What did the Nazis invent from 1933-1945?

Answer 1

The Germans have always been a technically competent, clever people, and also very efficient and, historically, militaristic. During the Nazi era these traits all reached a zenith so the Nazi state was extremely technically competent, clever, efficient militarists. Here's some things they either invented, or borrowed existing concepts and devloped to new heights:

World's first operational jet aircraft, the ME-262. This could have blasted American bombers from the skies but Hitler, who always thought his instinct was superior to his experts considered opinions, insisted it be converted to a bomber itself, for which it was unsuited. This took years and fatally delayed introduction of the airplane as an interceptor.

World's first operational rocket airplane, the ME-163. This was an incredibly dangerous little brute of a plane, more to its own pilots than the enemy.

First Armored Divisions. Nobody knew for sure what to do with tanks until the Germans demonstrated you could mass them in their own divisions and go rampaging through enemy territory.

First use of airborne paratroopers in an attack.

First cruise missiles, the V-1 "Buzz Bomb".

First radio controlled glider bombs, the predecessor of today's "smart" bombs.

First assault rifle, the Sturmgewehr 43, which inspired the Russians to make the AK-47.

First guided missiles, the V-2 rocket. Captured V-2s formed the basis of the beginning of the US Space Program, along with the captured scientists who developed it. ("When the rockets go up, who cares where they come down; its not my department, says Werner von Braun.") Many of the scientists who developed the Atomic Bomb for the US were Europeans who fled Europe to stay out of Hitler's death camps. If the Nazis had not been so insane they might have had atomic warheads for their missiles.

One factor that brought about the eventual collapse of Germany's military was a shortage of fuel. The Nazis were pioneers in the development of synthetic fuel.

The death camps, of course. Slaughtering despised peoples was not knew, but placing the operation on an industrial basis to obtain maximum efficiency in the process was.

The snorkel. Germany depended on submarines in both world wars to try to blockade England and destroy enemy seaborne commerce. Submarines had to run on batteries while under water because diesel or gas engines would almost instantly burn up all oxygen in the boat and suffocate the crew. They had to surface each night to let fresh air in the boat, and Germany's became very vulnerable to night-prowling allied bombers. Equipping the U-boats with snorkels meant they never had to surface, and could use their main engines underwater and so were five times faster underwater. All navies used snorkels after this until nuclear-propelled submarines were developed.

Radar-detectors. Fitted on submarines to sound an alarm when the sub was picked up by an enemy bomber's radar at night, allowing a crash-dive to safety.

And there were others. Rarely has so much intelligence been employed in so evil a cause.