Germany Flashcards

1
Q

Since when has Germany been unified as a single country?

A

Since 1871

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2
Q

Whose power largely shaped the German nation?

A

Prussia as it was the largest and most powerful state before 187.

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3
Q

Who ruled the German nation?

A

The Kaiser.

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4
Q

Who became the Kaiser in 1888?

A

Wilhelm II.

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5
Q

What was Wilhelm II’s plan?

A

To expand the German Empire

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6
Q

What threatened the Kaiser about the hopes he had abroad?

A

The rise of socialism

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7
Q

What makes the Kaiser superior?

A

-Had the power to appoint or dismiss the Chancellor.
-Could dissolve the Reichstag(parliament) if he wanted to.
-Was in charge of foreign policy.
-Was the head of the German military.

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8
Q

Who advised the Kaiser about political decisions?

A

Members of the armed forces.

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9
Q

Over which type of policy did the Kaiser have absolute power?

A

Foreign policy.

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10
Q

What were the powers of the Chancellor?

A

-Leading the Bundesrat(federal council) by proposing new subjects,issues and laws to be discussed.
-Appointing ministers to help him make policies.
-The ability to ignore the Reichstag(parliament).

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11
Q

Who did the Reichstag fund every five years?

A

The army

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12
Q

What were the officers?

A

-Right-wing(politically conservative).
-From an elite background.
-The fore-runner to the DNVP which would join Hitler in coalition in the 1930s

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13
Q

Who was the Chancellor?

A

The Kaiser’s chief minister.

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14
Q

What was the Bundesrat?

A

-The German federal council.
-Formed from 58 representatives of each German state.
-Prussian interests dominated it.
-Was consulted over government policies.
-The council proposed laws to the Reichstag(parliament).
-In return, the Bundesrat approved any law the Reichstag made.

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15
Q

What was the Reichstag?

A

The German parliament.

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16
Q

What was the Reichstag formed from?

A

-397 deputies.
-elected by German voters.
-Only men over the age if 25.

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17
Q

What were the powers of the Reichstag?

A

-Had the power to pass,alter or reject laws proposed by the Bundesrat or Chancellor.
-Could give or refuse funding for the military once every five years.

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18
Q

By what time did the Reichstag begin to grow?

A

1890s

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19
Q

What could Kaiser not do?

A

He could not stop the elections for parliament.

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20
Q

How did the Reichstag grow?

A

-Political parties had begun to form.
-The deputies in the Reichstag had their own political agenda(plan).
-Didn’t have huge power.
-But put pressure on the government and could shape public opinion.

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21
Q

What is the Landtag?

A

-Each state had its own mini-government or mini-Reichstag.
-Thus was called the Landtag.

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22
Q

Who was the only person who could sack the Chancellor?

A

Kaiser

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23
Q

What did individual state have the power to do since Germany was a federal state?

A

-Had the power to control income tax.
-Difficult for the central government to raise enough tax for their budget.

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24
Q

What were 2 potential weaknesses in German Constitution?

A

-The power of the Kaiser.
-Raising taxes.

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25
Q

What was the political orientation of most German military officers in this period?

A

Conservative.

26
Q

Who had the power to control income tax under Wilhelm?

A

Individual states

27
Q

What did Prussia emphasise using its influence?

A

-Militarism.
-Having a strong military to protect the country.

28
Q

Describe the Prussian military?

A

-Leading army officers were Prussian.
-Prussia was the most powerful state in Germany.
-The Prussian army was the foundation of the German army.

29
Q

What state was the most powerful in Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II?

A

-Prussia

30
Q

When was the leadership of Federick the Great?

A

1740

31
Q

What did Germany need to become the most dominican country in the world?

A

Germany needed to be more powerful than Great Britain.

32
Q

What did the Kaiser use to grow the German Empire?

A

Weltpolitik=World policy

33
Q

What were the domestic problems with the Navy Laws?

A

-The Kaiser began to argue with army leaders who wanted money to the army not the navy.
-The Social Democratic Party opposed the Navy Laws because they were expensive.
-Government had to borrow money, increasing the state’s debt.(490 billion by 1913)
-Government had to raise taxes affecting the workers.

34
Q

Who was a key supporter of the Naval Laws?

A

-Alfred von Tirpitz.
-New Navy Secretary.

35
Q

Who was responsible for unifying small German states into the German empire?

A

Otto von Bismarck

36
Q

Who was the first Chancellor of the German Empire?

A

Otto von Bismarck

37
Q

What was the diplomacy of Otto von Bismarck?

A

Realpolitik

38
Q

Since when to when did Bismarck serve as an ambassador to Russia and France?

A

1851-1862

39
Q

What would happen to Bismarck when he returned to Prussia?

A

He would be appointed prime minister by Vilhelm the first (king of prussia)

40
Q

What happened in 1864?

A

-His mark began a series of wars to establish Prussian power in Europe.
-Austrian support.
-Used the Prussian army to capture the german-speaking territories of schleswig and holstein from Denmark.

41
Q

Who did Otto von Bismarck provoke?

A

-Emperor Franz Joseph the first into starting the austro-prussian war.
-In 1866.
-Prussian victory.

42
Q

Who did Bismarck provoke next?

A

-France.
-Strategy to unify Germany’s loose Confederations against an outside enemy.

43
Q

What did Bismarck strategy to unify Germany’s loose Confederations cause?

A

-Franco-Prussian war
-1870-1871
-Prussia defeated France.

44
Q

What did Bismarck pursue in the 1870s?

A

-Kulturkamf=Cultural struggle.
-Against the Catholic Church.

45
Q

When did otto von bismarck become chancellor of germany?

A

1871

46
Q

What did Bismarck do to try stop the influence of the Catholic Church?

A

-Placed parochial schools under state control.
-Expelled the Jesuits.

47
Q

What did Bismarck do in 1879?

A

-Negotiated the dual alliance with Austria-hungary.
-Counteract and check the power of the now allied France and Russia.

48
Q

What did Bismarck work on in the 1880s?

A

-Preventing the spread of socialism.
-Creating a welfare state establishing national healthcare, accident insurance and old-age pensions.

49
Q

What happened in 1890?

A

-Bismarck was dismissed by the new emperor Wilhelm II.
-After strong disagreement.

50
Q

Who was the triple entente (1907) signed by?

A

-Russia.
-Great Britain.
-France.

51
Q

What are the Navy Laws domestic successes?

A

-Gave more work to businesses and industries.
-Increased military position relative to Britain.
-Encouraged patriotic(love of one’s country) and nationalist(wanting political independence) sentiment(feeling).

52
Q

When was the Entente Cordiale signed?

A

1904

53
Q

When was the Triple Entente signed?

A

1907

54
Q

Who is part of the Entente Cordiale?

A

-Great Britain.
-France.

55
Q

Who is part of the Triple Entente?

A

-Great Britain.
-France.
-Russia.

56
Q

What was the agreement signed between Great Britain and France in 1904?

A

The Entente Cordiale.

57
Q

What was the Bundesrat dominated by?

A

Prussian interest

58
Q

What was the aim of Weltpolitik?

A

-Make Germany the most powerful country in the world.
-Increase Germany’s statues by growing the German empire.
-To be better than Britain,which already had a large empire at this time.

59
Q

Why did people support the Kaiser’s Navy Laws?

A

-Brought out a feeling of patriotism(devoted to strong support for one’s country)and nationalism(identification with one’s own nation and support for its interests)in people.
-Created many jobs in Germany.

60
Q

Did the Kaiser and the German elite feel threatened by socialism before the first world war?

A

-Government feared the power of SPD and socialists because they put social reform into law.
-Central idea of socialism was that wealth should be shared between all members of society.
-Threat to those of society who kept most of their profits from industry for themselves and exploited workers.
-By 1912 SPD was the party with the most seats in Reichstag.

61
Q

Why did Hitler call his regime the ‘Third Reich’?

A

-To show how his regime links to a long German and European history.
-‘Reich’ links back to the German Empire.
-Underlines Hitlers mission to bring Germany back to a strong and glorious position in the world.

62
Q

Did the night of the long knives damage Hitler’s reputation?

A

-No.
-By thus time cult surrounding Hitler was strong.
-German people managed to find excuses for his behaviour.
-After the night of the long knives Hitler gave a long speech where he said his actions had been in the interests of the German people and he was protecting the ordinary citizen against the SA.
-Hitler’s popularity might have actually increased after the murders.