Figure 1.--.
|
Figure 1.--. |
The World War I Versailles Peace Treaty (1919) placed major limitations on the German military. Throughout the Weimar Republic, the German military conducted covert limitations to evade those limitations. When the NAZIs seized power (1933) a major rearmament program was launched. That program rapidly created the most powerful military in the world. The most fearsome arm was the the Luftwaffe which gave Hitler the ability to make the British and French backdown at Munich. Soon the Luftwaffe and Panzers stunned the world with victories in Poland (1939) and France (1940). The Germans were so successful that Hitler scaled back military reserarch after the victory in France. Even so German resesearchers created a fearsome aresnal of weapons, many of which were the predecessors of major modern weapon systems including rockets, missles, and jet engines. IG Farbin Tabin and Serin poison gas, but Germany never used gas during the War. In many areas, the Germans were several years ahead of Allied reserachers. Germany's weakness was that it did have the industrial capacity to win the War once Operation Barbarossa failed to knock the Soviet Union out of the War and Hitler declared War on America (1941). This weakness was in part exacerbated by the inefficent utilization of resources. German weapons were often wonderfully crafted, but sometimes complicated and requiring extensive maintenance. There was also a penchant for gigantism reflected in Bismarck, huge railway cannons, and the Tiger Tank. One area that Germany fell behind the Allies was nuclear research, in part because Hitler viewed it as Jewish science.
The World War I Versailles Peace Treaty (1919) placed major limitations on the German military. Germany was requited to abolish compulsory universal military service. The army had to be reduced to 96,000 men and 4,000 officers who had to be recruited
voluntarily. Production and importation of nearly all war material had to cease. The navy had ti be limited to six battleships, six light cruisers, and 12 torpedo boats. No submarines (U-boats) were permitted. The navy had to be limited to 15,000 officers and men. Al military and naval aviation had to be terminated by October 1,
1919. The Treaty came to be called "the shame of Versailles" and was an issue the NAZIs used effectively in their rise to power.
Throughout the Weimar Republic, the German military conducted covert limitations to evade those limitations. This was primarily conducted by the Reichwhr. A sophisticated operation insured that the actual strength of Germany's army was well above the 100.000 Treaty level. Tanks were tested in the Soviet Union under the cterms of the Rapollo Treaty. Rocket reserarch was launched because of the limitations on artillery. The Navy also engaged in illegal activities, opening a design bureau in the Netherlands to workmon U-boats. As a result, important arms programs were already active when the NAZIs seized power.
When the NAZIs seized power (1933) a major rearmament program was launched. That program rapidly created the most powerful military in the world.
The Germans during World War I created an air arm during World War I (1914-18). The airplane was first used in any significant way in World war I. It played a useful, but marginal role. The Allies were able to outproduce the Germans, but both side made important technological strides. The German air ace the Red Baron (von Rictoff) was the most famous pilot of the War. When he was killed, Herman Goering took over command of the the Flying Circus. The German air forces were dissolved after the War, as required by the Treaty of Versailles. Even so the German military continued
to develop technology through secret arrangements with foreign countries. German companies built planes in other countries, especially the Netherlands. Glider clubs throughout Germany provided training for future pilots. The operations were expanded when the NAZIs seized control (1933). Soviets and Japanese. Adolt Hiter ordered Göring to formally establish thevLuftwaffe (February 26, 1935). The Versailles Treaty was still in force. The Luftwaffe became most fearsome arm was the the Luftwaffe which gave Hitler the ability to make the British and French backdown at Munich.
Soon the Luftwaffe and Panzers stunned the world with victories in Poland (1939) and France (1940).
The Germans were so successful that Hitler scaled back military reserarch after the victory in France. It is quite striking how astutely Hitler persued his policies through the fall of France (1940). After suceeding in the West, Hitler's management of affairs is one disastrous decession after the other. Scaling back programs that did not seem to have immedidate application was pne of these. Of particular importance was the jet airplane origram. Had Hitler not done this, the ME-262 would have been available to the Luftwaffe perhaps 2-years earlier. This could well have devestated the Allied strategic bombing campaign and made made D-Day imposdible.
Even so German resesearchers created a fearsome aresnal of weapons, many of which were the predecessors of major modern weapon systems including rockets, missles, and jet engines. The German V-weapons were terrifying weapons, but mostly caused civilian casualties whch by 1944 not going the change the direction of the War. The V-2 was a major technological achieveent, but with a conventional warhead of no real military value. The V-1 in contrast was a much more simple weapon. But its simplicity was in fact its great assett. It could be mass produced t low cost. Had the Germans focused on te V-1 instead of waring resources on the V-2, the V-1 might have made an important contribution to the War. A brage of V-2s raining don on te Channel ports could hve defeated or disrupted the Normandy landings. Jet aircraft could have significntly affected e coure of the War. The ME-262 was the most caopable fighter of the War. Had Hitler not interfered, it might hve made a substantial du=ifference in the War. And the Germans were developing other jets that were easier and less epensive to produce and thus might have been vailable in large numbers.
IG Farbin Tabin and Serin poison gas, but Germany never used gas during the War. We do not fully understand the German poison gas program and the decession not to use the gas stockpiles developed.Germany had chemical weapons. The weapons were outlawed by the Versailles Treaty following World War I (1919). The German military had a range of programs to evade the Versailles limitations. I am not sure to what extent they worked on gas weapons during the Weimar era. After the NAZIs seized power (1933) the Germans launched a chenical warfare program and by the start of the War (1939) had sbstantial stockpiles. Unlike other weapons system, however,
Hitler who had been gassed during World War I did not look favorably on gas weapons. I have no information at this time on German policy discussions concerning gas weapons. The conventional wisdom is that Germany did not need them at the beginning of the War and was afaid to use r=them once the Allies gained air supremecy. The military in Germany was issued gas masks. The Luftwaffe's superority at the beginning of the War made bombing attacks of less concern to civilians. Goering assured the public that it was not possible for the Allies to bomb Berlin. I'm not sure about the extent to which German civilians were prepared for gas attacks. We note photographs of Hitler Youth boys training to use gas masks.
Germany in the early 20th century had the strongest scientific establishment in Europe. German scientists rotinely received
the largest number of Nobel prices in scientific fields. This did ot chnge until the NAZI's seized power in 1933. After the
NAZI seizure, Jewish scientists as well as anti-NAZIs their position. After 1933, America became increasingly dominate in
Nobel scientific awards. Despite a decline in German scientific dominance, the NAZIs still had access to a huge scientific
establishment for their weapons and armament program.
In many areas, the Germans were several years ahead of Allied reserachers. Germany's weakness was that it did have the industrial capacity to win the War once Operation Barbarossa failed to knock the Soviet Union out of the War and Hitler declared War on America (1941). Not only was Germany's industrial capacity smaller than that of the Allies, but Germany failed to efficently used the capacity of the conquered nations or of Germany industry itself. Speer made major improvements in German war industries when he was given authority to manage war production, but by this time the War was already lost for Germany, the Russian were bleeding the Wehrmacht in the East and the Brirish and Americans were destroying Germany's industrial base by strategic bombing attacks.
This weakness was in part exacerbated by the inefficent utilization of resources. German weapons were often wonderfully crafted, but sometimes complicated and requiring extensive maintenance. There was also a penchant for gigantism reflected in Bismarck, huge railway cannons, and the Tiger Tank. The resources used for Bismarck alone if they had been used to build U-Boats might well have succeeded in knocking Britain out of the War in 1940-41.
One area that Germany fell behind the Allies was nuclear research. It is widely assumed that the Germans did not produce an atmoic bomb during World War II because they lacked the resources to devote to the project during the War. The actual reason is much more complicated. Actually tremendous resources were avaoilable to the NAZIs. Many were poorly utilized. Some claim that the leading German scientists led the research now a fruitless path on purpose. There is little evidence to substantiate this claim. We do know that other factors affected the NAZI bomb program. Driving out leading physicists because they were Jews or sympathetic to the Jews
deprived the NAZIs of some of the greatest minds in physics. The failure to use the sciences of captive narions and the
view of nuclear physics as Jewish scince were other factors. Also Hitler was uninterested in long-term projects.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main German World War II page]
[Return to Main World War country page]
[Return to Main Axis page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]