Germany 1890-1945 Flashcards
Who could the kaiser appoint?
Chancellor and other officials
Who was the kaiser between 1890 and 1914?
Kaiser Wilhelm II
What did the kaiser want for Germany?
To expand its power and influence
How did the German government system work in the 1890s?
German voters elect the reichstag (who can be ignored)
German states send representatives to the bundersrat
The reichstag and bundersrat advise the kaiser
What is weltpolitik?
World politics
Was the kaiser seen as good or bad before the war?
Seen as a heroic leader
What were the naval laws?
They allows Germany to build battleships and expand their navy
List 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses of Germany before the war.
✅- leading industrial power
✅- large working population
❌- kaiser wanted an overseas empire
❌- no political party had majority so it was a coalition government
How did WW1 impact factory workers?
They made a fortune from gun production
How did WW1 effect women?
They were allowed to work in factories (damages traditional family values)
How did WW1 effect Germanys economy?
They lent money to allies but would they get it back?
Borrowed money from abroad to pay for the war which needed to be paid back
How did WW1 effect families?
600000 widows and 2 million children fatherless (government had to pay early pensions)
How did WW1 effect living standards?
Low in cities
Food and fuel shortages
Major flu epidemic
Huge difference between rich and poor
How did WW1 change the publics view of the Kaiser?
They revolted him (mass strikes) and called for a democracy and wanted war to end
When was the revolution?
November 1918
What happened as a result of the revolution?
Socialists led uprising
November 9 - kaiser abdicates and Germany is declared a republic (ruled without monarch)
What happened on the 11 November?
Armistice was signed and war ended
Which people weren’t happy with the signing of the armistice?
Some right-wing Germans who saw it as betrayal
Soldiers refused to support it, they felt betrayed
Who became the leader of the republic after kaiser abdicated?
Ebert (leader of largest party in reichstag)
Who were the temporary government?
Socialist parties (SPD and USPD)
When were the first elections held?
January 1919
What was article 48?
In a crisis, the president could rule the country directly using emergency powers
What was proportional representation in the reichstag?
Each party get the same proportion of seats as they got votes
Why was there political unrest in 1919?
Dissatisfied soldiers returning home
New political parties emerging who wanted control
What was the betrayal felt by right wing parties named?
Stab in the back theory
What factors led to Germany surrendering?
America joins war Debt Poverty Flu Food shortages
What did the new government from the January 1919 elections become known as?
Weimar Republic
What was the free corpse?
A group of ex soldiers who hated communism
Who were the Spartacus league?
Communist political party
What was the Weimar constitution?
President = elected every 7 years Chancellor = chosen by president from recichstag (must have reichstag support) Reichstag = elected by people by proportional representation People = could vote
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution?
Article 48
Proportional representation (nothing happens)
Signed treaty of Versailles
Enemy groups grown
Who were the big three in 1919?
Clemenceau (France)
Lloyd-George (Britain)
Wilson (USA)
What was the treaty of Versailles?
A peace treaty between big 3 and Germany
How did the signing of the treaty weaken the Weimar Republic?
Opponents blamed them for causes of ToV
What were the main terms of the treaty of Versailles?
Accept all blame (diktat) Reduce army to 100,000 men Pay 6.6 billion dollars in reparations Germany excluded from League of Nations Loose a lot of their land (Alsace-Lorraine)
What happened in 1923 as a consequence of Germany not being able to pay reparations?
The French invaded the Ruhr to seize raw materials and goods as an alternative payment (payment in kind)
How did Germany respond to the invasion of the Ruhr?
The government told them to be passive resistant and strike (they continued to get paid by gov.)
What did the government decide to do when they ran out of money?
They printed more money so shopkeepers put their prices up, which caused the gov. to print more money and the shops to raise their prices again
What is hyperinflation?
Money decreasing in value at an extremely fast rate whilst, simultaneously the prices of goods increase at a rapid rate
Who lost our during hyperinflation?
Government general public Shopkeepers Poor Anyone who had savings
Who came out on top during hyperinflation?
Those who were in debt
Those with a mortgage
Land owners
Foreigners
What were the aims and outcomes of the Sparticist rebellion?
January 1919 - spartacists were communists who wanted what Russia had achieved in 1917. They wanted to seize control, helped by soldiers + factory workers. Leaders Karl Liebknecht and rosa Luxemburg were killed.
What were the aims and outcomes of the kapp putsch?
March 1920 - Wolfgang kapp led a march of 5000 ex-soldiers (freikorps) in Berlin to make Germany powerful again. It was defeated by workers who declared a general strike.
What caused the Munich putsch in November 1923?
They planned to overthrow the WR and take control
They hated the WR for signing the ToV
The army needed something to do
WR is about to collapse
What happened in the Munich putsch?
Hitler fled but was arrested two days later and trialled
At his trial he showed oratory skills and political talent
Police killed some nazis
They had no help
Stresseman calls the strike off she to hyperinflation
What were the consequences of the Munich putsch?
Nazis were banned
Everyone had heard of hitler
Hitter learnt to use persuasion not force
Millions of people read his book
By 1923 there were 55000 nazis who were stronger than ever
What policy did streseman follow?
A policy of fulfilment
What is a policy of fulfilment?
He was cooperating with France and Britain in order to remove or reduce some of the terms of the ToV
Why was Germany in a chaotic situation in 1923?
It faced political weakness, hyperinflation and the French occupation of the industrial area of the Ruhr
What was stabilising the mark and when was it introduced?
In 1923 the Rentenmark was introduced
It was a temporary currency based on Germany’s industrial and agricultural resources
In 1924 the rentenmark was replaced by the reichsmark which was based on gold
This reduced inflation
What was the Dawes plan and when was it implemented?
Created in 1924 between Germany and USA
It reorganised reparations reducing them making them easier to pay
The us loaned 800 million gold marks to Germany (and over 6 years they borrowed $3000 million)
What were the Locarno treaties and when were they signed?
Singed in 1925 to end passive resistance in the Ruhr and stopped the French threat over boarders
It followed a policy of fulfilment
What year did Germany joint the League of Nations?
1926
What was the Kellogg-Briand pact and when was it signed?
Signed in 1928 to keep armies for self defence and solve conflict through peaceful means
What was the young plan and when was it created?
In 1929 it reduced reparation payments to 2000 million marks per year until 1988
And the French promised to leave the Rhineland by June 1930
What was the opposition to Stresemanns measures?
The Dawes plan was described as a second Versailles
It meant that the allies had control over German banks
Payments were made over too many years
In the December referendum of 1929 only 14% rejected the young plan
What was happening to unemployment in 1920s?
It was rising (by 1928 it was at 6%)
Why did some people view stresemann as weak?
He has to sign the ToV
What was the cultural revival in the golden age?
Under kaiser there had been strict censorship
When this was removed:
Clubs and cinemas thrived
Female empowerment
Why were some people against the golden age?
Many thought this showed a moral decline
Many traditionalists were offended
When was the Wall Street crash?
24th October 1929
What was the Wall Street crash?
Share prices fell on the Wall Street stock exchange in the USA
So people’s investments lost money
People rushed to sell shares (from $20000 - $1000 overnight)
How did the Wall Street crash effect Germany?
US banks asked for the money back from the Dawes plan
This left Germany with no money
International trade stopped
Factories shut down, millions unemployed
How many people were unemployed by 1932?
6 million
Why did the WR struggle?
They failed to end crisis
The coalition failed in 1930
People lost confidence in WR
Who were attracted the the left wing parties?
Work turned to communist party with its promises of a workers revolution
Who supported right wing parties?
Rich and middle classes were attracted to right wing parties because of their promises of a strong rule and restoring Germany’s status
What were the 5 factors that led to the growth of the nazi party?
The Great Depression The WR + fragmented reichstag The appeal of hitler + other extremist parties Fear of communism Nazi party structure
How did the Great Depression add the the growth of the nazi party?
Businesses collapsed , banks closed, unemployment rose, jews were blamed
Germany was desperate and had belief in the nazis
How do the WR contribute to the growth of the Nazis?
Couldn’t come to agreements, Bruning (chancellor) passed laws under article 48, Hindenburg (president) favoured rich but Bruning favoured poor, couldn’t deal with depression, people lost faith
Because democracy wasn’t working Germans were drawn to more extreme solutions
How did Hitlers appeal help the growth of the nazis?
His personality made people trust him, powerful speaker
He signified hope for Germans through persuasion
How did the fear of communism aid the growth of the nazis party?
1917 - communist revolution took over businesses and farms, rich + religious most scared
Hitler fought communism so gained support from rich as he promised to deal with communist threat
How did the structure of the nazi party develop the growth of the nazi party?
Munich putsch 1923 failed, hitler changed tactics, used persuasion and intimidation
Bigger SA, propaganda, hitler youth encouraged younger followers, campaigned powerfully
How did the lack of leadership help the nazis to build their party?
Stresemann died
Ex-army leader (old)
Bruning asked for article 48 as no support from reichstag
What happened at the elections after the Great Depression?
Violent clashes between right and left wing groups
SA gave impression of law and order, often fought communist gangs in Street, often had support from police and army
Describe the presidential elections in MARCH 1932.
Hitler vs. Hindenburg
Hindenburg wins 19.4 mil votes to 13.4
Describe the fall of Bruning in MAY 1932.
Bruning lost popularity by 1932 - reduced unemployment benefits and increased taxes
He was dependant on Hindenburg decree -no support from reichstag
Hindenburg removed him
Describe the Papen government in MAY 1932.
Von papen appointed chancellor
Only had 68 supporters in reichstag so dependant on Hindenburg decree
What happen in the July 1932 elections?
Von papen held elections to gain more support
Nazis gained 230 seats + become largest party
Hitler demands to become chancellor
Hindenburg refuses
Von papen stays in office
What was the Papen government of July - November 1932 like?
New reichstag didn’t support him
In September he lost a vote of no confidence by 512 to 42
This led to November 1932 elections
Describe the NOVEMBER 1932 elections.
Nazis seats fell to 196 due to short funds for campaign
Some Germans alarmed by increasing violence of SA
Von papen asks Hindenburg to close reichstag and rule by decree
What was the Schleicher government of december 1932 to January 1933 like?
Von schleicher warns Hindenburg that Von papen would lead to civil war
Von schleicher appointed as new chancellor
He lasted less than two months
What happened between Von papen, hitler and Hindenburg in January 1933?
Von papen furious with Von schleicher
Papen starts to negotiate with hitler to make H chancellor and himself vice-chancellor
Hindenburg refused to accept nazi government
What happens when Von schleicher resigns in January 1933?
He failed to win support of reichstag so resigns
Von papen persuades Hindenburg to appoint hitler as chancellor
Hindenburg agrees as long as there were only a few Nazis in the cabinet
When does hitler become chancellor and what did Hindenburg and Von papen think?
30 January 1933
They thought they could use him and then get rid of him later
What did the public think of Hitlers government?
They thought that he wouldn’t last long when he actually had to rule the country
When was the reichstag fire?
March 1933
Who do people people was responsible for the reichstag fire?
A Dutch communist
What does hitler suspend against those responsible for the reichstag fire?
Certain civil rights such as freedom of speech and privacy of communication revoked
Who did the journalists claim started the fire?
The Nazis
Who was arrested as a cause of the reichstag fire?
4000 communists
Van Der Lubbe (Dutch communist)
Give 5 short term benefits for the Nazis of the reichstag fire?
Hitler becomes dictator Blame communists (negative cohesion support) People could be detained without trial Propose enabling act Propaganda
Give 5 long term benefits for the Nazis of the reichstag fire?
Control the media
Emergency laws in place for 12 years during Nazi rule
All opposition removed (communists banned from reichstag)
Police state
Collapse of WR
What is the enabling act?
Chancellor can enable any law they like
How was the enabling act passed?
Reichstag approved after majority through intimidation of members using the SA
What this the enabling act result in?
Only nazi party allowed
Imprisoned political opponents in concentration camps
Took control of media
Trade unions banned
What was the night of the long knives?
When hitler removed SA
Why did hitler remove the SA?
They were too threatening
They didn’t like hitlers policies
Who led the SA?
Rhom
Who did the SA want to join with?
The army
What happened during the night of the long knives?
40 leaders and potential threats were killed
How did Hindenburgs death help hitler?
He could now rule Germany as Fuher
His last obstacle to total control was removed
Why did hitler want the army to swear allegiance to him personally?
To prevent a military coup
Protect him from being overthrown
What were the 6 factors that led to hitlers rise to power?
Reichstag fire Economic crisis Negative cohesion Propaganda Individuals Enabling Act
What did the Nazis implement in 1933 to reduce unemployment?
Job creation schemes - employing people for public services for at least 6 months e.g. building motorways
What did the Nazis implement in 1934 to reduce unemployment?
Women were forced to give up jobs and work as house wives
What did the Nazis implement in 1935 to reduce unemployment?
National labour service became compulsory for all men aged 18 - 25 for 6 months on public work schemes / army
What did the Nazis implement in 1936 to reduce unemployment?
Jews forced to give up jobs
What did the Nazis implement in 1937 to reduce unemployment?
Expansion of army - rearmament manufacturing weapons
What did the Nazis implement in 1938 to reduce unemployment?
Over 1/3 of German spending went on army and jobs
What did the Nazis implement in 1939 to reduce unemployment?
Germany army grow to 1400000
What is autarky?
Self sufficiency in preparations for war or natural disasters
Who was Dr schacht?
President of reichsbank + minister of economics
Resigned in 1937 as against hitlers plans
What was the new plan of 1933 - 1937
Aimed to reduce unemployment and make Germany self sufficient
Limited German imports - small trade surplus by 1935, production increased by 50%
Who was Goring?
Controlled Germany’s economic policy
What replaced the new plan?
The 4 year plan
What was the 4 year plan in 1936 - 1940?
Prepared Germany for war in four years
Economy gated towards rearmament
Germany still dependant on foreign imports
Concentration camps given priority over agriculture - led to food shortages
Only way Germany could be self sufficient was through foreign invasion
What was invisible unemployment?
UnEmployment numbers Didn’t include people who lost their jobs or people without proper jobs
Jews, women, unmarried men and political opponents were sent to concentration camps
What was the labour front?
Navies abolished trade unions due to fear of strikes
Replaced with DAF which encouraged workers to mpbe motivated by spirit not profit
What was strength through joy?
Provided activities for unemployed - motivated people to work hard for rewards
What was beauty of labour?
Improved working conditions - workers expected to ,ale improvements in their spare time
How were living standards improved in 1933 - 39?
Wages rose
Leisure centres
Theatres were cheap
Activities provided
How did living standards not improve between 1933 and 39?
Rights no longer protected Food cost more Had to work for longer Women and Jews forced out of jobs Cost of living rose
How did rationing work in WW2?
Pre-prepared food ration cards distributed - amount dependant on work
What was rationed?
Bread, potatoes, butter, milk, cereal, sugar, cheese
Shoes, soap, toilet paper, baths
What were the problems with rationing?
By 1942 there were food shortages
Black market grew - only rich could afford
What happened to supplies during total war?
No unnecessary shops could open
Entertainment suspended
Furniture buying permits
Magazines weren’t printed
How did the Allies bomb Germany?
Hamburg (1943) and Dresden (1945) were bombed
Killed 300000 and injured 750000
How did the Nazi government help bombing raids?
Told people to register with local authorities k
By 1943 they had to rehouse the homeless in empty or underused homes (unpopular)
What was lawlessness during WW2?
People running the black market had more real power than the gov.
Impossible to control
Farmers + shop owners benefitted from black market
What did hitler want a woman’s role to be?
A wife and mother
What was the Nazi view on marriage?
It will increase birth rate - couples were given loans based on the number of children that they had
What was the Nazi views on female employment?
The reduced the number of women employed
More women were employed in industries due to rearmament 1937
What was the ideal appearance of a women in Nazi Germany?
Long hair, no makeup , long skirts, no smoking or drinking
What were the 3 k’s?
Kinder (children)
Kirche (church)
Küche (kitchen)
What was hitler hoping to achieve through his control of women?
Traditional families, large families so more Nazi children, reverse moral decline of the 1920s
What was hitler youths aims?
Ensure loyalty in kids so they don’t know any other way
Control and brainwash them
Prepare them for war
What was eugenics?
The science of improving a population by slelective breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics
This meant the they grew up believe one race was superior
How did the Nazis enforce eugenics?
Sterilising unwanted people
Propaganda
Education
Legislation
How did teachers have to teach?
Had to join German Teachers League where they were forced to teach nazi ideals
Given rewritten text books
What was the ideal Nazi student?
Clever, tough and loyal to hitler.
Potential Nazi leaders were sent to special academies called National Political Educational Institutions
Who was the youth leader of the Reich?
Baldur on Shirach
What were girls taught in hitler youth?
Studied crops
Domestic work (cooking + cleaning)
Physical exercise
Hailing hitler
What were boys taught at hitler youth?
Hiking, shooting, map reading Teamwork Military training Aryan superiority Oath of loyalty to hitler Went on holiday to countryside
What was the hitler youth law of 1936?
Made it almost impossible for children to not join hitler youth
Who were the gestapo and how were they involved in hitler youth?
Nazi secret police
Encouraged children to report any disloyalties by family towards hitler
How many people were still not part of the hitler youth by 1938?
3 million young people
How many people were part of the hitler youth by 1939?
8 million
What was the concordat and when was it signed?
Agree to made with Catholic Church in 1933 promising not to interfere with each other
What was the reich church?
An official state Protestant church
What did nazis do about those who didn’t fit into the master race?
Placed them in ghettos and concentration camps
Sterilised
Denied education
Alienated from society
What does untrrmenschen mean?
Subhuman
What are the root causes of antisemitism?
Jews killed Jesus apparently
Revolutionaries wanting to overthrow Nicolas were Jewish
Seen as tax collectors and money takers
What were the lies told about Jewish people?
The pay they murdered children to use their blood for Passover
That they were born different from everyone else and can’t mix it society
They were blamed for communism
How did the Nazis control Jewish alienation through property?
SA turned customers away from Jewish shops 1933
Smashed windows and doors
Placards controlled where Jews could go 1933
Jewish businesses confiscated 1937
1938 Jews had to register property
1939 no longer allowed to run shops
How did the Nazis control Jewish alienation through jobs?
Sacked from government jobs 1933
Thousands of Jewish civil servants were sacked
Actors and musicians forbidden to perform
1935 no Jews in army
How did the Nazis control Jewish alienation through the social position?
Jews banned from public places 1934
Jewish children banned from German schools 1938
Any Jew had to have a Jewish name
1941 decree ordering them to wear Star of David
How did the Nazis control Jewish alienation through the Nuremberg Laws?
Passed in 1935 - denied Jews basic rights to citizenship
Subjects rather than citizens
Lost right to vote
Jews could only marry Jews
How did the Nazis control Jewish alienation through Kristallnacht?
9-10 November 1938 following the death of a man by polish Jews
Used as excuse to campaign against terror of Jews
815 Jewish shops destroyed, 191 synagogues set on fire
2000 Jews arrested, 91 killed
Gov. Made jews pay for damage (1 billion reichmarks)
When was the final solution discussed?
Wannsee conference 20 January 1942
What happened at the Wannsee conference?
Purpose was to find a new way of murdering Jews efficiently
By 1941 there were more Jews as the Nazis had invaded more Jewish countries
What was the final solution?
The deliberate policy to wipe out Jewish population by taking them to death camps
Mass genocide rather than being out into ghettos
Organised killing rather then just dehumanising them
What was the einsqtzgruppen?
Nazi mused squad sent to round up and kill Jews
What were the three attempts of Jewish resistance?
Treblinka 1943
Warsaw ghetto 1943
Escaping the einsatzgruppen
Describe the resistance at treblinka?
Poland
Prisoner got into weapons store
Camp set on fire
15 guards killed
Describe the resistance at the Warsaw ghetto.
Lasted 43 days
Made homemade bombs
How did the Nazis regain control of the Warsaw ghetto?
Executed all individuals
Ghettos burnt down
How did the Nazis regain control at treblinka?
Killed all escapees
Killed 550 prisoners as revenge
Describe how Jews tried to escape the einsatzgruppen.
Escaped to forests Formed resistance groups Attacked German soldiers Blew up railways (acts of sabotage) Rare groups - hunted ruthlessly
What is a police state?
Government use police to control the population
Who was Himmler and what as his role?
Took over SS in 1929
Didn’t mind breaking law for H
Increased SS through strictly aryan members
New recognisable uniform 1932
Who were the SS?
Hitlers personal body guards in 1925
Loyal - used to remove Rohm in night of the long knives
Terrorised germans
Given Total power to arrest without trial -by 1939 162000 people imprisoned without trial
Responsible for concentration camps
What was the law that allowed Nazis to restrict civil rights?
Decree for protection of the state 1933
Originally an emergency measure but never overturned
What were concentration camps?
National network used for questioning, torture and re-Education
Prisoners used for hard labour
Different badges depending on reason (e.g. yellow for Jews)
How did goebbels make propaganda?
Newspapers - people read them everyday
Radios - heard by everyone
Mass rallies - difficult to disagree with thousands of supporters
Films, books, music and theatre
How did hitler use films to brainwash people?
In 1940 Suss the Jew was viewed 20 million times - dehumanised Jewish race
What was the chamber of culture?
Led by goebbels
All artists had to be members
Anyone who refused wouldn’t be allowed to work in their profession
Jews were banned
What is censorship?
Controlling media to use it as a form of propaganda
What was the concordat?
Hitlers agreement with church 1936 (only lasted 1 or 2 years)
Who were the 5 Nazi opposition groups?
The edelweiss pirates 1944 onwards The white rose group 1941 - 1943 Ludwig niemoller 1930 - 1937 The kreisau circle 1943 - 1945 Dietrich Bon hoffer 1937 - 1939
Why did the edelweiss pirates oppose the Nazis?
Didn’t accept Nazi attempts to convert them
Opposed Nazi control
Why did the white rose group oppose the Nazis?
Disagreed with Nazi aims and persecution of Jews
Why did ludwig niemoller oppose the Nazis?
Hitler opposed his Christian beliefs
Why did the kreisau circle oppose the Nazis?
Disliked Nazi policies
Horrified by SS death squads - against armies code of conduct
Why did dietrich Bon hoffer oppose the Nazis?
Believed Nazis were anti Christian
Opposed policies on race and euthanasia
What were the edelweiss pirates methods of opposition?
Unsupervised hikes Non- uniform Beat up hitler youth patrols Rude alternative to Nazi propaganda Doing band activities
What were the white rose groups methods of opposition?
Spread anti Nazi messages on leaflets and posters
Anti Nazi graffiti
What were Ludwig niemollers methods of opposition?
Set up an alternative church to reich church to speak out against Nazis
What were the kreisau circles methods of opposition?
Plotted to assassinate H (July bomb plot)
Planted bomb in hitlers office - killed 4 people but not hitler
What were dietrich Bon hoffers methods of opposition?
Helped niemoller to set up church
Spoke out against hitler
Helped 14 jews to escape
Joined group trying to overthrow hitler
How did the Nazis deal with the edelweiss pirates?
They were found after 1944 and hung
How did the Nazis deal with the white rose group?
Leaders arrested and tortured
22nd Feb 1943 they were sentenced to death
How did the Nazis deal with Ludwig niemoller?
Arrested in 1937 and sent to concentration camp
Due to be executed
Freed by allies shortly before end of WW2
How did the Nazis deal with the kreisau circle?
All plotters were executed (5746 people)
How did the Nazis deal with Dietrich Bon hoffer?
Gestapo banned him from speaking Arrested in 1943 2 years solitary confinement Sent to concentration camp Executed by SS in 1945
Who were the swing youth?
Nazi opposition group
Teenagers who rebelled by listening to banned music etc.
Nazis disapproved but didn’t take it seriously
