AB Germany, 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship Flashcards
what is prussia
before 1870 germany was made up 25 states
prussia was the biggest, richest and most powerful one and it wanted to unite Germany
because of how powerful prussia was it had a large influence on the new german empire
prussia was very militaristic which influenced Germany
what were the weaknesses of the German parliamentary system in 1871
The Chancellor had to stay in the Kaiser’s good books, or he could be dismissed.
The 25 individual states controlled income tax, which meant the central government, struggled to raise enough
tax to cover its spending.
Prussian influence was dominant although Wilhelm II’s first Chancellor, Caprivi (1890-1894) did give up the position of Prime Minister of Prussia that his predecessor had held.
Industrialisation led to a large rise in Germany’s urban population. Poor working and living conditions were largely ignored by the unelected Chancellor and the Kaiser who held the greatest power in Germany
what was germanys parliamentary system in 1871
The Emperor (Kaiser) – Head of the armed forces, controlled foreign policy, and appointed the Chancellor.
The Chancellor – In charge of the government and had authority over the Bundesrat.
The Bundesrat – Federal Council made up of 58 representatives from the 25 states. Introduced laws to the Bundestag and power to approve them.
The Bundestag – Federal parliament made up of 397 deputies. Voted on laws introduced by the Bundesrat
what happened when Germany got unified in 1871
created the new German Empire
The Empire’s constitution was formed and it was federal. This meant that each state kept their own individual princes, constitutions and governments
what did Prussia influence in Germany
The army was led by Prussian officers, who reported directly to the Emperor (who was of course also the King of Prussia!)
Prussia provided 17 out of 58 representatives in the Bundesrat. Only 14 votes were needed to veto (block) any laws passed by the Bundestag.
Germany’s legal system, civil service and diplomatic corps were dominated by powerful Prussian noble landholders, known as the Junkers
the junkers controlled the Prussian Army, which had enormous influence over German foreign and domestic affairs
what industrialism happened in germany 1821-1910
rapid industrialisation in the second half of the 19th century.
Agricultural production and heavy industries were replaced by modern industries such as manufacturing (electrical products - Siemens and AEG), chemicals and motor construction (Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler) as the most important sectors of the German economy.
Unification in 1871 accelerated the process of industrialisation and by 1900 Germany had the largest industrial economy in Europe
why did industrialism happen in Germany before WW1
the Kaiser wanted to match Britains army and achievements so needed to have a larger income so he built up Germanys industry
why was there an increase in support for socialism before WW1
By 1910 there were 10.86 million industrial workers in Germany, making them the biggest single group in society. They generally faced poor living and working conditions. The fact that all adult males could vote meant that the workers were able to influence politics through their support for the German Social Democratic Party, or SPD. The party grew rapidly during this period to become the largest party in the Reichstag by 1912
what happened during the social reform in Germany
1891 - the Social Law banned Sunday working and the employment of children under 13.
1900 - the length of time accident insurance could be claimed for was increased.
1901 - industrial arbitration courts were introduced to settle disputes between workers and employers.
1903 - health insurance was extended and further restrictions were placed on child labour.
why did Germany expand its navy so much
From 1898 onwards Germany massively expanded its navy. This was a key part of the policy known as Weltpolitik, or ‘world politics’, which began in 1897. This policy was designed to turn Germany into a world power by building an overseas empire, growing its world trade and increasing its naval power
what was the Navy league
The key figure in these plans to expand the navy was Admiral von Tirpitz. To win support for his policy he helped to create the Navy League in 1898, which campaigned for his Naval Laws to be passed
what were the advantages of the Navy league
it pleased the Kaiser, who was determined that Germany would become a world power
it increased support for the Kaiser and his government by appealing to German people’s sense of patriotism
it won the government support from a majority of deputies in the Reichstag
what were the disadvantages of the navy league
The government’s majority in the Reichstag did not last and the government found it difficult to reform the
Tariff (taxes) Law in 1902.
The German government’s budget went into deficit as it spent more and more money on the army, the navy and its new colonies. The national debt grew to 490 billion marks by 1913.
The government found it very difficult to raise extra taxes to reduce the deficit and the debt.
what was the impact of WW1 on Germany
Germany was virtually bankrupt
the war had divided the German society further
Germany had become even more politically unstable
what happened to the kaiser at the end of WW1
mutiny was happening across the German army towards the autumn in 1918 and the soldiers sent to fix it just joined
the mutinying army took over towns and set up special councils and Germany was in chaos
the kaiser lost all power so he abdicated
did the people of germany like the war
no
in 1915 500 women protests in front of parliament buildings because they wanted their husbands back
in 1916 10,000 workers gathered in berlin to shout “down with the war, down with the government”
what effect did WW1 have on the german civilians
A British naval blockade had led to severe food shortages. In 1918 293,000 Germans died from starvation and hypothermia
German workers’ wages were falling despite the extra work they were doing to support the war. By 1918 German miners were earning only 60 per cent of their pre-war salaries
60,000 women were without husbands
2,000,000 children were without fathers
what were the post WW1 problems for germany
Germany’s currency, the Mark, was losing its value and inflation was rising rapidly. The government was running a huge budget deficit but was unable to raise taxes on the rich.
the treaty of versailles
november criminals - many civilians and ex-soldiers thought Germany could have won the war and so refused to support the new government
occupation of the Ruhr by France
Hyperinflation
terms of the Treaty of versailles
land:
Eupen + Malmedy to Belgium
Saar + Alsace-Lorraine to France
Posen + West Prussia to Poland
Lost all overseas territories
lost 13% of European land
could not join with Austria (Anschluss)
army:
demilitarised Rhineland
no air force
no conscription
no heavy artillery
only 100,000 man army
navy limited to; no submarines, 6 cruisers, 6 battleships, 12 destroyers
money:
6.6 billion pounds in reparations
blame:
Germany took war guilt
how did the occupation of the Ruhr affect Germany
the Ruhr was a heavily industrialised part of Germany which was taken over by the allies for just over 2.5 years because germany had failed to pay reparations
this affected Germany as most of its income came from the Ruhr so it being occupied meant that Germany was not making any money
the German workers working for France in the Ruhr then went on strike meaning that they weren’t making any money but the german government still had to pay them
how did the hyperinflation affect Germany
as the German government still had to pay the striking German workers in the Ruhr, it meant that the government had to print money to pay the workers
this lead to the hyperinflation
which lead to uprisings
why was there political unrest in Germany 1919-1923
Kaiser had abdicated and there was a new government
Many Germans hated the government for signing the armistice in November 1918 - they called them the November criminals. The defeat in the war came as a huge surprise to the German people, which led to a theory that the brave German army had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by the politicians.
Many Germans felt their country had received a very harsh deal in the Treaty of Versailles. They resented the government for agreeing to its conditions and signing it, even though they were forced to by the Allies
who are the Spartacists
During 5 – 12 January 1919, 50,000 members of the post-World War One Communist Party, known as the
Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
The government was saved when it armed bands of ex-soldiers, known as the Freikorps, who defeated the Spartacist rebels.
In the aftermath, communist workers’ councils seized power all over Germany, and a Communist People’s Government took power in Bavaria.
By May 1919 the Freikorps had crushed all of these uprisings
what was the Kapp Putsch
In crushing the communists the Freikorps had saved the government, but the terms of the Treaty of Versailles meant Germany’s army had to be significantly reduced and the Freikorps had to be disbanded.
During 13 - 17 March 1920, as a reaction to this, the right-wing nationalist, Dr Wolfgang Kapp led a Freikorps takeover in Berlin.
The regular army refused to attack the Freikorps; Kapp was only defeated when the workers of Berlin went on strike and refused to cooperate with him.
what was the Munich Putsch
In November 1923, Hitler tried to take advantage of the hyperinflation crisis facing the Weimar government by instigating a revolution in Munich – known as the Munich Putsch. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take power, but poor planning and misjudgment resulted in failure and the subsequent imprisonment of Adolf Hitler
how did Stresemann end the hyperinflation
Calling off the ‘passive resistance’ of German workers in the Ruhr. This helped Germany’s economy because goods were back in production and the Government could stop printing money to pay striking workers.
Promising to begin reparations payments again. This persuaded France and Belgium to end the occupation of the Ruhr by 1925.
Introducing a new currency called the Rentenmark. This stabilised prices as only a limited number were printed meaning money rose in value. This helped to restore confidence in the German economy.
Reducing the amount of money the government spent (700,000 government employees lost their jobs) so that its budget deficit reduced.
The payment of reparations, which had caused the hyperinflation crisis in the first place, had to resume, but Stresemann’s decisive actions in the autumn of 1923 gained Germany the sympathy of the Allies. They agreed to renegotiate payments and this led to two new repayment plans in the next five years:
- dawes plan
- young plan
what is the Dawes Plan
USA would loan Germany 800,000,000 marks to allow Germany to start to pay the Reparations again
what is the Young Plan
reduced the amount that Germany had to pay from 6.6 billion to 1.8 million and germany had longer to pay it
what was the impact of the international agreements on recovery in Germany
the 1920s were often referred to as the ‘golden ages’ as during the war all forms of entertainment were removed and now they were back it gave the German people a sense of freedom
