7. Decline Of Weimar Republic 1929-33

Question 1

Give economic impacts of Wall Street Crash (6)

Answer 1

• US loans were recalled to offset the effects of the Wall Street Crash and Germany was in no no position to repay debts
• Brüning raised taxes and cut public funding but these proved to be extremely unpopular
• around 6 million people were registered as unemployed
• Several large banks collapsed after Germans sought to withdraw their money. Many people’s savings were lost
• 50,000 businesses collapse
• industrial production fell sharply

Question 2

Political impacts of Wall Street Crash (3)

Answer 2

• Germans turned increasingly to extremist political parties: the KPD and NSDAP
• political instability was worsened by political intrigue with increasing use of Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution
• created the political conditions that enabled the NSDAP to become a truly national party (Nazis won 18% of vote in 1930

Question 3

Why was the Young Plan of 1929 so controversial ? Which groups opposed paying reparations and why? (2)

Answer 3

• To Some right-wing groups in Germany, Stresemann’s negotiation of the Young Plan was seen as yet another betrayal of national interests to the Allies
• Any payment of reparations was based upon the ‘lie’ of Germany’s war guilt

Question 4

Why did Müller’s Grand Coalition collapse? (5)

Answer 4

• Müller’s coalition successfully withstood the attack from the ‘National Opposition’ However it was not so successful in dealing with its internal divisions
• the sharp increase in unemployment had created a large deficit in the new national insurance scheme, and the four major parties in the coalition couldn’t agree on how to tackle it.
• the SPD wanted to increase the contributions and to maintain the levels of welfare payments
• The DVP, on the other hand, had strong ties with big business and insisted on reducing benefits
• Müller couldn’t maintain a majority and had no option but to resign

Question 5

Describe the rise of presidential government (5)

Answer 5

• Hindenburg granted the post of chancellor to Brüning, however he was the parliamentary leader of the second largest party in the Reichstag (ZP)
• Brüning was manoeuvred into office by a select circle of political intriguers (State Secretary, von Schleicher and Oskar von Hindenburg) None of them had faith in the democratic process and looked to the president and article 48 as a means of creating a more authoritarian government
• Brüning’s response to the growing economic crisis was to propose cuts in government expenditure however the budget was rejected in the Reichstag in July 1930.
• Despite this he used Article 48 to put the proposals into effect with the signature of Hindenburg
• The Reichstag challenged thus and deadlock was reached. Brüning then asked Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag and call for an election for September 1930