German War Effort becomes unsustainable?

[Steve Grethe]

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but at what point did the German War Effort become unsustainable. Assuming that the front could have be stabilised, both East and West (and in Italy), at which point would the German Army run short of raw materials (eg. rare metals?)for defeat to become inevitable? Or was it a shortage of population?
My suggestion is the fall of the Ploesti Oil fields, but this is just a hunch - I'm not an economist!!
Steve Grethe

[phylo_roadking]

Steve - arguably it became unsustainable BEFORE war broke out! When Hitler was told in the spring of 1939 that the huge loans negotiated immediately after February 1933 were finally due. He was faced at THAT point with no more "flower wars" - the bloodless occupation of various surrounding territories and absorbtion of their ecomonies, war industries, war materiel - such as Czech tanks and Austrian aircraft etc....AND their exchequers, gold reserves etc....

[Cott Tiger]

Hi Guys,

Lets not forget the significant, arguably critical, role the Allied bombing campaign had on Germany and her ability to sustain and wage war.

Regards,

André

[Tanker Mike]

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but at what point did the German War Effort become unsustainable. Assuming that the front could have be stabilised, both East and West (and in Italy), at which point would the German Army run short of raw materials (eg. rare metals?)for defeat to become inevitable? Or was it a shortage of population?
My suggestion is the fall of the Ploesti Oil fields, but this is just a hunch - I'm not an economist!!
Steve Grethe

If you want an in depth look at economics of Germany's war effort in WWII check out the book link below. It is THE book to read about it. However, it is rather dry read but still pulled me along. I am pretty sure it is out in paperback right now.

http://www.amazon.com/Wages-Destruction ... 424&sr=8-1

Cheers,
Mike

[Kelvin]

Even Germany had strong economy and a large quantity of natural resources, they might lose the war. Even USA or Russia had strong economy ,they also might lose the war if German army could defeat US or Russian armies completely.

Some historian always commented that German will lose the war because of her weak economy and lack of natural resourecs such as oil. But Hitler had a chance to defeat Russia in 1941 or captured vital oilfield in Caucasus in 1942, but they made mistakes. After military disasters in Stalingrad and Tunisia, in 1943, German did not suffered crushing defeat in battlefield. Although Italy defected to the allies, but German army group C at least hold the allied armies in central Italy and stabilized the Italian front. In the Eastern front, German Kursk offensive ended in failure but she did not suffered too much. German gave up Ukraine and suffered million casualties but at least unit cohesion were maintained. The western front was still safe in 1943.

But in 1944, German miliary machine really suffered a crushing defeat one by one by either Russian or allies.

Prior to Normandy invasion, many German military believed that they could defeat the allies offensive. They seldom overrated allied military capability. Guderian thought just a lavishly -equipped Panzer lehr division could drive the allies out of France when they landed on Normandy. Several German Panzer divisions : Panzer Lehr, 2nd and 12th SS Hitlerjugend were best equipped units in this time. But in the end, France was recaptured and elite Panzer divisions lost the campaign in France. German military build up in France was gone.

On the Eastern front, German faced more serious military disasters than in Stalingrad. In Byelorussia, June - July 1944, German military suffered a most serious military disaster in its history. During 1942-43, Russian used about three months to destroy German Sixth Army. but in Byelorussia, Russian destroyed German Third Panzer Army, Fourth and Ninth armies in just two weeks. Army Group Center suffered 350,000 casualties. 5 Corp commanders ( Muller, Gollwitzer, Volcker, Hoffmeister and Lutzow) and 15 division commanders (Heyne, Bamler, Ochsner, Conrady, Engel, Trowitz, Traut, Michaelis, Kurowski, Hitter, Muller-Bulow, Klammt, Harmann, Gihr and Steinkeller ) were captured. 2 Corp commanders ( Pfeiffer and Martinek) and six division commanders ( Zutavern, Pistorious, Peschel, Philipp, Westenhagen and Schunemann) were killed. Another division commander missing in action.

Then Konev's 1st Ukrainian front annhilated German XIII armeekorps in Brody, captured 18,300 men , including two division commanders ( Lindermann and Nedtwig). July 1944. XIII armeekorps commander was killed.

During Aug - Sept 1944, Russian 2nd and 3rd Ukrarian fronts annhilated German Army Group South Ukraine ( Sixth and Eighth Armies. German lost at least 250,000 men. 13 division commanders ( Gebb, Tronnier, Weinknecht, Hielscher, Frenking, Frischer, Hulsen, Schwarz, Bayer, Schmidt, Simon, Kuderna and Troger) and 4 corp commanders ( Hell, Postel, Muller, Buschenhagen) were captured and one corp commander (Mieth) and 3 division commanders ( Blumke, Eichstadt and Salengre-Drabbe) were killed.German commander in Romania and head of military mission, commandants of Jassy and Kishinev were captured too.

In just three months, two German army groups were annhilated ; and many general officers , divisional and corp commanders were captured and killed. It were more terrible than in Volga in 1942. Army Group North Ukraine also suffered large casualties and Army Group North were cut off from its German homeland in Latvia.

In Italy, Rome and central Italy were taken by allies in mid 1944. Kesserling 's Army Group C only depended on terrain of northern Italy to resist the allies advance.
US and Russia somehow learn from their German teacher on blitzkrieg and used it sucessfully in 1944 to ensure the German defeat in battlefield and marked the end of German military superiority in the battlefield since 1870.