chapter six Flashcards
social welfare reform
1924
public assistance system to help poor and destitute = modernised
social welfare reform
1925
state accident system introduced by bismark to help those injured at work
extended to those with occupational diseases
social welfare reforms
1927
national unemployment insurance system introduced to provide benefits for unemployed , financed by contributions from workers and employers
by 1926 how many people was the state supporting
800,000 disabled war veterans
360,000 war widows
900,000 war orphans
what happened to taxes after 1924
increased , the rich were only willing to shoulder so much of the welfare benefits system cost , so means tests were tightened and snoopers were introduced to make sure claimants weren’t cheating the system
how did this make those who needed welfare support feel
humiliated
ultimately alienating their support for Weimar
how did workers maintain their living standards
how were those on benefits
represented by powerful trade unions that would negotiate wage increases
benefits = less well off , not in poverty for majority tho
how did big business owners and salaried employees benefit
germans trading postion improved
farmers
poor trading conditions
low prices
income falling
where was confidence in Germany secluded to
Berlin
what were the key features of new woman proposed by Elsa Hermann in 1929
free
independence
sexually liberated
visible in public life
what did the Weimar Republic give to women
equal voting rights and access to education as men
equal oppurtunities in ciivl service appointments and right to pay
why did the new woman come about
ww1
new gender balance
nearly 2 million mainly German males killed
women = not following traditional path
war = women in roles of paid employment
what does the civil code 1896 say
in marriage the husband had the right to control all decsions about the family including if the wife took part in paid employment
what was the most popular group in the 1920s
league of German women BDF
had 900,000 members
opposed the new woman and liked traditional family values and maternal characteristics
what groups were traditional values echoed by
bdf
conservative political parties
churches , alarmed by threat to the family
employment
MYTH about new woman
1925 , 36% of germans workforce was woman
1933 , 100,00 teachers woman and 3000 doctors
employment
REALITY about new woman
demobilisation laws after war making women leave for ex soldiers
women made to leave work when married , and if worked was blamed for male unemployment rate
women paid less then men
sexual freedom
MYTH about the new woman
birth control was more widely available
birth rate = declined
divorce rate = increased
abortion rate = increased
1930 estimated 1 million abortions a year
sexual freedom
REALITY about the new woman
abortion = a criminal offence and often performed by unproffesionals
in 1930 estimated 12,000 deaths from abortions
catholic and Protestant churches vigoursly opposed birth control and divorce
politics and public life
MYTH about new woman
woman gained equal voting rights and opportunity to be elected to the reichstag deputies as men
1919 41 women elected to the reichstag
women played a very active role in local , state and city gov
politics and public life
REALITY about new woman
no female representatives elected to the reichstrat
no women cabinet members in weimar years
only the kpd made gender equality a key element in its programme
CCP gained most from women suffrage , a catholic group
Weimar Republic divide
new woman or traditional values
weimar was breaking free of school religion and family and increasingly turning too
crime and anti social behaviour predominelty in the youth of the working class
children from quaking class families did not attend gymnasium schools and instead at 14
left school and looked for employment or an apprenticeship
however during weimar years unemployment was increased and there was fewer apprenticeships
1925-26 how many were unemployed in the age group 14-21
17%
why was so many of the youth unemployed
due to the baby boom in 1900 and 1910
more people were seeking employment at the same time as employers were reducing their workforce
benefits system tried to help with unemployment in the youth by doing what
introducing day centres to they give the youth the skills they need for employment however it did not compensate for the lack of unemployment
due to the unemployment what did many youths turn to
gangs to find comradeship and metal support
mainly working class
youth cliques in Hamburg
youth cliques = gangs
prevalent in woking class districts in big cities
names of gangs reflected toughness eg tartars blood
each district = diff name
tavern meeting place as alcohol was a large part of their sub culture
potential recruits take initiation tests that often involved stealing , vandalisation to demonstrate their willingness to break the law
germanys education system
prided itself on one of the best in Europe
gymnasium = uni later on
MIDDLE CLASS AND UPPER
realschule (6 years ) = apprenticeship or employment later on
few elite private schools in Germany however it was still divided along class lines
religious divides in schools
weimar wanted to break down catholic / protestant divide
- wanted to provide non sectarian comprehensive educatation free to all pupils
- reform never attempted on this idea
education reform by weimar
elementary schools
all children attend for four years
if they don’t pass gymnasium test
another four years
was not able to reform religion a both protestant and catholics advocated their importance of teaching practices
youth group ; wandervogel
set up 1896
set up by Berlin school teacher
mainly middle class boys
non political / nationalist
romanticised germanys past and were against nationalisation and big cities
group did hiking and swimming , rebelling from middle class social norms
some undertook an unconventional lifestyle of nudism and vegetarianism
church youth groups
catholics
many groups aimed at different sections of youth
protestants
not high priority
few members
BOTH
promote religious observance and respect for family church and school
political youth groups
SPD had most members
Young communist league for kpd children
Bimark youth , linked to DVP middle and upper class in protestant and woking class areas
Hitler youth , nazi part had 13,000 members by 1919
Jewish population in Germany
1/2 a million jews in weimar
80% lived in cities and well educated
many felt German and patriotic
many believed in assimilation , keeping cultral and ethnic identity but becoming fully integrated
1% total pop
Jews
politics and the press
Theodor Wolff
editor of the Berliner tageblatt an influential news paper , and was a driving force for moderate liberal ddp
Kuer Eisner
leader of the revolution in Bavaria in nov 1918 had a jewish background , including others scubas rosa luexemburg and Hugo Hasse
jews
industry commerce and proffesions
achieved massive influence and wealth
extent of his exaggerated by anti jewish propaganda
- rathenau family control huge engineering firm AEG until 1927
- Rothschilds , Mendelsjohns and others owned 50% of private banks
- jewish directors also managed several public banks
1920 18% BANKING SECTOR JEWS DECLINING FROM 1914
- own around 50% cloth trade firms
jews
industry commerce and proffesions
stats
16% lawyers
11% doctors
50% doctors in Berlin
1835/3400 lawyers in Berlin
24% noble prize winners
- Notably Albert Einstein for revolutionising physics
jews
the extent of assimilation
assimilation in language lifestyle and dress
many married non jewish and converted to christianity
1920s assimilation advanced
SOME germans reluctant to see jews as normal and not aliens , many jews didn’t feel completely accepted
jews
the extent of anti semitism
backlash against jews Bolsheviks as seen in Spartacus uprising
anti semitism part of violent nationalism of right wing movements such as freikorps or NSDAP
hostility against jewish finances after hyperinflation 1923
jews
the extent of anti semitism during golden age
anti semitism pushed to the fringes of public and political life
fierce opposition to jewish influence and frequent accusations of corruption and exploitation by jewish bankers and businessmen
