The Treaty of Versailles

Stripped Germany of its territories

Reduced the size of the german army
Rhineland to be demilitarized
Guilt Clause
Reparations

Weimar Republic of Germany

1919 1933
Hyperinflation
Subject to the Treaty of Versailles
Why did Germany become the leader in rocketry
Lebensphilosophie emphasizes the meaning, purpose and value of life
Reaction to the treaty of versaille
Rocket enthusiasts
Nationalism
Faith in technological advancements
Political and military commitment to rearmament
Weimar Rocket Fad
Led by enthusiasts
Hermann Oberth Die Rakete
Destabilization of Weimar Germany
Deflation led to unemployment
Paramilitary forms
Needed to pay a lot of money in reparations
NSDAP creation and hitlers rise to power
Effects of the Great Depression
Establishment of the Third Reich
End of the democratic Weimar Germany
Suspension of constitutional civil rights
Coordination Policy
o Rules to synchronize culture
o Propoganda minister Josef Goebbels instructed buring of books, glorification of
the Aryan Race and general indoctrination
Volksgemeinschaft National idea to promote Geobbels ideas through schools and
churches
Hitler assumes power
 Anti semitic laws
Josef Goebbels Propaganda minister
Heinrich Himmler Head of SS
Rudolf Nebel
Militarys Interest in Rockets
Missiles were not included in the Treaty of Versailles
Missiles would replace the Paris Gun
Psychological and revolutionary weapon
The Birth of the Rocket Program
Military saw the potential of the VfR and it was shut down
Many bright members sought help from the military
Goebbels prevented any publication
Von Brauns PhD was funded by the military
Kummersdorf and the A-1
Van Braun builds the A-1
Aluminium was not suited for the engine heat so anodized aluminium was used
Automatic ignition and tank pressurization
The A-1 was not really designed for flight
Von Braun created the A-2
Kummersdorf to Peenemude
A-2 was successful
Moved to peenemude to work on the V-2
Von Braum was technical director
The army helped fund the program
A-3 was designed
A-4/V-2 was the created. It was the biggest one of all and was intended to inflict
psychologicl damage
How does Von Braun manage to build a new weapon during wartime?
Charisma
Managerial ability
Increased in house staff
Military industrial academic complex
Large investments
POWs were used to meet production quatas
Technological Breakthroughs
 Wind tunnels
Gyroscopes
Film cooling
Problems at Peenemude
Stress of wartime
Weather
Hans Ferdinand Mayer sent the british embassy an anonymous report regarding
peenemudes location
Strikes against the site
Moved to nordhausen in an underground location
Evaluating Von Braun
Von Braun as a Nazi and SS member
Involvment with labor camps before arrest
Abuse of prisoners
Involvement with Charles sadron and albin sawatzki
o Charles Sadron was a Frech physicist who was a prisoner of war who worked
with Von Braun
Operation Paperclip
Von Braun fled to the US after they found out about the V2
Truman was reluctant
Operation Osoviakhim
The Soviets also sought help from the germans
Acquired some V2s
2000 scientists