Collapse of the WR, 1929-33

Question 1

After the WSC, how many major banks went bankrupt?

Answer 1

5

Question 2

What happened to national income 1929-32?

Answer 2

It shrunk by 39%

Question 3

How many people were unemployed by 1932?

Answer 3

6 million

Question 4

After the WSC, how many business went bankrupt?

Answer 4

50,000

Question 5

After the WSC, what happened to industrial production?

Answer 5

Declined by 40%

Question 6

After the WSC, what happened to wages?

Answer 6

They fell between 20 and 30%.

Question 7

What policy did Brüning adopt?

Answer 7

A policy of deflation

Question 8

What did Brüning use an emergency decree to introduce?

Answer 8

Wage cuts, rent cuts and tax rises.

Question 9

What happened in July 1931?

Answer 9

The Hoover Moratium suspended the need for Germany to pay back loans for a year.

Question 10

What did Brüning’s policies do to the economy?

Answer 10

Deepened the recession

Question 11

What did von Papen introduce?

Answer 11

Some tax concessions and subsidies for businesses which created new jobs and helped to improve the economy.

Question 12

What fell apart as parties disagreed over how to manage the economic crisis?

Answer 12

The Grand Coalition - March 1930

Question 13

What percentage of the vote did the Nazis have in 1928?

Answer 13

2.6%

Question 14

What did unemployment stand at in August 1929?

Answer 14

2 million

Question 15

What government did Brüning lead as a result of the collapse of the Grand Coalition?

Answer 15

A minority government - never had the support of the Reichstag.

Question 16

What did unemployment stand at by the end of 1930?

Answer 16

Over 3 million

Question 17

What percentage of the vote did the Nazis and the Communists get in the September 1930 elections?

Answer 17

Nazis = 18.3%
Communists = 14.3%

Question 18

What were the key themes of the Nazi message?

Answer 18

• The Führer cult - Hitler portrayed as Germany’s saviour
• Volksgemeinschaft - one German community
• Scapegoating the Jews for Germany’s ills

Question 19

Where did unemployment stand in May 1931?

Answer 19

4 million

Question 20

What did the government introduce after the Hoover Moratorium suspended reparation payments in 1931?

Answer 20

Only introduced modest work schemes - this was not enough to have a significant impact on the economy.

Question 21

How many emergency decrees were used in 1931 compared to 1930?

Answer 21

44 decrees in 1931 using Article 48, compared to 5 in 1930.

Question 22

What did Hitler do in Feb 1932?

Answer 22

He officially became a German citizen, allowing him to take the position of President or Chancellor.

Question 23

What happened in April 1932?

Answer 23

Hindenburg was re-elected as president, defeating Hitler by a small margin.

Question 24

How did Goebbels curate the image of Hitler as a credible political leader?

Answer 24

He used modern technology such as radio and aeroplanes to fly Hitler from region to region to campaign. Hitler created an image of himself as a strong, decisive leader - known as the ‘Hitler Myth.’

Question 25

What were the Nazis the only party to have in 1932?

Answer 25

Increased support from Germans of all classes.

Question 26

What did the KPD refuse to do in 1932?

Answer 26

To work in any coalition government - this left the right to have a greater share in any coalition combined with their total control of the Presidency.

Question 27

In what ways had Müller and Brüning reduced the economic crisis by 1932?

Answer 27

Reparations were finally cancelled, the budget was nearly balanced, the public debt was low and collapse of the great financial institutions was prevented.

Question 28

What was a consistent economic issue?

Answer 28

Unemployment - there seemed to be no solution or not one the conservative right were willing to take.

Question 29

What percentage of the vote did the Nazis achieve in the July 1932 election?

Answer 29

37.3% - largest party in the Reichstag.

Question 30

Despite the Nazis being the largest party in the Reichstag in July 1932, who was appointed chancellor?

Answer 30

von Papen. Hitler was offered the vice chancellorship but refused - he only wanted to be Chancellor.

Question 31

What happened during the July 1932 election campaign?

Answer 31

There were 461 riots in Prussia, with the SA responsible for much of this violence.

Question 32

What was von Papen more willing to do?

Answer 32

More willing to work with the Nazis than Brüning was.

Question 33

Who urged Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor?

Answer 33

Leading industrialists such as Farben and Krupp. Hitter’s pledge to destroy communism saw his popularity amongst the Conservative elites rise.

Question 34

Why were the Nazis very well funded by the end of 1932?

Answer 34

Industrialists like Thyseen were contributing to Nazi party funds.

Question 35

What did Hindenburg do in November 1932?

Answer 35

He called another election because of the inability of the government to function in any meaningful way. Von Schleicher became the new Chancellor and Von Papen immediately started to scheme against him.

Question 36

What happened to the Nazi share of the vote in November 1932?

Answer 36

Fell to 33.1% (lost 34 seats) whereas the KPD vote had risen to 5.9 million from 3.2 million in 1928.

Question 37

What did unemployment stand at by the end of 1932?

Answer 37

Over 5 million

Question 38

How many SA members were there by the end of 1932?

Answer 38

170,000 (an increase of 100,000 in one year).

Question 39

What had the SA been used to do in the November 1932 elections?

Answer 39

Create chaos demonstrating the failure of democracy.

Question 40

What happened in January 1933?

Answer 40

Hindenburg, working with von Papen, made Hitler Chancellor, replacing Schleicher, with Papen as vice chancellor and the Nazis were limited to 3 members in cabinet.

Question 41

What did the conservative elites think they could do?

Answer 41

Control Hitler and use the Nazi party to continue governing in an authoritarian manner.