What was the production miracle in World War 2?

Answer 1

The 'Production Miracle' of World War Two was the streamlining and re-organization of Nazi Germany's industrial capabilities from 1942 onwards. Under the able leadership of Albert Speer, Germany's economic productivity was maximised, at a time when Allied strategic bombing of occupied Europe was begining to lower the effectiveness of the German industrial heartland. The methods were relatively simple, but required adminstrative force and mass organization to implement. The most common process was componant reduction, where designs for everything from tanks to pistols were streamlined to include less individual parts, thus reducing production time. The reduction of designs types, (eg. producing five, rather then twelve, types of tank) also aided this process. It is deemed 'miraculous' as Germany actually managed to increase its weapons output despite diminishing supplies and ever more ferocious aerial bombing. Particularly notable was the ability to increase output of steel manufactured weapons despite a far lower overall quantity of steel being available then at the begining of the war. However it should be noted that such measures only optimised the German economy, and could not rectify the fundamental disparity between Axis and Allies in the area of industrial production. For an in depth study of the superior productive power of the Allies, see 'Brute Force', by John Ellis. (1990)