Changes in society, 1924-29

Question 1

In 1924, What percentage of the total possible workforce was unemployed?

Answer 1

over 4% of the total possible workforce

Question 2

How much did unemployment improve

comparing years

Answer 2

1926 - 2 million

1928 - 1.3 million

Question 3

How was help for the unemployed improve?

Answer 3

through the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1927

Question 4

when was the Unemployment Insurance Act

Answer 4

1927

Question 5

what was the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1927

Answer 5

charged workers 3% of their wages and in return provided an average of 60 marks per week in unemployment and sickness benefits if they fell out of work

Question 6

How were work and wages changed?

• mention the problems still faced

Answer 6

• working hours reduced
• wages rose by 25% from 1925-28
  however
• hyperinflation made employment insecure
• wealthier Germans resented seeing workers benefitting

Question 7

How was housing changed?

Answer 7

• 15% rent tax was introduced to fund building associations
• Between 1925-29: 101,000 homes were built
• there was still housing shortages but things had improved

Question 8

How were war veterans helped?

Answer 8

• War veterans were offered help under the 1920 Reich pension law. Pensions were paid to 750,000 war veterans, 400,000 war widows and 200,000 parents of dead servicemen

Question 9

How effective were the improvements to the standard of living?

Answer 9

• improvements in social conditions in the Weimar republic were fragile
• employment remained insecure and the loss of savings during the inflation of 1923 still caused hardship
• not everyone was pleased by social improvements

Question 10

When were women given the right to vote and to stand in elections and what was the result?

Answer 10

1918
90% turned out at the elections
by 1932, 112 had been elected the Reichstag- almost 10% of the members were female

Question 11

which article of the Weimar constitution gave women more rights, and what did it include

Answer 11

Through Article 109:

• women had equal rights with men
• marriage was an equal partnership, with equal rights on both side
• women should be able to enter all professions on an equal basis with men

Question 12

What was the percentage of women at work in 1918 and 1925?

Answer 12

1918 - 75%
1925 - 36%
- few women secured high-status jobs

Question 13

In jobs where women and men did the same work how much less were women paid than men on average?

Answer 13

33%

Question 14

What were women expected to do when they were married?

Answer 14

give up work

Question 15

Examples of progress for women at work?

Answer 15

• the retail and service sectors produced plenty of part-time jobs in shops and offices
• some professions like education and medicine offered new opportunities to women
• women were encouraged to go to university

Question 16

what were “new women”

Answer 16

women who grew up during the war and were used to the financial and social independence

Question 17

How did new women express their independence and what was their behaviour like?

Answer 17

• wearing short hair, more make-up, more jewellery, more revealing clothes
• they smoke and drank more and went out unaccompanied
• less interested in marriage and family = took advantage of liberal sexual attitudes which had developed during the war

Question 18

Why was the behaviour of new women not liked by some men and women?

Answer 18

• felt like traditional values were being eroded
• they pointed out that they were a threat to motherhood, family and good housekeeping
• as evidence, they pointed out that the birth rate was falling and the divorce rate was rising

Question 19

How did women and men react to changes in society?

Answer 19

• some women felt liberated by the new opportunities and freedom
• other women found the expectation that they should change a scary or daunting challenge
• some men accepted it but some men thought the changes were inappropriate and threatened the role of men in society

Question 20

How did conservatives and traditionalists in society react to changes?

Answer 20

complained loudly that women should concentrate on being mothers and wives and not challenge the male-dominated society

Question 21

why were changes for women the source of many social tensions?

Answer 21

because of the attitudes towards men and woman had towards it. (remember some found changes for women a threat to men’s role in society)

Question 22

How did education improve?

Answer 22

• more young people’s aspirations were met

- the number of students in higher education rose