Overcoming the Challenges to the Weimar Republic (1924-29) Flashcards
1
Q
What was the period from 1924 to 1929 in Germany described as, and why?
A
- The Golden Years of the Weimar Republic
- The political situation was relatively stable; there weren’t any attempts to overthrow the government, or any major political assassinations
2
Q
List 6 things Stresemann (and the government) did in 1923 to deal with hyperinflation.
A
- They used emergency decrees to fix rents, wages and prices
September: - He called off passive resistance in the Ruhr
October: - The Rentemark would replace the mark as a temporary measure
- A limit was set on how much would be printed
- They set up state arbitration boards for industrial disputes
November: - Ban on the use of emergency money
3
Q
List 3 further actions taken by the government in 1924 to deal with hyperinflation.
A
- The new Reichsmark was introduced, which was on the gold standard, and replaced the Rentenmark
- Debts were revalued against the Reichsmark
- Negotiations for the Dawes Plan began, and it then came into force
4
Q
Who was put in charge of the introduction of the Rentenmark and the Reichsmark?
A
- Hjalmar Schacht
5
Q
Who was Hjalmar Schacht?
A
- He was President of the Reichsbank from December 1923
6
Q
What did businesses do during hyperinflation, and why?
A
- In 1924 there were more bankruptcies than the previous 5 years combined
- The surviving big businesses formed cartels; they set prices for their industry, which helped stabilise the economy
7
Q
How did Stresemann’s role change?
A
- In November 1923, his government collapsed, so he was replaced as chancellor
- He became foreign minister, and was very effective in this role
8
Q
What were 3 reasons why Stresemann called off passive resistance in the Ruhr? What was this tactic known as?
A
- He saw that it wasn’t effective, so he decided to meet the French’s terms instead
- Stresemann was aware that the occupation of the Ruhr had won Germany sympathy internationally, and wanted to use that to negotiate a better deal for Germany
- As workers in the Ruhr no longer had to be paid, there was less of a need to print more money
- Stresemann’s tactic was known as ‘fulfilment’
9
Q
Give 2 other examples of ‘fulfilment’.
A
- 1925 Locarno Pact: Germany accepted its western borders (but not its eastern ones)
- 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact: Germany and other countries outlawed war
10
Q
What was another treaty that Stresemann signed that was very important? Who did he sign it with, and when?
A
- Treaty of Berlin in 1926 with Russia
11
Q
Why was the Treaty of Berlin so important?
A
- It allowed Germany to secretly rearm in Russia
12
Q
Why did Stresemann decide to use a policy of ‘fulfilment’ to improve Germany’s economic situation?
A
- He knew the USA and Britain wanted Germany’s economy to recover
- He therefore knew he could undermine the Treaty of Versailles through economics, which can be seen through the Dawes Plan (for example, the USA wanted the German economy to be successful so that their loans would be repaid and their investments wouldn’t be jeopardised)
13
Q
List 5 aspects of the Dawes Plan.
A
- The sum fixed in 1921 (132 billion gold marks) was confirmed
- Over 5 years, reparations would rise from 1,000 million to 2,500 million, and would then vary according to economic performance
- The Allies agreed that they could only decide on sanctions together (after the occupation of the Ruhr)
- Germany were given a 800 million mark loan to stabilise their currency
- It was seen as temporary
14
Q
What situation did the Dawes Plan create globally?
A
- Germany used US loans to pay back Britain and France
- Britain and France used this money to pay back their war loans to the USA
- This was a continuous cycle
15
Q
What were 2 impacts the Dawes Plan had in Germany?
A
- It helped economic recovery, and Germany was therefore able to pay reparations
- They received more than they needed to pay in reparations, so the government invested the excess money in industry
16
Q
Give 7 ways in which the German economy was prosperous between 1924 and 1928.
A
- Industrial production doubled between 1923 and 1928
- This caused wages to rise every year
- As the government received more in tax, they invested this in public work schemes
- They also invested in leisure and housing
- Welfare payments increased
- Wages for state employees also went up
- The improving economy also led to more foreign investment, especially from the USA
17
Q
What did increased US investment in the German economy lead to?
A
- The Young Plan in 1929
18
Q
List 6 aspects of the Young Plan.
A
- Total reparations were reduced to 37 billion marks
- Annual payments were decreased
- 58 years were given to pay off the reparations
- Allied troops would be withdrawn from Germany in June 1930 (5 years earlier than originally planned)
- Germany was allowed to be part of the negotiations
- Intended as a final agreement
19
Q
How did extreme nationalists (including the Nazis) see the Young Plan, and what did they do as a result?
A
- They saw it as a betrayal as it was based on the acceptance of war guilt
- They called for a referendum in 1929
20
Q
What was the result of the Anti-Young Plan Referendum, and what influenced this?
A
- The nationalists won 14% of the vote, but voter turnout was so low that the result was void
- Although the nationalists had ran an intense propaganda campaign, the government had ran its own campaign supporting the Young Plan and presenting the nationalists as untruthful
21
Q
When was the impact of Stresemann’s policies most evident, and how? What limitation was there to this?
A
- In the 1928 elections
- Support for extremist parties decreased (the KPD and the Nazis won less than 15% of the vote between them)
- However, the 3 main parties that supported democracy only won 49.9% of the vote between them
22
Q
What the biggest issue the German economy had from 1924 to 1929? Give 2 details.
A
- Its growth was completely dependent on the USA, and Stresemann summarised this by saying that Germany was ‘dancing on the edge of a volcano’
- The government spent heavily to subsidise industry and agriculture and to make welfare payments, so it both borrowed and spent heavily
- Without US money, and therefore government support through it, the economy would collapse
23
Q
When did Stresemann die?
A
- October 1929, shortly before the Wall Street Crash
24
Q
Who were the 2 presidents of the Weimar Republic, and how long was each in charge for?
A
- Friedrich Ebert: 1919-1925 (died)
- Paul von Hindenburg: 1925-1934 (died)
25
What 3 things did Ebert do to recreate stability after WW1?
- He quickly called elections to the new National Assembly (the parliament prior to the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic)
- They quickly formed a government, and he became president the following day
- He then outlined the basics of the new constitution to end political instability and the risk of revolution
26
List 3 actions that Ebert had taken to deal with left-wing extremism in the period 1918-1919.
- In November 1918:
- he made the Ebert-Groener Pact
- he introduced social reforms
- the cabinet he made contained many members of the SPD, and even members of the USPD, who were more radical
27
How successful was Ebert at dealing with the left-wing?
- Very successful; the SPD became the most popular left-wing party
- However, his involvement with the deaths of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg meant many radicals turned against him
28
List 2 ways Hindenburg's presidency benefitted the Weimar Republic.
- He had been a military general during WW1, so was popular (although he had been unsuccessful, but this wasn't commonly known) among the German people and conservative nationalists in particular
- He appointed Hermann Müller, leader of the SPD, as chancellor, overcoming divisions in German politics
29
What did the Reichstag do in response to the wave of political assassinations? Give 2 details.
- In 1922, as a response to the murder of Walter Rathenau, the Reichstag passed the Law for the Protection of the Republic
- It increased the sentence for politically motivated murders
- It also banned some extremist parties- such as the Nazis (although only in certain states)
