Showed collapse of poland belgium holland and france

-Showed collapse of Poland, Belgium, Holland and France
to demonstrate German might
-Used various ways to scare nation’s people of a possible Allied victory
-Broadcast false German victories
• When allies bombed Germany, it strengthened their resistance by confirming the
Nazi propaganda claim of ruthlessness of Germany’s opponents
• Hitler received very little resistence
• However, 1944—small group of army officers attempted to assassinate Hitler;
effort failed and very few people supported act
• Physical destruction, invastion, and occupation of Hitler and Nazi brought most
change to Germany
• After defeat, only a new kind of state with new political structure could amount
Great Britain: Organization for Victory
• May 22, 1940—British Parliament gave the gov’t emergency powers --To
institute compulsory military services

--To begin food rationing
--To have various controls over economy
• All British political powers joined national gov’t under Churchill
--Churchill moved quickly to mobilize nation
• Most urgent need was for airplanes—For Battle of Britain to fight Germany
--Lord Beaverbrook—important newspaper publisher
--inspired massive campaign for scrap metal
--pots, pans, wrought-iron fences donated for effort
--Citizens inspired and enthusiastic
• End of 1941—British production surpassed Germany’s
--Factory hours extended, women brought into workplace
--Unemployment disappeared, working class enjoys $
--To avoid inflation, savings encouraged and taxes rose
• “The Blitz”—winter and spring 1940-1941—most immediate and dramatic
experience of war for British themselves
--German air raids left many British homeless and dead
--30,000 people killed
--However, spirit of British morale never broken
• British made many sacrifices
--transportation facilities strained from carrying goods, domestic coal for
factories and heating civilian homes
--Strict rationing—food and clothing scarce
--Every scrap of land was farmed, increasing productive land by 4 million
acres
--Gasoline scarce
--Private vehicles almost vanished
• British propaganda
--BBC British Broadcasting Company
--Sent programs to every country in Europe to encourage resistance against
Nazis
--In Britain, gov’t used radio to unify nation
--Soldiers and families alike heard speeches such as “It’s that Man
Again” Churchill’s 2 nd speech
• Standard of living increases during war
--Connected with active involvement of gov’t in economy and lives of
citizens
• Wartime experience may have contributed to Labour Party’s victory in 1945
--Many feared return of Conservative Party rule

--economic problems and employment would follow
The Soviet Union: “The Great Patriotic War”
• War with Germany came as surprise to Stalin—violated pact of 1939 with
German
-Russia on defensive both militarily and politically
-Showed failure of Stalin’s policy and ineptness for war prep
• Stalin stated the pact gave time for Soviet Union to prepare for war
• Stalin afraid that oppressed Russians may welcome Germans b/c of treatment of