1.3 The Recovery of the Republic, 1924-29

Question 1

When was the Rentenbank created?

Answer 1

November 1923

Question 2

What was the Rentenmark?

Answer 2

A new currency

Value tied to price of gold and backed my industrial plants and agricultural land = real value

Question 3

When was the Reichsbank introduced and what did they rename the Rentenmark?

Answer 3

August 1924, Reichsmark

Question 4

What did Germany agree with America under the Dawes Plan in 1924?

Answer 4

Reparations temporarily reduced to £50 million per year

US banks agreed to loan money to German industry ($25 billion in 1924-30)

Question 5

What caused the French to leave the Ruhr in 1930?

Answer 5

Stresemann called off passive resistance

The Dawes Plan

Question 6

How did the Dawes Plan positively affect the Weimar economy?

Answer 6

Industrial output doubled (1923-28)

Employment, trade and income from tax increased

Question 7

What drawbacks did the Dawes Plan have?

Answer 7

Extreme parties furious that they had agreed to pay reparations
Fragile economic recovery depended on American loans

Question 8

When was the Young Plan established?

Answer 8

August 1929

Question 9

What agreement was made in the Young Plan?

Answer 9

Reparations reduced from £6.6 billion to £2 billion

Germany given more years to pay

Question 10

Who said that the Young Plan was ‘passing on the penalty to the unborn?

Answer 10

Adolf Hitler, leader of the NSDAP

Question 11

What negatives did the Young Plan have?

Answer 11

Annual payments were still £50 million a year

Stretched until 1988

Question 12

What positives did the Young Plan have?

Answer 12

Lower reparations allowed government to lower taxes
This released spending power, boosting industry and creating jobs again boosting spending power etc (virtuous cycle of economic growth)
French agreed to leave Rhineland 1930
Increased confidence in Weimar

Question 13

When was the Locarno Pact signed?

Answer 13

1st December 1925

Question 14

Which countries was the Locarno Pact between?

Answer 14

France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Belgium (equal terms rather than diktat)

Question 15

What was agreed during the Locarno Pact?

Answer 15

German accepted new border with France and France promised peace
Agreed with Allies that Rhineland would be permanently demilitarised
Agreed to open talks about German membership to League of Nations

Question 16

What was good about the Locarno Pact?

Answer 16

Made war with Europe less likely
Germany being treated as an equal - boosted prestige of Weimar and increased confidence in moderate parties who supported Stresemann

Question 17

Why were some extremist parties unhappy about the Locarno Pact?

Answer 17

Resented the fact that the ToV borders had been confirmed

Question 18

What did Stresemann win in 1926?

Answer 18

A Nobel Prize

Question 19

In a referendum held in 1929, how many people were in favour of the Young Plan?

Answer 19

35 million - 85% of those who voted

Question 20

What was the League of Nations?

Answer 20

International body where powerful countries discussed solving world issues without war
Germany excluded

Question 21

When was Germany allowed to join the League of Nations Council?

Answer 21

September 1926

Question 22

Why was Germany joining the League of Nations good for some? Why did others not agree?

Answer 22

Boosted moderate parties supporting Stresemann
Boosted confidence in Weimar
HOWEVER to some it was a symbol of ToV and they wanted nothing to do with it

Question 23

When was the Kellog-Briand Pact signed?

Answer 23

August 1928

Question 24

How many countries signed the Kellog-Briand Pact?

Answer 24

62 including Germany

Question 25

What did the Kellog-Briand Pact promise?

Answer 25

States wouldn’t use war to achieve foreign policy aims

USA not in it

Question 26

Positives of the K-B P?

Answer 26

Showed Germany now included amongst main powers
Weimar Republic was a respectable state
Increased confidence in moderate parties

Question 27

Why did some not like the K-B P?

Answer 27

Didn’t remove the terms of the ToV which still made them pay reparation, lose land and military

Question 28

What were the differences between the Reichstag election results in 1924 and 1928?

Answer 28

Moderate parties (SPD, DDP, ZP, DVP) = 50% - 58%
Extreme parties (KDP, DNVP, NSDAP) = 40% - 28%
Other parties = 10% - 14%

Question 29

On what date did Stresemann die?

Answer 29

3rd October, 1929