End of the Weimar Republic Flashcards
When did the Wall Street Crash happen?
October 1929
Why did the Wall Street Crash affect Germany?
All American loans made to Germany had to be recalled, and Germany was very reliant on these loans at the time
The crash caused a worldwide depression but Germany suffered particularly badly
How did the Wall Street Crash affect Germany?
Loans recalled > German firms went out of business > Workers out of work > People had no money to spend > Even more businesses went bust > More workers out of work etc.
How did Parliamentary democracy end?
Herrmann Muller’s government couldn’t decide on which costs to cut and fell apart. Heinrich Bruning became the new Chancellor despite not having support of the Reichstag. He convinced Hindenburg to let him rule by decree (article 48).
This marked the end of Parliamentary democracy in Germany.
How did Chancellor Bruning try to tackle the depression? Did these methods work?
By trying to increase revenue and reduce costs:
- Raised income tax
- Increased taxes on certain goods
- Cut civil servants’ wages by 23%
- Cut dole payments by 60%
These only made the crisis worse because they caused more businesses and a major German bank to go bust
What were the economic impacts of the Great Depression?
- Factories and other businesses went bust and sacked all their workers
- In 1931 several major banks collapsed and many people lost everything. Potential investors lost faith in Germany
- Farmers experienced further drops in the prices they could get for their produce
- Government could not afford unemployment benefit and were forced to cut it
- Income tax and tax rates on products and imported goods were increased
What were the social impacts of the Great Depression?
- Because so many workers were laid off, the unemployment figure reached 6 million by 1932
- Workers could no longer pay their rent and became homeless. Many lived in tents in parks
- Young people were most likely to be unemployed; 60% of uni graduates could not find a job
- Cities experienced high incidence rates of violence as Communists and the SA fought in street battles
What were the political impacts of the Great Depression?
- Voters looked for parties that would offer extreme solutions so the Communist and Nazi parties gained votes. This is called POLARISATION
- The growth in votes for the Communists scared the middle class who feared revolution. They turned to the Nazis
Describe the election of September 1930
Hindenburg was forced to call this election in the hope that a new government would handle the situation better. Votes for extremist parties increased and support for the Nazis surged (12->107 seats in the Reichstag)
The Nazis became the second largest political party in the Reichstag and violent activity from the SS and SA increased.
What did Bruning and Hindenburg (try to) do about Nazi violence?
Bruning banned the Nazi party in 1932, but support for them continued to rise.
Hindenburg signed an order to ban the SA on April 13th 1932 but had his mind changed by May 29th.
Bruning resigned as Chancellor the next day.
What happened in the July 1932 elections?
The Nazis earned their highest ever vote: 230 seats, and they became the largest party in the Reichstag.
Hitler demanded the role of Chancellor but Hindenburg gave it to Franz von Papen instead
What qualities of Nazi party members helped them prosper during the depression?
Most Nazis had been soldiers in WWI and so had obedience, organisation and teamwork skills. Workers were motivated and leaders were highly skilled.
How did the Nazi party utilise propaganda during the depression?
They used propaganda to incite fear and hatred of the Communists. They purposefully stirred up violence at election meetings so the SA could be witnessed ‘dealing with the communist threat’
How did the Nazi party utilise technology during the depression?
Nazis made use of technology other parties had not yet caught onto. This allowed Hitler to be flown to rallies all over Germany, 4/5 per day during the 1932 presidential election while Hindenburg only gave one speech.
Radio was used for the first time to spread the Nazi message along with millions of posters, rallies, parades, and marches
How did Hitler gain support of industrialists?
Traditionally, powerful industrialists voted for the Conservative Party which had lost much support since 1930.
Hitler wanted these people on his side so made a deal with the other main right-wing party: the Nationalists.
The two parties agreed to cooperate.
Nazis also received financial backing from big businesses
