germany- part 1, germany and growth of democracy Flashcards
chapters 1-3 (kaiser wilhelm, impact of first world war, weimar democracy)
define ‘militarism’
belief that a country should maintain a strong armed forces and be prepared to use it aggressively
when was Germany unified as a nation
1871
what was the most powerful state in Germany prior to its unification
Prussia
who became the ruler of Germany after it was unified
Kaiser Wilhelm II
what did the chancellor (chief minister) and ministers do
advised Kaiser
what was the Bundesrat
made up of representatives from each state who consulted with the Kaiser over new laws
what was the Reichstag
- parliament elected by men over 25
- both Reichstag and Bundesrat debated and voted on laws drawn up by the Kaiser and ministers
what could the Kaiser do
- ignore government advice and make his own decisions
- he made all military and foreign policy and decisions
who was Kaiser Wilhelm II
- spent most of his youth in the army
- keen to maintain a powerful army and built up a large navy
- took great pride in leading the army and was very interested in military tactics
- wanted Germany to be a global power and have an empire to rival Britain’s; this idea was called Weltpolitik
- was from Prussia; militarism was important there; Prussian generals, army officers and tactics formed the basis of the new united German navy
- elected in 1888, was 29 years old
- grandson of Queen Victoria, cousin to GBR future king George V
when did Germany begin to industrialise
- in the late 1800s
- was supported by powerful German businessmen
what was ‘Weltpolitik’
world policy, was Kaiser’s plan to turn Germany into a global power
describe how the production of iron and coal changed in Germany in 1913 compared to 1914
- 1913- Germany was producing as much coal as Britain and more iron and steel
- 1914- Germany produced two thirds of Europe’s steel. in industries such as electrical goods and chemicals, German companies dominated Europe- meant some leading factory and business owners had become very rich and influential
describe the growth of socialism
- many workers were unhappy with low wages and poor working conditions
- workers joined trade unions and organised strikes hoping to force the government to improve pay and working conditions- by 1914 over 3mill workers had joined trade unions
- a new political party the Social Democratic Party became popular
- some socialists took an extreme view: wanted to rebel against the Kaiser’s rule, start a revolution and allow cities and towns to be governed by councils of workers
describe the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Kaiser Germany
- believed in socialism (power and wealth should be shared equally among the people)
- hoped that the Kaiser might allow the Reichstag to make more social reforms or laws to improve worker’s rights and conditions
- disagreed with the power and privileged positions held by land and factory owners
- around 1 in 3 Germans voted for this party at the time
why did the Kaiser introduce the Naval Laws between 1898 and 1912?
- he wanted a large navy to help him take over more countries and protect those already in the German Empire
- he was very militaristic and wanted the German navy to rival Britain’s vast navy
how did the Kaiser introduce the Naval Laws between 1898 and 1912?
- taxes were increased
- money was borrowed
- Germany would remain in debt for a long time
what were the Naval Laws that were introduced between 1898 and 1912?
- resulted in a huge amount of money being spent to rapidly increase the size of the navy
- the army expanded in size too
what were German people’s thoughts on the war in 1914 compared to in 1915-16?
1914:
- the war was popular and patriotic Germans thought it would end quickly
- British Naval Blockade- over 700,000 Germans died from starvation
1915-16:
- protestors demanded an end to the war- demonstrations increased from 500 to 10,000
- war weariness increased
- on the front line Germans were close to defeat too
when did the German Kaiser abdicate?
9th November 1918
who took over the country temporarily after the Kaiser abdicated?
Friedrich Ebert (leader of the SPD)
what did Friedrich Ebert promise to do after temporarily taking over control of Germany?
hold an election
when did Germany surrender from WW1?
11th November 1918
what were the impacts of war on Germany by 1918
- Germany was virtually bankrupt
- The war had divided German society further
- Germany had become more politically unstable
why was Germany virtually bankrupt after the war?
- Germany had lent some of its own money to the allies- didn’t know when (or if) they would get it back
- Germany had borrowed money from abroad (e.g. USA) to pay for the war- needed to pay this back
- the war left 600,000 war widows and two million children without fathers- war pensions would cost the government a fortune in the future
- German factories were exhausted by the war as they had been producing guns, bullets and shells- not goods to sell abroad and make money
why had the war divided German society further?
- some factory owners made a fortune during the war, while German workers had restrictions placed on their wages
- women worked in factories during the war- some thought this damaged traditional family values
why had Germany become more politically unstable from the war?
- before the war, Germany had been a stable, rich nation- now there was mutiny and revolution
- many ex-soldiers and civilians felt Germany could have won the war- felt betrayed by the politicians (the ‘November Criminals’) who ended it, and refused to support them
when did the Kaiser leave Germany?
9th November 1918
what were the first actions that Ebert took as president of the Weimar Republic?
- signed an armistice to end WW1
- ordered improvements to working conditions, help for the unemployed, improved housing, and more food supplies
- guaranteed freedom of speech & religion and arranged elections for new German parliament
what did the Spartacists believe in?
communism (which was a new political idea)
how did the Spartacists want Germany to be run?
by small councils of soldiers and workers- not one large parliament
when was the Spartacists uprising?
6th January 1919
describe the Spartacists uprising:
- tried to take over Berlin
- thousands of them roamed the streets, firing guns, trying to take over important buildings
- Ebert sent Free Corps (a group of 2000 ex-soldiers) to attack the Spartacists
- after 3 days of street fighting, the Free Corps recaptured buildings and arrested Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
- after beating them, the Free Corps murdered them
who were the leaders of the Spartacists?
Rosa Luxemburg
Karl Liebknecht
is communism left or right wing
left wing
what party won the first election of the Weimar Republic, and who was the first president?
SPD
Friedrich Ebert
what did communists believe?
- everyone is equal
- no private property and the government runs farms and businesses for the benefit of all people
- little need for money or laws as everyone lives a simple life- sharing all they have
what was the Weimar Constitution?
a formal set of rules for how Germany should be governed
why was the Weimar Constitution considered very fair?
- all Germans had equal rights
- all those over 20 could vote (including women)
what is proportional representation
a political system in which the number of politicians for a particular party is in proportion with the number of votes they win
why was proportional representation a weakness of the Weimar Republic?
- it meant that lots of different political parties were able to win seats in the Reichstag
- sometimes there were over 20 different parties arguing over a single issue
- meant it was difficult to make a decision
- between 1919 and 1933 no political party ever won more than half the votes, meaning there was no majority
- no majority lead to smaller party’s forming coalition governments
why were coalition governments very weak?
as it was made of at least two different political parties, so they would have different views- making it impossible to make decisions and pass laws
what were the politicians who lost the war in 1918 called?
The November Criminals
which groups didn’t like democratic system of the Weimar Republic, and why?
Some older army generals, judges, upper-class families, rich factory owners and university professors- longed for the ‘good old days’ when the Kaiser ruled
what was Article 48?
part of the Weimar Constitution
gave the President the right to rule in a time of crisis without support of the Reichstag
what was the result of British ships stopping supply ships getting to Germany?
shortages of food, medicine and clothing
what was the result of the deadly flu epidemic that swept Germany in 1918?
killed thousands who were already weak from a poor diet
what did General Ludendorff tell the German politicians in October 1918?
- they could never win the war
- advised the Kaiser that the Allies may be more fair to Germany if the country was democratic- so the Kaiser transferred some of his powers to the Reichstag and allowed the main political parties to form a new government
what were the German navy ordered to do on the 28th October 1918, and what really happened?
ordered to attack the British ships that were stopping supplies from entering Germany
they mutinied (refused) as they no longer wanted to fight
what was the result of the German Navy’s mutiny in October 1918?
- soldiers sent to deal with the protests also joined the sailors and workers
- in just 6 days, workers’ and soldiers’ councils were governing towns and cities all over Germany- as a result the Kaiser realised he had lost control, and his army generals refused to support him- country was in chaos, so he abdicated on 9th November 1918
Constitution of the Weimar Republic:
President
- elected every 7years
- controlled army, navy and air force
- stayed out of day-to-day running of the country, but could pass Article 48 in a state of emergency and rule without decree
Constitution of the Weimar Republic:
Reichstag
- discussed and introduced laws
- members were elected every 4years
- voting system was proportional representation
Constitution of the Weimar Republic:
German people (electorate)
- all men and women over 20 could vote
- elected the president and politicians in the Reichstag
- the constitution guaranteed them basic freedoms- like free speech
Constitution of the Weimar Republic:
Chancellor
- chosen by president
- responsible for the day-to-day running of the country- like law and order, taxation, schooling, healthcare
- must have support of at least have the politicians in the Reichstag to pass new laws
who were the main supporters of the Communist Party (KPD)
(left wing)
working class
Communist Party attitude to W.R?
anti-republic
policies of the Communist Party:
thought Germany should be a communist country and run by workers councils, not by Parliament
who were the main supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SPD)
mostly working class
Social Democratic Party attitude to W.R?
pro-republic
Ebert was a social democrat
policies of the Social Democratic Party:
believed everyone was equal, wanted democracy and reforms to help ordinary people
who were the main supporters of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP or Nazis)
(right wing)
unemployed, mainly ex soldiers, some support from middle and upper classes who feared communists
policies of the Nazis:
wanted Germany to be a powerful nation and a strong military power again; hated democracy and wanted a strong government ruled by one man
hated communism because it states that all people are equal; Nazis believed that some races and nations were better than others
what were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- Article 231- Germany had to take full responsibility for starting the war (War Guilt Clause)
- armed forces were reduced to 100,000, no armoured vehicles, aircraft or submarines, and could only have 6 warships
- forced to pay £6.6billion in reparations- to pay for damage caused by Germany in the war
- lost its empire- areas around the world that used to belong to them were called mandates and were put under control of the winning nations by the LoN
- Demilitarisation of the Rhineland
Nazis attitude to W.R?
anti-republic
when was Germany forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles?
28th June 1919
why did the Germans hate the ToV?
- they felt it was too harsh
->treaty took away large areas of land, which meant losing people, factories, farms and mines - had to pay reparations to winners
- felt humiliated and angry with the way Germany was treated
- hated that it was forced on them
->ordered to sign treaty with no discussion
->called it a ‘diktat’ (a dictated peace) - many Germans felt they hadn’t lost the war at all
->thought Germany’s new politicians had betrayed the country
->thought Germany could have carried on fighting
how much did Germany had to pay for reparations?
£6.6 billion / 132 billion gold marks in yearly instalments
how many years did Germany have to pay reparations in yearly instalments?
66 years
what year did Germany fail to pay reparations?
1922
what did France and Belgium do when Germany couldn’t pay reparations?
- Jan 1923, 60,000 soldiers marched into the Ruhr (a rich industrial area of Germany)
- took control of every factory, mine and railway in region
- also took food and goods from shops and arrested anyone who tried to stop them
what happened after the Occupation of the Ruhr, 1922/3
- French and Belgium soldiers began to take what was owed to them from Germany back to France
- the German government ordered its workers to go on strike (but still get paid) and not help the soldiers- known as passive resistance
- Germany was running short on money as Ruhr wasn’t producing coal, iron and steel to sell to other countries
- to pay the striking workers and the money they owed France and Belgium, the German gov. printed large amounts of money
- this led to hyperinflation
how did hyperinflation happen?
- after the Occupation of the Ruhr-> German gov. printed a lot of money
- the striking workers were being paid to not work, so began to spend their money quickly - in response shop keepers began to up their prices
- as shopkeepers raised their prices, the gov printed more money to help people buy things - the more the gov printed, the faster prices went up
- the faster prices went up, the faster workers spent their wages. soon workers were being paid twice a day. the price of goods rose between joining the back of the queue and reaching the front
-> their savings had become worthless
what did Germans start to do with their money after hyperinflation?
it was worthless so some started to using it to light fires, make paper planes or kites to fly
how did hyperinflation affect people with savings?
their savings became worthless
how did hyperinflation affect elderly people?
those who lived on fixed pensions found that their incomes wouldn’t buy them what they needed
how did hyperinflation affect small businesses?
many collapsed as normal trade became impossible because of the daily price changes
how did hyperinflation affect those with debts?
found it very easy to pay it back (only winners in hyperinflation)
who did the Germans blame for hyperinflation?
the government- as it was their decision to call a strike in the Ruhr and then print so much money
for most, 1923 was the worst year since the end of WW1
how much did a loaf of bread cost in November 1923
over 200billion gold marks
what were left-wing beliefs
- workers should have power and rule the country as a collection of workers’ councils
- there should be equality, with no different classes and no huge differences in the wealth of people in a country
- change is welcome
- left wing views should be spread around the world
- anti right wing
example of a left wing party
communists
what were right-wing beliefs
- strong leaders should rule over the people
- there are, and should be, major differences between people, classes and races
- own country should be strong and powerful, with a large empire
- anti left wing
example of a right wing party
nazis
who led the Kapp Putsch
Wolfgang Kapp
was the Kapp Putsch a left or right wing rebellion?
right wing
how many men were involved in the Kapp Putsch and what group did they belong to
around 5000 men
were the Free Corps
what happened in the Kapp Putsch
- the free corps took over Berlin
- President Ebert and the rest of the government fled from Berlin
- Kapp didn’t have the support of the workers and they all went on strike, resulting in no gas, water, electricity or trains
- after only 100 hours as Germanys newest leader, Kapp gave in and fled abroad
- Ebert and his government returned to Berlin
what was Wolfgang Kapp’s aim with the Kapp Putsch
he aimed to eventually take over the whole country, make the army strong again, and then recover the lands Germany had lost in the Treaty of Versailles
when was the Kapp Putsch
March 1920
what is the Red Rising
- as soon as Wolfgang Kapp fled abroad (after failure of Kapp Putsch), left wing workers in the industrial area of the Ruhr stayed on strike
- they rose up and took over several towns
- the government, now back in Berlin, sent soldiers and some free corps units to deal with the rebellion
how many workers were killed in the Red Rising
over 1000
when was the Red Rising
right after the Kapp Putsch
- 1920
between 1919 and 1922, how many political murders were there in Germany
over 350
why did some groups use terror tactics against the government
they wanted to eliminate those who accepted the Treaty of Versailles
did the left or right wing carry out most of the political assassinations
right wing
when was Matthias Erzberger assassinated and why
- August 1921
- he was the man who signed the armistice in 1918 to end the war
- shot dead by a right wing group
which politicians had attacks on them
- Matthias Erzberger
- the foreign minister, Walter Rathenau
- Phillip Scheidemann (important Weimar politician- threw acid on him)
when did Hitler first discover the German worker’s party
May 1919
what was the German Workers Party like when Hitler first discovered it
- party had only started a few months before
- small political party
- its members met in a beer hall in Munich and Hitler attended regularly because he liked what was being said
- people make speeches about how the treaty of Versailles made Germany weak and defenceless and how the country would become a great nation once more
- this appealed to Hitler, a wounded and defeated ex-soldier who hated the politicians that ended the war which Germany had not lost on the battlefield
what did Hitler do as soon as he joined the German Workers Party
- put advertisements in newspapers
- held public meetings all over Munich
how was Hitler able to run the German Workers Party so quickly
- he was a brilliant speaker who could fascinate his audience with powerful speeches
- in the early days of radio, and with no television, this was a very important skill
- he persuaded the party to buy a newspaper (the Munich Observer) to put forward their views
what changes did Hitler make the the German Workers Party
- designed a new flag and symbol - the swastika - in order to attract attention
- set up a private army of thugs to up anyone who disagreed with him - called the stormtroopers (SA) and they wore a brown uniform with swastika armbands
-> they would guard Hitlers meetings and disrupt the meetings of other political parties - changed the name to the Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), known as Nazi for short
how much did the Nazi Party grow under Hitlers influence between 1920 and 1921
3000 members 1920
5000 in 1921
when was the Munich Putsch
8th November 1923
what happened in the Munich Putsch
- Hitler interrupted a meeting in a beer hall in Munich where Gustav von Kahr (head of Bavarian gov) was speaking
- Hitler fired a bullet into the ceiling and announced he was taking over Bavaria, and that he would march to Berlin and take over the whole country
- he locked Kahr and his companions in a small room
- General Ludendorff (a German war hero who knew about the plan) walked in and said he supported Hitler
- around Munich, Hitlers stormtroopers took control of gov buildings and arrested officials
what happened the morning after the Munich Putsch
- Kahr had promised to help Hitler and was released, but went back on his word and contacted the police
- when Hitler and about 2000 supporters began their march through Munich’s streets, they were met by armed police
- after a short gun battle, 3 policemen and 16 Nazis were dead
- Hitler was wounded with a dislocated shoulder
- Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested and taken to prison
- Hitler got put on trial for treason
how long did Hitler’s trial last
24 days
how did Hitler’s trial help him
- it was a media sensation + was reported in newspapers all over Germany
- this was the largest audience Hitler had ever had so he used every opportunity to criticise the gov and put across his political views
- his tactics worker and he impressed the judges
how long was Hitler sent to prison for after the Munich Putsch
5 years
what book did Hitler write during his time in prison, what was it about
Mein Kampf
it described his life story and political views
when was Hitler released from prison, how long did he actually serve
released in December 1924
served 9 months
what did the failure of the Munich Putsch and his time in prison teach Hitler
- he realised he had to change his strategy
- the Nazis would have to stand in elections and win votes, just like any other political party
- he would have to win power democratically
how did Gustav Stresemann help Germany out of the hyperinflation crisis
- introduced a new currency called the Rentenmark
- Dawes plan
- Germany joined League of Nations
- used money borrowed from the USA to pay reparations, build new schools, factories, houses, roads (-> more jobs)
- Young Plan
what was Stresemann’s solution to the hyperinflation crisis and the German money being worthless
introduced a new currency called the Retenmark
what was Stresemann’s solution to the French and Belgian troops invading the Ruhr when Germany stopped paying reparations
the Dawes Plan
what was the Dawes plan, was it a success
- Stresemann met with the American Vice president and arranged for the USA to lend money to Germany (800 million gold marks)
- Germany could now begin to pay reparations
- a repayment schedule was agreed which saw Germany restart their reparation payments
- was successful
- French and Belgian troops left the Ruhr
- however, some Germans felt Stresemann had ‘given in’ to the bullying tactics of the French and Belgians and should have demanded an end to the reparations all together
what was the introduction of the Retenmark, was it a success
- stopped printing the old paper money and replaced it with a temporary, new currency called the RENTENMARK
- this could be exchanged for the old currency
- in 1924 the Rentenmark was replaced by the Reichsmark, a stable currency that remained for the next 25 years
- was a success
- the Germans quickly accepted the new currency and hyperinflation ended
- however, people who had lost all their savings never got their money back, and blamed Stresemann and his government
what was the Young Plan
- Stresemann negotiated the reparations down from £6.6 billion to £1.8 billion
- Germany was given longer to pay it
when was the Young Plan
1929
when was the Dawes Plan
1924
when was the Retenmark introduced
1923
what was Stresemann’s solution to Germany’s world status declining
joining the League of Nations
Germany joining the League of Nations, was it a success?
- Stresemann worked hard to improve Germanys relation with other countries
- signed many different agreements to try and ensure peace
- was sort of successful
- Germany regained its international status and became an important part of the League of Nations
- however, some right wing Germans criticised Stresemann for not demanding back some of the land that had been taken from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles
when did Germany join the LoN
1926
when was the Locarno Treaty
1925
what was the Locarno Treaty
- signed by Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Belgium
- promised to never invade each other
when was the Kellogg-Briand pact
1928
what was the Kellogg-Briand pact
stated the 64 participating countries agreed never to go to war, unless to defend themselves if they were attacked
what was Stresemann’s solution to German industries being in trouble after the war (run down factories, few jobs, poor schools, poor housing, poor hospitals) and was it a success
- used some of the money borrowed borrowed from the USA (in the Dawes Plan) to build new factories, schools, houses and roads
- this meant more jobs, with Germans earning more money
- some american companies built factories in Germany too
- kinda successful
- slowly, Germany became more prosperous and many Germans were better off
-> e/g. the sales of radios rose from 1 million in 1926 to 4 million 1932 - however some Germans, even Stresemann himself, feared that Germany relied too heavily on american loans
when did Stresemann die
1929
what were the underlying problems that still existed in Germany after Stresemann died (1929)
- still many political parties in Germany, and no single parties could ever get enough votes to rule on their own -> meant parties formed coalition governments, which were weak as they couldn’t agree on issues
- political parties, like the communists and Nazis, continued to hate the politicians in the Reichstag
- farmers incomes were still really low and the middle classes had their savings wiped out by hyperinflation in 1923
- much of the prosperity was created by american loans - what if they wanted their money back?
when was Germany’s ‘golden age’
1920s
why did the golden age happen
- before WW1 the Kaiser kept tight control on all types of entertainment
-> when these controls were removed in Weimar Germany, the people felt a new sense of freedom - after the horrors of war and the difficulties of the early 1920s, people decided to experiment with new ideas and try new things
describe literature in the ‘golden age’
- writing became a big business
- people had 120 newspapers and magazines to choose from
- a German anti-war novel, ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ sold half a million copies in just three months
describe the nightlife in the ‘golden age’
- Germany became a centre for new plays, operas and theatre shows during this time
- musicians performed songs, about politicians, that would have been banned in the days of the Kaiser
- Berlin was famous for its nightclubs with live bands that played american jazz music
describe the cinema in the ‘golden age’
- became very popular in Weimar Germany
- Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang was the most technically advanced film of the decade
- German-born actress Marlene Dietrich became a worldwide star playing glamorous, strong-willed women
describe art in the ‘golden age’
- art flourished
- avant-garde artists, such as Otto Dix and George Grosz believed art should show the reality of everyday life, in particular the differences in social classes and society, and should make people think
-> they tried to show what Germany was actually like at this time and often painted in a way that criticised current events
describe design in the ‘golden age’
- a new group of designers and architects, known as the BAUHAUS, began work at this time
-> they designed anything from chairs to coffee pots to office buildings
-> they believed in modern, simple and practical designs, rather than the elaborate designs of long ago
what were the reactions to the cultural changes of the ‘golden age’
- while some Germans embraced the changes, others hate them
-> they wanted art, music, theatre and film to celebrate older, traditional values of Germany
-> they thought the new nightclubs, shows and paintings were leading Germany into a moral decline - the Nazis openly criticised the nightclubs and art of this period, and when Hitler came to power in 1933, many Weimar artists and performers had to flee Germany
what were the international agreements that helped Germany’s recovery
- Locarno Pact, 1925
- joining LoN, 1926
- Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928
what were the economic solutions that helped Germany’s recovery
- Retenmark
- Dawes Plan, 1924
- Young Plan, 1929
- built new roads, factories etc
