Arming the Luftwaffe

During World War II, the aviation industry stood among the largest industrial branches of the Third Reich. The manufacture of aircraft and air force equipment represented approximately 40% of total German war production and involved the employment of two million people. Thus, aviation factories became the place where scores of people experienced the war. Based on German records, Allied intelligence reports, and eyewitness reports, this study explores the military, political, scientific, and social aspects of Germany's World War II aviation industry, such as production, research and development, Allied attacks, the use of foreign workers and slave labor, and daily life and working conditions in the factories. Testimony from Holocaust survivors who worked in the factories adds a strong human component to the technological facade of the German aviation industry, providing a compelling new perspective on the history of the Third Reich.