Hitler & Nazi Germany Flashcards
Home Front in Germany 1918
America joined and helped allies
Germany lost 1 million soldiers
Bulgaria, Turkey & Austria-Hungary had surrendered
Coal in short supply, many power cuts
Food was scarce, people scavenging for scraps
British navy blockaded German ports to stop food getting to Germany
Mutiny - Why Did it Happen
As German navy chiefs ordered warships in Kiel to go to battle in North Sea against British but it would put 80,000 lives at risk
Reasons the Kaiser Abdicated
Lost support of military leaders
Public signed petitions for his removal
No peace deal if he remained in charge
Sailors mutinated
Workers & soldiers councils set up in Britain
All ports taken over by sailors, Germany was chaotic
The Spartacists Revolt - Events Leading up To
German army betrayed by politicians, cowards and government
New government said to be criminals as they signed the peace treaty named November Criminals
Peaceful protest in January 1919 the Freikorps killed 700 people
The Spartacists Revolt - Main Events
January 1919, peaceful demonstration attended by 100,000 people in Berlin which turned violent
Spartacist leaders didn’t know what to do and workers became tired and went home
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg were arrested and taken to Freikorps headquarters for investigation
Both were executed
Around 700 men and women were captured and executed by the Freikorps
Weimar Republic - Fundamental Laws
All men and women over age of 20 could vote
German citizens guaranteed freedom of speech and religion
All German citizens were equal
German citizens would elect the President and Reichstag
All communication via post or telephone is private
Nobody can be punished for an an act unless it was illegal under law at the time the act was committed
Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution
Allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take emergency measures without the prior consent of the Reichstag
Strengths of the Weimar Government
Voting system is fair
Democratic
Fundamental laws - freedom guaranteed
President elected by the people
Weaknesses of the Weimar Government
Voting system allowed extreme parties to gain representation
Never a clear winner in elections - public unhappy
Germans never got who they voted for
Stabbed Germany in the back by signing Treaty of Versailles
German people didn’t like new politicians
Printed more money that became worthless and the Germans blamed the Weimar government
Hyperinflation
German government printed more money leading to prices increasing and money becoming worthless
Impact Hyperinflation had on Germans
All life saving became worthless
Workers wages increased rapidly
People queued for food
People started burning their money in order to keep warm
Couldn’t afford anything
People froze to death as they couldn’t afford heating
Terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Alsace and Lorraine returned to France
Army reduced to 100,000 men
No air force
Wartime warships melted down
Forced to pay 6.6 billion in reparations
War guilt clause
The Munich Putsch
A beer hall in Munich
Gustav von Kahr, General Otto von Lossow and Colonel von Siesser met to try and overthrow the government
Hitler arrived as he thought these men could help him succeed but they didn’t want him involved
Hitler & 600 supporters arrived and Hitler fired two shots
The men said they would support Hitler before leaving and calling the authorities
3000 Nazis marched behind Hitler and Luddendorf but were blocked by armed police
Hitler escaped but was later caught and made to stand trial
Golden Age of Weimar
Gustav Stresemann was Chancellor of Germany for 3 months and during this time he brought hyperinflation to an end
Called off passive resistance of German workers in Ruhr meaning production of goods could restart and the government could stop printing money to pay striking workers
Promised to start paying reparations again
Persuaded France & Belgium to end occupation of Ruhr by 1925
This angered Germans as they thought it showed signs of weakness from the Weimar
Introduced a new currency called the Rentenmark, stabilised prices throughout Germany
Gustav Stresemann 1924-29
Hitler’s Path to Chancellor
Discontent with Weimar
- People unhappy as gov not dealing with economic problems.
Role of Hitler
- Offered short and simple messages. Offered to solve problems.
Nazi Policies
- Offered something for everyone
Death of Stresemann
- Competent leader who got Germany out of hyperinflation.
Reichstag Fire
Reichstag building burned down
Communist Van der Lubbe admitted to starting the fire
Beheaded
Hitler blamed communists so they lost supporters
Expelled communists from parliament
Granted this as an act of terror, people supported the Nazis as they were against communism
Used article 48 to censor newspapers and spy on letters and phonecalls
Nazi Government of 1930’s
One single leader - Adolf Hitler
- Complete power
Germans were “master race”
- Descended from Aryans, all other races inferior
Minorities were sub human
- Jews, slavs, disabled people, Roma, Sinti ect, racist policies
Lebensraum (living space)
- Territorial expansion was needed for master race to grow
- All inferior races must be removed
Self Sufficient
- Germany doesn’t need exports
- Only rely on German produced goods