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war and social upheaval: World War II -- technology land campaigns weapons
World War II Technology: Industrial Capacity
Figure 1.--Germany had several important automobile manufacturers like Audi/Auto Union. The companies shifted production toward the military as Germany under the NAZIs remilitarized. None of these companies, however, had the capacity to produce vehicles in the numbers that the American automobile compaies were capable of producing. Here we see an Audi car in occupied France, probably in 1941 or 42. Note the WH license plate meaning Whermacht Heer. This was a per-War Audi model. A problem the Wehrmacht encounteted was maintaining many different models of cars and trucks manufactured by different companies.
All the major countries during the inter-War era worked on moderizing weapons. These programs were poorly financed in all democratic countries, but well financed in Japan and the Soviet Union. The German military during the Weimar era, adopted a range of programs aimed at evading the restrictions of the Versailles Treatty. The NAZIs after seizing power (1933) and launched upon a massive military spending program. The massive spending thus after only a few years led to a military that was more modern than any other country. It provided them for a time the world's most poweful air force and most competent armored force. What Hitler and the Japanese failed to fully assess is that two factors are involved in a war economy. First, one is developing weapons systems. Second is the industrial capacity to produce them in meanginful numbers. And in this regard, Germany and Japan was seriously weak. Nonetheless, Hitler and the Japanese were so intent on war, that they decided to gamble. They calculated they could win the War quickly before the industrial capacity of their opponents could be mobilized. Hitler suceeded with France, but failed with the other major indistrial powers (America, Britain, and the Sovirt Union). TYhe Japanese despite their spectacular successes never even threatened the industrial base of their adversaries. The result was national destruction. The effective tactics adopted were the key to their early successes. World War II would be a war of movement in which industry would play a more important vrole than ny other war in history. Germany did not have the capacity to out produce the enemies it created which would have given a normal leader pause. His plan was defeat his enemies one by one. Hitler seemed to think that his targets like his domestic opponednts would not figure this out or have the will to fight. He also had no ideal of the productive capacity of the Soviet Union or of the ability of the United States to convert its industry for war. The productive capacity of the United States amazed its Allies nd were beyond the imagination ofAxis leaders. Germany developed many of the highest quality, most techically weapons used during the War. The problem for the Germans was that many of their weapons were complicated and difficult to mass produce. In addition, Germany did not have the same industrial capacity as the Allies (America, Britain, and the Soviet Union). And the NAZIs found to their horror that other countries with greater industrial capacity could develop effective military weapons and in far greater quantities than Germany. The British by the time of the Battle of Britain has significantly expanded arms production. Germany had a greater industrial capacity than Britain. But American industry changed everything. German indusdtrial production as impressive as it was was only a fraction of American industrial output. And even worse for the German war effort, the Germans did not gear up for total war until the War had already been decided in the East. Soviet arms production waa impaired by having to move plants east, but by 1943 the Soviets alone were outproducung the Germans.
Weapons Development
All the major countries during the inter-War era worked on moderizing weapons. These programs were poorly financed in all democratic countries, but well financed in Japan and the Soviet Union. The German military during the Weimar era, adopted a range of programs aimed at evading the restrictions of the Versailles Treatty. The NAZIs after seizing power (1933) and launched upon a massive military spending program. And German had the scientific establishment to make use of the funds provided. Before Wotrld War I, Germany dominated Nobel prise awards in many scientific sisciplines. Even after World War I, the Germans were still the single most important country. The German military had a large, highly competent scientific establishmrnt to mobilize. The massive spending thus after only a few years led to a military that was more modern than any other country. It provided them for a time the world's most poweful air force and most competent armored force. The most inniovative weapons of the War were produced by the Germans, including jet aircraft and balistic missles. They would porove to be the weapons of the future--but unfortunstely for the Germans they were just thst, future weapons. The Allies focused on producing effective weapons using conventional technilogy and producing them in enormous quantities that the Axis countries could not begin to match. One futuristic weapons that the Allies did develop was the atomic bomb.
What Hitler and the Japanese failed to fully assess in launching World War II is that two factors are involved in a war economy. First, one is developing weapons systems. Second is the industrial capacity to produce them in meanginful numbers. And in this regard, Germany and Japan was seriously weak. It is one thing to develop modern weapons, but that is meaningless without the industrial capacity to produce them. Hitler was not unaware of the potentuial power of the United States and thus pursued policies to keep America neutral and provided support to American isolationists. The Japanese made another calculation. They concluded that martial spirit was even more important than industrial producrion. Hitler and the Japanese were so intent on war, that they decided to gamble. They calculated they could win the War quickly before the industrial capacity of their opponents could be mobilized. Hitler suceeded with France, but failed with the other major indistrial powers (America, Britain, and the Soviet Union). The Japanese despite their spectacular successes never even threatened the industrial base of their adversaries. They thus were left to fight a war against an industrial giant. The result for both Germany and Italy was national destruction.
Country Trends
The effective German tactics and modern weapons adopted were the key to their early successes. World War II would be a war of movement in which industry would play a more important role than any other war in history. Germany did not have the capacity to out produce the enemies it created which would have given a normal leader pause. His plan was defeat his enemies one by one. Hitler seemed to think that his targets like his domestic opponednts would not figure this out or have the will to fight. He also had no ideal of the productive capacity of the Soviet Union or of the ability of the United States to convert its industry for war. The productive capacity of the United States amazed its Allies nd were beyond the imagination ofAxis leaders. Germany developed many of the highest quality, most techically weapons used during the War. The problem for the Germans was that many of their weapons were complicated and difficult to mass produce. In addition, Germany did not have the same industrial capacity as the Allies (America, Britain, and the Soviet Union). And the NAZIs found to their horror that other countries with greater industrial capacity could develop effective military weapons and in far greater quantities than Germany. The British by the time of the Battle of Britain has significantly expanded arms production. Germany had a greater industrial capacity than Britain. But American industry changed everything. German indusdtrial production as impressive as it was was only a fraction of American industrial output. And even worse for the German war effort, the Germans did not gear up for total war until the War had already been decided in the East. Soviet arms production waa impaired by having to move plants east, but by 1943 the Soviets alone were outproducung the Germans.
