3) The End Of Weimar Flashcards
1
Q
Who and when was the German’s worker’s party (DAP) founded?
A
1919 by Anton Drexler
2
Q
What was the DAP?
A
A right wing nationalist party which stressed the ideal of pure German people.
3
Q
When did Adolf Hitler join the DAP?
A
September 1919 and was made head of propaganda in 1920.
4
Q
How did the DAP change in August 1920?
A
It became the National Socialist German workers’ party (NSDAP or Nazi Party).
5
Q
When did Hitler become the Party Fuhrer?
A
July 1921
6
Q
What did Hitler and Drexler write in 1920?
A
They wrote the party’s 25 Point Programme which was a political manifesto.
7
Q
What were the racial policies of the 25 Point Programme?
A
No.1- The union of all the Germans to form a Greater Germany.
No.4- Citizenship of the state to be granted only to people of German blood. Therefore no Jew was to be a citizen of the nation.
No.6- The right to vote in elections to be allowed only to German citizens.
No.7- Foreign nationals to be deported if it became impossible to feed the entire population.
No.8- All non-Germans who had entered the country after 1914 to leave.
No.23- All newspaper editors and contributors to be German and all non-German newspapers only to appear with permission of the government.
No.24- Religious freedom for allA providing these views expressed did not threaten or offend German people.
8
Q
What were the political policies of the 25 point programme?
A
No.2- The scrapping of the Treaty of Versailles
No.25- The creation of a strong central government for the Reich to put the new programme into effect.
9
Q
What were the economic policies of the 25 Point Programme?
A
No.13- The government to nationalise all businesses that had been formed into corporations.
No.14- The government to profit-share in major industries.
No.17- An end to all speculation in land and any land needed for communal purposes would be seized. There would be no compensation.
10
Q
How did Hitler use the SA to build support for the Nazi Party in the early 1920s?
A
- Known as Hitler’s storm troopers
- Very violent/ brutal at political events
- Hitler’s/ Nazi’s private army
- Recruited from demobbed soldiers, unemployed and students
- Provided security at meetings
- Allowed Hitler to remove opposition quickly
11
Q
How did Hitler’s close supporters build support for Nazi Party in the early 1920s?
A
- Ernst Röhm~ Lead SA, imprisoned for his role in Munich.
- Heinrich Himmler~ 1929, appointed head of Hitler’s personal body guard
- Herman Georing~ Commanded SA brown shirts in 1922
- Rudolf Hess~ Wealthy academic, Hitler’s deputy
- Joseph Geobbels~ Late minister of propaganda
12
Q
How did the Nazi emblem and symbols build support for Nazi Party in the early 1920s?
A
- Swatsika flag, use linked to belief in Aryan descent
- Red and black colours as used on Kaiser Germany’s flag
- ‘Hitler Salute’- old salute from Roman Empire in order to suggest continuity with a ‘glorious’ German past.
13
Q
How did Hitler’s message build support for the Nazis in the early 1920s?
A
He wanted:
- To abolish the idea of the individual
- Union of all Germans
- Land and territory for all people
- Only German people in Germany
- No Treaty of Versailles
14
Q
How did Hitler’s charisma build support for the Nazis in the early 1920s?
A
- He was an excellent orator and drew huge crowds
- Increased Nazi audience, allowed them to convey message to masses
- No other party had such a ‘hypnotic’ speaker
15
Q
How did the situation in Germany cause the Munich Putsch?
A
- People were tired with the coalition governments that appeared ineffective.
- The Treaty of Versailles was still unpopular
- Hyperinflation and occupation of the Ruhr had made life hard for German people, Hitler wanted to exploit this discontent.
16
Q
How did ‘help’ cause the Munich Putsch?
A
- Hitler thought he would be helped by important nationalist politicians in Bavaria.
- In 1923, Gustav Kahr, head of the Bavarian government, hesitated about a Putsch, and did nothing.
17
Q
How did the army cause the Munich Pustch?
A
- The army has recently put down a left-wing revolt in Saxony.
- Hitler could see a crackdown on right wing groups coming.
- However, he also believed he had the support of the army, including former army leader Ludendorff.
18
Q
How did the growth of the Nazis cause the Munich Putsch?
A
By 1923, the Nazi Party had 3000 members and was stronger than ever before.
19
Q
How did Mussolini inspire the Munich Putsch?
A
- Hitler was inspired by the new Italian Prime Minister, Mussolini.
- He has come to power in 1922 when he carried out his ‘March on Rome’
- Hitler thought if it worked for Mussolini then it could work for him to.
20
Q
How did the SA cause the Munich Pustch?
A
Hitler had a huge army of Storm Troopers but he knew he would lose control of them if he did not give them something to do.
21
Q
How did Stresemann’s government inspire the Munich Putsch?
A
- He was made chancellor in 1923 Hitler realised that ur might get on top of Germany’s economic problems soon so he needed to act soon.
In September 1923, Stresemann’s government calls off passive resistance to the French in the Ruhr.
22
Q
When did Hitler’s trial start?
A
February 1924
23
Q
How long did Hitler’s trial last?
A
One month
24
Q
What did the trial give Hitler?
A
The trial gave Hitler nationwide publicity and was introduced to the public via the national press.
25
What did Hitler do in his trial?
He denied the charge of treason and claimed that he was just trying to restore greatness to Germany and resist the feeble Weimar government. He attacked the Weimar Republic at any moment possible, criticised the ‘November Criminals’, poured scorn in the Treaty of Versailles and the ‘Jewish Bolshevists’ who had betrayed Germany.
26
What was Hitler allowed to do in court?
To make long speeches and put forward his political views.
27
When was Hitler charged with treason?
April 1st but escaped with the minimum sentence (5 years).
28
How long did Hitler actually spend in prison and what did he do during his time?
9 months and wrote his book ‘mein kampf’, ‘my struggle’. He had an easy time in prison and was able to reflect on his political views.
29
What were the main ideas expressed in ‘Mein Kampf’?
- Lebensraum
- Treaty of Versailles
- Social Darwinism
- Attitude to Jews
- Volksgemeinschaft
30
What was lebensraum and what did Hitler write about it?
He wanted to gain lebensraum (living space) to create a greater Germany where all German speakers would be incorporated Ito the nation.
31
What did Hitler say about the Treaty of Versailles in Mein Kampf?
Abolition of it and reversal of its terms.
32
What was Social Darwinism?
The idea that some races are superior to others.
33
What did Hitler say about Jews in Mein Kampf?
All ills in society were caused by Jews. He believed all Jews should be eliminated from Germany.
34
What did Hitler want in terms of Volksgemeinschaft?
Creation of Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community). The strongest races would dominate the weakest in Germany.
35
What did Hitler do on release from prison?
He persuaded the president of Bavaria to lift the ban on the Nazi Party.
36
When was the Nazi Party relaunched?
February 1924, Hitler slowly began to take control once again.
37
How did Hitler change his leadership of the party after its relaunch?
Hitler made sure that only his closest associates helped run the party from Munich
38
What happened at the Bamberg conference in 1926?
Hitler continued to strengthen his leadership, possible rivals to his leadership e.g. Joseph Geobbels and Gregor Strasser were given alternative position and other opponents were removed.
39
What did Hitler force Ernst Röhm to do at Bamberg?
To resign as leader of the SA as he feared the SA would continue to be a violent group.
40
What did Hitler create at Bamberg?
His own bodyguard unit, the SS, and the Hitler youth to rival other youth groups.
41
What had Hitler become by 1926 and what was his message?
By 1926, he had become the undisputed leader, Dee Führer, and his message was to use endless propaganda
42
What happened to the 25 Point Programme after the relaunch of the Nazi Party?
It was accepted as the cornerstone of the Nazi Party Policy; however, in 1928, point 17 was amended to say that privately owned land would be confiscated only if it was owned by a Jew.
43
What did Hitler change in terms of the voters he aimed for in 1928?
Previously, he had tried to win the support of the urban voters but now he decided to target rural voters too- this cane at a time when farmers were beginning to experience economic problems and forming Nazism attractive.
44
How many members did the Nazi Party have in 1925?
Only 27,000 members
45
How many members did the Nazi Party have in 1928?
Exceeded 100,000
46
How many seats did the Nazi party win in the 1928 elections?
Despite the changes the Nazis won 12 seats in parliament, when they had had 32 in 1924.
47
What other changes were there within the Nazi Party after the relaunch of the Nazi Party?
Hitler began to target the peasants as a key electoral group. He also replaced Stasser as party propaganda leader with Geobbels.
48
What was the main event that propelled the Nazi Party to the front of politics in Germany?
Wall Street Crash
49
What did bankers and financiers in the USA do when the Wall Street Crash occurred?
They withdrew the loans made under the Dawes Plan.
50
How did the Wall Street Crash impact trade in Germany?
International trade began to contract and German exports fell rapidly in the years after 1929.
51
What did the German government do to help the impacts of the Wall Street Crash?
The government financed unemployment relief but as it’s revenue began to shrink, the threat of benefit cuts looked large.
52
How many were unemployed in Germany by 1932?
Over 6 million
53
What percent of university graduates could not get a job because of the impacts of the Wall Street Crash?
60%
54
What percentage of factory workers were unemployed as a result of the Wall Street Crash?
40%
55
What did the workers and the middle class want and fear as a result of the Wall Street Crash?
Workers- jobs
| Middle class- feared a communist revolution
56
Who was Muller replaced by in March 1930?
Heinrich Brüning of the centre party.
57
How did Brüning end up becoming chancellor?
He did not get a majority so had to rely on Hindenburg using article 48. Many historians view this as the end of parliamentary democracy and the Weimar Republic.
58
Why did Brüning call a general election in September 1930?
Because he did not have a majority in the Riechstag
59
How many seats did the Nazis win in 1930?
107, becoming the second biggest party in Germany after the social democrats who won 143 seats.
60
Why did Brüning become more and more dependent on Hindenburg using article 48?
Brüning could still not rely on having his policies accepted by the Riechstag
61
How many presidential decrees were there in 1930,1,2
1930- 5
1931- 44
1932- 66
62
How many reichstag laws were passed in 1930, 31 and 32?
1930- 98
1931- 34
1932- 5
63
Why was Brüning named the ‘hunger chancellor’?
Because his reduction of government spending only served to lose him support of the unemployed.
64
During Brüning’s chancellorship what were people beginning to tire of?
Food shortages- there had been 3 in the last 16 years.
65
What did people blame Brüning for?
For foreign investors withdrawing assists from Germany. Potential investors were frightened off during the banking crisis of 1931, when some German banks collapsed.
66
Why did Brüning not accept the willingness of some foreign governments to loan Germany money?
Their terms were unacceptable. The only encouraging consequence of the economic crisis was the suspension of reparation payments but this did not come until 1931.
67
Why did Brüning resign in 1932?
He was unable to win support for his policies, during his time as chancellor the Nazi Party has success in regional and general elections.
68
What did middle classes fear in terms of government?
A communist takeover.
69
Who was the new KPD leader in 1923 and what did he abandon?
Ernst Thälmann, he abandoned the goal of immediate revolution, and from 1924 and onwards contested in Reichstag elections and gained some success.
70
What was the KPD like during the Weimar Republic?
It was the biggest communist party in Europe and was the ‘leading party’ outside the Soviet Union.
71
How did the KPD do in elections?
It maintained a solid electoral performance, usually polling mote than 10% of the vote and gaining 100 deputies in November 1932.
72
How did Thälmann do in the 1932 presidential election compared to Hitler?
Thälmann took 31.2% of the vote in comparison to Hitler’s 30.1%.
73
What did the Nazis do to be successful in the elections?
They tried to relate to all parts of society. The Nazi message was that:
the Weimar government had caused the economic crisis and weak coalition government had no solutions to offer- the Nazis alone could unite Germany in a time of economic crisis.
74
What did Hitler do if there were any doubts with Nazi messages?
Hitler ensures another scapegoat could be offered.
75
Who did Hitler blame for all problems in Germany?
The Jews.
| He said they conspired Germany’s defeat in WW1
76
Why was the 1930 election a huge breakthrough for the Nazis?
They won 107 seats in comparison to 1928 where they won 12.
77
What did Hitler declare about parliamentary democracy?
That it did not work and that he’s provide and strong government.
78
What were some uses of the SA which increased growing support for the Nazis?
- The SA protected the Nazi’s meetings
- They used them to dispute with their opponents
- SA increased from 100,000 to 170,000
- communists had the ‘Red Front Fighters’ who often fought with the Nazis, Hitler used this to show he could beat the communists.
79
How did financial support aid the growing support of the Nazis?
The Nazis received funds from industrialists e.g. Bosch and Krupp who hated communism and knew Hitler would reduce the influence of the union.
80
What did the Nazis get linked with in 1932?
The National Party whose leader let them publish articles against Brüning.
81
How did the Nazis increase support with propaganda?
- Mass media and manipulation
- Run by Geobbels- simple and constant message.
- There were 120 weekly newspapers and radio chat shows which promoted the Nazis.
- Nazis logos were everywhere, repetition of points.
82
Who was the presidential election of 1932 against?
Hitler and Hindenburg
83
How did Hitler and Hindenburg’s tactics differ?
- Hitler used an aeroplane to get around, his messages were
Spread by films, records and radios.
- Hindenburg did not campaign and did not win over 50% of the vote.
84
What was the outcome of the 1932 presidential election?
Hitler was fairly successful hut not as successful as Hindenburg.
85
Give some examples of violence that lead up to the July 1932 election:
More than 1125 were injured in clashes between political parties.
On July 17th, there were at least 19 people killed in Hamburg.
86
How many seats did the Nazi party win in the July 1932 election?
230 and were now the largest party in the Reichstag.
87
After the July 1932 election what did chancellor Von Papen do?
Von Papen of the centre party despite not having the most seats did not relinquish Hitler’s post and began to politically scheme with Hindenburg Hitler demanded the post of chancellor. At a meeting in August, Hindenburg refused to consider this.
88
Why did Von Papen dissolve this Reichstag in September 1932?
It was not possible for a party to command a majority in the Reichstag and it was impossible to maintain a coalition. Elections were set for November 1932.
89
What did Von Papen think about the Nazis in the November 1932 elections?
He thought that the Nazis were slowly losing momentum and would slowly disappear from the scene. He was right, in November they only won 196 seats.
90
What happened when Von Papen suggested abolishing the Weimar Constitution?
Von Schleicher, minister of defence persuaded Hindenburg that is this happened there may be a civil war. Von Papen lost Hindenburg’s confidence and was replaced by Von Schleicher.
91
How did Von Schleicher hope to attain a majority?
By forming a so called ‘querfront’ meaning ‘cross front’ whereby he would bring together different strands from left and right parties.
92
Why did Von Papen meet Hitler in early January 1933?
He was determined to regain power.
93
What did Von Papen and Hitler decide at their meeting in 1933?
That Hitler should lead a Nazi-Nationalist government with Von Papen as vice chancellor. Scheming and plotting now took the place of considered, open, political debate.
94
What were the army, major landowners and leaders of industry convinced about Hitler and Von Papen?
They were saving Germany from Avon Schleicher’s plans and a possible communist take over. The ideas that Von Schleicher’s government might include socialists was appalling to them.
95
What was Von Papen able to convince Hitler that?
That a coalition government with Hitler as chancellor would save Germany and bring stability to the country. Von Papen said that he would be able to make Hitler ‘squeak’.
96
When did Hitler become chancellor?
30th January 1933- He was the leader of the largest party and had been invited to be leader by the president. He had achieved this legally and through democratic means.
