to reach monthly production of 17,100 tons of high explosives and 18,100 tons of powder. Synthetic fuel output was programmed for 8.3 million tons by 1942–3 and 11 million tons by 1944. And in August 1938, with war over the Sudetenland perhaps only weeks away, even this was not enough. To reach World War I levels by the end of 1939, Krauch launched the Schnellplan, a short-range emergency programme with absolutely top priority amongst all the Wehrmacht’s many programmes. To ensure that Krauch got the resources he needed, Goering promoted him to the special status of general plenipotentiary for
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