
• The growth in support for the Nazi Party Study Guide
• The growth of unemployment and rise in support for the Communist Party Study Guide
• The Nazi Party and religion Study Guide
• The Nazi police state Study Guide
• The persecution of Jews Study Guide
• The putsches of 1919-23 Study Guide
• The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act Study Guide
• The Weimar Republic Study Guide
• Weimar culture 1924-29 Study Guide
• Women in Nazi Germany Study Guide
• Work and life in Nazi Germany Study Guide
• Young people in Nazi Germany Study Guide