AQA · A-Level · History

    Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017

    Germany, 1918–1945 – The impact of War, 1939–1945 (A-level only): The…

    Full specification wording

    2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 – The impact of War, 1939–1945 (A-level only): The wartime economy and the work of Speer; the impact of bombing; the mobilisation of the labour force and prisoners of war

    Germany's wartime economy initially struggled with inefficiency.

    Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 2 of 4
    • 4 key terms

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    Germany's wartime economy initially struggled with inefficiency. In 1942, Albert Speer became Minister of Armaments, centralising control and implementing 'Total War' policies. Speer rationalised production by standardising parts, which dramatically boosted munitions output despite Allied strategic bombing. This bombing devastated cities like Hamburg, aiming to break morale and disrupt industry, though production only collapsed in late 1944. To meet severe labour shortages, the regime mobilised the domestic labour force, but relied heavily on forced labour. Millions of prisoners of war and foreign workers were conscripted into brutal conditions in factories and agriculture, becoming essential to sustaining the German war machine.

    What earns the marks

    • Evaluate the effectiveness of Albert Speer's rationalisation policies in increasing armaments production between 1942 and 1944.
    • Analyse the economic and psychological impact of Allied strategic bombing on German cities and industrial output.
    • Assess the extent to which the German wartime economy depended on the exploitation of prisoners of war and foreign forced labour.
    • Examine the limitations of the domestic mobilisation of the labour force, including the delayed conscription of women into industry.
    • Compare the chaotic economic management of the early war years (1939-1941) with the centralised control under Speer.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Claiming that Speer was in charge of the economy from the start of the war.

      Put it right: Speer only took over as Minister of Armaments in February 1942.

    • Stating that Allied bombing immediately halted German war production.

      Put it right: Armaments production actually peaked in mid-1944 despite the bombing.

    • Confusing the domestic labour force with forced labour.

      Put it right: Ensure a clear distinction is made between mobilised German civilians and enslaved prisoners of war.

    Exam tips

    • Use statistics to demonstrate the success of Speer's rationalisation, such as the tripling of ammunition production between 1942 and 1944.
    • When evaluating the impact of bombing, distinguish between its effect on civilian morale and its actual disruption of industrial production.
    • Highlight the ideological contradictions in the wartime economy, such as the reliance on 'subhuman' prisoners of war to sustain the Aryan war effort.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 – The impact of War, 1939–1945 (A-level only): The wartime economy and the work of Speer; the impact of bombing; the mobilisation of the labour force and prisoners of war lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    What was Albert Speer's primary objective when he was appointed Minister of Armaments and War Production in 1942?

    Listen

    Germany's wartime economy initially struggled with inefficiency. In 1942, Albert Speer became Minister of Armaments, centralising control and implementing 'Total War' policies. Speer rationalised production by standardising parts, which dramatically boosted munitions output despite Allied strategic bombing. This bombing devastated cities like Hamburg, aiming to break morale and disrupt industry, though production only collapsed in late 1944. To meet severe labour shortages, the regime mobilised the domestic labour force, but relied heavily on forced labour. Millions of prisoners of war and foreign workers were conscripted into brutal conditions in factories and agriculture, becoming essential to sustaining the German war machine. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Evaluate the effectiveness of Albert Speer's rationalisation policies in increasing armaments production between 1942 and 1944. Analyse the economic and psychological impact of Allied strategic bombing on German cities and industrial output. Assess the extent to which the German wartime economy depended on the exploitation of prisoners of war and foreign forced labour. Examine the limitations of the domestic mobilisation of the labour force, including the delayed conscription of women into industry. Exam tip: Use statistics to demonstrate the success of Speer's rationalisation, such as the tripling of ammunition production between 1942 and 1944.

    See it

    A flowchart running from top to bottom. The wartime economy initially struggled with inefficiency, leading to Speer becoming Minister of Armaments in 1942. He introduced centralised control and 'Total War' policies and rationalised production by standardising parts, which boosted munitions output. Separately, Allied strategic bombing devastated cities, targeted morale and disrupted industry. Both the boosted output and the bombing feed into the point that production only collapsed in late 1944. Severe labour shortages led to two responses: the domestic labour force was mobilised, and prisoners of war and foreign workers were conscripted. Both of these sustained the German war machine.
    It shows how Speer's centralisation and rationalisation boosted munitions output despite Allied bombing, and how labour shortages were met by mobilising domestic workers and forced labour.

    Key words

    Say what each word means before you turn the card.

    Economic Rationalisation

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Total War

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Forced Labour

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Strategic Bombing

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    See every definition
    Economic Rationalisation
    Speer rationalised production by standardising parts, which dramatically boosted munitions output despite Allied strategic bombing.
    Total War
    In 1942, Albert Speer became Minister of Armaments, centralising control and implementing 'Total War' policies.
    Forced Labour
    The regime relied heavily on forced labour, with millions of prisoners of war and foreign workers conscripted into brutal conditions in factories and agriculture.
    Strategic Bombing
    Allied bombing devastated cities like Hamburg, aiming to break morale and disrupt industry, though production only collapsed in late 1944.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A flowchart running from top to bottom. The wartime economy initially struggled with inefficiency, leading to Speer becoming Minister of Armaments in 1942. He introduced centralised control and 'Total War' policies and rationalised production by standardising parts, which boosted munitions output. Separately, Allied strategic bombing devastated cities, targeted morale and disrupted industry. Both the boosted output and the bombing feed into the point that production only collapsed in late 1944. Severe labour shortages led to two responses: the domestic labour force was mobilised, and prisoners of war and foreign workers were conscripted. Both of these sustained the German war machine.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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