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Germany Flashcards

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1
Q

What was Kaiser Wilhelm II like?

A 
Spent most of his youth in the army
Keen to maintain large military
Very interested in military tactics
Was from military state Prussia
Wanted Germany to be a global power
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2
Q

What did the SDP believe in?

A

Wealth should be distributed evenly
Wanted Kaiser to make social reforms
Disagreed with the power held by privileged positions
1 in 3 Germans voted for this party

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3
Q

What were the navy laws?

A

Between 1898 and 1912
Huge amount of money was given to expand army
Kaiser wanted big navy to expand empire
Taxes were increased and money was borrowed

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4
Q

How was Germany bankrupt after the war?

A

Owed vast sums of money
Lent its own money to allies
Factories were exhausted
War pension would cost government a fortune

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5
Q

How was society divided further after WW1?

A

Some factory owners made a fortune whereas workers had restrictions on their wages
Women worked in factories which some believed damaged traditional family values.

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6
Q

How was Germany politically unstable after WW1?

A

There was mutiny and revolution all over Germany

Many civilians and ex-soldiers felt that politicians had betrayed Germany by ending the war

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7
Q

What happened during the Spartacist uprising?

A

6th January 1919, Spartacists seized power in Berlin
They wanted Germany to be won by small groups of soldiers and workers
Ebert sent 2000 Freikorps to attack
3 days of fighting
Spartacist leaders arrested and killed

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8
Q

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution?

A

Proportional representation
Many didn’t like the new democratic system
Many didn’t trust the November criminals

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9
Q

What did the Treaty of Versailles state?

A 
Had to pay 6.6 billion in reparations
Only allowed a small army and navy
Must hand over colonies
No German soldiers to enter the Rhineland
Never unite with Austria again
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10
Q

Why did Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles?

A

They felt it was too harsh
They were ordered to sign the treaty without discussion
Many felt that they were betrayed by the November criminals, and they could have kept fighting

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11
Q

What caused the French invasion of the Ruhr?

A

!922 - Germany could not pay reparations
January 1923 - 60,000 French and Belgian troops took over the Ruhr
Took control of every factory, mine, and railway

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12
Q

What caused hyperinflation?

A

Workers in the Ruhr went on strike
Government printed more money to pay workers on strike and pay the French
Shops raised their prices

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13
Q

Who were the losers in hyperinflation?

A

People with bank savings
Elderly people who lived on fixed pensions
Many small businesses

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14
Q

Who were the winners in hyperinflation?

A

People who borrowed money could now easily pay off debt

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15
Q

What happened during the assassinations between 1919 and 1922?

A

Over 350 political murders
Wanted to eliminate people responsible for the Treaty of Versailles
August 1921 - Erzberger, the man who signed the armistice, was shot dead by a right wing group

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16
Q

What happened during the Kapp Putsch?

A

March 1920 - right wing politician Wolfgang Kapp gathered 5000 Freikorps and took over Berlin
Wanted to take over the country and recover land lost in the Treaty of Versailles
Ebert fled Berlin
Workers’ went on strike - no gas, water, electricity or trains
Kapp fled abroad after only 100 hours

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17
Q

What happened during the Red Rising in the Ruhr?

A

March 1920, after the Kapp Putsch, left wing workers in the Ruhr stayed on strike.
They took over several towns
The government sent soldiers and Freikorps - over 1000 workers were killed

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18
Q

What happened during the Munich Putsch?

A

November 1923, Hitler tried to seize control of the Bavarian government
Hitler promised to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, destroy communism and restore national glory
Key politicians in the Munich beer hall refused to support his plan
Hitler and 2000 supporters marched through Munich - 3 policemen and 16 Nazis died
Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested

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19
Q

How did Stresemann fix the hyperinflation crisis?

A

He stopped the printing of bank notes
Replaced with the Retenmark then the Reichsmark in 1924
People who lost their savings and never got their money back blamed Stresemann

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20
Q

How did Stresemann fix the French invasion of the Ruhr?

A

Under the Dawes plan, US lent Germany money to start repaying reparations
French troops left the Ruhr
Many Germans felt Stresemann should have demanded a complete end to reparations
In 1929 through the Young plan, Stresemann negotiated a reduction in the total payments

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21
Q

How did Stresemann create economic recovery?

A

Stresemann used borrowed money to build new factories, houses, schools and roads
More jobs created
Some felt Germany was relying too much on America’s loans

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22
Q

How did Stresemann improve foreign policy?

A

1925 - Germany signed the Locarno pact - countries promised never to invade each other
1926 - Germany joined the League of Nations
1928 - Germany signed the Kellogg-Briand pact - countries promised never to go to war unless in defence
Some Germans criticised Stresemann for not demanding back some of the land taken by the Treaty of Versailles

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23
Q

What were the underlying problems in the Stresemann era?

A

There were too many political parties that wasted time arguing over decisions
Extreme political parties did not support the Weimar system
Large groups of Germans were poor due to hyperinflation
Germany’s prosperity was built on US loans

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24
Q

How were the 1920’s a ‘Golden age’?

A

Cinema - Metropolis by Fritz Lang was the most technically advanced film of the decade. Marlene Dietrich became a global star.
Nightlife - Musicians performed vulgar songs about politicians. Famous for nightclubs.
Literature - All Quiet on the Western Front - German anti war novel
Art - paintings showed the reality of everyday life

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25
Q

What was the economic impact of the depression?

A

German factories shut down - millions lost their jobs

German banks tried to reclaim money from businesses to pay back US - businesses could not pay and shut down

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26
Q

What was the political impact of the depression?

A

People listened to extreme political parties that offered radical solutions
1930 election - communists increased to 77 seats from 54
Nazis increased from 12 seats in 1928 to 107 seats in 1930

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27
Q

What were the social impacts of the depression?

A

Many people were living on the streets

Angry at political leaders who they blamed for their problems

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28
Q

Why did the Nazi party become so popular?

A

By 1932, unemployment stood at 6 million - the Nazi’s promised to create jobs
Hitler was very charismatic and made very powerful speeches
Many people were discontent with the Weimar government - Hindenburg appointed several Chancellor’s that made little impact
Hitler said he would fight communism
Nazi tactics - Nazi officers all over Germany
SA protected Hitler’s meetings
Mass parades and rallies
Goebbels targeted propaganda to many different groups of people

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29
Q

Why did farmers vote for the Nazis?

A

Weimar government offered little help after the depression
Nazis promised higher prices for crops, a better quality of life and a higher status in society
opposition to communists - if communists took over they would seize farmers’ land

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30
Q

Why did women vote for the Nazis?

A

Nazis promoted family life and good morals

Some agreed that Weimar culture had been a bad influence on young people

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31
Q

Why did the middle class vote for the Nazis?

A

Many feared that law and order would break down during the depression
They worried that communists would break down their way of life
Nazis promised to deal with problems decisively and SA fought communists

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32
Q

Why did the wealthy class vote for the Nazis?

A

Nazis promised strong leadership to make Germany powerful again
Hitler promised to let owners run factories how they wanted
Nazi plan to build more weapons was good for manufacturing
Communists wanted to take over businesses

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33
Q

Why did youths vote for the Nazis?

A

Hitler’s promise to make the country strong again appealed to young people
They wanted to be part of a brighter Germany and get jobs in the armed forces/building

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34
Q

Hitler’s road to power - September 1930 Reichstag election?

A

No one party won a majority so a coalition was formed
Nazis gained 107 seats to be the second largest party
Bruning became chancellor

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35
Q

Hitler’s road to power - Hitler builds on success?

A

Nazis put up poster and flags and gave speeches at mass rallies
SA beat up communists and stopped them from campaigning
March 1932 - 13.4 million votes won by Nazis

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36
Q

Hitler’s road to power - July 1932 Reichstag election?

A

Bruning resigned and Hitler appointed von Papen
Von Papen lacked support so called an election
Nazis became the largest political party

37
Q

When did Hitler become chancellor?

A

30 January 1933

38
Q

When was the Reichstag fire?

A

27 February 1933

39
Q

When did Hitler ban trade unions?

A

2 May 1933

40
Q

When did Hitler ban all other political parties?

A

14 July 1933

41
Q

How did the SA become a hindrance?

A

They had protected Hitler from harm
They were violent thugs who wanted well paid jobs as a reward now Hitler was in power
Hitler worried that Rohm was becoming too powerful
Rohm wanted to combine the SA and the army
This alarmed Hitler

42
Q

What happened during the night of the long knives?

A

Hitler arranged a meeting at a hotel in Bavaria with SA leaders on 30 June 1934
Shortly before dawn Hitler and the SS stormed into the hotel and arrested Rohm and other SA leaders who were later shot dead
Over the next few days around 400 political opponents were killed

43
Q

What was the impact of the night of the long knives?

A

Many of those Hitler regarded as a threat were now dead
The SS led by Himmler was now responsible for Hitler’s security - now the basis of the police state
Murder was now an established method of the Nazi government

44
Q

What was the national labour service?

A

All men between ages 18 and 25 had to spend 6 months in the RAD
They planted forests, mended hedges and dug drainage ditches on farms
They were given free meals and a small wage

45
Q

What were the public work schemes?

A

A new network of autobahns to link towns and cities were built
Gave work to nearly 100,000 people
New schools and hospitals were built

46
Q

What was invisible unemployment?

A

Women who gave up work to have a family were not counted
Part time workers were counted as full time
Nazis created jobs by sacking people
Jews were not counted

47
Q

What was rearmament?

A

New tanks, battleships, fighter planes and guns were built, creating thousands of jobs
Huge government arms contracts made factory owners a fortune
All men between 18 and 25 had to join the army for at least 2 years - within five years, the army grew from 100,000 to 1,400,000

48
Q

What was the German Labour Front?

A

It replaced trade unions
Strikes were now illegal
Promised to protects worker’s rights and improve conditions

49
Q

What was Beauty of Labour?

A

It tried to improve the workplace by installing better lighting, safety equipment, new washrooms, low cost canteens and sports facilities

50
Q

What was Strength Through Joy?

A

It organised leisure activities to encourage hard work. Had a reward scheme with cheap holidays, theatre trips and football match tickets.

51
Q

What was the economy like under Schacht?

A

He recognised raw materials were needed to build more weapons
He signed deals with countries in South America to supply raw materials in return for German goods
Weapons production increased
Germany was dependant on foreign raw materials
Changes were too slow for Hitler so he was sacked

52
Q

What was the economy like under Goering?

A

1936 Goering introduced 4 year plan to increase military production
High targets were met in industries like steel production
However targets were not met in key industries like oil production
He tried to make Germany self-sufficient

53
Q

What was it like for farmers under the Nazis?

A

Farmers’ taxes were reduced
They could not be thrown off their land if they got into debt

Farmers could not divide land between their children
late 1930’s Nazis controlled food prices

54
Q

How was rationing a hardship on the home front?

A

November 1939 - food and clothing were rationed - people were limited to one egg per week
Soap and toilet paper were in very short supply
Hot water was rationed to two days per week

55
Q

How was total war a hardship on the home front?

A

1942 - Armaments minister Albert Speer prepared the country for total war. Anything that didn’t contribute to the war was stopped.
Beer halls, dance halls and sweet shops were closed
Letter boxes were boarded up
Factories stayed open later

56
Q

How were labour shortages a hardship on the home front?

A

Women were drafted to work in factories

1944 - 7 million workers from countries Germany had conquered were brought in to work as slave labour in factories

57
Q

How was bombing and refugees a hardship on the home front?

A

1942 - bombing began on German cities
There was no electricity, water or transport in many German cities
Thousands lost their homes
Thousands more left their homes to find safety as refugees

58
Q

What were schools like under the Nazis?

A

Teachers had to join the German Teachers League or be sacked
Every subject was use to promote Nazi propaganda
Textbooks were written to present Nazi beliefs as fact
Race studies was taught
PE was a very important subject to prepare boys for the army
Girls studied domestic skills

59
Q

What were universities like under the Nazis?

A

Universities changed courses to reflect Nazi beliefs
Top university professors were hand-picked by Nazis
Many lecturers were sacked for racial or political reasons
All students had to train as soldiers for a month each year
The Nazis did not regard university education as particularly important

60
Q

What was the timeline of Hitler youth organisations?

A

1922 - Hitler Youth organisation founded
1933 - All other youth groups banned - 2.3 million aged 10 - 18
1939 - Membership made compulsory - 7.2 million aged 10 - 18

61
Q

What were Nazi policies towards women?

A

Work - Many female doctors, teachers, lawyers and judges were sacked
Family - Contraception banned. Loans given to newly married couples. Motherhood medal given to women with the most children
The German Women’s League coordinated all adult women’s groups
Behaviour - Smoking banned. No wearing trousers and heels
Sterilisation - Forcible sterilisation of women with mental illness, hereditary diseases or antisocial behaviour

62
Q

What happened between Nazis and the Catholic church?

A

1933 - Concordat said Nazis and church would not interfere
Hitler broke this agreement - priests were harassed and youth clubs closed down
1937 - Pope made a statement saying Nazis were hostile to Christ and Church
Nazis continued to persecute Catholic Priests
1941 - Archbishop Galen openly criticised Nazis - he was put under house arrest for the rest of the war

63
Q

Why did Protestants like the Nazis?

A

Hitler was admired by some Protestants known as the German Christians
Ludwig Muller became the first ‘Reich Bishop’ in September 1933
They often wore Nazi uniforms

64
Q

Which Protestants hated the Nazis?

A

Some totally opposed the Nazis and formed the confessional church
Nazis arrested 800 pastors of the confessional church
Confessional church was banned
Founder Martin Niemoller was sent to a concentration camp

65
Q

What were Nazi policies towards Jewish people?

A

All Jewish shops were marked with yellow star
Jewish children were forced out of German state schools
March 1933 - Jewish lawyers, teachers and judges were sacked
The Nuremburg laws of 1935 banned marriages between Jews and non-Jews. German citizenship was also removed.

66
Q

What was Kristallnacht?

A

November 1938 - Jewish homes, synagogues and businesses were attacked.
100 Jews were killed and 20,000 sent to concentration camps

67
Q

What was Hitler’s persecution of ‘undesirables’?

A

350,000 physically and mentally disabled people were forcibly sterilised
From 1939, 200,000 people including 5000 children were murdered in specially built ‘nursing homes’
Around half a million homeless people, alcoholics and beggars were sent to concentration camps in 1933

68
Q

What was the Jewish resistance?

A

Some formed resistance groups and attacked soldiers and blew up railway lines
The Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943 lasted 43 days
In the Treblinka camp in 1943, 15 guards were killed and 150 prisoners escaped

69
Q

How did regular police and law courts contribute to the police state?

A

Police ignored crimes committed by Nazis
Top jobs in police went to Nazis
Law courts under Nazi control. Death penalty could be given for telling an anti-Hitler joke, having sex with a Jew and listening to a foreign radio station

70
Q

How did the Gestapo contribute to the police state?

A

They had no uniform
Tapped phone calls and opened mail
Could imprison people without trial
Set up a network of informers who would report anyone who criticised the Nazis

71
Q

How did the SS contribute to the police state?

A

Set up in 1925 - wore black uniforms
Divided into 3 sections:
- SD looked after security - could arrest anyone
- Waffen SS - elite unit in the army
- The Death’s Head Units ran concentration camps

72
Q

How did concentration camps contribute to the police state?

A

Set up as soon as Hitler took power
Jews, gypsies, political opponents and anyone who criticised Hitler were sent there
Some were tortured and worked to death

73
Q

How were newspapers used as propaganda?

A

Newspapers only showed good stories about Nazis
Negative stories about Nazi enemies
Newspapers that didn’t comply were closed down

74
Q

How were films used as propaganda?

A

All films had to show Nazis in a good way and their enemies in a bad way
Goebbels approved all story lines

75
Q

How were writers used to spread propaganda?

A

Writers forced to write books, plays and songs that praised Hitler and the Nazis

76
Q

How was the radio used as propaganda?

A

All radio stations broadcasted Nazi ideas
Cheap radios were produced that only tuned in to Nazi radio stations
Loudspeakers were placed in streets, factories and cafes

77
Q

How was propaganda used in public?

A

Impressive rallies were held
Huge arenas were built where carefully choreographed shows were put on
Posters appeared all over Germany showing Hitler’s greatness

78
Q

How was cinema controlled by the Nazis?

A

Nazi supporters owned film studios
Goebbels read and approved all film scripts
All films had to carry a pro-Nazi message
News reports of Nazi achievements were always shown before the film

79
Q

How was music controlled in Nazi Germany?

A

Official approval was given to traditional marching songs, folk music and classical music
Some music that was popular in Weimar Germany was banned
Jewish composers were banned, as was jazz because it had origins with African Americans

80
Q

How was the theatre controlled in Nazi Germany?

A

In Weimar era, Nazis founded the Militant League for German Culture to protest against plays they disproved of
Ruled that plays should focus on German history and politics
Nazis closed down cabaret clubs

81
Q

How was literature controlled in Nazi Germany?

A

A list of banned books was created
Goebbels organised book burnings
Goebbels encouraged books about race, the glory of war and the brilliance of Nazis
All Quiet on the Western Front was banned for its anti-war message
Mein Kampf was the best selling book
Around 2500 writers left Germany between 1933 and 1945

82
Q

How was art controlled in Nazi Germany?

A

Art should show healthy, heroic Germans
Hitler called modern art degenerate
1936 - Nazis publicly burned 5000 paintings they disapproved of

83
Q

How was design controlled in Nazi Germany?

A

Hitler favoured huge stone structures, often copies of buildings from ancient Greece or Rome
Hitler closed the Bauhaus movement down in 1933

84
Q

How was sport and leisure controlled in Nazi Germany?

A

Success in sport was used to promote the Nazi regime
The Olympic Games of 1936 held in Berlin was used as a propaganda opportunity
The German team came top of the medal table - this was used to show the superiority of the German race
During the games, anti-Semitic posters were temporarily stopped

85
Q

How was grumbling used as opposition?

A

In the privacy of their own homes, people may complain about the Nazi regime

86
Q

How was passive resistance an opposition?

A

Some may refuse to give the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute or give money to Hitler Youth collecting funds

87
Q

How was open opposition used as resistance?

A

Swing youth listened to jazz music and had Jewish friends
White Rose group handed out anti-Nazi leaflets, put up posters and wrote graffiti on walls
Edelweiss Pirates beat up Nazi officials and helped army deserters

88
Q

What were the attempts to kill Hitler?

A

The Kreisau circle was a group of army officers, university professors and aristocrats who discussed assassinating Hitler, but didn’t actually do anything
July 1944 bomb plot - army officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg was part of a group that detonated a bomb where Hitler was in a meeting with other army officers. Despite killing 4 men and injuring Hitler, the bomb failed to kill him

History (5 decks)

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