Agricultural Flashcards
When men left for the war, what was the change to agriculture?
Women and children took up much of the work
When was the Turnip winter that caused food shortages?
1916-17
How can it be said that the hyperinflation benefitted the agriculture sector?
The worthless currency meant that farmers could pay off their fixed-mortages easily
What meant that the price of food dropped in the 1920s?
Overproduction
Farmers did not feel the benefit of the golden years of 1925-28 which suggests what?
That the redeeming features of the Weimar economy cannot be applied to farmers
Compared wheat prices in 1931 to pre 1920 prices?
Wheat prices in 1931 were ⅓ of what they were before 1920
Why was there little focus in the agricultural industry during Wiemar?
greater focus on advancing industries
Compare taxes for farms in Weimar to the Kaiserreich?
They were four times as high for the Weimar farms as they had been under the Kaiserreich
What percentage of the population were involved in agricultural and forestry work by 1925?
30%
What existed which ensured that there was still lots of farmland in Weimar?
The prussian aristocratic landholders
When were there laws to subsidise agriculture under Weimar?
1925
By how much did rural debt and bankruptcy increase during Weimar?
rising by 20-30%
What price crashed in 1928 and by how much?
The price of rye crashed by 35% in 1928
Between 1928-32, by what percentage was farm income below the national average?
44%
What fact shows the extent to which farmers supported the Nazis?
The Nazis gained 2.6% in the 1928 election but achieved a much higher percentage in the rural areas of Lower Saxony, Thuringia and Upper Bavaria
What was seen as too little too late by the Weimar farmers?
The government’s Osthilfe Programme
How did the Nazis focus on re-armanet and big industry negatively affect the farmers, despite their romanticised ideal?
It required increasing labour, most of which came from the farms
How did the drive for self-sufficiency under the Nazis benefit the farmers?
Imports restricted
What fact during the Nazis was the highest level of internal migration in Germany during the 20th century?
Between 1933-38 1 million people left rural areas in order to seek work in the cities, the highest rate of internal migration in the 20th century
Due to the nature of the division between the east and west, what did West Germany not have?
Many farms
What was the protectionist law in West germany?
1955 Agricultural Act
What was the result of the 1955 Agricultural Act?
10% increase in agricultural production but failed to stem an overall decline
Compare the employment increase of non-agricultural and agricultural employment between 1950-70
Non agricultural employment increased by 9 million, whilst agricultural employment dropped by 1.6 million
What did mechanisation lead to?
Reduced demand for farm labourers
