Chap 2: case study of Nazi Germany Flashcards
Why were the Germans so shocked by the terms of Treaty of Versailles?
-Germans did not know that if the war continued, Germany would be invaded
-They thought the German army had won the war and even celebrated their return
- They expected a negotiated treaty which they were treated with respects as equal
- But the TOV was forced upon and had extremely harsh terms that led to them being extremely shocked and angry
Threats to the republic
1.Spartacists uprising,1919
-Communist that had similar beliefs as the Bolshevik in Russia. Wanted Germany to be ruled by soviet where the government owned all industries
- joined by rebel soldiers and sailors who set up soviets in many town
-There was a group who went against the Spartacists named Freikorps, an anti communist band of WW1 veterans
-Elbert made an agreement with the commanders of the army and Freikorps to put down the rebellion of the Spartacist . Freikorps won.
- Elbert used the same tactic to crush other communist rising between the 1919 and 1920
Death toll atleast 2000
-However communist still remains a strong anti-communist force in Germany in the 1920s.
- Kapp putsch 1920
-Wolfgang kapp led 5000 Freikorps into Berlin, wanting to overthrow the Weimar republic and return Germany back to the authoritarian system similar to that of the Kasier
-Elbert ordered the army to put down the rebellion but they refused to act as they thought Elbert’s government was doomed
-German trade unions and 12 million industrial workers came to the rescue and declared a general strike where the country suddenly had no transport, power or water.
-All civil servants and government officials that supported Elbert refused to cooperate with Kapp
-Kapp waited for a few days and realised that he could not succeed and fled the country (died in awaiting trial after being caught)
-Political violence from the right wing continued but they were rarely punished
What were the challenges faced by the Weimar government?
Political challenges
-August 1919, Weimar government was established where the German national assembly met in the town of Weimar as Berlin was seen to be unstable and too dangerous
- New republic needed a constitution, though the majority in the Reichstag approved it, but there was a significant number of people who voted against it which was an early worrying sign
New constitution
e.g. All Germans above 20 years old can vote including woman, party representation in the Reichstag is determined by proportional representation
Strengths of the Weimar government
- Proportional representative where any party taking part in the elections, the number of seats gained is equivalent to the number of votes they received, this resulted in the views and interested being represented in the Reichstag
-Law has to be approved by the Reichstag so the Chancellor cannot push it through, preventing the abuse of power
Weaknesses of Weimar government
-It was hard for one party to gain a majority. Even parties who opposed democracy like the German communist party could gain seats which form coalitions, so laws became very hard to pass in the Reichstag and led to governments which were weak and short-lived.
-Article 48 is a double edged sword. It can be used to preserve and protect democracy but a president with a different attitude towards democracy can misuse and exploit article 49 which can be a threat to the constitution
An unpopular republic 1919-1923
- President Elbert wanted to bring in new measures and reforms that would benefit millions of Germans, but he faced a series of major events inside and outside of the republic which threatened Germany’s security and delayed progress
e.g. the first challenge faced by the Weimar republic was the treaty of Versailles
-Elbert was relunctant to sign it but was forced to on 28 june 1919
-this action undermined the Weimar republic and poisoned the attitudes of Germans towards them
-Germans felt that the Weimar government was forever to blame and called them November criminals
- felt that the socialist and liberal politicians back-stabbed the German Army by signing the Armistice in November 1918
- As their unpopularity grew, extremist ideas, voices and violence took root in the country
How did the Weimar government respond to the occupation of Ruhr Valley 1923?
What is Ruhr Valley
TOV terms of paying massive reparations to the allies of 6.6 billion
-January 1923, Germany could not repay the reparations to the ailles, French and Belgian troops broke into Ruhr Valley, Germany’s most important and valuable industrial port and took what was owed in the form of raw materials and goods and it was legal under TOV
Response
- ordered workers to go on a strike and not cooperate with French
Resulted in :
- The sudden halt in industrial production caused German currency to collapse
-Government tried printing more bank notes to improve the situation which caused the value of the currency to drop and hyperinflation to occur where price of daily needs rising rapidly
How did hyperinflation impact the German view of Weimar republic?
- Hyperinflation caused great hardship for Germans
-The middle class lost the most as the German economy was destabilised to the extent that personal drawings were wiped out and unemployment was widespread. A prosperous middle class family who could afford to buy a house in 1921 could not even afford a loaf of bread in 1923
-Middle class people resented the Weimar govt and felt that they favoured workers, industrialists and politicians - Some opponents of the Weimar govt took this opportunity to link this situation back to the cause, the TOV, where the Germans hated the Weimar govt even more for agreeing to the reparations in TOV
How did Stresemann help to stabilise Germany economy
In November 1925, new chancellor, Gustav Stresemann
- replaced the German mark with a new currency, Rentenmark
- he negotiated the reorganisation of reparations through Dawes plan 1924 and Young plan 1929
- these firm decisions allowed Germany to reduce its debt and stabilise its economy
Describe two key ideas of the Mein Kampf
- Aryans were the master race and all other races,especially the Jews, were inferior
- Total loyalty to the leader was encouraged
How did Hitler organise the Nazi part after the Munich Putsch
- Hitler set out Nazi policies simply and clearly, basing them on his book, mein kampf
-Re-established his control of te party
-created new force the Protection Squad SS. It was initially a small force that acted as Hitler’s bodyguard and utterly loyal to him (under the leadership of Hitler loyalist, Heinrich Himmler, the SS expanded) - made it clear that he would not tolerate any rivals or disagreement
Winning support for Nazi Party
1. Hitler is a very charismatic, -persuasive and charming person
He is a confident speaker who prepares and practices his speeches.
-He addressed the concerns of many people ( he could relate to the Germans)
-managed to win the support of important business owners and industrialist who agreed to his anti-communist and anti-trade union views
-They contributed to the Party’s funds
2. created a network of local nazi parties
- nazi candidates stood in the Reichstag elections for the first time in may 1924 and won 32 seats
-By 1929, the membership of the party was over 100,000
What were the challenges faced by the Nazi Part between 1924 and 1929-
- Weimar republic was relatively stable and prosperous
-Loans and investments from US banks helped to stabilise the German economy and provided plenty of jobs - govt provided generous welfare benefits like old age pensions and housing
-Even after all their hard work, Nazis were still a small minority party which the support of less than three per cent of the population
-In the 1928 elections , Nazis were the smallest party and gained only 12 Reichstag seats
How did the great depression impact Germany economy and people in the early 1930s?
1.The impact of unemployment
1932, Unemployment was at 6 million - Industrial workers, farmers and the middle classes
-Many small businesses went bankrupt and the income of average German fell by 40 per cent between 1929 and 1932
Resulted in:
-Hunger and often to illness
-Homelessness as many Germans were evicted from their homes because they could not pay their rent (makeshift shelters and slums began to appear in most cities)
2. Failure of democracy
- SPD wanted to increase welfare for the unemployed but its coalition partners disagreed
-coalition collapsed in 1930
Why did Hindenburg have to use Article 48 to rule in 1930?
-Disagreements between SPD and its coalition partners caused the coalition to collapse
-Use article 48 to appoint a new chancellor , Heinrich Bruning.
Bruning used his powers to:
- cut government spending on welfare
-cut wages of civil servants and most other government employees
-Measures were so harsh Bruning could not get enough support in the Reichstag to pass them into law
-Asked President Hindenburg to pass his laws using Article 48
-Parties in the Reichstag were so divided that it became impossible to form a coalition with a majority of the seats
-**President Hindenburg use article 48 to decide on a new chancellor and passed new law
How did the rise of the communists affect many Germans?
rise of communist Frightened many
1. Business leaders feared the communists
Reason
- their plan to introduce state control of businesses just as the communists had in the USSR
- also concerned about the growing strength of Germany’s trade unions
2.Middle class were afraid
Reason
- they knew communists were hostile to people like them
3. Land owning farmers were also alarmed
reasons
- the communist govt in the USSR had not only taken over all the land but also killed and imprisoned millions in the process
-Communist created a climate of fear
-Many Germans also had little trust in the Weimar republic’s ability to deal with the threat which the communist seemed to pose
-Many start to turn to that one party who seemed willing and able to take control of the situation and face the communist - the Nazi party
Why was Hitler the Nazi’s greatest asset
-He was a powerful and persuasive speaker
-He lost the campaign against Hindenburg but raised his profile hugely
-appeared as a dynamic man of the moment, the leader of a modern party with modern ideas
- appear as a man of the people - some one who understood the people and their problems
-Hitler promised to sweep politicians who were fighting for their own interest and offers the opportunity to go back to the days before democracy
Give two examples of the Nazi’s use of propaganda
- use Nazi leaflets, newspapers and radio broadcast to blame the economic problems on the TOV especially on the clause on the reparations, blamed Weimar republic for being too selfish and divded to take the actions necessary to get people back to work
- promised strong and decisive actions, such as rebuilding the Germany armed forces which would create millions of jobs
What role did the SA and the SS play in increasing support for the Nazi Party
-SA and SS gave the impression of discipline and order
-Germans welcomed the fact that the SA was ready to fight the communists, were better organised than the communists
-supported by the police and army when they beat their opponents up and disrupt their opponent’s meeting and rallies
What did Hindenburg think of Hitler
- Hindenburg disliked Hitler and believed that Hitler could make Germany unstable , in 1932 Hindenburg won the presidential election
- Hitler’s appointment as chancellor did not bother Hindenburg and chancellor Fronz von Papen as they were confident that they could keep Hitler in his position and use him for their own interest to pass measures or unseat him if he grew too powerful
