Germany - DEFINITIONS/shorter answers Flashcards
Define prerogative state (in context)
only what Hitler wants to happen will happen. nothing happens with without Hitler’s approval. (inefficient)
Define polycratic regime
governing with too many people and departments. unclear and chaotic running of a country.
Define autarky (in context)
being self-sufficient. Hitler wanted an autarkic Germany where they don’t need to trade with other countries.
Define social Darwinism
Nazi ideology. Survival of the fittest where the ‘Aryan’ race is the most superior
Define cumulative radicalisation
when something grows more and more radical through time / every year. EG: 1920s- Hitler blames Jews for Wall St crash. 1940s - mass extermination of Jews
What is meant by working towards the Fuhrer?
Competing to please Hitler. Many rivalries occurred within large Nazi powers because of this. Hitler enjoyed this sense of social Darwinism despite it being an awful way to run Germany.
Explain what is meant by a non-interventionalist dictatorship.
Hitler could be the dictator without having to always actively dictate. He ruled with fear therefore no one challenged him.
Give 3 examples of denazification in FRG
1)swastika was banned
2)all 22 Nazi leaders but 3 were convicted
3)new flag
how did germans continue to suffer after WW2? (FRG)
economic crisis —> starvation, high mortality rates. + Germans were used as forced labour as part of reparations.
what were intellectual reparations in FRG?
most advanced scientists from Germany were stolen by USA / Britain to be used in their programmes.
What was the Marshall plan?
the US gave aid ($13billion) to Western Europe after WW2 (1948)
what were the 3 US goals of the Marshall plan?
1) prevent the spread of communism
2) trade!
3)wanted allies in case of a WW3
name 3 features of the West German constitution
1) President = titular head of state. (less power)
2) MPs need at least 5% of the vote
3) AMS electoral system. hybrid system: 50% FPTP 50% PR
German phrase meaning economic miracle
Wirtschaftswunder
What was the Hallstein Doctrine?
West Germany did not care to have relations with East Germany. look to the west!
What is Ostpolitik?
West German attitude to seek for better relations with East Germany.
What is the Stufenplan?
Stufenplan was the sequel Hitler wrote to MeinKampf in the 1920s. It described his plan to WW2. Wasn’t published until after the war.
Define Weltpolitik
Global domination
What was the Anti-Comintern Pact ?1936
Anti - communism pact. Germany, Italy + Japan. Britain was invited but did not join due to the controversial faschist members.
Define Anschluss
German unity with Austria
Define Pan Germanism
unification of all German speaking people.
What was the German-British Naval Agreement 1935
Britain allowed Germany to expand their navy (this was against the treaty of Versailles) as long as it did not exceed 2/3 of British navy.
What happened at the Munich Conference? September 1938
Britain and France continued to follow appeasement by giving the Sudetenland to Germany. Czechoslovakia was not invited to the Conference.
Explain Hossbach Memorandum 1937
It is a conversation between Hitler and his politicians where he clearly outlined his plans leading up to war. Army generals Blomberg + Fritsch disagreed with Hitler’s plan and were immediately fired.
list the 6 initial chancellors of the FRG era in order
-ADENAUER
-ERHARD
-KIESINGER
-BRANDT
-SCHMIDT
-KOHL
name 3 of Adenauer’s successes
-he reconciled with France
-put west Germany into NATO 1955
-saved 20,000 German prisoners of war from Russia
-created economic stability, increased living standards
-successfully handled migrant crisis
-made good relations with USA, Israel
name 2 ‘failures’ of Adenauer
-he wasn’t overly critical of the Berlin wall for selfish reasons
-he promoted former Nazis into government positions
name 2 successes of Erhard
-stimulated economic growth,1948 currency reform - “father of the social market economy”
-slowly started opening up to the East
-highlighted importance of relations with USA & Israel
what is the one failure of Erhard as chancellor?
there was a recession in 1926, unemployment and inflation increased.
identify 2 successes of Kiesinger
-he headed the GRAND COALITION
-he promoted political stability
-he created emergency legislation to crack down on RAF terrorists
-name the 2 major failures of Chancellor Kiesinger
-some people thought he acted too authoritarian which caused student protests.
-he was exposed as a former Nazi in 1969
name 1 success of Brandt
-OSTPOLITIK
-went to Poland + East Germany trying to atone
name 2 failures of Brandt
-he struggled to deal with the RAF terrorists, increased student protests
-East German spy was found in his office - Brandt resigned.
name 2 successes of SCHMIDT
-destroyed the RAF terrorists.
-got West Germany to be part of the G6 (6 biggest economies in the world)
name a failure of Schmidt
- he agreed for America to station nuclear weapons in West Germany, causing young people to protest.
-young people liked the goals of the RAF terrorists so weren’t entirely pleased when they were destroyed
identify 2 successes of chancellor KOHL
-took down Berlin wall - German unity
-expanded social marker benefits
-ensured the EU expanded
-introduced tax reforms so people had more money in their pockets
summarise the Dolchtoss theory.
Ebert + the Weimar government were called the ‘November criminals’ who had stabbed Germany in the back by signing the Treaty to take power from the Kaiser & army
Who were the Sparticists?
KPD ran by Rosa Luxembourg & Karl Liebknecht (extremists). aimed to turn Germany into a communist country
How successful were the Nazis in the 1928 election?
2.6% of the vote
describe the Gestapo
secret police. plain clothes. would search for anti-Nazis.