Economic crises and govt response: Weimar 1918

Question 1

The prices of goods…

Answer 1

increased

Question 2

The economic downturn in 1923….

Answer 2

…lead to rise in unemployment + reduced wages (to stay in business/make profit)
value of wages fell - ppl being payed 2x a day because the wages would have lost their value by midday

Question 3

Social welfare/govt schemes

Answer 3

set up retraining schemes for veterans + loans and pension schemes set up for wounded, widowed and orphans

Question 4

Govt help

Answer 4

• liberal govt in 1920 - 1.5 million veteran and 2 million survivors and by 1924 govt supported 760,000 veterans,
• 480,000 widows with 1 million kids
• 19,000 parents of dead soldiers

Question 5

what percent of population recieving benefits?

Answer 5

10% of population recieving relief but govt went into debt

Question 6

Debt

Answer 6

• In 1918 it owned 150 billion marks, 3x what they owed in 1914
• paid reparations in kind through goods like steel, wood, coal

Question 7

Occupation of the Ruhr 1924

Answer 7

• ldn ultimum had been that they would occupy ruhr is no reparations made
• govt urged passive resistance/sabotage
• french took control of postal and telephone service
• called off when no one benefited from it

Question 8

Hyperinflation

Answer 8

• newspaper 1 mark - may 1922
• by sept 1922 it cost 100,000 marks
• nov 1022 - it cost 700 billion marks
• ppl resorted to bartering and by 1924 it cost more to print money than actual money
• vonlingans - super rich and had to go work in a factory in Berlin /lost power and prestige
• emergency decree 1923 - govt collapsed + rule by decree

Question 9

Nazis

Answer 9

Guns vs butter
4 years plan/figures of exports
70% increase in public spending