Germany Flashcards
What were the strengths of the Weimar constitution?
- Proportional representation meant fair share of seats for small parties
- Women were able to vote
- Voting age reduced from 25 to 21
- No one group or person could have too much power
- Election for president every 7 years
- Central government became more powerful but local government still retained power
- The reichsrat could regulate power of the reichstag by delaying new laws
What we’re the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution?
- Proportional representation led to coalition governments which were unstable or found it difficult to have strong policies so fell apart
- This lack of strong government led to weakness in a crises which ended up with the president using Article 48
- It wasn’t the choice of the ppl so it was unpopular, they were used to following orders so being told to vote was a sign of weakness
- There we’re nationalists in the Reichstag who opposed democracy
What are the components of the Weimar constitution?
- Head of state (President)
- Government (Chancellor and Cabinet)
- Parliament (Reichstag and Reichsrat)
- Electorate
What was the role of the president?
- Head of the Weimar Republic
- Elected by the ppl every 7 years
- Important political powers such as choosing the chancellor
- Article 48
What was the role of the chancellor in the Weimar constitution?
- Head of the government
- Chose all government ministers
What was the role of the cabinet in the Weimar constitution?
- The main decision making body of the government
What was the role of the Reichstag in the Weimar constitution?
- More powerful than the Reichsrat
- Controlled taxation
- Elected by ppl at least every 4 years
What was the role of the Reichsrat in the Weimar constitution?
- Also elected every 4 years
- Represented the regions of Germany
- Each region sent a certain number of representatives depending on its size
When did Germany surrender WW1?
November 1918
What we’re the effects of the treaty of Versailles on Germany?
- Reparations: 6.6 billion over 42 years
- Army: Limited to 100,000 men (no conscription only volunteers)
Navy limited to 6 battleships
No submarines, tanks or military aircraft
No military in the Rhineland - War guilt: Article 231 blamed Germany for starting the war
- Colonies: All Germany’s colonies were given to Britain, France or South Africa
- Land: Land which once belonged to Germany was given to countries like Denmark, Belgium, France and Poland
Who were the Spartacists?
- Left wing
- Came from the independent socialist party
- Had backing from the Soviet Union
- Led by Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht
- Based in Berlin
What was the Spartacist revolt?
- In January 1919 over 100,000 joined the spartacist revolt
- They seized the governments newspaper offices and tried to organise a general strike in Berlin
- The government sent the freikorps to stop them
- Luxembourg and Liebknecht were killed after the revolt
Who were the Freikorps?
- Right wing
- Made up of paramilitary soldiers who had kept their weapons
- Had 250,000 men in March 1919
- Organised by regular army
What was the Kapp Putsch?
- Freikorps feared unemployment after Ebert sent some units home
- In March 1920, 5000 Freikorps rebels took control of Berlin
- Nationalist/right wing politician Wolfgang Kapp was put in charge of them and the city
- The government organised the trade unions to go on strike
- Kapp couldn’t rule and was forced to flee, Weimar ministers then returned
What were the negative effects of hyperinflation?
- Some ppl couldn’t afford essentials
- Prices rose quicker that wages did
- Some businesses went bankrupt
- Ppl with fixed or monthly incomes suffered most
- Savings became worthless, this affected the middle classes a lot
- People blamed the Weimar government making it even more unpopular
What we’re the positive effects of hyperinflation?
- Farmers benefited as they were paid more for food
- Some people and businesses could pay off loans and mortgages
- Fixed rent rooms or shops became very cheap
- Foreign visitors could buy more for their money
How did the Rentenmark cause recovery in the Weimar Republic?
- In November 1923 Streseman set up the Rentenbank snd issues the nee currency of Rentenmark
- Supply was tightly controlled and their value was directly linked to the price of gold giving it real value, this encouraged public confidence
- In August 1924 the Reichsbank was given control of this new currency and it was renamed the Reichsmark
- Hyperinflation was over
What was the Dawes plan?
- Created in 1924 by Charles Dawes, an American banker
- Instalments we’re temporarily reduced to £50 million a year
- US banks loaned large amounts to German industry
What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Dawes plan?
Positive:
- Caused the Allies to feel more confident they’d get their reparations
- Caused industry output to double between 1923 and 1928
- Employment and trade increased
- Income from taxation increased
Negative:
- They we’re now in huge debt to America
- If America asked for their money back Germany would be in trouble
- Far right parties were still unhappy Germany were paying reparations
What was the Young plan?
- Created in August 1929 by the Allies and led by an American banker, Owen Young
- It reduced total reparations from £6.6 to £2 billion
- Payment could be made over a longer time, until 1988
What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Young Plan?
Positives:
- Lower reparations meant lower taxes for German ppl
- This meant ppl had more money to buy goods so industry benefited
- Many Germans were happy with the plan so the government gained popularity again
Negatives:
- Extreme parties were unhappy that Germany would be in debt till 1988
- They felt it was extending the burden to future generations
What we’re the effects of Streseman’s role in foreign affairs?
- Strengthened confidence of German people in the Weimar Republic
- Reduced support for extremist political parties
- Increased support for moderate parties
- Reduced economic hardships of German people
What agreements were made in the Locarno Pact 1925?
- Germany agreed to the new border with France, this improved relations with them
- Allies and Germany agreed to the
permanent demilitarisation of the Rhineland - German membership of the league of Nations was up for discussion
What was the League of Nations?
- Set up in 1920
- Hope to discuss world problems to avoid war
When were Germany invited to join the League of Nations?
1926
What was the Kellogg Briand Pact 1928?
- An agreement between 62 nations
- Committed countries to avoiding the use of war to achieve foreign policies objectives
Why were people still unhappy with Streseman’s work in foreign affairs?
- The hated terms of the treaty of Versailles were still in place
- Some didn’t like the confirmation of the new border with France
- There were still extremist parties
How did the standard of living change after 1924?
Positives:
- Working hours were reduced
- Wages rose
- Working conditions improved
- 3% of workers’ earnings were put towards insurance that provided a basic amount of benefits if they were unemployed or sick
- 15% rent tax was introduced to fund building associations
- Between 1925 and 29 101,000 homes were built
Negatives:
- Hyperinflation made employment insecure
- Wealthier Germans resented seeing workers benefit
- There was still a housing shortage even though things had improved
How did the position of women at work change after 1924?
- Some of the gains in equality after war were lost
- Most women gave up work after marriage, women working dropped between 1918 to 1925 from 75% to 36%
- Few women had high status jobs
- Increase in part-time work
- Some professions offered new opportunities e.g. teaching and medicine
- Encouraged to go to university
- Women working in civil service earned same as men
- Some blamed unemployment on women
How did leisure for women change after 1924?
- Greater earning power > more independence for younger single women
- Less interested in marriage and more in having a ‘good time’
- Behaviour of ‘new women’ wasn’t liked by some, felt traditional values were being forgotten
- Divorce rate increased, traditionalists argued because of ‘new women’
How did women’s role in politics change after 1924?
- Could vote in 1918 and could now stand for elections
- 90% turned out at elections
- Article 109 of the constitution stated women had equal rights with men and could enter same professions
- By 1926, 32 women deputies in the Reichstag, higher proportion than in Britain and USA
How did art in Germany change between 1924 and 1929?
- Weimar artists now wanted to show everyday life which contrasted what art was like before
- They wanted to be understood by ordinary people and believed art should comment on society at the time
- This new approach was called Neue Sachlichkeit meaning ‘new objectivity’
- George Grosz, a Weimar artist, had served in WW1 and his paintings often showed disabled people and doll-like-figures who seemed to have no control over their own lives
- Otto Dix, another Weimar artist, showed the uglier side of human nature in his work
- Paul Klee was another artist
What was the Bauhaus?
- Set up in 1919 by the architect Walter Gropius
- Gropius wanted to bring together all the disciplines (art, architecture, design, typography, sculpture, etc)
- The idea is challenged the traditional styles popular before the war
- When Hitler came to power Gropius had to leave Germany
How did Hitler become the leader of the Nazi party?
- The German workers party (DAP) was set up by Anton Drexler in February 1919 in Munich
- Hitler joined in September 1919
- Hitler became second in command
- Hitler suggested a new name, The National Socialist German workers party (NSDAP) or Nazi party
- In July 1929 Hitler became leader
What was the 25 point program?
- The Nazi program written by Hitler and Drexler in 1929
- The key ideas were: to scrap the Treaty of Versailles, anti-semitism, nationalise industries
What were the SA?
- The Sturmabteilung (or stormtroopers)
- Nicknamed ‘Brownshirts’
- A paramilitary force made up of unemployed ex-soldiers
- Formed in August 1921
- Put under the command of Ernst Röhm
- Used to disrupt opposition meetings under control crowds, often violently
- By August 19 22 there was about 800
What were the long-term reasons for the Munich Putsch?
- Dolchstoss ‘stab in the back’
- Reparations
- The loss of Germany’s colonies
- Resentment of Weimar government particularly by the Bavarian government
How did the Fascists influence Hitler to the Munich Putsch?
- Hitler was influenced by Mussolini’s right-wing party in Italy, the Fascists
- Mussolini marched on Rome in 1922 forcing the democratic government to accept him as leader
What were the short-term reasons for the Munich Putsch?
- Hyperinflation
- French troops entered Ruhr in 1923 and took over German businesses
- Hitler thought that he had support
What happened during the Munich putsch on 8 November 1923?
- Hitler with 600 SA entered a beer hall in Munich where the Bavarian government were meeting
- At gunpoint Hitler forced government leaders to support him
- Röhm took over local police and army headquarters
- Ludendorff, behind Hitler’s back, let be government leaders go
What happened during the Munich putsch 9 November 1923?
- Hitler gathered with 1000 SA and 2000 volunteers supporters and marched on Munich town centre to declare himself president of Germany
- The group was met by state police
- Someone opened fire and there was chaos
- Ludendorff, Röhm and Streicher were arrested
What happened during the Munich putsch on 11 November 1923?
- Hitler was found hiding at a friends house and was arrested
What were the consequences of the Munich Putsch?
- Hitler used his trial to publicise his views
- He’s just time in prison to write Mein Kampf this book became a bestseller published, it outlined his political views
- The events of the pets may Kitna realised the party and be more organised to win support nationally
What was the Bamberg conference?
- In 1926
- Hitler organised it to address mix between the socialist and nationalist wings of the Nazi government
- Hitler’s power as leader was secured and vision of Nazism taken forward
What effect did the Wall Street crash, October 1929, have on German businesses?
- Had to pay back loans
- Received no more investment from the US
- Had to pay increased taxes to government
What effect did the Wall Street crash, October 1929, have on the German government?
- Couldn’t borrow money from the US
- Refused to print more money
- Increased taxes
- Made cuts in unemployment benefit
- Government workers had wages cut and some lost their jobs
What effect did the Wall Street crash, October 1929, have on German people?
- Businesses reduced staff or closed
- Millions of workers and farm labourers lost their jobs
- Young people were badly affected by job losses
- With no work and benefits slashed families suffered terrible poverty
What was the appeal for Hitler?
- He was a strong leader
- His image appeared on most publicity material
- He travelled around the country giving speeches and talking on the radio
- The party adopted modern technology such as using aeroplanes
What did Hitler’s propaganda pursued people to think?
- Business people that he could solve the economic crisis
- Working-class people that he could give them work and food
- Middle-class people that he could protect them from the Communists, solve the economic crisis and return Germany to traditional values
- Rural communities that he could protect them from the communists who might seize their land
- Young people by providing something exciting for them to be part of
- Women that they were best party to save the nation and their families
Who were the 4 key people that resulted in Hitler becoming chancellor?
- Paul von Hindenburg, hero of WW1 and President of Weimar Republic
- Heinrich Brüning, the chancellor
- General Franz von Papen, the politician and friend of Hindenburg
- Kurt von Schleicher, the army general
What happened in April 1932?
- Hindenburg stands for re-election of President
- No one party has 50% of the vote
- Chancellor Brüning bans the SA
What happened in May 1932?
- Election with Hindenburg being re-elected as president
- Hitler increases his share of the vote
- Chancellor Brüning’s plan to buy up land from landowners and use it to house the employed is opposed by Hindenburg
- Brüning resigns
- Brüning is replaced by von Papen, he is put forward by von Schleicher
- Von Scheilcher had been planning a coalition between right-wing supporters and the Nazis
- Hitler agrees to the coalition if the ban on the SA is removed
- The coalition takes power
What happened in July 1932?
- Further elections take place, there is widespread fighting between the communists and the Nazis
- The Nazi share of the vote increases from 18% in 1930 to 38%
- Hitler demands that he be made Chancellor, Hindenburg refuses
What happened in November 1932?
- Further election
- Von Schleicher warns Hindenburg that if von Papen stays as chancellor, there will be civil war
- Von Papen goes
What happened in December 1932?
- Von Schleicher becomes chancellor
What happened in January 1933?
- Von Schleicher does not have the support of the public or the Nazis
- He persuades Hindenburg that he could be the head of a military dictatorship
- Hindenburg refuses
- Von Papen persuades Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor to avoid Von Schleicher’s military dictatorship
- He also suggests that he should become vice chancellor so that he can keep a check on Hitler
- Hitler becomes chancellor
