A German fuel shortage in World War 2, caused largely by Germany's small oil reserves, was a factor in the German defeat in the war.
During World War 2, Germany fought desperately to overcome an acute fuel shortage. They made heavy use of synthetic fuels but were only partly successful in alleviating their fuel shortage, but perhaps the United States, facing an acute oil and energy crisis, can learn something from the efforts of Germany in World War 2.
Two major references for this web page were the book Inside The Third Reich by Albert Speer which discusses Germany's fuel shortage, and the article The Role Of Synthetic Fuel In World War II Germany by Dr. Peter W. Becker which described the German's attempts to resolve the fuel shortage. See the following web page for the Becker article: German Fuel Shortage World War 2
Prior to World War 2, Germany was an energy-dependent nation. It depended heavily on foreign imports for its annual fuel supply:
German Fuel Source Million Barrels (Annually)
Domestic Oil Production 3.8
Synthetic Fuel Production 9.0
Import From Overseas 28.0
Import Overland-Europe 3.8
Total 44.6
German Fuel Stockpile Prior to World War 2. The German stockpile of fuel consisted of only 15 million barrels. Obviously the German situation was precarious for a country about to take on half the world in World War 2.
Germans Expanded Fuel Supply as World War 2 Approaches. The Germans realized the graveness of their fuel situation and took action. Their infamous peace treaty with Russia in 1939 yielded them 4 million barrels of fuel per year (starting in 1940) and the Russians were diligent in delivering the fuel. Imports of oil from Romania was also drastically increased until imports reached 13 million barrels in 1941. The Germans also expanded their own small domestic production of oil and that of Austria which had been annexed by Germany in 1938. By 1944, the total domestic oil production had increased from 3.8 million barrels (1938) to 12 million barrels.
Additionally, about 5 million barrels of fuel were captured during the early military campaigns of World War 2 in western Europe in 1940.
The above increases in fuel supply from various sources helped but were still inadequate as World War 2 began to place a high demand on German fuel supplies.
After World War I, the Germans began to look strongly at synthetic fuel production. The naval blockades, imposed on the Germans during that war and the resulting fuel shortages, had taught them a lesson. Also, they were alarmed by reports, rampant then as now, that oil reserves around the world were about to be exhausted (Peak Oil). When Hitler came to power, he was determined to make Germany independent of imported oil (sounds familiar?) and it was only natural that a high-technology country such as Germany, with large deposits of coal and lignite, would turn to the production of synthetic fuel from these plentiful raw materials.
The various processes involved in producing synthetic fuel are discussed in the previously referenced article by Dr. Becker. One such chemical process of utmost importance was the Fischer-Tropsch Process. Hydrogenation of coal and lignite played a key role in the synthetic fuel-producing processes.
(It should be noted that modifications of the Fischer - Tropsch Process are in use today and the process is used in some efforts to produce a suitable synthetic liquid fuel from non-petroleum products.)
One problem with the synthetic fuel produced by Germany in World War 2 was the relatively low octane number of the fuel produced. High octane numbers were needed, particularly for German aviation fuel and, in this area, the Germans had to play catch-up with the Americans and British who had ample supplies of high octane aviation gasoline. Still the Germans worked diligently on the problem and managed to improve the octane numbers.
It should be noted that the German Minister of Armaments, Albert Speer, generally considered by experts to have single-handily prolonged World War 2 in Europe due to his production genius, does not come off too well in Dr. Becker's article referenced above. Dr. Becker blames Speer for slowing the construction of the synthetic fuel plants.
So, despite their best efforts, Germany faced severe fuel shortages in World War 2 and it is believed by the experts that the presence of the huge oil fields in Russia is one of the reasons, Hitler chose to attack Russia. (Note: there were other reasons, and, eventually, Germany would no doubt have attacked Russia anyway).
To Germany's dismay, only a small amount of oil was ever obtained from the occupied Russian oil fields since the Russians used a scorched earth policy as they retreated. As noted earlier, prior to outbreak of World War 2, Russia was supplying Germany with about 4 million barrels of oil per year. As the war proceeded, and Germany sought to recover oil from the occupied Russian oil fields, the amount of oil recovered was about the same - 4 million barrels per year - as the Russians had supplied to Germany prior to the war. As far as the Germans solving their fuel shortage problem, the invasion of Russia came to naught.
As the last few years of World War 2 approached, the Germans, despite their heroic efforts, could not solve their oil shortage problem. It began to catch up with them as aerial bombing of Germany by the US and Britain increased. Some of Albert Speer's comments on the matter as recorded in Inside the Third Reich follow:
"On May 19, 1944, after .....the attack, Hitler received me.....I described the situation......'The enemy has struck us at one of our weakest points. If they persist at it this time, we will soon no longer have any fuel production worth mentioning'."
On June 24, 1944, Speer states "....the allies staged a new series of attacks which put many fuel plants out of action. On June 22, nine-tenths of the of the production of airplane fuel was knocked out."
On July 28, 1944, Speer sent a memorandum to Hitler. "I implored Hitler......to reserve a significantly larger part of the fighter plane production......to protecting the home hydrogenation plants......"
November 10, 1944. "Meanwhile the army, too, had become virtually immobile because of the fuel shortage."
The World War 2 end was nearing for Germany, largely as a result of the on-going fuel shortage. Germany had fought the good fight but could not overcome the fuel shortage which had reached crisis proportions.
In 2008, the US faces Peak Oil and a developing energy crisis. But the situation is a little different from what Germany faced in World War 2. First of all, the US in not in a World War although many politicians would like for us to think the War on Terror is a World War. (It is not - at least not in the same magnitude as World War 2). Secondly, the US has substantial natural resources to help in overcoming the energy crisis, an energy crisis which, it should be noted, has been brought on largely by blatant over-consumption. Germany, on the other hand, did not have great raw material resources in World War 2 although they used what they had with efficiency. And their fuel crisis was not brought on by civilian over-consumption but largely by Hitler's desire to expand the German empire.
A final statement should be made: When Germany began to work to produce synthetic fuel, they thought oil reserves around the world were about exhausted. They were 60 or more years early in their assessment of world oil reserves. Now, however, it appears that world oil reserves are declining much more rapidly than new reserves are added and the end of the oil age can be predicted with increasing accuracy.
One interesting development in synthetic liquid fuels are the gas-to-liquid (GTL) processes which are being developed rapidly in South Africa. The process produces a diesel-type fuel from natural gas. The fuel is destined to be popular in Europe where gasoline is being rapidly abandoned in favor of diesel.
Some experts have alleged that one of the reasons the US invaded Iraq was to obtain control of Iraqi oil to help out with the developing oil shortage (allegation strongly denied by the administration). Oil prices at the time of the invasion was about $30 per barrel and oil prices now, over two years later, are about $60 per barrel. The Iraqi oil did not solve the US problem. Very analogous to what happened to Germany in World War 2.
1. Germany in World War 2. Causes of World War 2 and the major events of the war. German war strategies.
2. Alternative Energy & Global Warming. (Blog). We now have an energy crisis similar to what Germany faced in World War 2. To compound the problem, we also have global warming!
3. Alternative Energy Sources. Germany had to find an alternative energy source in World War 2. The U.S. will have to do the same in the present Peak Oil era. German's alternative energy source was never quite adequate. Will the U.S. develop adequate alternative energy sources?
4. Global Warming & Al Gore. Global Warming may become more disastrous to the human race than World War 2 was.
5. Fuel Crisis & Oil Shortage. Peak Oil is near. Either develop alternative energy sources or get ready for an energy crisis and soaring fuel prices.
6. Energy Crisis. More on the approach of Peak Oil and a Energy Crisis.
7. Bakken Formation Oil. The hottest oil play in the U.S. at this time is the Bakken Formation of North Dakota and adjacent states and adjacent Canadian provinces. As much as 500 billion barrels of oil may be contained there.
8. Oil Companies Stocks. Two giant new oil fields have been discovered (or found feasible for development at the higher oil prices) in the past few weeks. These are the Bakken Formation of North Dakota and the Carioca prospect of offshore Brazil. Someone is going to make money off the new oil strikes....it might as well be you!
9. Large Oil Company Stocks. The large oil company stocks are more stable than smaller oil company stocks. The large oil company stocks also appear to be under priced at present. (Several oil companies involved in the Bakken Formation and in the Brazilian Carioca oil strike are discussed).
The German fuel shortage in World War 2 helped cause the Germans to lose the war. They simply did not have adequate oil reserves to refine for gasoline and aviation fuel. Plus, their synthetic fuel production, while impressive, was never quite adequate.
Will the same fuel shortages occur in the U.S. as we face an acute oil and energy crisis 60 years after World War 2 ended? Will we win our war? We must learn from the German fuel shortages of World War 2.
Updated: 11/15/08
e-mail me @ vanc13@cox.net (Author: Van Cook)
Fuel Shortage In World War 2 Germany