Paper 1- Germany Flashcards
What is a republic?
A country without a king
What were the social problems of the the war on germany?
- women worked in factories- damaging to traditional family values and society as a whole
- huge gaps between living conditions of the rich and poor
- deepened divisions in society
- the war left 600,000 widows and 2million children without fathers
How many widows did the war leave?
600,000
How many children were left without fathers after the war?
2 million
What were germanys economic issues after ww1?
- virtually bankrupt
- german workers bitter at the restrictions placed on their earnings during the war, while the factory owners made fortunes from the war
- industrial production was about 2/3 of what it had been in 1913
- national income was about 1/3 of what it had been in 1913
What were the political problems that came out of the war?
- many ex-soldiers and civilians despised the New Democratic leaders
- germany had a revolution and became an unstable democratic republic
- stresses of war led to a revolution in October- November 1918
What is a democracy?
When you vote for the political leader.
The amount of votes=the amount of seats
What is the Weimar Republic?
The party that were in power over Germany after WW1
When was the weimar republic in power?
1919-1933
What is a proportional representation used for?
The voting system in germany
What is coalition?
When more than one party is in charge (joined together)
What is a constitution?
A set of laws/rules that govern the running of a country
Who is the Kaiser?
The German king
What is the Reichstag?
The parliament of germany
What is the chancellor in charge or?
The day-to-day running of the government
What is the role of the president?
To rule in crisis
What is article 48?
The article in the constitution which gave the president power over the people
Who is hindenburg?
The president from 1925-1934
What was the Treaty of Versailles?
The agreement that Germany had to sign after losing WW1 (set up june 1919)
What were the reparations?
The money that the germans had to repay for the war (£6,600 million)
What was the impact of WW1 on Germany?
- germany was in famine due to the naval blockade
- people were dying in thousands from the Spanish Flu
- people were desperate and were rioting in the streets
- the politicians called for a revolution
- Kaiser Wilhelm lost all control and fled in exile
- germany and was now a republic
What was the hyperinflation?
When money became worthless as prices rose after the german economy was in trouble. 1923
What is the Ruhr?
The area and that the french invaded in 1923
Who was Gustav Streseman ?
The chancellor of Weimar Republic
What is the League of Nations?
The world parliament
What is the young plan? 1929
The plan to extend the US loans
What was the Wall Street Crash?
In 1929 the stock market crashed in the US
What was the Locarno Plan ? (1925)
Streseman agreed the boundaries and borders of Germany
How many germans suffered from malnutrition after the war?
300,000
Who were the Freikorps?
Ex soldiers who believed in old methods not democracy
What was the Sparticists Revolt?
- 1918-1919
* threat from the left wing (communists)
Who was the Sparticists revolt led by?
Karl Liebkrecht and Rosa Luxemburg
Who also helped the Sparticists in the revolt?
The rebel soldiers and sailors helped as they set up soviets in many towns
What happened in the Sparticists revolt?
- Ebert (political leader of Weimar) made an agreement with the commanders of the army and the Freikorps to put down the rebellion.
- in the fight between the Freikorps and the Sparticists, the Freikorps won
- Liebkrecht and Luxemburg were murdered
- the revolution had failed
What was the Kapp Putsch?
- 1920
* threat from the right wing (nationalists+freikorps)
Who led the Kapp Putsch?
Dr Wolfgang Kapp
Who else took part in the Kapp Putsch?
Dr Wolfgang Kapp led 5000 Freikorps into berlin in a rebellion
What happened with the Kapp Putsch?
- Dr Wolfgang Kapp led 5000 Freikorps into berlin in a rebellion
- they delcared strike- capital comes to a halt
- supported by the richer people in society
- after a few days of rebellion Kapp realised he couldnt succeed- leaves country
- accused of stabbing Germany in the back twice
What was the role of the president?
To appoint judges, appoint the chancellor and to control armed forces
How many years were there between each president election?
7
How many years between each reichstag election?
4
Who were the electrolates?
The people.
What is “annus horribilis) about? What does it mean?
- means horrible year
* hyperinflation
Why was the hyperinflation especially bad for pensioners?
Because pensions are fixed so the value of their pensions would go down!
What was the reason for hyperinflation?
- the economy was doing very bad after the war
- prices began to rise
- inflation rises so much that the government tried to print more money to try and solve it
- more money printed= the less valuable it becomes
- this caused HYPERINFLATION
Why was the kapp putsch bad for the economy?
The government still had to pay the workers who weren’t making any money
Why did the invasion of the ruhr happen?
Because france did not believe that Germany could not pay the reparations and they were trying to make sure they paid.
How much was money worth during the hyperinflation?
- in 1919- $1=9marks
- in nov 1923- $1=200billion marks
- one egg cost 80million marks at one stage
What does gargle stand for?
German Land Armed forces Reparations Guilt League of Nations Empire
What does LAMB stand for?
Land
Armed forces
Money
Blame
What were the outcomes of the treaty of versailles on the army?
- German army limited to 100,000 men
- conscription banned- all servicemen had to volunteer
- no armoured vehicles, subs or military aircrafts were allowed
What were the outcomes of the treaty of versailles on the land?
- germany lost all its over seas colonies
- germany lost 10%of its land
- germany was split into two parts
What were the outcomes of the treaty of versailles on the money in germany?
- had to pay reparations of £6,600 million (100billion german marks)
- they lost 20%of their coal
- lost 42% of its iron factories
Why were the Weimar Government blamed for losing the war?
They signed germanys surrender in 1918
How did the Weimar Republic try to stop france?
By refusing to work for them until they left Germany
Who led the munich putsch?
Hitler &the nazis
What was the munich putsch?
- hitler and the nazis trying to take over munich.
* hitler put in prison- only a small amount of time as judge agreed
How had the weimar recovered after 1923?
- gustav stresemann- skilful politician solved germanys early problems
- dawes plan- reparations were spread out longer, 800million marks of US loans helped factories
- new currency- the reichsmark was much more stable than old currency
- joined peace treaty in 1925 with france
- invited into league of nations in 1926
- young plan- extended loans and decreased payments
- cultural revival- music, architecture etc flourished
How had the german currency changed?
- 1923- deutsch mark
- 1924- renten mark (temporary)
- 1925- reichsmark
Who formed the new government in 1923? And what did they do to improve germany?
Gustav stresemann formed a new government.
•he stopped printing worthless paper money in nov 1923
•he created the rentenmark
•he called off the resistance against the french occupation by german workers in the Ruhr. This helped the herman economy in its economic recovery.
What were the events of the munich putsch in 1923?
- hitler and the nazis tried to seize control of the Bavarian Government.
- the plan was to capture Munich
- on nov 8th at a political meeting at the Munich Beer Hall, Hitler forced Kahr (head of Bavarian Government) at gunpoint to join him
- on nov 9th bavarian police open fired on the nazis killing 16 nazis
- ludendorff (former ww1 general - now nazi supporter) and hitler were arrested
How was it clear that hitlers views had some support in germany after the munich putsch?
- many nazi supporters recieved light or minimum sentences
- hitler served his sentance in Landsberf Fortress (comfortable stay)
- hitler published Mein Kampf
Why was the munich putsch improve for the nazis?
•it was used as Nazi propaganda once the nazis gained power
What was the Locarno treaties and when was it signed?
- germany signed the Locarno Treaties in 1925 and agreed to accept the Treaty of Versailles
- in 1926 germany was admitted into the League of Nations
Who were the two main extremist groups during the recovery of the Germany economy?
- the nazis- in the 1924 elections the nazis won 14 seats in the Reichstag, in 1928 they won 12seats
- the communists- they created the Red Fighting League and fought battles with the nazi SA. In 1924 they held 45 seats and in 1928 they had 54 seats
What were the Weimar Republics cultural achievements?
- german cinema developed in the 1920s
- artists such as George Grosz and Otto Dix led new movements in visual arts
- theatre flourished
What were the effects of the wall street crash in 1929?
- many US banks recalled their loans> german companies unable to pay
- german businesses began to close> millions lost jobs
When was the wall street crash?
1929
When was the Locarno Treaties signed?
1925
When did Stresemann sign the Dawes plan?
1924
When was the munich putsch?
1923
In the 1924 election how many seats did the Nazis win?
14
In the 1928 election how many seats did the Nazis win?
12
Between 1928 and 1930 how much did unemployment rise?
Between 1928 and 1930 unemployment rose from 2.5million to 4 million
How did the unemployment provide an opportunity for the nazis?
As unemployment rose, more and more people felt let down by the Weimar Government and began to support extremist parties
In the 1930 election how much had the KPD (communists) increased its number of seats?
The KPD increased its number of seats from 54 to 77
How much did nazi support increase from the 1928 election to the 1930 election?
It increased from 12 seats in 1928 to 107 seats in 1930. The nazis were now the second largest party
How did the depression help hitler?
- unemployment was at 6 million by jan 1932 so hitler promised to get these people back to work
- people lost faith in the democratic political parties as they seemed unable to agree on any actions to solve the depression so through clever campaigning and his speaking skills he promised strong leadership
How did the depression help hitler? (Communism)
- some workers turned to communism with the depression
- this made wealthy and powerful industrialists and middle class businessmen and farmers who feared a communist take over take a anti-communist stance which led to them supporting hitler
What did the unemployment rate stand at in jan 1932?
6 million
What happened at the 1932 presidential election?
- hitler ran for president against Hindenberg
- in speeches Hitlet blamed “November Criminals” (the people who had signed the Treaty of Versailles) and Jews for the problems in Germany
- he promised to build a better germany
- he did not win but he only lost to Hindenberg on a second vote
What happened at the Reichstag elections of July 1932?
- the campaign was very violent
- nazis and communists fought each other in street battles> 100 people killed
- nazis= 2nd biggest party in Reichstag
- Hitler demaned to become chancellor
- Hindenberg was suspicious of him and appointed Franz von Papen instead
What happened at the November 1932 new Reichstag elections?
- Papen had little support
- he had to call another election to win more support
- the nazis lost seats in this election but they remained the largest party
When did Hitler become chancellor?
- In January 1933
- Hindenberg and von Papen decide to make Hitler chancellor
- they believed they would be able to control him when he was in power
- von papen became vice chancellor
- hitler tried to increase the amount of Nazis in government
What were the events of the Reichstag fire in 1933?
•on the night of 27 Feb 1933 the Reichstag was set on fire
•a communist was arrested called Marinus van der Lubbe
• the nazis blamed the KPD
•hitler persuaded Hindenberg to pass an emergency law restricting personal liberty-
This meant that thousands of communist supporters were put in prison
Who was the first president of the Weimar Republic?
Friedrich Ebert
What did nationalists see the Weimar Republic as?
A symbol of germanys defeat in the war
Why were the french and Belgian troops sent to the Ruhr?
Because the french insisted that the germans must pay the reparations.
Because it was the centre of German industry
How did farmers struggle in the depression?
- they could not sell their produce
* banks were repossessing their land
How did the Reichstag fire help Hitler and the Nazis?
- they could exploit the fire for their own purposes
- they blamed the communists
- Hitler persuaded Hindenberg to pass an emergency law restricting personal liberty- under this law thousands of communists were put in prison
- opportunity to spread anti- communist propaganda
- the 81 communist members of the Reichstag were expelled
How did Hitler become able to pass the enabling act in 1933?
- he ordered his stormtroopers to continue intimidating the opposition
- the 81 communist members of the reichstag were expelled
- it was passed by 441 votes to 94
- hitler was given the power to rule for 4 years without consulting the Reichstag
What was the enabling act?
The right to pass laws for the next four years without having to obtain the support of members of the Reichstag
How did Hitler use the Enabling act to his advantage?
- he outlawed other parties making germany a one party state
* the democratic Weimar Republic had been destroyed and germany was now a dictatorship
Why were the SA seen as rivals to Hitler?
- the german army saw the SA as a rival and would not support Hitler unless the SA was broken up
- some members of the SA wanted Hitler to follow a socialist programme but this would mean losing the support of the wealthy industrialists
- Röhm (the leader of the SA) was a threat to Hitlers dominance
When was the Night of the Long Knifes?
30th June 1934
What happened at the Night of The Long Knives?
- on the 30th june 1934 assassination squads from the SS (hitlers body guards) murdered the SA rivals
- up to 400 people were killed
When did Hindenburg die?
•just over a month after the night of the long knives
When Hindenburg died what happened to the presidency?
- Hitler combined the posts of Chancellor and president and also became commander-in-chief of the armed forces
- from this point onwards soldiers swore personal allegiance to Hitler and he became known as the Führer (the leader)
How much of the German population were claiming the dole after the Wall Street Crash?
1/3 of the population
What attracted the working classes to the Nazis?
- hope- for a future in germany
- uniform- very smart in a time of economic depression
- “work, bread and freedom” - attract peasants
What were the strengths of Hitler & Nazi propaganda?
- used radio to advertise
- Hitlers book was used to advertise
- torchlight processions
- role of SA- 1)hand out propaganda 2) disrupt political opponents 3)create chaos
- hitlers speech making
What were the 4 major events in 1923?
- france invaded the Ruhr
- another general strike (to stop french)
- hyperinflation
- munich putsch
What did Hindenberg nickname Hitler?
“The little army corporal” referring to his low rank when Hitler was in the army
Who was Ernst Röhm?
The leader of the SA, a close friend of Hitlers. However Hitler saw him as a rival.
When was the Night of The Long Knives?
29-30 June 1934
When did the german army take an oath to Hitler?
3 august 1934
What “carrot” /positive incentives did Hitler use to maintain power?
- cult of leadership
- festivals/ parties
- work&bread were provided
- rebuilt Germany
- unemployment fell to 0!
- work programmes (forced but paid)
- making the Germans feel proud for the first time in 15years
What were the “stick”/ negative things about Hitler being in power?
- forced people to work
- book burnings (no non-nazi ideas allowed)
- SA beatings
- censorship
- concentration camps
- GESTAPO (spies)
What does the phrase “Durch die Blumen Sprechen” mean?
Only speak through flowers- only talk about the good things
How were the SS used to help hitler to maintain control and power?
They created fear amongst the people who thought that the SS would be violent towards them
Who were the Gestapo?
Secret state police
What power did the Gestapo have?
•could arrest anyone on suspicion and send to concentration camps without trial
How were the gestapo used to maintain Hitlers power?
- everyone is suspicious
- fear of the unknown
- division between people
- people turned on eachother
How were the police and the courts used to maintain Hitlers power?
- top jobs in police forces were given to high ranked Nazis
- ignore nazi crimes
- nazis controlled magistrates, judges and courts
How were concentration camps used to maintain power?
- people could be sent there for nothing
* creates fear
What was the Hitler organisation for boys called?
Hitler Jugend & Pimps
Why were the Nazis so attractive for young people in the 1930s?
- new
- exciting
- smart uniform
- impressive marches
What happened to jewish children in schools?
They had separate desks
Then they had separate schools
During hitlers reign what did unemployment go from and to?
From 5million in 1933 to 1million in 1937
Who was Dr Schacht?
Hitlers entrusted economic expert
What happened when Dr Schact resigned?
He was sent to a concentration camp
What was Hermann Goëring in control of in 1937?
What was his plan?
In control of the economy
•4year plan- 4 years to prepare for war, didnt want to rely on foreign imports
What did foreign imports go from and to (1928-1938)?
14billion in 1928> 5.4billion in 1938
What were some of the improvements on working conditions During Hitlers reign?
- hot meals
- improved conditions
- leisure cruise ships
- sports
What were the good effects of nazi germany on working men?
•”beauty of labour” set up to improve working conditions
•”good ventilation in the work place”
•”hot meals in the factory”
(Slogans)
What were the bad effects of nazi germany on working men?
- Increased working hours
* kept wages low
What were the good effects of nazi germany on the unemployed?
- 1m unemployed men recruited to army
* unemployed worked on building motorways/hospitals etc
What were the negative effects of nazi germany on the unemployed?
- stopped paying unemployment benefits to anyone who refused to join a job scheme
- workers on a job scheme were being paid less than what they received when they were on the unemployment benefit
What were the good effects of nazi germany on the army?
•young boys had been made to practise military drills to prepare for becoming soldiers
What were the good effects of nazi germany on women?
•gave special awards to mothers who had 4 or more children
What were the negative effects of nazi germany on women?
•thought women should be housewives> sacked female doctors/civil servants
What were the good effects of nazi germany on factory owners and manufacturers?
The nazis bought lots of vehicles, weapons and uniforms from manufacturers to equip the army
What were the negative effects of nazi germany on factory owners and manufacturers?
- the Nazis told manufacturers what prices they could charge
* they decided which manufacturers received the scarce raw materials
What were the good effects of nazi germany on owners of small shops?
•big department stores were banned so people would shop at small shops
What were the negative effects of nazi germany on jews?
- blamed for Germanys problems
- boycotted jewish shops and businesses
- declared 600,000 jews “radically inferior”
What were the good effects of nazi germany on farmers?
- cancelled debts
* increased the price of farm produce so farmers made more money
What were the negative effects of nazi germany on farmers?
•they ordered that every hen must lay 65eggs per year or they would be slaughtered
How did the Nazis use media to spread propaganda?
- took over newspaper publishers/controlled what they could write
- encouraged new propaganda films
- controlled radio
- held olympics
- people expected to attend parades/speeches
How many jews were there in germany before 1939?
1/4 million jews
How many jews were estimated to have been killed in the Holocaust?
6million
What were the successes of the Berlin Olympics in 1936 for the Nazis?
- germany top of the medal table
- great show
- stadium still stands today- well built
- germany looked strong and powerful with their technology
- germans thought it was amazing
What were the failures of the Berlin Olympics of 1936 on nazi Germany?
- black american sprinter won 100m- against aryan race
- 10black members of the american team won 13 medals between them
- a jew was on the team- Nazis gave in to pressure
- the other countries were not impressed as they saw it as propaganda
How did the Nazis promote women?
- awarded women who had 4 or more children with medals
- offered financial incentives to couples who had at least 4kids
- you got a “gold cross” for having 8+ kids
- they promoted family values
How did Nazis limit women’s activities?
- thought all women should be housewives>sacked female doctors/civil servants
- all nazi leaders were male
- “kinder, kirche, Kücher” (means kids, kitchen, church) was a slogan for what women should do
- women could not serve in the armed forces
What is antisemitism?
Anti jewish person/ culture/ faith (all things jewish)
Name some groups of people who were persecuted in Nazi Germany?
- jews- infecting aryan race
- gypsies- didn’t fit in
- mentally ill/ handicapped- genetically defective and a financial burden to society
- homosexuals- dont fit into aryan race/ family values
How many calories did polish jews have to survive on per day in the Warsaw ghetto?
300calories
What was stage 1 of the jewish persecution in 1933-35?
- jewish shops were boycotted and SA troops made sure nobody shopped there
- posters played on very old fears about jewish people
What was stage 2 of Nazi- Jewish persecution? (1935-38)
The legal segregation:
•jewish children singled out at school for being the inferior race and were separated
•marriages between germans&jews were strictly forbidden
What was stage 3 of the nazi- jewish persecution? (1938-41)
Mass violence &kristallnacht:
•9th november 1938- 7500 jewish businesses were destroyed and over 30,000 jews were sent to concentration camps
What was “kristallnacht”?
The night when nazis targeted jewish shops and businesses and temples.
The name refers to all of the broken glass in the destruction.
When was Kristallnacht?
9th nov 1938
What was the final solution to jewish persecution?
All jews in the areas of Europe controlled by the Nazis were to be exterminated. Between 1942 and 1945 6million jews perished in extermination camps such as Auschwitz
What was the aim of Hitlers foreign policy in 1933?
To get other countries to disarm (take away weapons to reduce threat)
Why did Hitlers Foreign policy fail in 1933?
No one wanted to give up their weapons>Hitler called them hypocrits and then got germanys weapons back
