HCHS Germany: A LEVEL UNIT 3 - Economic Change Flashcards
In 1873, how many companies went bankrupt when the German economy collapsed?
150
How did German industrialists and Junkers react to the economic crash in the 1870s?
Increased protectionism
Which pressure group was formed in 1876 to introduce economic reform?
Central Association of German Industrialists
In 1876, on which goods did Bismarck want to introduce tariffs (but was blocked by the Reichstag)?
Pig iron
When was Bismarck’s protective tarriff law and who halped pass it through the Reichstag?
1879, two conservative parties and the Z party
Which party opposed tarriff reform because they represented the middle classes?
National Liberals
What was the alliance between industrialists and Junkers nicknamed?
Alliance of rye and steel
When the National Liberals split in 1878 over the tariff issue, which two parties were formed?
The Progressives and the National Liberal Party
When did Kaiser Wilhelm II come to power?
1888
By which year was Germany’s naval building in decline?
1895
What phrase was attributed to Kaiser Wilhelm’s desire for colonies?
To gain a ‘place in the sun’
Why was Kaiser Wilhelm II desperate to build a navy?
To rival Britain, to unite the middle classes behind him and to provide business for industrialists and Junkers
Who did Kaiser Wilhelm II appoint as secretary of state for the navy and in which year?
Admiral von Tirpitz in 1897
What pressure group did Admiral von Tirpitz create to pressure the Reichstag into supporting naval expansion?
The Navy League
In the 1898 Naval Bill, how many ships were to be built?
17
In the 1900 Naval Bill, how many ships were to be built?
36
Other than 1898 and 1900, when did the Kaiser pass more Naval Bills?
1906, 1908 and 1912
By 1914, what had happened to the size of the German navy?
Doubled in size (second only to Britain)
How did Britain, France and Russia react to Germany’s naval expansion?
Britain signed the Entente Cordiale in 1904 and the Triple Entente with France and Russia in 1907
Which party remained stubbornly opposed to the Kaiser’s military expansion?
The SPD which grew to become the largest party in the Reichstag by 1912
What was the winter of 1916-17 nicknamed due to a shortage of food suplies?
Turnip Winter
By 1931, what had wheat prices fallen to?
1/3 of pre-1920s prices
What percentage of the working population was involved in agriculture and forestry work by 1925?
30%
What percentage was the average income of farmers below the national average?
44%
How much did bankruptcy increase to by the late 1920s?
20%-30%
Why was there anger and resentment from farmers towards the Weimar government?
They felt little was being done to help them
Why did the Nazi drive for self-sufficiency help farmers?
Food imports were restricted
Why did workers leave the land in the 1930s?
Nazi drive for industry required workers in cities
How many people left rural areas for the cities in search of work between 1933-38?
1 million
How much did the agriculture sector contribute to GDP in 1989?
1.6%, a decline from 11% in 1956
What post-war act supported agricultural prices through protective tariffs on agricultural imports and when was this?
Agricultural Act (Green Law) and 1955
How much did the 1955 Agriculture Act increase agricultural production by?
10%
By what year was Germany the third biggest economy in the world?
1963
How much aid did West Germany receive from the Marshall Plan?
$99 million
Much much did the West German economy grow by?
12% in 5 years
How many East German refugees were there?
3.6 million
Define co-determinism?
Any business of over 1000 employees in Iron and steel works had to allow representatives from the workplace to have a say in the running of the business
When was the Works Council established?
1952
Why was the works council so effective?
Meant that there were very few strike days in comparison to Britain and France
Why did the economic miracle end?
Movement from heavy industry to service industry e.g. banking
How much did the value of Germany’s exports increase by between 1872-1914?
£365million
The German Mark was as strong as which other currency?
British pound
Which year was the economic crisis in the Bismarck Era?
1873
What is cartelisation and give an example of a cartel.
Meant companies merge to reduce competition, Thyssen AG, Freidrich Krupp AG, Steelworks Association
What did Germany’s population increase from and to between 1890 and 1910?
50 million to 60 million
What fraction of steel and coal did Germany produce?
2/3 of Europe’s steel and 1/2 of its coal
When was the Auxiliary Service Act and what did it do?
1916, mobilised all men aged 17-60
What organisation controlled food and rationed supplies?
The Imperial Grain Office
What organisation controlled food and rationed supplies?
Industry and labour
How much war debt did Weimar inherit?
DM140,000 million
How much did reparations demand, from 1921, per year?
DM2 million
When was the Dawes Plan?
1924
In 1923, what was the $-DM exchange rate?
$1=DM4.2trillion
When, what and who introduced the new German currency?
1924, Rentenmark, Chancellor Streseman (with help from Schacht)
Due to hyperinflation, how much was 1 loaf of bread worth?
DM9 million
When were the ‘Golden Years’?
1925-28
By 1938, what % of government expenditure was focused on rearmament?
44%
In what year was the Four Year Plan introduced and who oversaw it?
1936, Goering
When did industrial production peak?
1944
How did the chaotic nature of the Nazi State hamper production of key war materials?
Much infighting between economic departments
Who, what and when was the economic infighting corrected?
Albert Speer, Central Planning Board, 1942
Which economics minister developed, using Marshall Aid, the post-war economy?
Ludwig Erhard
What boosted German Industry and why?
Korean War 1950-53, because foreign demand for German made goods increased
By how much did Germany’s GNP increase by in the 1950s?
Tripled
Formed in April 1951 and predecessor to the EU, what did ECSC stand for?
European Coal and Steel Community
On _____ 1955 the Treaty of _____ Established the EEC (What did it stand for?)
25th March, Rome, European Economic Community
How much of West Germany’s imports and exports came from the EEC by 1981?
45% of exports and 47% of imports
Which six nations were the original founders of the ECSC and EEC?
France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg
By how much did West Germany’s share of sugar exports rise between 1971-1977?
19%
Name three foodstuffs that had common prices established between 1962-1970
Wheat, rice, oils, milk, fruit, vegetables, sugar, wine
What effect did standardised European prices have on German exports?
Drop in food prices
Who divided up Berlin after WW2?
Britain, France, USA and USSR
What evidence is there for Germany becoming more unified by 1949?
British and American zones formed Bizonia in 1947 and French zone was added to form Trizonia in 1949
How much Marshall aid was given to Western Europe in total?
$17 billion
How much of Germany’s imports did the Marshall plan make up?
37%
How much Marshall Aid did West Germany receive in the 40s and 50s?
$2.7 billion
What was Marshall Aid money used for?
Railways, steel and electrical industries
What was a sign of economic recovery for West Germany?
Achieved 40% of its pre-war output by 1946
What did the Marshall Plan lead to in Europe?
Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) which would later form the EU
In June 1931, how much money was withdrawn from Germany and how many major banks collapsed because of this?
RM1 billion and 3 major banks
How much of Germany’s workforce was unemployed due to the Great Depression?
40%
Which private armies did unemployed men join during the Great Depression?
SA and Reichsbanner (left-wing paramilitary group)
How many men did the SA and Reichsbanner have by 1932 respectively?
SA: 400,000, Reichsbanner: 1 million
Why was Germany more vulnerable than other countries after the Wall Street Crash?
Over-reliance on American loans, lack of domestic investment, decline in agriculture, small range of exports
What did Chancellor Brüning do to alleviate unemployment (but actually only worsened the problem)?
Cut unemployment benefits and raised taxes
What was one of Brüning’s only successes?
Stopping reparation payments for WW1
How many votes did the Nazis gain in the 1930 election?
6.4 million
What percentage of the vote did the Nazis have in 1932, making them the largest party?
37.3%
When did Hitler become chancellor?
January 30th, 1933
When was Hjalmar Schacht the Reich Minister of Economics?
August 1934 - November 1937
How much was invested in work programmes for 1933-35 and how much did unemployment fall for 1934-35 because of this?
RM5,000 million and 2.7 million - 1.7 million
How much did explosives manufacturers increase there workforce by when the Nazi’s started their war effort?
Twice as much
When was Goring hired to take control of the economy to make it more rearmament driven and focused on the 4 year plan?
1936
How much did the production of synthetic fuels increase by and how much did this equate to the demand of fuel during the 4 year plan?
130% and 18%
How did Hitler restrict consumer spending?
Freezing wages
When did Speer take over raw material production and waste reduction?
1942
How much did tank and engine production increase by under Speer?
200%
