Hitler Germany Flashcards
Effect of WW1 on Germany
Farmers were drafted into the war having a bad impact on farming
British also blocked ports (only 50% of the milk and 60% of the butter)
Reichstag was weak, no effective opposition to the Kaiser as leaders were imprisoned
Germans had been proud of their country now they were bitter and angry looking for someone to blame
Armed demobilised soldiers were joining in violent protests against the war and Kaiser
Spartacists
Left wing (want equal society)
Wanted to give power to workers, share wealth, disarm the army
Against Ebert who made posters showing them as violent terrorists
Spartacist Revolution
5th Jan 1919: started an uprising against the government
Tried to organise a massive strike of all workers
Seized public buildings and built barricades in the streets of Berlin
No plan so 200,000 armed workers waited but became tired and left
Freikorps turned up with army weapons
15th Jan: killing was over, 156 killed
Called ‘Bloody Week’
Problems the Weimar Republic faced
New voting system confused people
Always coalition governments meaning no stable government
Most people were loyal to the ‘old Germany’
Germans believed they’d ben stabbed in the back
Working class didn’t like that wealthier classes still had so much power
Treaty of Versailles
Army: cut to 100,000 men, 6 warships, weapons melted, no tanks, submarines or airforce
£6.6billion reparations
Colonies given mostly to Britain
Had to accept full responsibility
Union between Germany and Austria was forbidden
Rhineland was demilitarised
Invasion of the Ruhr
Ruhr was a heavily industrialised region of Germany
No soldiers to stop the invasion
This was due to Germany being late for reparations
Government ordered workers to refuse to cooperate with the French and Belgian invaders
Hyperinflation
Workers had to rush to the store before prices increased
People could spend money without feeling guilty
People could trade things they didn’t want to get what they did
Pensions or saved money became worthless
People had wagons full of money
By the time you’d got your coffee to the time you had to pay you wouldn’t have enough money to pay
The Munich/Beerhall Putsch
Nazi Party had their own army in 1923 (SA)
Nazis believed democracy led to weak government
Hitler and 600 of the SA burst into a meeting in the Beer Hall where the leader of Bavaria was speaking and made him promise to support their plan
Wasn’t planned properly so he was allowed to leave and withdrew his promise the next day
Government ordered the army to crush the revolt
3000 armed Nazis marched into a military base in Munich and were met by armed police
16 Nazis died and were seen as martyrs
Characteristics
People got the right to vote secretly
Had the right to hold peaceful meetings, letters could not be opened and read, elections to be held every 4 years and 7 for the president
Fled to Weimar due to the violent rebellion
Riots were happening
Politicians lacked experience
President could overrule the parliament
Small extremist parties could gain representation (Nazis)
How did he become chancellor by January 1933
Wall St Crash - 1929 US stock market crashed, german firms went bankrupt, unemployment rose
Fear of Communism - Germans started worrying that communists would take control of the country since they were gaining popularity
Weak Opposition- Germans lost trust in parties in power during the Great Depression, politicians argued
Propaganda, organisation, leadership, policies
How did he become dictator by August 1934
Reichstag Fire - Reichstag building destroyed by fire in February 1933, a Dutch communist was found at the scene, he was arrested along with 4000 other Communist leaders and thousands who opposed Nazis
New Elections - Nazis put pressure on opponents, made anti communist views clear, more than 50 opponents were killed and more injured
Enabling the Law - gave Hitler the power to pass laws without the Reichstag or president, 2/3 of the Reichstag voted yes mainly because the communist party was banned from voting
Political parties banned, Knight of the Long Knives, death of Hindenburg, army oath
Nazi Control Fear
Informers Concentration Camps Gestapo Police SS
Youth Movements
Hitler Youth - wanted kids to become loyal Nazis, physical training, practice carrying the dead, had to swear an oath of loyalty
Swing Kids - loved jazz music
Women in Nazi Germany
More children to be born - awards given to families with most children
Didn’t work- 12.7 million women unemployed
Good at cooking and cleaning
Wore skirts, dresses, blonde, healthy, not much make up
Devoted to their husband
Kristallnacht
Planned attack on Jews on 9-10th November 1938
Shops owned by Jews were robbed and vandalised
Burned synagogues down
91 Jews died and 20,000 sent to concentration camps
Jews were fined 1 billion marks to make up for the damage
Called Kristallnacht due to broken glass on the floor
Nazis stated it was because of the news that a Jew had killed a German official and it wasn’t organised
