Germany Flashcards
What was the Spartacist Revolt?
Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg Communist Inspired by 1918 Russian Revolution Leaders assassinated by Freikorps Took over Berlin and Baltic Ports
What was the Kapp Putsch?
Led by Wolfgang Kapp Supported by some Freicorps Communist Wanted Kaiser back Took over Berlin Lasted 4 days, failed because of Workers Strike
Reparations in Germany
Original amount charged :
132,000 million gold marks
In 1922 they announced they couldn’t pay it all and wanted more time
In January 1923 French and Belgian troops invaded the Rurh - Germany responded by passive resistance and put workers on strike
Hyperinflation
1923 1914 : $1 = 4 marks Nov 1923 : $1 = 4,200,000,000 marks At times workers paid twice a day Shop prices rose every hour People on fixed incomes (pensioners) suffered badly
Munich Putsch
1923
4 October - Kahr and Lossow called off the rebellion
8 November - Hitler and 600 SA broke into a beer hall meeting and held Kahr and gunpoint and forced him to join his rebellion
9 November - Hitler and the SA marched into Berlin thinking they were going to take over Berlin but Kahr called reinforcements, after a short scuffle, Hitler had fled and 16 Nazis had been killed.
Hitler was captured 2 days later.
The recovery period under Gustav Stresemann
New currency - Rentenmark
1924 Dawes Plan - 800 million marks from the US and reduced Reparations
1925 Lorcarno Pact - Germany accepted the TofV and set out borders with France, Belgium and Germany
1926 - Germany was accepted into the League of Nations
Extremist Groups
In 1914 the Nazis won 14 seats in the Reichstag
In 1928 they only won 12
By 1930 the Nazis won 107 seats in the Reichstag
The KPD (communists)
1924 they got 45 seats
1928 they won 54
And in 1930 they won 77
Depression in Germany
Wall Street Crash - 1929
This meant that the US called back loans and millions lost their jobs
1928 - 2.5 million unemployed
1930 - 4 million unemployed
1932 - 6 million unemployed
As unemployment rose more people turned towards extremist groups
How did the Depression help Hitler?
ECONOMIC CHAOS
1932 - 6 million unemployed - Hitler promised to fix this
Banks were repossessing Farmer’s land
FEAR OF COMMUNISM
As the depression deepened, more turned to the KPD, this alarmed the wealthy because of what happened in Russia and they turned towards the Nazis
DISILLUSIONMENT WITH DEMOCRACY
By 1932 no one could agree on anything and Hindenburg was controlling Germany by his emergency powers. Hitler promised a strong leadership and exploited them through their fears and problems to win support
How did the Nazis take power?
1932 Elections : Hitler didn't win In the 1932 election, Hitler ran for president against Hindenburg. Hitler blamed the November Criminals ( the ones who signed the TofV) and the Jews for the problems Germany was facing. He promised to build a better Germany and people believe him. July 1932 election : The Nazis fought with the KPD constantly and Hitler demanded to be chancellor. Hindenburg didn't trust Hitler and appointed Von Papen instead. November 1932 election : Papen had little support so he held the November elections in hope that he'd get more, he didn't and the Nazis lost seats Elections : July 1932 - Nazis 230 seats KPD 89 seats November 1932 - Nazis 196 seats KPD 100 seats March 1933 - Nazis 288 seats KPD 81 seats
Hitler becomes chancellor
January 1933
It became clear that Hindenburg needed someone who was supported in the Reichstag so he and Papen decided to appoint Hitler
They believed they would be able to control him
Jan 30 1933 - Hitler became Chancellor and Papen became Vice- Chancellor
Reichstag Fire
27 February 1933
Marinus van der Lubbe - a communist - was blamed
Which led Hitler to blame all KPD for the fire and persuaded Hindenburg to give him emergency powers in which he in-prisoned thousands of communists
Hitler then asked for another election however the Nazis still didn’t win the majority
Enabling Act - March 1933
March 1933
Enabled Hitler to pass laws without the Reichstag
To have this, Hitler needed 2/3 of the Reichstags vote and he only had half
So he…
Ordered the SA to intimidate the opposition
Had 81 communist Reichstag members expelled
Hitler got the Enabling Act with 441 votes to 94
The Night of the Long Knives
June 1934 The Army didn't trust the SA Hitler wanted the support of the Army Röhm wanted to take control of the Army Hitler didn't trust Röhm On the 30th June, Hitler ordered the SS (his private body guards) to kill Hitlers SA rivals 400 were killed, including Röhm
How did the Nazis control through Propaganda
Life in Nazi Germany
Joseph Goebbels - head of propaganda
All newspapers were censored by the government and could only print stuff in favour of the Nazis
Radios censored by government and made cheap with only limited range
Films could only portray Germans as heroes
Mass rallies - stadiums built to hold thousands of people where they sang songs, watched firework displays and watched sporting events
1936 Olympics used to suggest the superiority of the Aryan Race
How did the Nazis control through Terror
Life in Nazi Germany
July 1933 - Hitler made Germany a one party state
The SS and the Gestapo enforced that all other parties were banned and anti- nazi people were imprisoned
Asocials were also persecuted - these were homosexuals/ Jews/ gypsies/ alcoholics/ prostitutes/ tramps/ beggars and people who refused to work
Around 500,000 tramps and beggars were sent to concentration camps in 1933 and 500,000 gypsies died in Auschwitz or other death camps
Nazis control through Education
Life in Nazi Germany
Teachers had to belong to German Teachers leagues and follow the Nazi curriculum
Textbooks were rewritten to support Nazi ideas
Children were taught Aryan race was superior
Children were encouraged to join youth groups like Hitler Youth
The Church
Life in Nazi Germany
1933 the Church and Hitler signed an agreement to keep out of each others business
The Nazis shut down a number of Churches and set up their own Church called the Reich Church - it was not Christian and didn’t allow its followers to use the bible, crosses or religious symbols
The role of women
Life in Nazi Germany
Hitler stated the women’s role was the 3 k’s - kinder, küche and kirche - children, kitchen and church
Marriage loans were given to women and the more children they had the less they’d pay back
Awards were given to women for the amount of children they had
Women were not allowed to be members of the Reichstag
Work
Life in Nazi Germany
The DAF replaced trade unions
Workers were not allowed to quit without the governments approval
Strikes were illegal
Pay increases and hours increased
From 1935 the Reich Labour Service was compulsory for 6 months for all young men
Persecution
Nazi treatment to Jews
1933 boycott against Jews
All businesses, homes, dentists and doctors were marked with the Star of David
Jewish children were intimidated at school
Germans were taught that Jews were unclean and the reason for the loss of WW1
1935 Nuremberg Laws -
Jews couldn’t be German citizens
Marriages between Jews and Aryans forbidden
Kristallnacht
7 November 1938
A Polish Jew shot a German diplomat in Paris
Hitler ordered an immediate attack on Jews
From the 9th to the 10th thousands of Jewish businesses were attacked and 200 synagogues were burned down
The final solution
1942 - height of WW2
The Nazis finalised their plan of the extermination of Jews in Europe
This policy of genocide became known as the final solution
1942-1945 4.5 million Jews were gassed
In total 6 millions Jews were murdered
Opposition of the Nazis
Church leaders - Niermöller spoke out against Hitler and was imprisoned for 8 years in a concentration camp
Young people - swing movement - (listened to jazz) - Edelweiss Pirates - (refused to join Hitler Youth and mocked them) - White Rose Movement - (distributed leaflets against Nazis - leaders Scholl and Hans were executed in 1945)
July Bomb Plot -
Stauffenburg attempted to blow up Hitler, he failed
