History Essay 30

“What were the important components of Germany’s Economic Miracle?”

After World War II the German economy was destroyed and in shambles. Germany could no longer afford to import food causing starvation, around 40% of their food was imported before the war. The German citizens were allowed roughly 1200 calories per day. Their currency was worthless because of all the inflammation that happened after World War II. Because of this people were using their cigarettes as currency. Their cigarettes were more valuable than their actual money.

While this was happening the Allies suspected that a revolt would happen soon if their chances for survival kept decreasing. So the two main men who would help solve this problem were Ludwig Erhard and Lucious D Clay. They carried out the new system of Deutschemarks, which was the new official currency that would be implemented. Lucious D Clay was the governor of the American zone, Ludwig Erhard was a German Politician who closely followed and agreed with Wilhelm Ropke. Wilhelm Ropke was an economic professor who did not agree with the Nazis and thought the only way for Germany to flourish again was through free economic trade.

On June 30th, 1947 the Deutschemark currency was added to the German economy and instantly Germany had become more stable. There was food on shelves, when the previous day there had been nothing. No longer did people need to use cigarettes as their money and the currency they had was useful and had value. After World War II ended their ability to produce goods spiked around 35% higher. This currency worked so well that West Germany implemented the Deutschemark currency into their system, leaving the German citizens far better of with a chance of survival.

History Essay 29

“In what ways did revenge figure into the strategies of the countries fighting in World War II?”

World War II was seemingly built off of revenge. There was the revenge of the Japanese, who felt threatened by America adding battle ships to Pearl Harbor, leading to it’s bombing. America and Britain bombed German civilians to get revenge for the bombings in England happening. The Soviets were brutal and ruthless, leaving innocent Poles dead, tortured and scarred for life. There was almost no right being done in this war, everyone was saying that the counterattacks for the other side were necessary. That the other side was to blame for the deaths. No one took responsibility for their actions, wanting to get the last punch in to win the war. If America and Britain hadn’t won the war I do not know or want to think about what condition the world would be in right now, but throwing out morals to win is dirty, foul, making you no better than the other side. War probably left many people emotionally and mentally drained, it left soldiers wounded, dead and many were probably suffering from PTSD. Attacks on people became more about hurting the others ego and personally hurting them.

World War II was built on innocent killings, the total estimated count of civilian deaths is 45 million, while the soldiers deaths are at 15 million. The people who made so many homes, who lived normal lives were destroyed. Often war can be depicted as something noble, because you are fighting for what you believe in. Often times we look for how to fight instead of how to avoid war. World War II was not one of those times, war was necessary to stop the Germans and Soviets. But we turned ourselves into brutal murderers who lost our moral compass. World War II turned into a wicked battleground fighting to become more destructive and violent.

History Essay 28

“Did World War II become more brutal as time went on? In what ways? Was the brutality on only one side?”

World War II progressed into one of, if not the most brutal war known to history. Jews and many other minority groups were killed. This was the start of Operation Barbarossa, which was a series of mass murders. While these mass murders did exactly what the Nazis intended them to do, they started to take a negative toll on the executioners preforming these acts. The Germans needed a way to kill thousands of people that would deprive humans of all empathy. To treat people like cattle, instead of humans, so that the executioners wouldn’t have a guilty conscious. In 1941, under SS Lieutenant Reinhardt Heydrich, gas chambers were created. After people had been worked nearly to death they were sent in groups to be gassed.

In Russia, Stalin made Hitler seem like a child. The Nazis although known for being brutal and horrendous, let the victims die quickly or semi quickly with guns, and gas. Stalin on the other hand encouraged torture, even rewarding this insanity with military advancements. The Polish people were subjected to torture, rape, and murder from infants to the elderly. The Soviets came up with inventive, cruel, and torturous ways to kill people in front of their loved ones. Polish soldiers who were shot, were considered to have gotten off easily.

The Nazis were known for being extremely brutal with their methods of killing. While this was the Nazis forte, the British and Americans were brutal as well. Bombings began to take place across Europe, leaving civilians dead. This disgusting revenge was done in order to push the German civilians past their handling point, to try and make the Germans surrender. While the tactic of these attacks and air raids have understandable motives, it was a disgustingly brutal way to handle the situation, which only left the Germans more angry and willing to fight harder. These attacks left 40,000 civilians dead.

No side was in the right during this war. 80,000,000 people died in World War II. These groups included Jews, the disabled, the diseased, people with autism, Polish people, Jehovah’s Witness, homosexuals, Gypsies, Romani, Slavs, rival soldiers, and German civilians standing up against the Nazis. The only innocent are the dead, who died horrible deaths and should be remembered in our hearts and minds as true, loyal, brave heroes.