Germany Flashcards
what happened at the end of oct. 1918?
german navy mutinied
fighting spread thru germany in winter 1918-19
who was the kaiser/emperor?
kaiser wilhelm
when did the kaiser abdicate?
november 1918
chancellor ebert declared germany a republic
explain the spartacist’s revolution
jan 1919
wanted communism
leibknecht and luxemburg
freikorps suppressed them
explain kapp putsch
1920 kapp ebert reduced freikorps numbers ended by general strike of workers kapp fled abroad
reasons for french occupation of the ruhr
1922 -> ger. didnt pay reparations
1923 -> french & belgian troops invaded ruhr
they took coal and steel
when did stressemen become chancellor?
1923
he introduced rentenmark
dawes plan
1924
reparations reduced
USA to give ger. loans
young plan
1929
reparations reduced to £1850 million
to be paid over timescale of 59 years
locarno pact
1925
ger. signed pact with : UK, france, belgium, italy
will respect borders
solve problems peacefully
league of nations
1926
other countries let ger. join
showed they were gaining trust worldwide
wage increase in 1920s?
10%
who lost savings in 1923?
middle class
how many new houses built?
2 million
living standards improved
kellog-briand pact
1928
ger. + 64 nations signed
promised to only use armies for self defence
how many female teachers and doctors by 1933?
100,000 teachers
3,000 doctors
new fashions let them drink and smoke
examples of development in culture
otto dix
george grosz
bauhaus design
metropolis
when did hitler join DAP (ger. worker’s party)?
1919
failed artist
what were the effects of french occupation of the ruhr?
inflation from WW I worsened workers on passive resistance -> govt printed money to pay them but less new goods produced hyperinflation young boy shot
who created DAP?
anton drexler
when did the DAP become NSDAP?
1920
when did hitler become leader of nazi party?
1921
explain 25 point programme
unite all germans to create a greater germany scrap T of V nationalise businesses generous old age pensions strip jews of citizenship designed to appeal to all
role of SA
protected nazi meetings
private army under rohm
beat up political opponents
when was munich putsch?
1923
reasons for munich putsch?
hitler hated WR
saw it as weak after ruhr invasion + hyperinflation
angry stresemen ended pasive resistance
consequences for munich putsch
16 nazis died hitler put on trial his speeches gained publicity from court found guilty of treason -> sentenced to 5 yrs only served 9 months hitler wrote mein kampf
how many people held hostage in beer hall?
2,000
why did nazi support decrease between 1924-28?
economy improved under stresemen
people happier
hitler seen as dangerous extremist
when did nazi party relaunch/reorganise?
1925
hitler released from prison
when were gauleiters introduced?
1925
after hitler left prison
events of bamberg conference
1926 goebbels became gauleiter of berlin rohm forced to resign SS created Hitler Youth created
why did unemployment increase?
1929 wall street crash -> great depression
how many were unemployed by 1932
6 million
many homeless roaming the streets
why did WR fail to solve unemployment?
didn’t want to print more money to avoid debt
raised taxes
reduced benefits
situation got worse
why did communist support grow?
some wanted communist takeover like in USSR
communist party became 2nd biggest after nazis
why did nazi support start to grow again?
middle class feared communist revolution, crime and disorder hitler promised to deal with these issues
when did nazi propaganda begin?
1929
who was head of propaganda?
goebbels
state methods of propaganda
mass rallies
posters
newspapers
news reels before movies -> cinema was popular
why was nazi propaganda useful?
messages were simple and easy to understand
focused on hitler
when was rohm reappointed leader of SA?
1929
work of SA 1929-33
protect nazi meetings
break up communist meetings
had many fights
explain von-papen’s deal
made chancellor in 1932 -> didn’t have majority
made deal with Hindenburg
hitler to become chancellor
von-papen to become vice chancellor
events of munich putsch
marched into beer hall 2,000 help hostage next day marched into munich stopped by police 16 nazis killed hitler shot in the arm and later captured by police
what are gauleiters?
in charge of gaues (areas)
when did hitler leave prison?
1925
when was the SS created?
1926
explain political situation in 1932
chancellor bruning had little support
pres. hindenburg ruled by decree
bruning stepped down
von papen became pres. but only had 68 seats
von papen arranged 2 elections but didnt gain seats
von papen suggested abolishing weimar constitution
von papen resigns -> still wants to regain power
nazis were biggest party -> 37% of votes
explain hindenburg and von papen’s arrangement
1932 -> von papen appointed chancellor didnt have majority made deal with hindenburg hitler -> chancellor von papen -> vice chancellor
reichstag fire
feb 1933
hitler called for new elections -> reichstag burned down
van der lubbe (dutch communist) found inside and arrested
hitler declared state of emergency
4,000 communists arrested
enabling act
march 1933
election results -> nazis 44% -> still not majority
passed act with catholic party support
hitler could make laws without reichstag for 4 yrs
when were other parties/trade unions banned?
1933
trade unions replaced with ger. labour front (DAF)
only nazi party allowed
what was the threat from rohm and the SA
hitler feared rohm’s power -> 1 mlln SA members
they argued on policies and who should control the arm (homosexuality)
who was the SS leader?
himmler
explain the night of the long knives
1934
himler told hitler rohm was planning a coup
rohm + 200 other SA leaders arrested and shot
when did hindenburg die?
1934
why did hitler become fuhrer?
1934
hindenburg died
merged jobs of chancellor and president
more than 90% agreed in referendum
explain oath of allegiance
1934
army grateful hitler took control of SA
they swore an oath of allegiance to him personally
what’s the gestapo?
state police
controlled by himmler & SS
paid informers
could arrest & imprison without warrant
what was the SS?
hitler’s personal bodyguards
led by himmler
had to be pure aryan and physically strong
what was the SD?
intelligence body of nazi party
led by Heydrich
discovered and removed actual/potential enemies
explain conc. camps
run by SS or SD harsh prisons -> people divided into groups hard labour little food many died
explain nazi control of the legal system
judges had to be loyal nazis
judges wore swastikas
all laws interpreted in the nazi way
explain nazi policies towards the catholic church
concordat signed in 1933
hitler would leave catholic church alone
pope stayed out of politics/didn’t comment on nazi policies
cath. church was powerful
explain nazi policies towards prot. church
reich church combined all prots.
led by bishop muller
explain how newspapers and books were controlled
newspapers -> independent, but what they could print was controlled
if they printed unapproved stories they were shut down
mass book burning ceremonies to get rid of anti-nazi books
how were radios and loudspeakers used?
cheap radios made so each home could afford one
loudspeakers on each street in towns so everyone could hear propaganda
how were rallies/sport used?
mass meetings for public events -> hitler’s birthday
sport encouraged to keep people fit and healthy
berlin olympics
1936
hitler used it to show strength/superiority of aryan germans
had a few jewish athletes to squash rumours
refused to shake successful Black Jesse Owens’ hand
explain nazi control of literature and film
news reels before films
films told stories with nazi slants
writers had to write stories in favour of hitler/nazis
explain the extent of support for the nazi regime
most liked germany’s economic success and stability
but 1.3 mlln sent to concentration camps -> suggests less support for nazi regime
opposition from prots.
pastor niemoller opposed nazi control over the church
arrested
opposition from caths.
cardinal galen opposed euthanasia programme
not arrested
swing youth
wore baggy clothes
long hair
makeup
listened to jazz
edelweiss pirates
wrote anti-nazi graffiti
fought hitler youth
nazi views on women
traditional
conservative clothes
shouldn’t work
stay home and support the family
nazi policies towards women
given loans, medals + encouragement to have large families/more babies
lost their jobs
but did 1 yr duty year of work from 1937
was the duty year of work introduced?
1937
nazi aims for the young
boys -> brought up to be soldiers
girls -> brought up to be future mothers/wives
hitler youth
1926
boys
14-18
focused on physical activities + nazi indoctrination
league of ger. maidens
1930
girls
14-18
focused on physical activities + nazi indoctrination
nazi control though education
lessons changed to give nazi slant
only ger. history/culture taught
extra time for physical activity
race science/eugenics
nazi policies to reduce unemployment
labour schemes -> build autobahns or bridges
rearmament provided jobs
jews, women, minorities -> lost their jobs
labour service (RAD)
all men had to do 6 months compulsory labour
physical poorly paid work
workers lived in army style conditions
describe autobahns
motorways
built to make transport easy for army
and provide jobs for unemployed
what was rearmament?
building tanks, ships + aircraft
by 1939 -> 1.4 mlln soldiers -> 100,000 only allowed from T of V
what was invisible unemployment?
jews, women + minorities lost their jobs
their numbers not recorded in official statistics
changing standards of living for ger. workers
average weekly wages increased -> but from a low base due to the depression
workers lost rights -> worked longer hours (43 to 47)
describe the ger. labour front (DAF)
trade unions banned
strikes illegal
DAF claimed to improve worker’s rights -> but was a nazi tool of control
describe strength through joy (KdF)
leisure activities as rewards
theatre visits, museum tours, concerts, holidays, cruises
low cost
only nazi approved activities
1938 -> over 10 mlln people took KdF holidays
describe beauty of labour
improved workplace conditions
e.g. factory canteens, sports facilities,
but workers had to contribute in their spare time
nazi racial beliefs/policies
nazis wanted to create pure german race
believed aryans = superior, jews/minorities = inferior
hitler wanted LENENSRAUM (living space) in east for ger. people
treatment of slavs/gypsies
slavs -> slave labour for ger. people
gypsies -> separated from wider population in conc. camps
500,000 killed in death camps
treatment of homosexuals
homosexuality -> illegal
gay men -> arrested, sent to conc. camps
experimented on to find cures for homosexuality
treatment of black people
negermusik/jazz banned
385 sterilised -> mixed raced people
black disgrace of the rhineland
treatment of disabled
sterilised
sent to “asylums” -> gassed and cremated
persecution of jews
laws passed to separate them from society + make life hard for them
conc. camps
describe the boycott of jewish shops
1933
organised by SA
J’s painted on their windows
not that popular
nuremburg laws
1935
jews no longer ger. citizens
jew -> defined as anyone with 1 or more jewish grandparent
kristallnacht
1938 nov
polish jew gryznspan shot von rath (ger. diplomat)
in paris
used as an excuse to attack synagogues + jewish businesses in ger.
100 jews killed
20,000 jews sent to conc. camps
CREEPSHA
C-> Chancellor, calls for new elections, 1933
R-> Reichstag fire, 1933 feb
E-> Emergency laws/powers, 2nd elections 1933, march
E-> Enabling Act, 1933 april
P-> Political parties banned, 1933 june
S-> SA disbanded, night of the long knives, 1934 june
H-> Hindenburg dies, 1934 august
A-> Army Oath, 1934 september
when did hitler become chancellor?
1933
details of concordat
Reichskonkordat
treaty with vatican
july 1933
