Germany Topic 1 - Political and Governmental Change 1918-33

Question 1

What were the economic impacts of WW1?

Answer 1

• Inflation of the Mark (value decreased 75% from 1913-18
• Food shortages due to ineffective agriculture
• Taxation only contributed 16% of the cost of the war

Question 2

What were the social impacts of WW1?

Answer 2

• 2 million solider killed
• 6.3 million soldiers injured
• Living standards fell 20 - 30%
• Coal shortages - these worsened the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1918

Question 3

What were the political impacts of WW1?

Answer 3

• Germany became authoritarian and militaristic, Generals Ludendoff and Hindenburg essentially ran the country
• 1915 saw the formation of the Communist Spartacist League
• 1917 saw the split of the SPD with 42 members creating the USPD
• Strikes in 1917 and 18

Question 4

What was the impact of the Germany’s impending defeat in WW1?

Answer 4

• Shock amongst Germans who thought they were winning

* The ‘Stab in the Back’ myth was invented, branding the new government the November Criminals (Jews)

Question 5

When Did The Revolution From Above Occur?
Whose Idea Was It?
What Happened?
Who Led It?

Answer 5

October 1917-1918
Idea of Ludendorff
New government created
Leader of government - Prince Max Of Baden

Question 6

Treaty Of Versailles - Land
When Was It Signed
What Was Lost?

Answer 6

Signed on 28th June 1919
Germany lost all its colonies and all land gained in Treaty Of Brest-Litovsk, Upper Silesia, Alsace and Lorraine and Eupen and Malmedy.

Forbidden to unite with Austria (Anschluss)

Question 7

Treaty Of Versailles - Arms

Answer 7

The Rhineland was demilitarised ‘buffer zone’ for France
Germany army limited to 100,000 troops that could not leave Germany
Tanks or heavy artillary were banned
No warships over 10,000 tonnes
No submarines
No Air Force

Question 8

Treaty Of Versailles - Money

Answer 8

Reparations to help rebuild in the Allies’ countries after the devastation

132,000 million gold marks in 1921

6.6 billion

Question 9

Treaty Of Versailles - Blame

Answer 9

War Guilt Clause 231

Germany was solely responsible for the damage and loss in the war

Question 10

Communist Revolution?
Reforms?
Resignation Of Kaiser?

Answer 10

Reforms - Expanded franchise (all men could vote), Ministers and government responsible to government
28th Oct. 1918 - Government Inauguration Day - navy refused to sail against British troops
Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils set up
8th Nov. 1918 - Bavaria breaks from Germany
Kaiser’s abdication and government had to resign

Question 11

Council Of People’s Representatives
Social Reforms?
Political Groups Involved?

Answer 11

Set up 10th Nov. 1918
Led by Socialist groups
SPD (led by Friedrich Ebert), USPD (led by Hugo Hasse)
Ebert-Groener Pact - army would support gov. if gov. stopped left-wing ideas
SPD &USPD could not agree - Ebert wanted elections, Hasse wanted reforms
11th Nov. 1918 - Gov. ends war
New parties begin to form
Social reforms - 8hr working day, trade unions, help ex-soldiers find work, widened health & unemployment benefits
19 Dec. 1918 - 19 Jan. 1919 elections set
SPD Vs USPD gap widened - council members resigned to form KPD (German Communist Party)

Question 12

The Spartacist Revolt

Answer 12

Dec. 1918 - KPD set up
KPD members attacked by Freikops and other political armies
Jan.1919 - Spartacist Revolt in Berlin
Ebert moved gov. to Weimar.
Freikops put down uprising
Liebknecht & Luxemburg captured, beaten and murdered

Question 13

Weimar Constitution

Answer 13

19th January
82.7% electors voted
SPD does not accomplish a majority - they has to form a coalition with the Centre Party and the German Democratic Party (DDP).

Question 14

Major Parties - DNVP

Answer 14

Right Wing - German National People’s Party (DNVP) - Conservative, Nationalist, Monarchist
Did not want social reform - disliked the idea of the Republic
It supported the army
Mainly supported by wealthy landowners, many anti-Semitic members

Question 15

Major Parties - DVP

Answer 15

Right Wing - German People’s Party (DVP) - Moderately conservative group formed from older National Liberals in 1919 under Gustav Stresemann
Accepted Republic - against social reform but wanted fixed economy
Supported the army
Main supporters were the wealthy industrialist middle class

Question 16

Major Parties - Centre Party

Answer 16

Centre - Largely Catholic
Main policies - defending the Catholic Church
Firmly against left-wing policies and communism - Posters showed horrors of communism
Conservative values - Advocative of social reform
Supported by people from many groups in society

Question 17

Major Parties - DDP

Answer 17

Left-leaning - Newly formed of liberal, educated professional
Supportive of Republic, a more representative constitution and social reform
Often part of coalition government
Policies included regulating industry to aid workers and in reforming the army.

Question 18

Major Parties - SPD

Answer 18

Left - Social Democrats - largest party in the Reichstag from 1919 - 1929.
SPD members not originally anti-monarchist - in 1917 , shifted stance to please members
Believed in the Republic and in moderate social reforms
Supported by both workers’ groups and liberal middle class.
Had to please high number of union members

Question 19

Major Parties - USPD

Answer 19

Left - Independent Social Democrats split from SPD in 1917
Wanted more radical system than the Republic
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were members before forming the Spartacists
They believe in a more equal society

Question 20

Major Parties - KPD

Answer 20

Left - German Communist Party set up in 1919
Main policies - Wanted a workers’ revolution, establishment of a communist state with the abolition of private ownership
Supported by the young, poor and unemployed

Question 21

Challenges

Answer 21

Proportional Representation - Many political parties form the Reichstag (it took only 60,000 votes to gain a seat) - Struggled to work effectively
Members Moved Between Parties - In 1920, the USPD split over policies and about half left to join the KPD.

Question 22

Challenges pt 2

Answer 22

Coalitions - Between 1919-1923, there were nine different short-lived coalitions - focused on what they could gain not working together
Article 48 - This allowed the Chancellor to rule by decree. Only meant to be used in emergencies, it made the government look weak and in constant crisis

Question 23

Overcoming The Challenges

Answer 23

1924-1929 - the government seemed to be overcoming the challenges. They were less reliant on government by decree. Hindenburg both upholds the constitution and favored a more authoritarian system of government

Question 24

Overcoming The Challenges pt 2

Answer 24

Economy - Recovered, Germany began making deals with other countries.
Recovery primarily due to Gustav Stresemann, leader of the DVP - encouraged co-operation between parties

Question 25

What were the Golden Years?

Answer 25

The time period between 1924 and 1929 of economic and political stability in Weimar Germany
It saw co operation between Germany and other European nations and

Question 26

Who was Gustav Stresemann?

Answer 26

He was the Chancellor of Germany for 102 days in 1923 and Foreign Minister from 1923 to 1929

Question 27

How did Stresemann help contribute to the Golden Years’ success?

Answer 27

• Increased political stability in Germany by urging parties to work together
• Increased Germany’s international reputation
• Created greater economic stability

Question 28

What successful actions helped to re-stabilise the German economy from 1924 -1929?

Answer 28

• Introduction of new temporary and permanent currency
• Germany was more accepted by world community (e.g The Locarno Pact 1925)
• International loans helped
• Dawes Plan (1924) and Young Plan (1928) improved international trade (increase of 34%)
• There was an improvement of German industry and business (production improved by 1/3 from 1920 -30)

Question 29

Evidence for political stability in the Golden Years

Answer 29

• No putsch or political assassinations in this time period
• President Hindenburg (right wing leaning) upheld the constitution and in 1928 chose Müller (SPD) to be Chancellor
• Grand Coalition of 60% majority composed of DVP, Z, SPD and DDP
• Support for extremist and anti-constitution parties declined
• Only 6 coalition gov. which was less than the no in 1918-1923

Question 30

What was the economic impact on Germany of the Wall Street Crash and Depression?

Answer 30

• Germany was loaned 25.5 billion marks to aid in economic recovery
• When the USA recalled all its loans Germany had to pay them back
• Banks could not give out money to businesses and they couldn’t sustain production or pay workers
• Unemployment Increased and people were poker. Demand for goods dropped
• Businesses and workers couldn’t pay loans/mortgages and lost properties
• Banks collapsed and Germany spiralled into an economic depression

Question 31

What were the economic impacts of the Depression?

Answer 31

• 5 major German banks collapsed
• 1/3 of population were unemployed
• 50,000 businesses went bankrupt
• National income shrunk 39% from 1929-32
• On averages wages fell 20-30%
• Industrial production declines 40%
• 6 million were unemployed by 1932

Question 32

How did the Nazis capitalise on the Great Depression?

Answer 32

They offered the public scapegoats, the communists and the Jews. They claimed the Jews were taking the jobs.

Question 33

What was the economic policy used by the Weimar republic during the Great Depression?

Answer 33

They didn’t want to cause hyperinflation so didn’t print money. Instead, they increased taxes, cut wages and reduced benefits. Obviously this all was very unpopular.

Question 34

Effect of these economic policies?

Answer 34

Worsened the depression : 1930-32 industrial production, product prices and exports all fell around 50%. Unemployment rose to its highest level ever in 1932
But it meant that the preparation payments were frozen as the situation got so bad

Question 35

How did the political structure in Germany make dealing with the Depression difficult?

Answer 35

Small proportionally represented parties argued and didn’t really cooperate. The only remaining option was article 48 which basically made the President a dictator.

Question 36

What was Article 48?

Answer 36

It allowed the President to declare a state of emergency in Germany in times of national danger and to rule as a dictator for short periods of time. (Didn’t need to consult anyone)

Question 37

How was Hitler able to become chancellor by 1933?

Answer 37

• Nazi’s won power through actions and organisation
• Wall Street Crash and the Depression brought Nazis into power
• Widespread fear of communism
• Actions of powerful politicians

Question 38

Collapse Of Democracy 1930-1933

Answer 38

Public feeling about the Weimar government - association with ToV made them unpopular - elected right-wing Hindenburg in protest (he first created ‘stab in the back’ myth)

Question 39

Collapse Of Democracy 1930-1933 pt 2

Answer 39

Economic Problems and the government’s failure to deal with them - In 1929 the Wall Street Crash happened in the US - led to depression
US called in loans which had supported the German economy.

Question 40

What were the 4 key reasons for the collapse of the Weimar Republic

Answer 40

• Economic problems (eg 1918-1923 and 1929-1933)
• The rise of extremist parties (eg Nazi’s)
• Political Opposition
• Hatred of the Treaty of Versailles/ Impacts of WW1