Collapse of Democracy 1928-33 Flashcards
1
Q
What was the economic impact of the Great Depression?
A
- Wall Street Crash Oct 1929 - banks collapsed
- Germany economic recovery largely financed by US loans but loans dried out and US demanded immediate repayment
- Depression drastically reduced demand for imported goods in US so Germany’s export trade declined rapidly by 61% (1929-32)
- Companies bankrupt, workers made redundant / cut hours and wages
- Unemployment increased - by 1932, a third of German workers registered as unemployed (many e.g women not registered)
- Jan 1933 - 8 million unemployed
- Industrial areas hit bad e.g Ruhr, Hamburg and also white collar workers, civil service and farmers
2
Q
What was the social impact of the Great Depression?
(Youth and Women)
A
- Unemployment benefits limited, women and young people received less
- Poverty and disease rising due to poor nutrition, shanty towns appeared
- 39% males unemployed aged 14-25, 25.2% females
- Joined gangs, crime rate increased, drawn to extremist parties
- KPD recruited working class youths to join political demonstrations / street battles
- Hitler Youth and SA offered unemployed males food, uniform, shelter
- Day centres established with work-related activities and socialise, labour schemes unpopular as paid less than min wage, resulted in strikes
- Aim to get young ppl off the streets
- Female workforce increased yet millions dismissed due to debate if married women should be employed whilst men out of work
- May 1932 - law allowing married women civil servants to be dismissed - 1000 dismissed from Reich Postal Service
- Cause for equal rights for women suffered setback
3
Q
What was the political impact of the GD?
A
- Caused the collapse of Muller’s Grand coalition in 1930
- Provided opportunity for extreme left/right to gain support
- Led to intensified political violence
- Wall Street Crash strained state finances which split the coalition: right wing DVP wanted to reduce unemployment benefits but left wing SPD wanted to protect benefits and raise taxes - deadlock on issue so Muller resigned 1930
- Hindenburg’s decision to appoint Bruning (centre party) was influenced by Groener and von Schleicher as they wanted more authoritarian style of gov like Bruning
4
Q
September 1930 elections/ support for extremist parties / political violence
A
- Bruning cute expenditure and raised taxed due to GD
- Persuaded Hindenburg to issue presidential decree to pass the budget into law - political crisis since Article 48 abused
- SPD won support for decree to be withdrawn
- Bruning called for elections where extreme right/left gained most (communists gained 1 mil votes, Nazis 6.5 mil increasing from 12 seats to 107 - made them 2nd largest party)
- Political power shifted from Reichstag to President and streets
- 1930-33 - political violence increased
- Nazis and communists (Red-Front Fighters’ League) attempted to break up political meetings, marches and riots (severe during election times)
- 1931 - Bruning banned wearing of political uniforms but SA still marched wearing white shirts
- 1932 - Hindenburg outlawed SA but membership still grew, had 400,000 members
5
Q
Where did Nazi support mainly come from up to 1932?
A
- More successful that communists in broadening their appeal
- At first, support mainly from Mittelstand - white collar workers, shopkeepers…
- After WSC, exploited discontent from farmers by promising higher prices and attracted increasing support from middle class who were worried about communist rev
- Did well with youth and women votes, were strongest in prot North/east/centre rather than Cath south/west
6
Q
What was the appeal for Nazism?
A
Nazi ideology:
25 Point Programme 1920 set out their aims
- Mein Kampf held Hitler’s ideas/aims but not widely read before 1933
- Power of will - Nazi propaganda claimed power, strength and determination needed to succeed (personified by Hitler)
- Struggle, violence and war could reconstruct German society and SA could demonstrate manliness
- Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community) - only Aryans could be citizens, others were subjects, racial purity and traditional values
- Title ‘National Socialist German Workers’ Party’ to gain working class support, 25 points held similar views to communists but Hitler modified his message according to audiences
- Fuhrerprinzip - Weimar republic/democracy should be destroyed and replaced with Fuhrerprinzip (leadership) with one-party state
- Aggressive nationalism with aims to reverse Versaille, establish ‘Greater German Reich’ and Lebensraum
- Anti-Semitism - Jews responsible for Germany’s ills, were greedy and selfish, responsible for defeat in WW1, should be eradicated
7
Q
Why was Hitler key to Nazi success?
A
- Had undisputed control over Nazis
- Political skills and qualities crucial - great charisma and speeches had hypnotic effect - played on emotions/fears and tailored to audiences
8
Q
Why was propaganda key to Nazi success?
A
- Hitler travelled to make speeches in all major German cities
- Nazis had own newspaper, posters, leaflets, marches, songs, bands
- Goebbels, Reich Propaganda Chief
9
Q
What was the appeal of communism?
A
- KPD gained 2 mil votes between 1928-32
- First had support from factories/workshops but later focused on unemployed and ‘wild-cliques’ of youth
- Red-Front Fighters’ League engaged in battles with Nazis/SA and police
- Demanded end to cuts in unemployment benefits and legalisation of abortion, advocated for cooperation with USSR, ultimate aim to overthrow Weimar republic
- Labelled SPD as ‘social fascists’
- Thalmann’s speeches, slogans, posters and propaganda attracted membership
- Reality was they never came close to launching rev and failed to attract support from main industrial areas, its concentration on fighting SPD blinded them to threat of Nazis
10
Q
How did Bruning’s gov fall in May 1932?
A
- His measures of reducing state expenditure by cutting state welfare benefits deepened GD and unemployment exceeded 6 million in 1932
- Led to street violence rising and chaos that a communist rev was possible
- Schleicher withdrew his support as concerned that ban on SA would provoke Nazi uprising, concluded that no gov could rule without support of Nazis
- Hitler agreed not to oppose new gov as long as there was a new Reichstag election and ban on SA lifted
- Bruning no option but to resign and replaced with Franz von Papen
11
Q
Papen’s gov May-Dec 1932
A
- Only party that supported coalition was DNVP
- Ruled by decree, suited his authoritarian leaning
- 1932 lifted ban on SA and imposed restraints on left-wing press, resulted in violence especially during elections of July 1932
- Elections saw DNVP suffer heavily as Nazi became main party on right
- Nazis attracted middle-class voters and unemployed but not SPD or KPD or Caths
- Papen invited Hitler to join gov but wouldn’t unless he was Chancellor, Nazis took vote of no confidence in Papens gov so new election in Nov
- Nazis saw loss of support but still largest party, may be due to middle-class voters alienated by Hitler’s attacks on Papen so returned to DVP/DNVP
12
Q
Schleicher’s gov Dec 1932 - Jan 1933
A
- Believed his best success lay in persuading Nazis to join coalition with him by negotiating with Strasser but Hitler ridded of him and reasserted his control over the party
- Schleicher believed progressive social policy could win support in Reichstag so cancelled wage and benefit cuts and broke up large estates to distribute to farmers but failed to attract trade union support
- Asked Hindenburg to give him dictatorial powers but refused so resigned
13
Q
How did Hitler become Chancellor?
A
- Papen negotiated with Hitler over forming new coalition
- Meetings with Hitler, Papen and Hindenburg led to deal where Hitler would form coalition with himself as Chancellor
- Hindenburg assured as Papen would be Vice-Chancellor and there would only be two other Nazis in the cabinet
- Believed Hitler was inexperienced so easily controlled
14
Q
When was Hitler appointed Chancellor?
A
30th Jan 1933
15
Q
What was Hitler’s first cabinet?
A
- Nazis only held 3 out of 12 ministers, showing Papen’s view that no big change would occur
- Papen believed that Hitler wouldn’t dominate his own cabinet whilst Hitler determined to establish Nazi dictatorship asap
- Torchlight procession of 100,000 Nazis in Berlin organised by Goebbels to show victory of Nazis
