Germany - EVENTS/long answers

Question 1

describe the ‘revolution from below’

Answer 1

German workers, soldiers + sailors tried to take over the government due to their suffering in WW1.

Question 2

describe the ‘revolution from above’

Answer 2

SPD replaces monarch position. powerful men wanted to stay powerful and not take blame for German defeat.
–> gave power to SPD

Question 3

name 3 constitutional weaknesses of Weimar.

Answer 3

1)proportional representation. can give power to small extremist parties
2)article 48. president can suspend the democracy in case of emergency.
3)presidency power. had no max term. could appoint any chancellor at any time.

Question 4

name at least 3 of Stresemann’s achievements in the Weimar ‘golden years’

Answer 4

1) Dawes Plan- tackled issue of hyperinflation by changing the currency + US loaned millions to Germany.
2)Young Plan- reparations were reduced from £6.6b to $1.85b
3)Solved Ruhr Crisis- the above allowed Stresemann to order end to the French strikes in the Ruhr (full of coal)
4)Political stability- made a coalition Reichstag.
5) International respect - Locarno Treaty, Kellogg Briand Pact, League of Nations

Question 5

Describe the Kapp Putsch 1920

Answer 5

-Ebert tried to disband the Freikorps
-Freikorps leader Kapp took the government buildings + declared a new right wing government.
-Ebert called on workers of Berlin to go on strike and not support putsch - they agreed. Kapp putsch failed.

Question 6

Describe the Munich Putsch November 1923 and its consequences.

Answer 6

-Hitler, with 600 SA, entered beer hall in Munich intruding on Bavarian government meeting
-At gunpoint, forced leaders to support him. (Army came)
-Hitler + 1000 SA march, he declares himself president. got no support. Police arrived ; chaos.
- 14 Nazis dead. Leaders arrested. Putsch failure. Nazi party banned. Hitler sentenced to 5 yrs, only served 9 months. wrote Mein Kampf in jail, strategized.

Question 7

summarise the political intrigue events (chancellors) 1930-1933

Answer 7

-1930 Bruning is chancellor. Austerity response to GD –> faces criticism and resigns.
-May 1932 Papen replaces him.
-July 1932 election. Nazis get most votes (38%). Hindenburg refuses to make Hitler chancellor - ‘political novice’.
-Nov 1932 Papen loses support, resigns. another election. Nazi vote decreases 5% but still highest vote. KPD + SPD could’ve cooperated to best Nazis but didn’t.
-Dec 1932 Schleicher persuaded to become chancellor but gets no support. Offers to make Strasser (left Nazi) vice chancellor - Hitler says no.
-Papen (Schleicher’s rival) persuades Hindenburg to sack Schleicher. Papen and HIndenburg plan to appoint Hitler but still have control over him. They know nazis are popular.
-30th Jan 1933 Hitler is chancellor
-August 1934 Hindenburg dies. Hitler becomes Fuhrer.

Question 8

Summarise the Night of the Long Knives 1934

Answer 8

-Hitler believed Rohm (leader of SA) wanted to overthrow him + the army. Army encouraged Hitler to order arrests of SA leaders, calling them traitors.
-30th June1934 PM: SS arrest 400 SA leaders. some imprisoned, some executed.
-Rohm executed. Strasser + Schleicher (left Nazis) executed. Ludendorff executed. Imprisoned Papen.

Question 9

What was the Berlin Blockade? 1948

Answer 9

Russia blocked West Germany’s railway, road and canal access to Berlin supplies. Western allies (USA+Britain) organised the Berlin Airlift - flew over supplies to the people of West Berlin.

Question 10

identify the 4 main uprisings of the Weimar period.

Answer 10

-1919 Spartacist uprising
-1920 Kapp Putsch
-1923 Ruhr Uprising
-1923 Munich Putsch

Question 11

name at least 4 ways Nazis used censorship + repression

Answer 11

-banned KPD in 1933
-Night of the Long Knives
-SS & Gestapo
-Press Censorship
-Cultural Censorship (education, burn Jewish books, ban on ‘anti German literature’
-Wartime censorship (‘final solution’)
-political opposition placed in concentration camps

Question 12

give 2 pieces of evidence showing there was support for the FRG

Answer 12

-people left East Germany to join West Germany
-high turnout at elections
-lack of MAJOR opposition to FRG

Question 13

give 2 pieces of evidence to suggest there wasn’t full support for FRG

Answer 13

-1/5 of people said they would hide a member of the RAF (terrorists)
-frequent student protests

Question 14

Give 2 examples of Hitler’s ‘tactical’ compromises to opposition

Answer 14

-temporary exemptions For Jews (in holocaust) who were married to Christians
-concessions to workers eg beauty of labour programme