history part 1

Question 1

What was Germany like before the first world war?

Answer 1

Kaiser - Appoints the chancellor.
Responsible for armed forces and foreign affairs.

Chancellor - Has power over policies.
Answerable only to the kaiser.

Reichstag - Discuss and vote on laws drawn by the kaiser and his minister

Question 2

Kaiser Wilhem II’s aims

Answer 2

1) Be in world politics (he wanted respect and to be taken seriously).
2) He wanted a place in the sun (take over Africa).
3) Turn Germany into a trading nation.

Question 3

How would the kaiser achieve his aims?

Answer 3

Kaiser embarked on a policy of industrialisation.

1st naval law - ordered the creation of 19 battleships.
2nd naval law - increased the fleet to 38 battleships.

Question 4

Impact of the first word war

Answer 4

• The German people turned against the Kaiser because there was less food and all they wanted was peace.
• The people had set up councils.
• 28th Oct 1918: The kaiser ordered the sailors to attack British ships but they refused.
• The kaiser lost support from his army.
• The kaiser was forced to abdicate.

Question 5

Political impact of war.

Answer 5

• Many ex soldiers and civilians felt Germany had been betrayed by the November Criminals.

Question 6

Economic impact of war

Answer 6

• Germany lent money to allies and didn’t know if they were going to get it back.
• Germany borrowed money from USA and would have to repay it.
• The national income was a third of what it had been in 1913.

Question 7

Social impact of war.

Answer 7

• Women were sent to work in factories (untraditional).
• 600,000 women were left widows.
• 2 million children were left without fathers.

Question 8

Weimar republic

Answer 8

Elections were held in Germany and Friedrich Ebert’s party won (Social Democracy Party), making him Germany’s first ever presiden

Question 9

Proportional representation

Answer 9

• Communists, National People’s Party, DNVP and Nazi’s did not support the new deocratic way Germany was governed.
• Communists thought Germany should be a communist country, run by the workers and not by parliament.
• DNVP wanted a strong government led by one politician.

Question 10

Nazis:

Answer 10

• Wanted Germany to be a great nation.
• Wanted greater military power.
• Hated democracy.
• Wanted a strong government led by one man.
• Hated communism.
• They believed that some races and nations were better than others.

Question 11

Spartacist uprising

Answer 11

• The Free Corps were German soldiers who were returning home.
• They hated communism.
• The government made them attack the spartacist league.
• Two leaders of the spartacist league were murdered. 500 others were also killed.
• The murderers were given a short sentence.
• The government supported them.

Question 12

Treaty of versailles

Answer 12

War guilt: diktat, kaiser abdicated, humiliation, austria-hungary declared war first.

Reparations: £6.6 billion

Loss of land: Rhineland, alsace and lorraine, polish corridor, saar, no colonies, anschluss.

Military restrictions: 100,000 army, 15,000 navy, 6 battleships, no air force,conscription and submarines.

Question 13

Invasion of the Ruhr and hyperinflation

Answer 13

1919 - Reparations: £6.6 billion.
1921 - Germany paid its first instalment in gold, iron, and coal to France and Belgium.

1922 - Germany declared that they could not afford to pay the second instalment.
1923 - France and Belgium invaded Ruhr.

• Workers went on strike.
• French worked in factories.
• German officials, workers and police officers were evicted from the Ruhr.
• Because the Ruhr had stopped producing goods, Germany was running short of money, the value of the mark dropped.
• Government started printing more money to pay striking workers.
• Hyperinflation.

Question 14

Impact of hyperinflation

Answer 14

The German Chancellor, Gustav Stresemann, attempted to bring the country back to normality by calling off the strike and agreeing to pay reparations.

People with savings in the bank lost everything.
Small businesses collapsed.
People with debts easily pay off debt.

Question 15

Kapp putsch

Answer 15

One right wing group led by Wolfgang Kapp, gathered 5000 men from the Freecorps and took over Berlin.

The government fled from Berlin.

Kapp didn’t have the workers’ support as they went on strike.

This resulted in no water, gas, electricity or trains.

After 100 hours, kapp fled and the government returned.

Kapp was trying to take over the whole country, make the army strong and recover what Germany lost .

Question 16

Red ruhr uprising

Answer 16

March 1920.
left wing group.
After Kapp fled, left-wing workers stayed on strike.
They rose up and took over several towns.
The government in Berlin sent soldiers and Freecorps to put down the rebellion.
Over 1000 workers were killed.
They wanted to be run by a communist.

Question 17

Assasination of the november criminals

Answer 17

August 1921.

Right wing group.

Treaty of Versailles was signed in november.
Matthias Erzberger (signed armistice in 1918).
He was shot by a right wing group.

The foreign minister was also killed.
They threw acid on important politicians.

As the judges were on their side they had short sentences.

Erzberger was killed because he was the one who surrendered for Germany in the war.
These men were killed because they were a part of the government.
People blamed them for humiliating Germany and for the ToV.

Question 18

Problems the government faced from uprisings

Answer 18

Government fled when kapp took over.
The government had to send soldiers and Freecorps to ruhr (Red rising).
Members of the Weimar government were killed.

Question 19

Munich putsch

Answer 19

General Ludendroff - High ranking German army General.
Gustav von kahr - important weimar politician.
Munich - city in germany

Hitler wanted General Ludendroff’s support because he wanted to rule the country.
He wanted someone with a military background.

Hitler treated von kahr as a prisoner because he wanted his support.
When ludendorff joined with Hitler, other people also supported him.

The weimar public found out.
Hitler and his men went to ministries to force them to give him authority.
Weimar republic sent their soldiers to stop the nazis.

19 people were killed.
Hitler got shot in the arm and was arrested for treason.
Nazis were forced to disperse and abondon the plan.

Hitler gave a speech on trial which people believed and supported.
He had a fine of 200 gold marks and 5 years in prison.
He was let out after 9 months.
Hitler got a lenient punishment because the judge believed what he said.

Question 20

Weimar republic recovery under Gustav Stresemann: hypperinflation

Answer 20

called off strike.
Workers started working again.
Introduced new currency.

Hyperinflation ended.
Prices of goods became affordable.
New currency

People lost all their savings

Question 21

Weimar republic recovery under Gustav Stresemann : occupation of the ruhr

Answer 21

Start paying reparations.
Young plan - reparation reduced to £2.2 billion.
Given longer to pay.
Dawes plan - USA loans 800 million gold marks.

Reparations were reduced and more affordable.

Had longer to pay.
Had to repay with interest.

Question 22

Weimar republic recovery under Gustav Stresemann: hostility towards germany

Answer 22

Locarno treaties, 1925
Kellogg-briand pact, 1928
Germany was allowed to join LoN in 1926.

Improve relations.
Countries viewed Germany as peaceful.

Hitler abolished ToV.
Germany left LoN when hitler came into power.

Question 23

Weimar republic recovery under Gustav Stresemann : poor infrastructure

Answer 23

USA built factories in Germany (Gillette and Ford)

New jobs.
Improve german economy.

GD - too reliant on USA.
USA can close factories.

Question 24

Germany’s golden age

Answer 24

Germany under the Kaiser was heavily censored.
However, this changed during the Weimar republic.

Nightlife:
Germany became the centre for new plays, operas and theatre shows during this time.
Going to clubs was a major pass time.
Musicians performed vulgar songs about politicians.
Berlin was famous for its nightclubs with live bands that played American Jazz.

Literature:
Writing became a big business, people had 120 newspapers and magazines to choose from.

Art:
Avant-garde artists believed that art should show the realities of everyday life and should make people think.
They often painted in a way that criticised current events.

Design:
A new group of designers and architects, known as bauhaus.
They designed everything from chairs to coffee pots to office buildings in simple and practical designs.

Question 25

Munich Putsch: new

Answer 25

Hitler stormed into the beer hall and took the Bavarian government officials hostage.
He had them swear to support him by threatening them with a gun.

Gustav Kahr (prime minister).

General Ludendorff supported hitler.
Hitler and nazis marched into the streets.
Army came to stop them but nazis kept going.
16 party members died.
Hitler was wounded and arrested.

Hitler gained fame from speeches on trial which lasted 24 days as printed in every German newspaper.
He had a fine of 200 gold marks and 5 years in prison.
He was let out after 9 months.
Hitler got a lenient punishment because the judge believed what he said.