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It isnt just in the last 10 years, this was mentioned in The documentary series "The World at War" that I watched in the mid 1970s. While German soldiers were dying of cold in the east, German industry was still making fur coats for the ladies fashion industry. Politically Adolf didnt want the population to suffer the privations of war. "Huge" is elastic and also relative. The capabilities of the LW were huge compared to anything in WW1. However Goring was so good at propaganda he scared the UK and USA into massive action to counter his threat. By 1940 the UK passed Germany in arms production, the USA did shortly after to a much higher peak while I believe Russia passed Germany in about 1942/43 having moved a lot of industry eastwards.Just a follow up. It is only within the last decade or so that historians are taking a close look at the German economy under Hitler. The degree to which the Nazi's subordinated military spending to public spending in order to insure a reasonably comfortable standard of living for the populace in the years leading up to and during WWII is shocking. Huge is obviously an elastic term and one might compare Germany's spending in the years leading up to WWII to Russia's spending during the same period. Clearly if Germany had spent money to that degree they certainly would have been able to advance their Jet Turbine programs more easily. They would have been stockpiling or coming up with viable substitutes for scarce materials. While slave labor during the war was a factor of mass production after the successful completion of developments, it had nothing to do with the initial developments before the war.
If whoever was in charge of aircraft procurement had a crystal ball that told them of the importance of Jet engine technology and they convinced the government leadership of such, they would have faced the dilemma of either reallocating public expenditures or would have had to cut other military programs to come up with the monies.
"reallocating public expenditures" This is a no brainer. Other military programs most certainly been cut as well.If whoever was in charge of aircraft procurement had a crystal ball that told them of the importance of Jet engine technology and they convinced the government leadership of such, they would have faced the dilemma of either reallocating public expenditures or would have had to cut other military programs to come up with the monies.
Maybe I'm missing something.If whoever was in charge of aircraft procurement had a crystal ball that told them of the importance of Jet engine technology and they convinced the government leadership of such, they would have faced the dilemma of either reallocating public expenditures or would have had to cut other military programs to come up with the monies.
Amazing how many are extremely high tech single use items.Maybe I'm missing something.
Germany didn't have the finances for a jet engine program, but they had funding for:
Prototype aircraft
Prototype aircraft with pulsejet engines
Prototype aircraft with rocket engines
Unmanned aircraft development
Prototype guided munitions
Prototype multi-stage rockets
Prototype internal combustion aircraft engines
Prototype submarines
Prototype anti-tank AFVs
Prototype super-heavy tanks
Two aircraft carriers
Prototype carrier aircraft
And so on and so on and so on...
Again, why all the above and no jet program?
Please bear with me as I haven't been sure how to reply to some posts. Before the middle 1990s it was not uncommon for mention to be made, such as the one you spoke of, about the manufacturing of luxury items, like the fur coats while the troops were suffering. However in every case when mentioned, these points were presented as apparent oddities or anomalies of the Nazis. You are right in stating that the explanation usually given is that the Nazis didn't want the population to suffer due to the war, fearing a repeat of what had happened in WWI. It is only since the mid 90s that historians looking at the leadership's reasoning have come to the view the Nazis feared the populaces view towards those privations would also be viewed as a failure of the political system as a whole. The 'Huge' monies that had been made available to the military by the German government were based on nothing less than catastrophic deficit spending. This was viewed by AH as a very important reason for deciding on war in 1939.It isnt just in the last 10 years, this was mentioned in The documentary series "The World at War" that I watched in the mid 1970s. While German soldiers were dying of cold in the east, German industry was still making fur coats for the ladies fashion industry. Politically Adolf didnt want the population to suffer the privations of war. "Huge" is elastic and also relative. The capabilities of the LW were huge compared to anything in WW1. However Goring was so good at propaganda he scared the UK and USA into massive action to counter his threat. By 1940 the UK passed Germany in arms production, the USA did shortly after to a much higher peak while I believe Russia passed Germany in about 1942/43 having moved a lot of industry eastwards.
I dont understand how this is some modern revelation. Your two statements "the explanation usually given is that the Nazis didn't want the population to suffer due to the war" and "the Nazis feared the populaces view towards those privations would also be viewed as a failure of the political system as a whole". Are exactly the same thing, arent they? Hitler stole a march in his rearmament, but didnt keep marching, so he cast around for wonder weapons to dig him out of the hole he dug himself into. By the end of 1941 he was in control of almost all of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa but was being out produced in most important areas by one of his three main adversaries, the smallest one.Please bear with me as I haven't been sure how to reply to some posts. Before the middle 1990s it was not uncommon for mention to be made, such as the one you spoke of, about the manufacturing of luxury items, like the fur coats while the troops were suffering. However in every case when mentioned, these points were presented as apparent oddities or anomalies of the Nazis. You are right in stating that the explanation usually given is that the Nazis didn't want the population to suffer due to the war, fearing a repeat of what had happened in WWI. It is only since the mid 90s that historians looking at the leadership's reasoning have come to the view the Nazis feared the populaces view towards those privations would also be viewed as a failure of the political system as a whole. The 'Huge' monies that had been made available to the military by the German government were based on nothing less than catastrophic deficit spending. This was another huge reason for AH deciding on war in 1939.
It's not so much a revelation as it is a modern realization. For many years after the war historians preferred not to call the Nazis 'Socialists' or when they did it was only to state the the Nazis were using the word 'socialism' as a cover for something other. Only recently have historians begun to admit that the Nazis were indeed Socialists. There are many today who still cannot or will not face that fact. The Nazis were more worried about appearing to be a failed political system to the people than they were about any set backs they might suffer during the war.I dont understand how this is some modern revelation. Your two statements "the explanation usually given is that the Nazis didn't want the population to suffer due to the war" and "the Nazis feared the populaces view towards those privations would also be viewed as a failure of the political system as a whole". Are exactly the same thing, arent they? Hitler stole a march in his rearmament, but didnt keep marching, so he cast around for wonder weapons to dig him out of the hole he dug himself into. By the end of 1941 he was in control of almost all of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa but was being out produced in most important areas by one of his three main adversaries, the smallest one.
Going from factory to the boneyard can also be said of B-17s and B-24s. Once the war in Europe was over, many of these planes weren't needed either.More B-32s were built than needed. Many (most) went from factory to bone yard.
They weren't, but in the aircraft manufacturing world, you just don't turn off the production line like a light switch. The airframes that continued to flow after V-E day were part of a contractual obligation between the government and manufacturer.Going from factory to the boneyard can also be said of B-17s and B-24s. Once the war in Europe was over, many of these planes weren't needed either.
And in Australia the last 10-20% of the Beauforts did that starting May 44 - cant remember what serial on but that was at the same time the RAAF eventually published the first edition of the Beaufort repair manual.Going from factory to the boneyard can also be said of B-17s and B-24s. Once the war in Europe was over, many of these planes weren't needed either.