History - Nazi Germany Flashcards
What was Hitler’s involvement in WWI?
He was a soldier.
What was the name of the party that Hitler was asked to spy on?
The German Worker’s Party.
What name did Hitler change this to when he took the party over in 1920?
The National Socialist German Worker’s Party.
How many points did the programme of his new party have?
25.
Name 2 points (things the party wanted) in the party programme.
- The general increase in old-age pensions.
- That the German people have equal rights to those in other nations and that the Peace Treaty of Versailles and St. Germaine shall be abrogated.
Hitler’s party grew from 55 members in 1918 to 55,000 in 1923; true or false?
True.
Why was the SA set up?
To disrupt and intimidate opponents of the Nazi’s.
Which group of people was the SA primarily made up of?
Ex-soldiers and members of the Freikorps.
When did the Munich Putsch take place?
1923.
What was the aim of the Munich Putsch?
To take over the government and create a new one in Munich.
Why did it fail?
It was poorly planned. Hitler and the other Nazi leaders were arrested and sent to prison.
What were the immediate impacts of the Munich Putsch?
Hitler and the other Nazi leaders were arrested and sent to prison, the Nazi Party was banned from politics.
What was the long term impact of the Munich Putsch?
Hitler’s trial was publicised all around Germany which made him a household name. He was sentenced to five years in prison but only served 9 months. While in prison, he wrote his book ‘Mein Kampf’ which set out his key beliefs and how he wanted to achieve them.
How did Hitler change his tactics after 1924?
He realised the way to power lay in getting himself elected.
Who was Joseph Goebbels?
He was in charge of Nazi propaganda.
The 1928 election showed that 3% of Germans voted for the Nazis; true or false?
True.
Whose support did the Nazis lack?
The working class (communists).
Hitler was banned from public speaking after the Munich Putsch until which year?
1928.
In which year did the Nazis become the largest political party?
1929.
Name 3 reasons for this turnaround.
- Propaganda
- Change of tactics
- Appeal of ideas
How many people were unemployed by 1932?
6 million.
Who were the businessmen and farmers afraid of?
The Communists.
What was Article 48?
Where the President was allowed to put through any laws without needing any consent from the Reichstag.
Who was von Papen?
Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and Vice Chancellor in 1933.
Who was Hindenberg?
The President of Germany.
Name the specific types of propaganda used by the Nazi’s to gain support.
- Posters - Showed Anti-Semitic images and images of Hitler and Aryan families all over Germany. The purpoe was to pass on Nazi messages to as many people as possible.
- Newspapers - Goebbels controlled what was printed in the newspapers and banned all Jews from working in/owning a newspaper.
- Rallies - Held to demonstrate to the Germans and the rest of the world how organised and controlled they were, and took place in huge stadiums that held around 100,000 people.
- Radio - Nazi’s decided what was broadcast, which included Hitler’s speeches. Radios were mass-produced and sold cheaply to get their messages across to the masses. 70% of Germans owned a radio by 1939.
When did WWI end?
1918 November 11
What happened to the German Government that was run by Kaiser after WWI?
It was forced out of Germany and replaced by Weimar Republic
Why did the Weimar Republic become unpopular?
They signed the Armistice and agreed to terms which seriously weakened Germany’s power
What was the ‘stabbed in the back’ myth?
After the signing of the armistice, people believed Germany could have won the war if the army had not been betrayed by the weak politicians who lacked the will to fight on
What was one more point that led to a decrease in Weimar popularity?
Build up of economic problems led to widespread hunger and poverty
What were the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
L - Germany had to give up 13% of its LAND including colonies and important areas with raw materials such as coal
A - ARMY reduced to from 17.5 million-100,000 men. No conscription or aircraft allowed and reduction in size of navy
M - Had to pay a huge sum of MONEY (£6.6bn) in reparations to countries such as France and Belgium which had been devastated by trench warfare
B - The ‘war guilt clause’ meant Germany accepted BLAME for causing the war
What did the Treaty of Versailles show to opponents of Germany?
It showed the Weimar as much weaker
How was the old government run by Kaiser?
Kaiser had chosen ministers who would help run the country
How did this change when the Weimar Republic overtook the old government?
It allowed German people to choose who they wanted in their government
What did this mean for the new government voting terms?
- It was a fairer system, all Germans over the age of 20 yrs could vote and all adults had the right to free speech
- Votes were counted using proportional representation which often meant the government was made up of lots of different minor parties, meaning too much influence on other policies
- Major parties in Reichstag had to make deals with minor parties as they needed support
What was the issue with political violence?
- Not as many people felt the same about the leaders way of running the Weimar Republic
- Extreme parties wanted to destroy the Republic and government system. Their aim was to seize power and rule Germany their way
What was the Spartacist Rising and when did it take place?
- It was an extreme left uprising in 1919
- Members of the Spartacist league were communists who wanted a revolution in Germany
- Government ordered army and Freikorps to crush them
- Leaders executed for their part in uprising
What was The Red Rising and when did it take place?
- It was an extreme left uprising in 1920
- A communist army of around 50,000 workers occupied the Ruhr
- Army and Freikorps crushed them, rising lost around 1000 communists
What was the Kapp Putsch Uprising and when did it take place?
- It was an extreme right wing rising in 1920
- Leader of Freikorps, Wolfgang Kapp, attempted to seize power using the Freikorps
- Workers went on a general strike to protest and managed to stop e uprising
How many members of Hitler’s Nazi Party took part in the Munich Putsch?
50,000 members and own private army (SA)
What did the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi’s) believe?
- Democracy only led to weak government
- There should be only one political party with one leader
When did Hitler become the leader of the Nazi Party?
1921
How many members did the Nazi Party have?
55,000 members but we’re still seen as a marginal political party
What were some points from the Twenty-Five Point Programme?
- Unite all German-speaking people
- Abolish the Treaty of Versailles and end reparations
- Share all profits made by profiteers during the war
- Form a strong central government with unrestricted authority
- Take over land and colonies in Eastern Europe to feed Germany’s population
Why did economic crisis nearly bring the Weimar to its knees in 1923?
Germany missed the reparations payment in 1922