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History > Germany pre hitler > Flashcards

Germany pre hitler Flashcards

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1
Q

1919

The Weimar Republic

A
  • Located in Weimar not Berlin (too dangerous)
  • Republic
  • Moderate parties gained most seats
  • Used proportional representation
  • 18 states with own parliment that could pass laws
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2
Q

1919

Weimar Constitution

A
  • President elected every 7 years
  • Chancellor appointed by president from Reichstag (must hold the support of the Reichstag majority)
  • Article 48
  • State governments were kept but had more limited power
  • Proportional representation
  • Adult men and women had the right to vote.
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3
Q

1919

Strengths of constitution

A
  • Voting: Everyone gets a vote
  • President: A president could protect the country in times of crisis
  • Chancellor: Needed a majoritiy in the Reichstag, so their appointment was democratic
  • Proportional representation: All parties which received votes had representation in the Reichstag
  • Article 48: In times of unrest it could be used to make laws so that government could continue
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4
Q

1919

Weakeness of constitution

A
  • Voting: Oppositon from those whoi did not want democracy. They were able to vote for parties that wanted to destory the democratic system.
  • President: 7 years is long and people may disagree with the president
  • Chancellor: Won’t last long
  • Proportional representation: Led to many small parties, no signel party could get a mjority so parties had to form coalitions leading to a weak and unstable government.
  • Article 48: What is an emergency?
  • States’ rights: Individual states could oppose the national government and try to remove it.
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5
Q

1919

Germany’s expectation to the treaty

A
  • Punished but not too much
  • All countries should take responsibility
  • A treaty that allowed the new government to rebuild
  • With the Kaiser gone, Germans didn’t expect to be blamed
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6
Q

1919

Clemenceau’s wants (France)

A
  • Destuction of Germany (military, economy, land)
  • Compensation

Why?
- So they don’t attack again
- Pay for destruction

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7
Q

1919

Lloyd-George’s wants (Britain)

A
  • “Squeeze Germany”
  • Compensation but not economic ruin
  • Limited military but not too low

Why?
- British citizens want to “squeeze Germany”
- Big trade partners
- Doesn’t want a powerful France
- No communist revolution

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8
Q

1919

Woodrow Wilson’s wants (USA)

A
  • 14 points (no secret treaties, a leage of nations, no colonies, self determination, disarmnament)
  • Peace
  • Not be too harsh

Why?
- World peace, anti-imperialism
- Stop revenge
- Stop communism
- Large German-Americans

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9
Q

1919

Treaty of Versailles

A
  • Guilt: Article 231 (the ‘War Guilt Clause’), Germany had to accept the blame for the war
  • Arms: 100,000 soldiers, 6 battleships, no airforce, no submarines, no tanks
  • Reperation: 6.6 billion pounds
  • German territory: Lost 13% of land (Alsace-Lorraine to France, Eupen and malmedy to Belgium, Polish Corridor to Poland, North Schleswig to Denmark, Port of Danzig made an international city.) - 50% iron reserves, 15% coal reserves
  • League of nations: LON formed but Germany not included
  • Extra: Baltic states given independence, No ANSCHLUSS with Austria
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10
Q

1919

German Reactions to Treaty

A
  • Wanted to work harder to take back pride
  • Blame on communists, politicians, other countries, etc.
  • Shocked by harshness
  • Refused to sign but Allies threatened to restart war
  • Called the treaty a ‘diktat’
  • Humiliated by article 231, many Germans disagreed to accept guilt
  • Felt the 14 poiunts applied to everyone but them
  • Angry at high reparations and loss of land
  • Public angry at German government for signing, calling them ‘November Criminals’
  • Myth of being ‘stabbed in the back’ led to political assassinations
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11
Q

1919

Extreme left wing beliefs

A
  • Believed that workers should hold political power and all people should be treated as equals
  • Promoted the interests of workers and argues that workers should own the land and businesses themselfs
  • Inspired by the 1917 Russian REvolution and wanted a similar revolution
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12
Q

1919

Extreme right wing beliefs

A
  • Wanted a strong authoritatian government by a powerful leader; sought a return of the Kaiser
  • Believed in capitalism and protecting the interests of private businesses and land owners
  • Hated the COmmunists who had opposed the Kaiser
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13
Q

Spartacist Uprising - 1919

Spartacist Uprising

A

Communist revolt in Berlin led by Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht.

  • Occupied headquarteres of the government newspaper and telephone offices to control media.
  • Attempted to bring about a general strike.
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14
Q

Spartacist Uprising - 1919

Reaction by Weimar Government

A

Difficult to put down:
- Controlled media
- Inexpierenced with revolts
- Weimar is not popular among Germany
- Army had been reduced

  • Government turned to ‘Freikorps’ - demobilised soldiers
  • Executed Rosa and Karl
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15
Q

Spartacist Uprising - 1919

Consequences for Communist supporters

A

+: Showed their name to the public (becomes a big party)
-:Bad reputation (failed revolution), lost their leaders

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16
Q

Spartacist Uprising - 1919

Consequences for the Weimar Government

A

+: Stopped the revolution
-: Popularity decreases (more people hate them), power given to Freikorps which could lead to an uprising

17
Q

The Kapp Putsch - 1920

The Kapp Putsch

A

After Ebert tries to disband the Freikorps, it leads to a revolt where the Freikorps march into Berlin and declare Wolfgang Kapp as the leader of Germany.

  • Army refused to stop Freikorps (similar to Freikorps)
  • Ebert and the government fled Berlin
  • Berlin residents went on a strike and the city could not function (Most are working class, moderate people like the democratic)
  • Kapp realised he doesn’t have support and fled to Sweden
  • Ebert returns and disbands Freikorps
18
Q

The Kapp Putsch - 1920

Consequences for Nationalist supporters

A
  • Germany towards democratic
  • Failed revolution
19
Q

The Kapp Putsch - 1920

Consequences for the Weimar Republic

A
  • Freikorps disbanded (safer)
  • Army does not support Weimar (Showed government had little military power)
  • Both left and right failed revolution
  • Support of the majority of the people in Berlin
20
Q

1918-1922

German economic problems

A
  • Germany close to bankrupcy
  • Many income generating areas taken away
  • Asked for reperations to be reduced, however the Allies had taken loans during war and needed the payments from Germany to repay the money
  • By 1922, Germany had failed to pay some instalments leading to French retaliation
21
Q

Janurary 1923

Invasion of the Ruhr

A
  • Belgian and French troops occupy the Ruhr (Industrial heart of Germany and the center of its iron, stell, and coal production)
  • Belgians and French decided to take industrial products instead of cash payments
22
Q

Invasion of the Ruhr 1923-1925

German reaction to Ruhr Occupation

A
  • Passive resistance
  • Workers were told to go on strike but would still be paid
  • As no money was being generated by trade, money was printed to pay the striking workers
  • 100 German cibillians killed by French
  • 100,000 protestors were expelled from Ruhr
  • French brought their own workers
  • REmained until 1925 July
23
Q

Invasion of the Ruhr 1923-1925

Consequence for Germany of passive resistance

A
  • Temporary popularity for the government
  • Germans united against the French and Belgian
  • Lost income as they had no industrial products to sell
  • Prinitng more money led to its value falling which led to hyperinflation
24
Q

Hyperinflation 1923

Hyperinflation - Causes

A
  • Between 1919-1923 the government’s income was 1/4 of what it needed
  • The government printed more money
  • By 1923, there were 300 paper mills and 200 printing shops just for money
  • They printed so much it became worthless against their gold reserves
  • By the end of 1923, 1 dollar was 4.2 billion marks and a loaf of bread was 201 billion marks
25
Q

Hyperinflation 1923

Hyperinflation - Effects

A

+:
- People could pay off loans and morgages
- Businesses easily repaid banks
- People who owned land, buildings saw the value go up in line with inflation
- Many farmers benefitted from being able to sell at a higher cost

-:
- Millions were forced into poverty
- People on fixed incomes - especially pensionsers - saw their income become worthless
- People’s savings were wiped out immedietly
- Many people who had been financiall secure found themselves struggling

26
Q

Hyperinflation 1923

Hyperinflation - Consequences

A

Who benefitted?:
- People in debt
- Big businesses
- Land lords
- Some farmers

Who lost out?:
- Pensioners
- Middle classes
- Workers
- People who rented houses

27
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - at home

Gustav Stresemann

A
  • Chancellor from August 1923 to November 1923
  • Foreign secretary from November 1923 until October 1929
28
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - at home

Rentenmark

A
  • New temporary currency introduced in Nov 1923
  • Tightly controlled amount printed
  • Value based on Germany’s industrial and agricultural worth
  • Promised to exchange for shares if it failed
  • Gave Germans confidence
  • In 1924, a new independed national bank was established - Reichsbank
  • Reichsmark replaced Rentenmark and is backed by German gold reserves
29
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - at home

The Dawes Plan 1924

A
  • Charles Dawes is sent by the USA in 1923 to negotiate with Germany
    Agreed:
  • Usa loaned 800 million gold marks to Germany
  • Reperations lowered to 1 billion marks for 5 years (3.5 billion after)
  • Allies agreed to reiew payment rate overtime
  • French agreed to withdraw from Ruhr
  • Future missed payments dealt with Allies together
  • Allies given control over Reichsbank and some railways
  • Some Germans criticised the plan as being an acceptance of the blame for starting the war
  • Led to further loans - 25 billion marks over 6 years allowing industry to recover
30
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - at home

Extent of economic recovery

A
  • Investment came from multiple coutries
  • Industrial output doubled between 1923 - 1929\
  • Wages and standard of living rose, cost of living went down
  • Roads, schools, public buildings built
  • By 1927, unempoloyment benefit was allowed

Flaws:
- Much of the economy was built on foreign loans (could be dangerous in the event of world economic crisis)
- By 1927, the economy was slowing, farmers were struggling
- In 1929, the wall street crash rocked the German economy

31
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - at home

The Young Plan

A
  • Total reparations reduced to $8 billion
  • Payments made over 59 years at $473 million a year
  • Germany obliged to pay 1/3of the sum
  • French agree to leave Rhineland in 1930 instead of 1935

Problems:
- Germans oposed - long reperation
- Alfred Hugenberg - media businessman - organised petition against the plan and got 4 million signatures
- December 1929, referendum only 14% vote agianst
- Ultimately, young plan came to nothing due to wall street crash

32
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - abroad

Diplomacy

A
  • Germany could not challenge the treaty
  • Could not fight the allies
  • Diplomacy was the only way to stregthen Germany
  • Ending passive resistance was the first step
33
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - abroad

Locarno Pact 1925

A
  • Collection of seven treaties involving Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, rritain and Czechoslovakia
  • Germany agreed western borders
  • All countries agreed to avoid military force
  • Germany agreed Alsace - Lorraine would be French, France wouldn’t occupy Ruhr
  • Eastern borderes to be settles by ‘peaceful means’ via the Leage of Nations
  • Stresemann declared this a victory as Germany was now equal
  • Nationalists unhappy espcially with borders
34
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - abroad

League of Nations

A
  • September 1926 - Stresemann persuaded other countries to allow Germany to join the league
  • Given a place on the council - the highest decision making body
  • Positive step for moderate political parties and increasesd confidence in the Weimar government
  • Nationalists saw the laegue as a symbol of the treaty and opposed it
35
Q

Recovery of Germany 1924-1929, Work of Gustav Stresemann - abroad

The Kellog-Briand pact 1928

A
  • August 1928, 62 countries signed
  • Promise to not use military force to settle disagreements
  • Prevent future war

Impacts:
- Showed a clear improvement in Germany’s relations with others
- Germany had been excluded from negotiations that led to the treaty. Now, Germany was included among the main powers again
- Clear that the WEimar Republic was now respected, stable
- Pact gave the publicmore confidence that the moderate parties could be trusted

36
Q
A

History (4 decks)

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