German Home Front 1939–45

Brian Leigh Davis is one of the world’s leading experts on the insignia and regalia of Nazi Germany. He lives and works in Surrey. He has previously written three Men-at-Arms books about flags of the Third Reich.Malcolm McGregor spent four years at art school and then went on to work in advertising for ten years. He started freelancing in 1966 and contributed uniform illustrations to Blandfords and several Orbis publications and also provided the figure paintings for War Monthly magazine. He previously illustrated for Osprey the three book series on the Flags of the Third Reich (Men-at-Arms 270, 274 and 278), and Elite 98: British Commanders of World War II. Malcolm sadly passed away in January 2010.

• INTRODUCTIONTHE NATIONAL SOCIALIST STATE: the NSDAP take-over of government from 1943 – Administration (ministries and general commissions) – the Party leadership structureLAW AND THE PENAL SYSTEM: The courts – prisons – concentration camps; the Police (Ordnungspolizei; Sicherheitspolizei und Sicherheitsdienst – SonderpolizeiTHE PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS IN GERMANY: progressive introduction of anti-Semitic measures, 1933–41EMPLOYMENT: The State Labour Service – the Four-Year Plan – the crisis of January 1942 – foreign workers – child labour – the crisis of January 1943 – ‘total war’ measures – women in the labour forceCIVIL LIFE: public health – rationing and shortages – compulsory collections – propaganda and censorship (radio broadcasting; films) – postal and telephone servicesTHE AIR WAR AGAINST GERMANY: summary of the bombing campaignFIRE DEFENCE: Fire Protection Police – Volunteer Fire BrigadesCIVIL DEFENCE: Organization (ministerial and Luftwaffe responsibilities; national services; local services; State Air Protection League; industrial premises; railways, post office and waterways) – Air Protection Warning Service – Air Protection Police – Self-Protection and Extended Self-Protection services – Works Air Protection Service – post-raid services – evacuationPLATE COMMENTARIESINDEX