Changing living standards 1918-32 Flashcards
What problems did the war cause?
- Hard to farm productively when all of the horses had been requisitioned to the front
- Most food produced went to the front
- Allied blockade of ports stopped supplies getting into Germany
As a result of food shortages from the war what did Germans have to do?
Eat “alternative foods” such as K-brot bread made from potatoes, oats and sometimes even straw
What other problems were there apart from food shortages which the Weimar government inherited?
- Infant mortality and stillbirths, often due to the poor health of mothers were high
- Malnutrition was high
- Had to cope with the need to support a large number of war veterans and dependents of those who had died in the war
Give an example of Malnutrition?
In one district of Berlin 90% of all children aged between 2-6 were undernourished.
What did the Weimar government do to help Germans?
Provided benefits for the poorest and regulated pensions
What was the short term impact of this?
Standard of living improved. More people were employed and wages rose
What was the long term impact of this?
As inflation galloped away there was a sharp drop in the standard of living. Unemployment rose and people scraped by , by doing badly paid jobs with long hours.
Give an example of people scraping by , by doing badly paid jobs?
A women who covered metal buttons with fabric for fashion trade would be paid a set amount for every 50 buttons.
To make any money at all , even if their children helped these women often had to work all day and some of the night.
Why was this a massive decline in the standard of living?
Even in factories , which was more regulated the 8 hour working day , established in 1918, had all but dissapeared by 1924. While it was still the law workers couldn’t afford to press for it and employers had never wanted it.
What was the housing situation like for many Germans?
- Cramped housing
- Shared toilets and washing facilities
- Poorest shared 1 room and had no running water at all
Give an example of the bad housing situation?
In Berlin in 1925 (population of just over 4 mill) there were 130,500 people who were lodgers and 44,600 who just paid to sleep in a bed with none of the other facilities of a lodger.
Situation was similar in 1929 , children were often expected to give up their bed to a lodger.
How did the economic situation impact skilled workers and low-level clerical workers?
Rising unemployment. Many ended up spending all of their savings and having to claim benefit. Many men lost their jobs as many businesses preferred to employ women who were paid significantly less.
Who benefited from the hyperinflation and poor economic situation in Germany?
Black marketers
How did black marketers benefit from the poor economic situation in Germany?
Bought up property and crammed tenants into it while providing few if any amenities such as running water; industrialists who could afford to buy up small businesses and exploit workers who feared losing their jobs.
Why were black marketers a problem for the Weimar government in a political sense?
These people could do well and were used as targets by political opponents of the Weimar government
