Germany COMP Flashcards

Germany 1919-1991

1
Q

Why is it called the Weimar Republic?

A

Because they have no royalty (the kaiser abdicated) and the government moved to Weimar.

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2
Q

What was the Weimar constitution?

A

A set of rules made for Weimar germamy

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3
Q

What were the main points if the Weimar constitution?

A

Authority comes from the people
President is elected
If safety is endangered the president can do anything to help - (Article 48)

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4
Q

How was Germany punished for WW1?

A

The treaty of versailles

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5
Q

What were the economic terms of the treaty of versaille

A

Reparations of £6.6 billion

Coal, sheep and cattle given to France

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6
Q

What were the military terms of the treaty of versailles?

A

Army - no more than 100,000 men
No aircraft or tanks
No union with Austria
No submarines

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7
Q

What were the land terms of the treaty of versailles?

A

Alsace - Lorraine given back to France

All colonies to be given to the allies

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8
Q

What was the spartacist uprising?

A

1919: communists led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg wanted to overthrow the government.
All arrested and killed

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9
Q

What was the Kapp putsch?

A

1920: Wolfgang Kapp and General Luttwitz led freikorps when they stormed Berlin. They were angry avout the treaty of versailles. Were in power for four days but workers went on strike

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10
Q

What was the Munich putsch?

A

Hitler led 600 stormtroopers in a march through Munichh, after interrupting a meeting with the Bavarian prime minister because of the treaty of versailles. However, Hitler was arrested.

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11
Q

When were the Stresemann years?

A

Between 1923 and 1929

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12
Q

Who was Gustav Stresemann?

A

He was Chancellor of Germany in 1923 and then foreign minister.

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13
Q

What did Stresemann do to help the German economy?

A

He introduced a new currency (the retenmark) to help with hyper inflation.
He agreed the Dawes plan - 1923 - so that the US lent Germany 800 million gold marks.
He agreed the Young plan - 1929 - which reduced reparations.

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14
Q

How did the Nazis gain power and votes.

A
  • In 1926, Joseph Goebells is put in charge of propoganda.
  • In 1927, they only win 17 seats.
  • 1930 - People vote for them to keep communists out.
  • Hitler speaks at 4 - 5 mass rallies every day.
  • 1932 - Nazis have 230 seats.
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15
Q

How does Hitler become chancellor?

A

By July 1932, The Nazis are winning 37.5% of the vote. Franz von Papen was chosen to be chancellor, followed by Kurt von Schleicher. Von Papen made a deal with Hitler so he became vice - chancellor while Hitler was chancellor.

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16
Q

What was the Reichstag fire?

A

February 1933 - There is a fire in the reichstag building. Hitler blames the communists - their biggest opposition - and gets the party banned.

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17
Q

What was the Enabling act

A

March 1933 - Hitler passes Article 48. He removes civil rights and bans all other political parties.

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18
Q

What was the Night of the Long Knives/

A

Hitler feels that the SA have become too powerful under Ernst Rohm. He launches an attack on them, causing hundreds of murders.

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19
Q

When does Hitler become a ‘fuhrer’ (dictator)?

A

August 1934 - President Hindenburg dies.

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20
Q

What is Gleichaltung?

A

This means that Nazis control every part of life - Everyone had to be part of a Nazi group eg. the Hitler Youth.

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21
Q

What was the SS?

A

These were Hitler’s bodyguards, converted into police, led by Himmler. They were violent and brutal.

22
Q

What was the gestapo?

A

Part of the SS. Led by Heydrich, they had the power to arrest people without a trial.

23
Q

How did Hitler use the legal system to control people?

A

The People’s Court - put enemies of the Nazis on trial. Hitler controlled the legal system.

24
Q

How did the Nazis use Propoganda?

A
  • Posters, Films (Triumph of the Will), Newspapers (Der Sturmer), Rallies (Nuremberg rally).
25
Q

How did Hitler decrease unemployment?

A
Women were no longer included
They were forced to work.
Jews were no longer included.
Conscription
Factories 
National Labour service made jobs
German labour front - people couldn't leave their jobs.
26
Q

How did Hitler control schools?

A

Teachers swore an oath.
Textbooks were rewritten
15% of curriculum is PE.
Taught anti-semitism.

27
Q

How did the Nazis boycott Jewish businesses?

A

1933- painted signs on doors, new law meant that they couldn’t have government jobs.

28
Q

What were the Nuremberg laws?

A

These meant that Jews could not be German citizens or have German blood. They lost the right to vote.

29
Q

What was Kristallnacht?

A

The Nazis smashed Jewish properties, burnt synagogues. They sent 20,000 Jews to concentration camps and killed 100.

30
Q

How did the church oppose the Nazis?

A

The Nazi church was known as the ‘German Christians’

Martin Niemoller was leader of the confessional church and spent 8 years in a concentration camp.

31
Q

How did Youth groups oppose the Nazis?

A

The White Rose group - led by Hans and Sophie Scholl - didn’t like Hitler taking away rights.
The Edelweiss pirates - attacked Hitler Youth members.

32
Q

How did the military oppose the Nazis?

A

Colonel von Stauffenberg put a bomb in Hitlers headquarters on 20th July 1944 but the attempt failed, although he was injured. 200 conspirators were killed.

33
Q

What was the home front like in 1939?

A

People are feeling positive about the war. Rationing has been brought - limited to bread, potatoes and vegetables, as well as a limit on shoes.

34
Q

What was the home front like in 1941?

A

More women have had to go to work in factories and 50% of German workers are working in these, making ammunition.

35
Q

What was the home front like by 1945?

A

Berlin has been bombed, along with a vast amount of other cities. Homelessness is common and 500,000 civilians have been killed.

36
Q

What was the treatment of Jews like between 1939 and 1941?

A

The Germans are taking over other countries and spreading their anti-semitic views. Polish Jews are being shot by the Einsatzgruppen and they are being put into ghettos. In 1941, there is also mass shootings in Russia.

37
Q

What was the final solution?

A

When the Germans decided to eliminate alll of the Jews in Europe at the Wansee conference in 1942.

38
Q

What was the treatment of Jews like between 1942 and 1945?

A

The final solution was decided upon and they also started using gas chambers in extermination camps such as Auschwitz. 1.1 million Jews are killed in these. By the time the camps are liberated in 1945, 6 million Jews have been killed and 91% of all Polish Jews.

39
Q

What happened at the Yalta conference?

A

Feb 1945 - Britain, U.S.A and Russia.
Decide that Germany and Berlin would be splitinto four zones.
Trials held for those responsible.

40
Q

What happened at the Potsdam conference?

A
Aug 1945 - 
Four zones agreed
Peace Treaty
Nuremberg war crimes trial
Some reparations
41
Q

What was life like in West Germany?

A

Chancellor Adenauer wanted to restore the German economy. They were a democracy and had a stable government. They were experiencing an economic miracle. The Marshall Aid programme lent them 1.3 billion. They had a new currency and a strong central bank.

42
Q

What was life like in East Germany?

A

They were communist and led by Stalin in a one party state. The stazi spied on everyone. They were using the concentration camps. in 12 years, 3.5 million East Germans moved to the West.

43
Q

What was the Berlin Blockade and airlift?

A

In June 1948, Stalin orders that supplies are cut off to the 2.4 million West Germans living in Berlin. This causes the allies to fly supplies in, which they do for 11 months and costs them $200 million.

44
Q

What was NATO?

A

West Germany formed an alliance in 1949 with 11 European countries as well as the US and Canada.

45
Q

What was the Warsaw pact?

A

East Germany formed an alliance in 1951 with all of the Eastern European communist country.

46
Q

What was the Berlin wall?

A

This was a wall built on August 13th 1961 which covered 91 miles around West Berlin. They built this to stop East Germans from leaving. Over 100 people were killed trying to cross. The wall stood fr 28 years.

47
Q

Who was Willy Brandt?

A

He was chancellor in 1964 and foreign minister in 1966

48
Q

what was ostpolitik?

A

Willy Brandt’s policy to improve relations between the East and the West

49
Q

Why did Communism end in Eastern Europe?

A
The USSR government was very corrupt.
Ronald Reagan is very anti-communist
perestroika and glasnost
Crime was bigger in communist countries
Factories and mines were out of date.
50
Q

Why was Germany re-unified?

A

West gave loans to East.
May 1990 - currencies merged.
300,000 East Germans had permanently left.

51
Q

Who was Helmut Kohl?

A

Chancellor of West Germany in 1983 and worked with the East and was the first Chancellor of re-unified Germany.

52
Q

Why did the USSR fall?

A

1985 - Mikhail Gorbechev became president.

He allows free elections in USSR controlled countries. Most countries choose to leave the USSR