Germany Chapter 2- Impact of WW1 Flashcards

Germany 1890-1945- Chapter 2

1
Q

When did WW1 begin?

A

August 1914

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Who did Germany and Austria go against in WW1?

A

France, Britain, Russia and Belgium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What was Germany’s reactions during the war in 1914?

A

-Patriotic Germans thought it would end quickly
-British navy stopped ships getting food into GER -> food & other shortages.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What was Germany’s reactions during the war in 1915-16?

A

-In GER, protestors demanded war to end. Demonstrations-> 500 to 10,000 people.
-War weariness increased
-Front line-> soldiers worn down by bombs, gas & machine gun fire

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

When did the Germany navy in Kiel mutinied?

A

28 October 1918

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What event occurred on October 28, 1918, leading to significant unrest in Germany?

A

-German navy in Kiel mutinied
-Mutiny spread among soldiers & workers
-In 6 days, workers’ & soldiers’ councils governed towns & cities
-Kaiser lost control as army generals refused to support him

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What significant event occurred on November 9, 1918, regarding the leadership transition in Germany?

A

-Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated and fled Germany permanently
-Friedrich Ebert, leader of SPD, assumed temporary leadership
-Ebert promised elections and ended the war

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

When did Germany surrender WW1?

A

11 November 1918

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What were some economic consequences faced by Germany after World War I?

A

Germany faced:
- Large debts from borrowing to finance the war.
- Loaned money to its allies.
- Exhausted factories.
- High costs for war pensions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How did World War I affect German society by 1918?

A
  • Society became more divided
  • Factory owners profited, while workers faced wage restrictions
  • Women entered the workforce, leading to concerns about traditional family values
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What contributed to political instability in Germany after World War I?

A
  • Mutiny and revolution occurred across Germany
  • Ex-soldiers and civilians accused politicians of betraying Germany by ending the war
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What event marked the declaration of Germany as a democratic republic?

A

-Temporary leader Ebert declared Germany a democratic republic
-Ebert arranged for elections for a new parliament to take place in January

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What group attempted to seize power in Berlin on 6th January 1919?

A

Spartacists, a group of Communists, seized power in Berlin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How did Ebert respond to the Spartacist uprising, and what group did he deploy?

A

-Ebert deployed the Free Corps (a group of tough ex-soldier), to attack Spartacists
-After 3 days of street fighting, the Free Corps recaptured buildings and arrested (and later killed) Spartacist leaders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What occurred after the suppression of the Spartacists?

A

-Ebert’s party, the SPD, won the elections

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Where did politicians meet to create a formal set of rules for governing Germany?

A

-Politicians met in Weimar to create the Weimar Constitution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What was the Weimar Constitution?

A

-Established a formal set of rules for governing Germany

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What rights were granted to all Germans by the Weimar Constitution?

A

-Granted all Germans equal rights, including the right to vote

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What was a weakness of the Weimar Constitution regarding the makeup of the Reichstag?

A

-Proportional representation led to difficulty in achieving a majority for one party
-Leading parties had to negotiate with smaller groups, slowing down the law-making process

20
Q

Who were some groups that opposed the democratic system established by the Weimar Constitution?

A

-Older army generals, judges, upper-class families, rich factory owners, and university professors
-They preferred the previous rule under the Kaiser

21
Q

What term did some Germans use to describe the politicians linked to Germany’s defeat in World War I?

A

-Some Germans called them “November Criminals”

22
Q

Article 48

A

-granted the President of Germany emergency powers to pass laws without the approval of the Reichstag

23
Q

November Criminals?

A

-politicians and leaders who were associated with Germany’s defeat in World War I & the establishment of the new government.

24
Q

KPD

A

Communist Party

25
Q

Who supported the Communist Party (KPD)?

A

-Vast majority were working class

26
Q

Who supported the Social Democratic Party (SPD)?

A

-Mostly working class

27
Q

SPD

A

Social Democratic Party

28
Q

Who supported the German Democratic Party (DDP)?

A

-Middle class, e.g. lawyers, writers

29
Q

DDP

A

German Democratic Party

30
Q

Who supported the Centre Party (Zentrum)?

A

-Catholics from all classes (southern GER was mainly Catholic)

31
Q

Zentrum

A

Centre Party

32
Q

Who supported the People’s Party (DVP)?

A

-Middle class, mainly businessmen

33
Q

DVP

A

People’s party

34
Q

Who supporters the National People’s Party (DNVP)?

A

-Middle & Upper classes, some ex-soldiers

35
Q

DNVP

A

National People’s Party

36
Q

Who supported the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP or Nazis)?

A

-Unemployed
-Ex- soldiers
-Some support from middle & upper classes who feared communists

37
Q

What did the Treaty of Versailles state? 1919

A

-Reparations of £6.6 billion
-GER should only have a small navy, no submarines, tanks or air force
-GER must hand over its colonies abroad to its winning countries.
-No GER soldiers should enter Rhineland (an area of GER next to France)
-GER must never unite with Austria again
-No Anchluss
-Large GER land areas used to create new countries for people who has previously been ruled by others (such as Poland & Czechoslovakia)

38
Q

Why did the Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles?

A

-humiliated & felt it was too harsh-> land taken meaning losing people, factories, farms & mines/had to pay money too
-ordered to sign the treaty without discussion-> DIKTAT- dictated peace
-felt that GER new politicans betrayed country by asking for a ceasefire-> when Kaiser left GER in Nov 1918. /some thought they could’ve carried on fighting.

39
Q

Field Marshal Hindenburg

A

Blamed politicians for ‘stabbing the German army in the back’

40
Q

What were the reparations in 1921?

A

£6.6 billion to be paid in yearly installments for the next 66 years

41
Q

What led to the Occupation of the Ruhr in 1922, and who took control of the region?

A

-Germans announced inability to pay reparations, leading to the Occupation of the Ruhr by French and Belgian soldiers
-In Jan 1923, 60,000 soldiers seized control of factories, mines, and railways in the industrial area of Germany

42
Q

What measures did the German government take in response to the Occupation of the Ruhr, and what consequences did these measures have?

A

-Ordered workers in the Ruhr to go on strike (passive resistance)
-Continued paying striking workers and printed large amounts of money to pay debts and workers
-This led to hyperinflation as shop prices skyrocketed

43
Q

How severe was hyperinflation in Germany during 1923, and what are some examples of its impact on everyday goods?

A

-Prices inflated rapidly, leading to hyperinflation
-e.g: Price of a loaf of bread increased from 0.6 marks in 1918 to 1.5 million marks in November 1923
e.g: Price of an egg surged from 0.9 marks in 1914 to 320 billion marks in November 1923

44
Q

What were the impacts of the economic problems in Germany by 1923?

A
  • By 1923, German currency became worthless due to hyperinflation.
  • Many Germans blamed their government for causing economic problems by calling a strike in the Ruhr & printing excessive money.
  • 1923 was regarded as the worst year for most Germans since the end of World War I.
  • Hyperinflation had a detrimental impact on the majority of people, creating more losers than winners.
45
Q

What were some negative impacts experienced by certain groups during the economic crisis?

A

-Bank savings lost value, becoming worthless.
-Elderly individuals on fixed pensions faced affordability issues.
-Small businesses collapsed due to unstable trade conditions.

46
Q

What were some positive impacts experienced by certain groups during the economic crisis?

A

-Borrowers found it extremely easy to pay off their debts due to hyperinflation.
-For instance, someone who borrowed 10,000 marks in 1920 could repay their entire debt with a single banknote.