1.1 - Political And Governmental Change, 1918-89 Flashcards
1
Q
What was the revolution from above?
A
When Ludendorff provoked a change in government, led by Prince Max of Baden, to direct blame away from the military for the failure of the war in addition to preventing a revolution ‘from below’
October 1917
2
Q
When was the TOV signed?
A
28th June 1919
3
Q
Give the military terms of the TOV
A
-Demilitarised Rhineland
-Army limit 100K
-navy, no submarines, no warships over 10k tonnes
-no air force
4
Q
Give the territorial consequences of the TOV
A
-Lost all colonies
-Lost upper Silesia
-Lost Alsace and Lorraine
-Forbidden to unite with Austria
5
Q
How much were the reparations in the tov?
A
132 Billion gold marks/6.6 Billion pounds
6
Q
When was the council of people’s representatives set up?
A
10th November 1918
7
Q
What Constitutional reforms did Prince Max’s government make?
A
-extended vote to all men
-made both the ministers and the army responsible to the government, not the kaiser
8
Q
Who led the SPD when the CoPR was set up?
A
Friedrich Ebert
9
Q
What was the ebert groener pact?
A
The army would support the government as long as the government opposed the more left wing ideas
10
Q
When was the armistice signed?
A
11 nov 1918
11
Q
When and where was the Spartacus uprising?
A
January 1919, Berlin
12
Q
What did the spartacist uprising cause?
A
Ebert to move gov to Weimar for safety
13
Q
When was the KPD set up?
A
December 1918
14
Q
Between 1919 and 1922, how many political murders were there in Germany?
A
376
15
Q
When were the first weimar elections?
A
19 January 1919
16
Q
What % of the electors in the first Weimar election voted?
A
82.7%
17
Q
Who was the first president of the Weimar Republic and when was he elected?
A
7th February 1919, Ebert
18
Q
The ___ was the largest party in the reichstag between ____ and ____
A
SPD between 1919 and 1929
19
Q
Between 1919 and the end of 1923, how many short lived coalitions were there?
A
9
20
Q
Between 1924 and 1929, how many major political figures were assassinated? Why was this?
A
- As the economy improved, social conditions stabilised and political violence died down.
21
Q
Why was electing hindenburg symbolic of the populations discontent for the Weimar Republic?
A
He was not a supporter of democracy, and was the first to voice the stab in the back myth.
He was likely to favour government by decree and sidelining the reichtag
22
Q
In 1929, what happened that started a downturn in Germany?
A
The Wall Street crash causing USA loans to cease and be called in, dragging Germany into the depression.
23
Q
From July 1930 until the elections of 1932, how many laws were passed by decree (art48) in comparison to the reichstag?
A
109 by decree, 29 reichstag
24
Q
In the April 1932 presidential election, what were the votes for hindenburg and Hitler?
A
Hind:19.4mil
Hit:13.4mil
25
When was Hitler appointed chancellor?
30 January 1933
26
What happened on the 27th February 1933?
The Reichstag fire destroys the parliament building: communist conspiracy blamed, communists lose support
27
What happened on the 28th February 1933?
A presidential decree gives Hitler emergency powers due to the Reichstag fire and ‘communist threat’
28
What happened on the 5th march 1933?
Reichstag elections, Nazi vote increases, 288 seats in the Reichstag
29
How many seats did the Nazis get in the 1933 march elections?
288
30
What benefits did the Reichstag fire give the Nazis?
-Credit for catching the arsonist
-Nazis able to stir up anti commie propaganda
-As fear of communism rose, German industrialists generously donated to the Nazis
-State of emergency declared, Hitler had control of the police, power to rule by decree
-Election was called 5th march, meaning Hitler could realise his new power to gain a majority
31
How did Hitler and the Nazis campaign with force legally and illegally for the march 1933 election?
Legal: use of emergency powers to arrest political opponents
Illegal: SA violence to suppress opposition campaigns
32
What happened on the 24 march 1933?
The enabling act was passed
33
What happened on 21 march 1933 and why was this important?
The opening ceremony of the Reichstag at the Potsdam Garrison Church where the army and SA formed the guard together.
The presence of Hitler and Hindenburg, army and SA, Swastikas and flags of the old empire, was symbolic of the acceptance of Hitler by the old elite, the continuity of earlier governments. Made the Nazis respectable.
34
What was the enabling act?
Gave Hitler the right to pass laws without the Reichstag for 4 years (in theory, as it was renewed in 1937). The act tore up the Weimar constitution, essentially giving Hitler ultimate power.
35
When did Hitler ban all parties?
14th July 1933
36
What did Hitler do after Hindenburgs death?
Legally able to combine the roles of president and chancellor into Fuhrer.
37
How did Hitler make the establishment of the role of fuhrer accepted by the public?
Held a plebiscite to confirm the populations acceptance of his decision.
38
Why did Hitler want to get rid of the SA in 1934? (Multiple reasons)
-The SA were bad for nazi image, seen as thugs
-No longer necessary for holding and gaining power, Hitler had the SS and Gestapo
-Hitler believed that rohm may try to seize power, as he always wanted a more severe break from the old government rather than conciliation with them
39
When was the night of the long knives?
30 June 1934
40
Why did Hitler choose to keep ministers who were not Nazis before the one party state?
Provided a useful symbol of continuity, people trusted and understood the system.
41
Why did Hitler often leave the details of who was responsible for what (in government) vague?
SOME HISTORIANS ARGUED that it was to introduce a spirit of competition, keeping people on their toes and feeling insecure to make them work towards Hitler.
42
The Nazis worked on the principle of Volksgemeinschaft. What does this mean?
The “peoples community”. The German nation was presented as a radically united body, with all people working for the good of the nation.
43
What does Führerprinzip mean?
Leadership principle. A strict hierarchy, with one person in charge of each level of government. Every area of life had someone in charge to tell people what to do. No initiative, just orders.
44
When was the Gestapo set up? When was it taken over by the SS?
26 April 1933
Taken over 1936
45
What were SS numbers in 1939 compared to 1944?
39:240k
44: 1mil+
46
What was the purpose of the Council for the Defence of the Reich, and when was it set up?
Set up 30 Aug 1939
It was supposed to co-ordinate domestic efforts to support the war, but it became ineffective due to infighting and Hitler’s lack of trust in group meetings to govern.
47
What does “Germanise” mean in Nazi policy?
It refers to forcing non-Germans to adopt German culture or removing them so that ethnic Germans could settle and dominate the area.
48
What was the purpose of wartime rationing in Nazi Germany and how did it change by 1945?
Rationing controlled food distribution due to shortages. By 1945, people were only allowed 6.8 kg of bread, 150 g of meat, and no eggs per week—significantly reduced from 1939.
49
What happened on 22 June 1941, and how did it impact Germany?
Germany invaded the USSR, opening a second front. The war dragged on, overextending Germany’s military and economy.
50
What event in December 1941 escalated the war for Germany?
The USA joined the war, meaning Germany was now fighting a global war on two fronts.
51
How were German civilians impacted by the war by 1944?
Boys as young as 16 were conscripted, rationing became severe, non-essential goods were banned, and many children were evacuated due to bombing.
52
What major military event happened in June 1944?
Allied forces landed in Normandy (D-Day), marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe.
53
What happened to Hitler and other high-ranking Nazis in April–May 1945?
Hitler committed suicide on 30 April 1945 with Eva Braun. Joseph Goebbels and his family also died, and many other top Nazis killed themselves or were captured as Berlin fell.
54
When did Germany sign the final surrender of WWII?
7 May 1945
55
What took place between 17 Jul and 2 Aug 1945?
The Potsdam conference
56
When was the Potsdam conference?
Between the 17 July and 2 August 1945
57
What was decided at the Potsdam conference regarding germanys territory?
Germany was to be divided into 4 zones to be controlled by GB, USSR, FR and USA
58
After Germany was defeated, what happened between the allies?
Their differences grew, especially between the USSR and the other Western nations, due to the fact that they no longer had something to unite against/for
59
When did the SPD reform?
15 June 1945
60
What was the Marshall plan?
The economic aid plan for European countries set up in 1947, providing supplies and money to help post war recovery and prevent the USSR from gaining influence.
61
What new church based parties were set up in 1945?
The Christian Democratic Union CDU
And the Christian Social Union of Bavaria - CSU
62
Between 1945-47, which states became communist?
Yugoslavia
Albania
Bulgaria
Hungary
Poland
63
What happened to the KPD and SPD in April 1946?
They became a single party, the socialist unity party of Germany SED
64
When was the basic law announced?
23 may 1949
65
When did the western zones of Germany become the frg?
22 may 1949
66
What social rights did the basic law promise?
-Equal rights to all, regardless of sex, race, political views or religion
-Free speech, no censorship, free assembly, freedom to form unions
-A state education for all, although private schooling was allowed
67
What constitutional differences were there between the FRG and the WR that prevented the rise of extremism?
-Any parties seeking to undermine democracy were unconstitutional
-Parties that gained under 5% of the vote didn't get any bundestag representation.
68
When is the Deutschmark introduced?
20th June 1948
69
When does the Berlin Blockade start?
24th June 1948
70
When was the Berlin Airlift ?
June 1948 to May 1949
71
When do the FRG's first Bundestag elections take place?
14th August 1949
72
How much of the vote in the August '49 elections did the CDU, SPD and FDP get?
CDU/CSU: 31%
SPD: 29.2%
FDP: 11.9%
73
When is NATO started?
4th April 1949
74
When does the FRG join NATO?
9th May 1955
75
When does FRG contribute to starting the European Economic Community?
25th March 1957
76
When is the Warsaw Pact started?
14th May 1955
77
When was the Berlin Wall erected?
12/13th August 1961
78
What is NATO?
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military alliance formed in 1949 by the USA, Canada, and Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
79
What was the Warsaw Pact?
The Warsaw Pact, formed in 1955, was a Soviet-led military alliance of Eastern Bloc countries created in response to West Germany joining NATO.
80
What was the Der Spiegel incident?
The Der Spiegel incident (1962) was a political scandal in West Germany where the magazine criticised the Bundeswehr, leading to a government raid and arrests, sparking protests and a defence of press freedom.
81
What was the Berlin Wall?
The Berlin Wall was a concrete barrier built in 1961 by East Germany to stop East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin. It became a symbol of Cold War division and was torn down in 1989, marking the collapse of communist control.
82
When was the Berlin Wall erected?
12/13th August 1961
83
What years was Adenauer Chancellor?
1949-1963
84
When does Adenauer outline his foreign policy?
20th September 1949
85
When was the Socialist Reich Party banned?
1952
86
When was the KPD banned?
KPD banned?
1956
87
What was Article 131 and when was it implemented?
It was the law allowing ex-nazis to work in government, and was implemented 11th May 1951
88
Why were the KPD and Socialist Reich Party banned in the FRG?
The KPD (Communist Party) was banned in 1956 for being anti-democratic and linked to East Germany, while the Socialist Reich Party (a far-right neo-Nazi group) was banned in 1952 for trying to revive Nazi ideology — both were seen as threats to the constitutional order of the FRG.
89
When were the Der Spiegel journalists arrested?
October 1962
90
Why did Adenauer’s time as Chancellor end?
Adenauer resigned in 1963 due to growing criticism over his authoritarian style, his slow response to the Berlin Wall (1961), and the Der Spiegel scandal (1962) which damaged his reputation. He also faced pressure from within his party to make way for new leadership.
91
Who replaced Adenauer?
Ludwig Erhard (1963-66) (CDU)
92
Who replaced Erhard
Kurt Keisinger (1966-69) (CDU)
93
What were the Atlanticists and Gaullists?
Atlantacists-favoured working with the West
Gaullists prepared to work with France but wanted to shift to co-operation with the East
94
When did Erhard resign?
1966
95
When did the CSU introduce emergency powers?
28th June 1968
96
What was the Hallstein Doctrine?
The Hallstein Doctrine (1955) was a foreign policy principle FRG that stated it would not establish diplomatic relations with any country that recognized East Germany (GDR) as a legitimate state. It aimed to isolate the GDR internationally and strengthen the FRG’s position.
97
What was Ostpolitik?
Rejecting Holstein Doctrine and working with the GDR
98
who was the first SPD chancellor?
Willy Brandt-1969-1982
99
When and why did Brandt resign?
He resigned 24th May 1974, due to one of his advisers being a GDR spy
100
Who replaced Willy Brandt as Chancellor of the FRG?
Helmut Schmidt from the SPD succeeded Brandt as Chancellor later in 1974 and led Germany until 1982.
101
When did Schmidt get replaced?
he was replaced in a constructive vote of no confidence, on 1st October 1982, replaced by CDU's Kohl
102
When did Kohl call elections? and what was result?
call elections? and what was result?
6th March 1983, 48.8%
103
When were the Berlin Wall's travel restrictions lifted?
9th November 1989
104
What did the Friekorps initially undertake the task of?
-> most Germans petrified of 'Red Plague' -> Friekorps units fought against communism, largely in the East
-attacked KPD meetings
105
Electoral turnout and results of first Weimar election?
82.1% of the electors voted
->SPD didn't receive majority vote... forced to form coalition with Centre Party and German Democratic Party (DDP)
106
When is Ebert voted to be President and by how many votes?
11th February 1919, Ebert elected as the First President of the Republic by 277 votes to 51
107
When was the Weimar constitution passed?
Weimar constitution was passed by National Assembly on 31st July 1919
108
What were some challenges of the Weimar constitution?
-Only took 60,000 votes to gain a seat within the Reichstag
-29 different political parties in the Reichstag during the 1920s, miners moved between parties (largely confused voters)
-Proportional representation, didn't vote for candidate/person
-Almost impossible for any party to have the majority within the Reichstag
-Article 48 (ability to rule by decree) frequently used, portrayed the gov as being in constant crisis
109
Who was Gustav Stresemann?
Chancellor during 1923, and then foreign minister until 1929-he held together a coalition of the DVP, Centre Party, SPD and DDP. He also resolved the Weimar's significant economic struggles.
110
What was Adenauer's policy agenda in the Bundestag?
-Announced 20th September 1949
-Set out to unite Germany
-Working for closer European integration
-Exclude political opposition, especially left-wing opposition
111
What were some of the criticisms regarding Adenauer's Chancellorship?
-Authoritarian style of ruling the Bundestag
-Some called his leadership a 'chancellor democracy'
-Until 1955 he controlled the foreign and domestic policy as Chancellor
-Criticised for appointing weak ministers, who he treated as not being his political equals
112
When did Germany turn on the USSR?
22nd June 1941 -> Soviet Red army did not surrender, Germany fighting a war on two fronts
