History (Weimar: 1924-29) Flashcards
What were the economic strenghts of the economy ?
Despite loss in territory in T of V- industrial prodcution was same as in 1913 in 1928
- more efficent production
- more investment/foreign banking
- more cartel- better purchasing power than smaller industries
- 1925-30: wage rates increased yearly and exports rose by 40%
What were the social benefits of this economic recovery?
- sickness benefits/pensions
- unemplyment scheme covering 17 million men
- fundign for schools, parks
What was boom refernenced as?
golden twenties
What were the weaknesses int he German economy?
- trade- imports still exceeded export
- unemplyment never fell below 1.3 million
- agriculture- prioduction levels weren’t 3/4 of in 1913
fundamental problems in the economy?
pre-war: releid on seeling a lot but countires ahd protected tariffs aginst german goods
world fall in food prices meant farmers in germany suffered>governemtn raised tarrifs>reduced internal demand due to raised income
high pre-war brith rate meant large workforce- more unemployed
Great Inflation meant peple didn’t want to invest- Germany relied on USA loans/foreign banking
governement fiancies- 1924- balanced budget
1925- debt/1928- governetn expenditure of GNP was 26% (highest its ever been)
What did proportional representation contribute to?
limited, unworkable coalitions
self-interested/represned certain areas/religions so couldn’tm work ogether
examples of unworkable coaltions?
The SPD and DVP were fundamentally opposed on basics: committed to democracy and rejection of weimar
KPD remained isolated
Coaliton of more righ-wing: DVP DNVP and centre could agree on foreign but not domestic policy
COaliton of more democratic parties:DDP DVP and Centre could agree on domestic but not foreign policy (diffucult to get a coalition that could agree)
Ho9w many governments were there between 1923-30 and how long did the longest last?
7
21 months
Wghat divided the SPD?
torn between committment to democracy and to the working class
Some feared a coaliton-weaken their principles
Some more moderate-wanted to form coalition-exert infleuce
Didn’t enter into any of the fragiel coaltions-weakened their power-base
What were the limitations of the ZP (Centre Party)?
leadership of Weimar (was in all the coaltions)
Didn’t increase support- onyl appealed to traditional Catholic areas
internal quarres about uniting class (dismissed by Erzberger) but during the 1920’s they removed instead to the right (clearly biased towards them)
1928- Bruning-more conservatvie than liberal -worrying for change
What were the weaknesses of the German liberal parties?
DDP and DVP-enter into coaltions/has Stresemann
1920-25- share of the vote halved
DDP- memebers ahd many arguments (hard to agree on antyhing- lacked clear leadership
DVP- remained divided despite Stresemanns efforts to unite it
1929-30- suport declined dramatically and they collapsed
How did the DNVP change over time?
1919- totally opposed to Weimar-didn’t join any coalitions
enjoy soem success- 1924 election (20.5% of votes)
After economic revoery (afetr 1923 crisis)- support dropped
Why did the DNVP ahd to follow a more concilatory policy?
because of the oppositon policy-had no power
had to eb willing to form a coaliton
some hated it- 1928 election - lost 1/4 of their votes extreme right stepped in
Hugneberg- media tycoon used newpapers to send message of DNVP reverting back to old-style complete rejection of Weimar
Who get elected President in 1925? what were the good things an bad thigns about him?
Hindenberg (Ebert died)-
rejected democracy- wanted authrotiarian ruel back
good: no swing to right/loyal to constituion/did his duties- seen by conservatives as a replacement monarchy-they less resentful
Bad: had no real sympathy for the republic/advisors that were ant-repblican/preferred to exclude SPD and include DNVP
Background on Stresemann?
created DVP
1918- hostile to Weimar/rejected it
>failure of Kapp Putsch/muder of Erzberger
-changed to be sympatheic to Weimar
ideal was a constitutional monarchy but realised Republic was the only way of preventing a dictatorship
Stresemann’s foreign polciy aims?
To recognise that France had the balance of power on the continent (Franco-German relations were essential)
Not make an allioance with Soviet Russia but keep friendship (Rapollo Treaty)
To plsy a par in world trade to co-operta with Brtiain and USA (USA especially for forign investment)
To make peace with western powers
What were the problems in the summer of 1923?
hyper-infaltion
extension asking of loans casued Belgium/french tropps to march into Ruhr
ghermany didn’t have a policy except for passive resistance (workers went on strike-still got paid>problem with the Franch cutting off supplies)
Saxony- governmt of KPD/SPD meant a Communist uprising
Bavaria -Muncih Beer HAll Putsch
What were Stresemann’s achivements with the Ruhr crisis?
Things had been allowed to slide under Cuno
August 1923- Stresemann was appinted- abe to make diffcult decisons
broad coaltio of DDP Centre SPD DVP
promied to solve Germany’s problems internatinally
Stresemann’s foreign affairs: The Dawes Plan?
called off ‘passive resistance’ - continued paying reparations/conciled with France
Introcued new currency-Rentwenark in Dec 1923- evoked some sympathy with Allies reuslted in Dawes Plan (international conference)
fixed sum stayed the same
monthly installemts were matched to Gerany’s abiltiy to pay
Large loans
Sucess:
Germany was internatioanlyl recognised
Americal loans to recover
French promsie to evacuate the Ruhr
Capital Germanyw as getting in was twice the amount paid out in reparations
eased relations with France
What wasthe problem with the Dawes Plan?
Reparations Traingle- dangerously depended on American loans (cycle)
1929- Wall Street Crash- massive negative imapcts
What happened to workers in the Ruhr becuase of Stresemann’s cut in government expenditure?
> 700,000 workers were sacked
Why did stresemann propose the security pact - Locarno Treaties?
He was worried the Anglo-French alliance would turn into a military alliance agaisnt Germany
what were the Locarno Treaties? and what year?
1925
mutual agreement- Frano-German borders were accpeted/Belgium-German bordes were accepted/all ocunties would disarm excet in self-defence
Rhineland- permantely demilitarised
arbiteration treaties- Germany, Poland and Czecholsolvakia settle future disputes peacefully
What was the success of the Locarno treatues?
little cost to GErmany Frnch coldn't occupy the Ruhr Rhineland couldn't be annexed] Made French a lot less fearful Reduced fears of Anglo-French miliatary alliance
What were thefurther foreign polciy successes (although limited)?
1926- allowed to join the League of Nations
1928- signed Kellog-Briand Pact- outlawed war>useless meant that working with 68 other nations that had also signed it
1929- Allies evacuated Ruhr earlier than intended- Germany agreed to pay repartions until 1988- 1/4 of original sum
What was the Treaty of Berlin?
west was a priority
determined to keep good relations with Russia (kept the Rapollo Treaty)
Treaty of Berlin (signed in April 1926)
Not betraying the West- Germany position in the heart of Europe meant they needed to ahve understanding with East and West
-reduced German fears about attack on eastern front
-put more pressure on with Poland to give way to Germany’s frontier demands
-increased military co-operaton with Russia
What were Weimar’s golden years?
liberal society/reduced society
shown by factors like Art, Architecure (Bauhaus School), Literaure explored social uissues with growing up poor,
mass culture- adanced film industry,Radio
Most people were horrified by the declijne of esdtablished moral st6andards
Weimar never estalbihsed a tolerant attitude
avant garde (new style) and conservatioves were against each other and both took advantage of the freedom to criticise it
Weimar society was becoming increasingly…?
polarised
