GREAT DEPRESSION + ITS IMPACTS

Question 1

WHEN did the Wall Street stock market collapse?

Answer 1

October 1929

Question 2

By HOW MUCH did world trade fall by during the Great Depression?

Answer 2

By more than 60% in 1930

Question 3

To WHAT extent was the Great Depression caused by the Wall Street Crash (US)?

Answer 3

The Wall Street Crash did caused a global drop in demand but some economists argue that the US GDP was already falling before 1929

Question 4

WHAT was the German government’s response to the Great Depression?

Answer 4

• The Reichsbank was forbid from printing more money (to prevent inflation)
• The government cut spending
• Bruning sought protectionism and raised the costs of imports

Question 5

By WHAT proportion were war pensions cut by during the Great Depression?

Answer 5

1/3

Question 6

HOW MANY businesses in industry went bankrupt during the years 1930-1932?

Answer 6

50,000

Question 7

HOW MANY were unemployed in 1929, 1930 and 1933?

Answer 7

1929: 1.6 million
1930: 3 million
1933: 6 million

Question 8

HOW MANY were unemployed in 1929?

Answer 8

1.6 million

Question 9

HOW MANY were unemployed in 1930?

Answer 9

3 million

Question 10

HOW MANY were unemployed in 1933?

Answer 10

6 million

Question 11

WHY might the unemployment figures during the economic depression be inaccurate?

Answer 11

Many redundant workers, particularly women, were not registered as unemployed.

Question 12

WHAT is the estimate for the true number of unemployed in 1933?

Answer 12

8 million, not 6 million

Question 13

WHAT proportion of the German working force was unemployed in 1933?

Answer 13

1/3

Question 14

By WHAT percentage did national incomes drop by in Germany 1932 compared to 1929?

Answer 14

By 39%

Question 15

WHAT is an example of an industrial area which was affected very badly by the depression?

Answer 15

Thungria

Question 16

WHY was there great recalling of investment from Germany in 1930?

Answer 16

It was at least partly due to the gains extremist parties made in the national elections (and due to the economic depression)

Question 17

WHEN did the German government close the banks and stock exchange temporarily during the depression and WHY?

Answer 17

July 1931, to give the system breathing space.

Question 18

WHAT were the effects of increasing poverty in Germany during the economic depression?

Answer 18

• Diseases linked to poor living conditions and nutrition increased (e.g. rickets and TB)
• Tent cities and shanty towns began to appear on the edges of large cities like Berlin
• Involvement of young men in extremist political organisations increased

Question 19

WHO would have received less benefits during the depression in Germany?

Answer 19

Women and young people

Question 20

WHAT did the government do about growing unemployment during the depression?

Answer 20

• Focused on controlling expenditure and lessen the effects of the depression
• Emergency labour schemes offered wages below the minimum wage for unskilled manual labour.

Question 21

HOW did the different political parties want to deal with the economic depression?

Answer 21

Right: cut benefits / government expenditure
Left: raise taxes and pay for benefits

Question 22

WHAT was the Grand Coalition?

Answer 22

Coalition government (June 1928 - March 1930) between the SPD, Z, DDP, DVP and BVP with Muller as Chancellor

Question 23

WHEN did Muller resign as Chancellor?

Answer 23

March 1930

Question 24

WHY did Muller resign?

Answer 24

The Reichstag went into deadlock as no one could agree during the depression. Muller wanted Hindenburg to use Article 48 to get his finance bill through, but he refused, forcing Muller to reisign.

Question 25

WHO did Hindenburg appoint Chancellor after Muller?

Answer 25

Bruning

Question 26

WHO influenced the appointment of Bruning as Chancellor?

Answer 26

2 key military figures - Groener and von Schleicher

Question 27

WHEN did Germany start to be ruled almost exclusively by presidential decree?

Answer 27

From March 1930, after Bruning became Chancellor

Question 28

WHAT key party was excluded from the Bruning coalition?

Answer 28

The SPD

Question 29

WHAT were Bruning’s main policies and actions as Chancellor?

Answer 29

• Tried to use the worsening economy to get reparations ended.
• Took little action to reduce the impact of the slump
• Banned the SA, April 1932 and also the Red Front

Question 30

WHEN were reparations suspended?

Answer 30

1932

Question 31

WHICH years was Bruning Chancellor for?

Answer 31

March 1930 - May 1932

Question 32

WHY did Bruning resign?

Answer 32

• Lost a vote of no confidence in the Reichstag
• Hindenburg’s dismissed Bruning (possibly due to his proposed policy of breaking up bankrupt Junker estates)
• Bruning resigned

Question 33

WHEN did Bruning call an election?

Answer 33

September 1930

Question 34

WHY did Bruning call an election?

Answer 34

The SPD called for him to be withdrawn and he dissolved the Reichstag in response. He hoped that the elections would increase his majority.

Question 35

WHAT were the key outcomes of the 1930 elections?

Answer 35

• Extremist parties gained
• The Nazis were now the second largest party in the Reichstag, meaning they could disrupt its proceedings
• Reichstag was unmanageable and the President had to rule by decree

Question 36

WHAT percentage of people voted for non-democratic parties in the 1930 election?

Answer 36

40%

Question 37

WHAT percentage of the vote did the Nazis get in 1930?

Answer 37

18.3%

Question 38

WHY was the appeal of communism limited?

Answer 38

• They would never get support from the elite
• They alienated some due to their ties with the USSR

Question 39

WHAT did the KPD view the depression as?

Answer 39

They saw it as proof that capitalism as a system was over

Question 40

WHO was known as the ‘Hunger Chancellor’ and WHY?

Answer 40

Bruning (1930 - 1932) after he cut expenditure and the depression worsened