These slides summarise the key points in Chapter 5, which discusses the overlapping factors leading to the defeat of Germany in WWII.

1. Reasons for the
Defeat of Germany in WWII

2. Overview
GERMANY’S
DEFEAT
American
assistance
Germany’s
weaknesses and
miscalculations
Allied
resistance

3. How did this…

4. …turn into this?

5. GERMANY’S
DEFEAT
American
assistance
Germany’s
weaknesses and
miscalculations
Allied
resistance

6. American Assistance
Contribution of
vast resources and manpower
&
Collaboration with Allies on military strategies

7. American Assistance
Contribution of vast resources and manpower
Before declaring war:
 ‘Cash & Carry’ Policy    Lend Lease Act
 Provided vital supplies to Britain  ‘…all aid short of war’
 Kept Britain in the war against Germany
 ‘Arsenal of democracy’
 US as the main supplier of the Allied Powers, especially Britain
 Started preparing its army and navy for war
After declaring war:
 Contributed large numbers of soldiers (11 million!!)
 Contributed military resources, especially oil (for tanks, planes, etc.)

8. 7 December 1941:
America officially
enters WWII
Sep 1939:
Cash & Carry
Policy
Mar 1941:
Lend-Lease
Act
1942 until the end of WWII:
• Contribution of soldiers, oil
and other supplies
• Collaboration with Allies on
military strategies
Upgraded to…
America as
the ‘arsenal of democracy’
June 1944:
Operation Overlord (D-Day)

10. American Assistance
Collaboration with Allies on military strategies (1)
Control of the air
 US built up a large and powerful air force
 Combined with the British air force to strike and weaken strategic targets
such as synthetic oil fields and railways
Effect: Weakened German wartime production and military strength
Control of the sea
 Protected the Atlantic Ocean against German U-Boat (submarine) attacks
 Developed longer-range aircraft and large numbers of warships to protect
the Atlantic Ocean
Effect: Allowed the USA to supply Britain through the Atlantic Ocean

11. American Assistance
Collaboration with Allies on military strategies (2)
EXAMPLE: Operation Overlord / D-Day (June 1944)
 American and British forces combined to attack Nazi-occupied France
 Huge numbers of military personnel and military equipment involved
Effect: Decisive Allied victory against Germany

13. GERMANY’S
DEFEAT
American
assistance
Germany’s
weaknesses and
miscalculations
Allied
resistance

14. German weaknesses &
miscalculations
Ineffective
command
structure
Inappropriate
use of
resources and
funds
Heavy
reliance on
petroleum
War on two
fronts

15. German weaknesses & miscalculations
1. Ineffective command structure
I’m the only one
allowed to be in charge
here!!
…even though I
know nothing about
leading an army…
Hitler was the only person who could make major decisions
He often went against the advice of his experienced generals
EXAMPLES:
• Change in strategy during the Battle of Britain
• Strategic decisions during the invasion of the Soviet Union

16. German weaknesses & miscalculations
2. Inappropriate use of resources and military funds
 Lack of personnel
 Women stayed at home instead of working in the factories
 Germany used slaves from conquered territories to produce armaments
 Lack of appropriate weapons
 Many new weapons were developed and used without sufficient testing
 Shortage of essential equipment (e.g. winter clothing, transport trucks, etc.)
 Too many types of armaments meant that factories had to produce many different
kinds of spare parts (instead of focussing on a few proven weapons)
Effect: Slow and inefficient armament production

17. German weaknesses & miscalculations
3. Heavy reliance on petroleum
German military equipment (e.g. planes, ships and tanks )
needed petroleum to run
Germany had very limited access to oil  took it from conquered countries
Allied powers targeted German oilfields and synthetic oil factories
Effect: German war effort was easily crippled by Allied bombing

18. German weaknesses & miscalculations
4. War on two fronts
Declared war on the USA while he was still fighting the Soviet Union
Divided the German military into two fronts:
Western (vs. USA) and Eastern (vs. the Soviet Union)
Effect: Germany was exposed to Allied attack from East and West

19. GERMANY’S
DEFEAT
American
assistance
Germany’s
weaknesses and
miscalculations
Allied
resistance

20. Allied Resistance
Reorganisation of
the Soviet Union
British resistance
Resistance
movements

21. Allied Resistance
Reorganisation of the Soviet Union
 Nazi Germany betrayed the USSR in June 1941
 Element of surprise + Superior tactics = Heavy Soviet losses
 4 million Soviet casualties in 3 months
 USSR turns the tide of war in 1942
 Germans were unprepared for freezing Russian winter
 Lend Lease Act helped Soviets to recover quickly
 Tremendous propaganda (and terror) to encourage Soviet soldiers to fight on
Effect: Russian resistance from the East inflicts huge
casualties on Germany

22. Allied Resistance
British resistance to German invasion
 Initial losses in the Battle of Britain
 German Luftwaffe destroyed RAF airfields, radar installations, defences, etc.
 RAF struggled to replace pilots, planes and airstrips
 Battle of Britain turns in favour of Britain
 Luftwaffe shifts strategy to bomb cities instead of military targets
 RAF is able to recover, retrain and rebuild
 Hitler loses interest in Britain and turns to the Soviet Union instead
Effect: With American aid, Britain eventually counterattacks
Germany in the West

23. Allied Resistance
Resistance movements
 Initial paralysis
 Conquered peoples were too shocked to fight back
 Speed of German conquest and the Gestapo terrified the local people
 Resistance to Nazi occupation
 German invasion of the USSR stirred up communist resistance
 Other resistance forces began to form (e.g. France, Poland)
 Resistance fighters sabotaged railroads, factories, etc. behind enemy lines
Effect: Existing German weaknesses are worsened even
further

24. SAMPLE QUESTIONS
(A)
 Explain how the entry of America into WWII led to Germany’s defeat in
Europe. (8m)
 Explain how German miscalculations and weaknesses led to their defeat in
WWII. (8m)
(B)
 ‘Germany would not have been defeated if the US did not enter the war.’
How far do you agree with this statement? EYA. (12m)
 ‘Germany’s defeat in WWII was unavoidable.’ How far do you agree with
this statement? EYA. (12m)