Germany 1918-1945 Flashcards
1
Q
impact of the war on Germany
A
- virtually bankrupt
- 2 million children without fathers, 600k widows
- unstable democratic republic
- gaps between rich and poor
2
Q
birth of Weimar republic
A
- allies offered Germany peace, but under strict conditions, one being that Germany should become more democratic
- when the kaiser refused, sailors in northern Germany mutinied and took over the town of Kiel, this triggered other revolts
- 9 Nov. Kaiser abdicated and left for Netherlands
- Ebert became new leader of republic of Germany, immediately signing an armistace
- Ebert had opposition from left and right
- January 1919 free elections took place for first time ever, Ebert won majority and became president
- Weimar republic set up as Berlin too violent and unstable
3
Q
Threat from the left
A
- communist party known as the spartacists. Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
- early 1919 they launched their bid for power, joined by rebel soldiers and sailors, they set up soviets in many towns
- some anti-communist ex-soldiers formed freikorps
- Ebert made an agreement with freikorps commander to put down the rebellion
- many casualties, freikorps won, rosa and karl murdered,
- another happened in Bavaria where communist declared a soviet republic. Ebert again sent freikorps to crush revolt
4
Q
Treaty of Versailles
A
- May 1919
- lost 10% of land
- all overseas colonies
- 12.5% of population
- 16% coal and 48% iron industry
- army reduced to 100k, no air force, small navy
- take blame for staring war and $6600mil reparations
- many germans were appalled, turned anger onto Ebert
- injustice of treaty became rallying point for Ebert opponents
- believed Germany had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by socialist and liberal politician
5
Q
threat from the right
A
- right wing opponents largely people who had grown up in the successful days of the Kaiser
- liked Germany having a strong army, empire and proud of industry
- March 1920 Dr Wolfgang Kapp led 5000 freikorps into Berlin in a rebellion (Kapp Putsch)
- army refused to fire on freikorps, looked like Ebert was doomed
- saved by German people (industrial workers)
- they declared a general strike bringing city to a hault, no transport, power, water
- Kapp realised he could not succeed and left country, hunted down and died awaiting trial
- seemed Weimar has support after all
6
Q
The Ruhr
A
- first instalment of $50mil paid in 1921, nothing paid in 1922
- French ran out of patience, they also had war debts to pay USA
- Jan 1923 French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr and began to take raw materials and goods
- government ordered workers to passive resistance (strike), so nothing for French to take away
- French reacted harshly, killing over 100 workers + expelling 100k protestors from area
- halt of industrial production in German most important region cause collapse of currency
7
Q
hyperinflation
A
- no goods to trade, government printed more money, an attractive solution to pay off debts in worthless marks and war loans
- set off a chain reaction, so much money in circulation, prices and wages rocketed, people soon realised money was worthless
- wheelbarrow to take home earnings
- price change from back to front of queue
- poor people suffered, richer Germans with savings lost lots of money in banks
8
Q
Stresemann
A
- made chancellor in 1923 and called off passive resistance in the Ruhr
- called in all the worthless marks and burned them
- replaced them with a new currency, the Rentenmark
- negotiated to receive American loans under the Dawes plan and reparation payments
- hyperinflation damaged the Weimar, lost support of middle-class
9
Q
Dawes plan
A
- reparation payments were spread over a longer period
- 800 million marks from US loans poured into German industry
- Germany able to prosper again
10
Q
Weimar under Stresemann, achievements
A
Economy:
- Dawes plan
- industry recovery
- 1928 Germany achieved same levels of production as before the war
- reparations were being payed and exports on the increase
Culture:
- writers, poets, artists flourished
- Bauhaus architecture
- Marlene Dietrich, Fritz land, a golden age for German cinema
Politics:
- German people reconciling to the government
- Hitler’s Nazis gained less that 3% in 1928 election
11
Q
Problems under Stresemann
A
economy:
- US loans could be called in at short notice, would ruin Germany
- peasant farmers and middle classes earned little, found themselves overproducing, not enough demand for food
- small business owners became disillusioned, small business owners threatened by dept. stores
- a uni lecturer in 1913 earned 10x as much as a coal miner, in the 20s he earned twice as much. These people began to fell the Weimar offered them little
Culture:
- colourful and exciting to many, but in many places the culture seemed to represent a moral decline
- American immigrants + jewish artists and musicians
- organisations like the Wandervogel reacted: wanted a return to simple values and more help for countryside
- A powerful feeling which the Nazis successfully harnessed in later years
Politics:
- Nazi and coms building, 30% votes went to oppositions
- Hindenberg elected president in 1926
Foreign policy:
- nationalists attacked Stresemann for joining LON and signing locarno pact
12
Q
Locarno pact
A
- Germany, France, Belgium, GB and Italy agreed peace in western Europe
- agreed boarders between countries (Germany and France)
- demilitarisation of the rhineland
- allow Germany into LON
13
Q
Hitler and the Nazis
A
- throughout 1920s they were organising and regrouping, waiting for their chance to win power
- began as the German worker’s party. In 1919, Hitler joined the party. Drexler soon realised he had great talent and put him in charge of propaganda and political ideas
- in 1920 the part announced a 25 point programme, and renamed itself the National socialist German workers party (NAZI)
- In 1921, Hitler removed Drexler as leader. His energy, commitment and power as a speaker were attracting attention
- stirred nationalist passions in his audiences
- he gave them scapegoats to blame for German problems: allies, treaty, Nov. criminals, jews, coms
- meetings so successful opponents tried to disrupt
- he set up the SA to counter this in 1921, hired thugs protected his meetings and disrupted other parties
14
Q
Munich Putsch
A
- Nov. 1923 Hitler believed he could topple Weimar
- 8 Nov. he hijacked a local govt meeting announcing he was taking over govt of Bavaria, joined by Ludendorff
- SA began taking over official buildings, next day weimar forces hit back
- polices rounded up SA and killed 16 nazis
- Hitler escaped in a car, while Ludendorff and others stayed to fight armed police
- Hitler miscalculated mood of German people. Putsch was a disaster for him, people did not support him
- he and others were arrested and charged with treason, but gained publicity for himself and ideas at trial, every word was reported in newspapers
- impressed judges and got off lightly, given 5 years, only served 9 months
15
Q
The Nazis and Mein Kampf
A
- wrote mein kampf in prison, clarifying his ideas
- realised Nazis would not be able to seize power by force, would have to work with the democratic system to achieve power but once gaining it, could destroy the system
- began rebuilding party after released, won 32 seats in reichstag election 1924, created a network of local Nazi parties which set up Hitler youth
- not much support from workers, support from groups like peasant farmers and middle-class
16
Q
Rebuilding
A
- in 1925, Hitler enlarged the SA. About 55% came from the ranks of unemployed. Also set up the SS
- SS were similar to the SA but were loyal to Hitler personally, membership of the party rose to 100k in 28
- Hitler appointed Joseph Goebbels to take charge of propaganda, he was good at spreading message
- they thought best way was by appealing to people’s feelings
- no electoral breakthrough, 1928 they were still a minority party with support of less than 3% of population
- prosperity of Stresemann years and success made Germans uninterested in extreme politics
17
Q
Depression
A
- 1929 American stock market crashed sent USA into economic depression
- asked German banks to repay money that was borrowed= economic collapse in Germany
- businesses went bankrupt, workers were laid off, unemployment rocketed
18
Q
Rise of the Nazis
A
- Nazi’s 25 points were very attractive to those most vulnerable to the depression: unemployed, elderly and middle class
- Hitler offered them culprits to blame for German troubles
- no messages were new but democratic parties could not get Germany back to workk
- 1930, Nazis got 107 seats, 1932 nearly 200, became biggest single party
19
Q
Nazi campaigning
A
- talked about uniting Germany under one leader, going back to traditional values, made it hard to criticise them
- when they were criticised for a specific policy, they were likely to drop it
- repeated at every opportunity that they believed that jews, coms, weimar and treaty were source of German problems
- posters and pamphlets could be found anywhere, rallies impressed people with their energy and size
- there were frequent street battles between coms and police, but SA and SS gave an impression of discipline and order
- they welcomed the fact the SA were prepared to fight coms
- SA were better organised + had support of po and army
- Nazis also organised soup kitchens and provided shelter for unemployed
20
Q
Hitler campaigning
A
- powerful speaker, years ahead of his time as a communicator. Ran for president in 1932, got 13 mil votes to Hindenburg 19mil
- despite defeat, campaign raised his profile, using films, radios, records he spread his message
- travelled by plane on a tour of rallies, appeared as a dynamic man, leader of a modern party with modern ideas
- someone who seemed to understand the people and their problems, Nazi support rocketed
21
Q
disillusionment with democracy
A
- Chancellor Heinrich Brüning pursued a tough economic policy. He cut govt spending and welfare benefits+ urged Germans to make sacrifices
- in protest, the SPD (largest party in Reichstag) pulled out of govt, to get his measures passed he relied on Hindenburg using article 48 to bypass the Reichstag
- disastrous decision as gave the Nazis opportunity to exploit fear and discontent in Germany and make gains of seats in Reichstag
- new elections resulted in another divided reichstag, continued into 31 and 32
- unemployment heading towards 6mil average income fall of 40% since 29
22
Q
Communist threat
A
- communist support was rising too, nazis turned this to their advantage
- fear of communism was another shared negative. The com red fighting league broke up opposition party meetings, like the SA. They fought street battles with po
- Out on the streets, Nazi SA met com violence with their own
- middle class and industrialists feared communists so began to put money in Nazi campaign funds
- farmers feared coms, they had read about com farming policies in USSR where govt had taken all of land. Millions of peasants killed and imprisoned, in contrast, Nazis promised to help struggling small farmers
