Failure of Weimar Germany + Rise of Nazis Flashcards
Set up under Weimar republic
Republic
Reichstag & Reinchsrat
Article 48 Presidential emergency powers
Dolestoß
Stab in the back, German’s though they should have won
Treaty of Versaille
Lost all colonies - Polish corridor
Army reduced to defence only
Guilt clause => reparations
Diktat
Reparation bill design to keep Germany week - dictated peace
Threat of Revolution - Why?
Kaiser’s abdication => new political groups forming provisional govs
Post war economy
War debt + inflation = disaster
1920 £1 = 340 m
1922 £1 = 39,000
Ruhr occupation
When Germany couldn’t pay rep, France + Belgium demanded rep in raw materials. Occupied industrial Ruhr in Jan 1923
Hyperinflation
Weimar printed more money - decreased value -hyperinflation - £1= 4.5 mill m by Aug 1923
Stresseman era
Gustag Stresseman became new chancellor, got France to retreat with promise of rep, replaced currency with rentenmark ending hyperinflation.
Golden era - payment extension, reps reduced, no coups until Wall street (3 weeks after Stressemans death)
Dawes plan
End to occupation, more reparation time, 800 mill loan from US, output doubled, but relied on loans
Locarno pact
Germany agreed to boarders if Polish corridor revisited in the future. Joined League of Nations
Young Plan
Reps reduced + payment extension, Could defer up to ⅔ payment per year
Rise of Nazis - disrespect for Democracy
Chaos returned with Great depression, no one respected Democracy after Article 48 used to let Bruning cut wages + jump taxes
New parties
New parties (communists + Nazis) got support. Weimar worried about small anti semetic partie DAP, so they sent Hitler to spy
Hitler joins DAP
Hitler goes to DAP meetings as a spy, impresses Alex Drexler + took charge of propaganda
DAP 25 point plan
No immigration or jews with german citizenship
Unification of German speaking countries
Hitler changes DAP name
National Socialist Workers Party - working class support
Hitler takes charge of Nazis
1921 Hitler becomes leader, support of ex soldiers including enrst Rohm
Beer Hall Putsch - cause
Stratskommissar banned political rallies + shut down the Nazi’s newpaper. Hitler took inspo from Mussolini, but rushed it
Hitler’s newpaper
Völkischer Beobachter
Beer Hall Putsch
8th Nov 2,000 armed Nazis marched into centre of Munich. 16 killed, rest went to jail + tried for treason
Nazi ban lifted in Bravaria in…
1925
Hitler became overall Nazi leader…
1926
Wall street crash - Hitler’s political ascension
Great depression + Bunning the hunger chancelllor = no respect for democracy - anti dem parties get popular. Hitler runs for pres, but beaten by Hindenburg. Cue instability -> Hitler demands chancellor as Nazis had best polls. Von Papen convinced Hindenburg for Hitler
When did hitler become chancellor
30th Jan 1933
Reichstag fire
Dutch commmunist Marinus van der Lubbe set Reichstag on fire. Perfect excuse for a communist crackdown
Enabling act
Rule by decree. SA didn’t let Communists in + intimidated everyone else. This declared Germany in a state of emergency - all other parties banned by end of July
Opposition to be a dictator
Hindenburg still alive
Ernst Rohm pissed off the Wehrmacht
Still had vocal critics
Night of Long Knives
Night of June 30th/ July 1st, 400 rivals + foes killed by SS & SA including Rohm
Fuhrer
Hindenburg dies in Aug of 1934. Hitler combines pres & chancellor
