Recovery under Gustav Stresemann in the Weimar Republic Flashcards
Who was Gustav Stresemann, what was his role and what would he cause?
- Chancellor for 100 days, Foreign Minister till 1929
- 6 years of recovery ‘Golden years of the Weimar Republic’
What would be Stresemann’s first moves to recovery?
- Established the Rentenmark (later Reichsmark) in 1923 under the printing of Hjalmar Schacht
- Sacked 300,000 civil servants
- Increased taxes, note strong action
What results would Stresemann end with?
1929 Germany producing 33% more than they were in 1913
What were key aspects of the 1924 Dawes Plan?
- Germany remained liable
- First 5 years Germany would pay on a sliding scale of £50M to £125M, then based on prosperity index
- Loan to Germany of £40M to help new currency
- Ruhr to be evacuated August 1925
What were key aspects of the 1929 Young Plan?
- Agreement to pay reparations till 1988
- Reduction from £6500M demanded in 1921 to £1,850M
- Withdrawal of UK/French troops from Rhineland in June 1930
- Stresemann dies in negotiations :(
What was Stresemann’s Foreign Policy like?
Erfüllungspoltik - Compliance
- Negotiations with new British PM - Ramsay Macdonald
- 1922 - Rapallo Treaty with USSR
- 1925 - Locarno Pact
- 1926 - Treaty of Berlin
- 1926 - Entered League of Nations
- 1928 - Kellog-brand pact
What was the Controversy over the Locarno Pact?
Only got passed in December of 1925 with the SPD
SPD would adopt the Heidelberg Program to support this (marxism)
- Germany agreed Alsace Lorraine was French (Western Borders)
- Agreed to not use force to reclaim borders
- France agreed to not attack Germany provided Poland is the aggressor
- The DNVP strongly opposed the giving up of Western Borders and lack of cover of Eastern Borders
What was the National Opposition, what did they oppose and why?
- They opposed the Young Plan (re-affirmation of war guilt) and wanted a freedom law instated, Fritz Thysen, Hugenburg and Schacht were part of this.
- Note, Hitler now rubbing shoulders with big boys on the right wing
- They would invoke Article 73 to ask for a petition for referendum
What was the result of the referendum put up by the National Opposition?
December 1929 only gains 13.9% support, however:
- Stirs up nationalist emotions
- Hitler gains access to Hugeburgs media empire
- Nazi membership grew to 130,000 at the end of 1929
What were the results of the 1924 May elections (Give Reasons)
- Nazi’s 32 seats (Hitlers trial gained him popularity)
- SPD 100 seats
- DNVP 95 seats
- KPD 62 seats (more radicalised vote, USPD non-existent)
What were the results of the 1924 December elections (Give Reasons)
- Nazi’s 14 seats (economy improving)
- SPD 131 seats
- DNVP 103 seats
- KPD 45 seats (economy improving)
When was the Wall Street Crash, what did this mean?
24th October 1929
- Stocks were over-inflated and crashed
- German recovery was reliant on foreign investment, they now wanted their money back
- Caused unemployment
- Reduced German Export
- Agricultural prices fell and rye exports hit
When were Reich Relief and Serious disability laws passed?
1920
What was codification and when was it passed as a law?
1924
It put all laws together and tidies them up
When were the Labour Exchanges and Unemployment Insurance laws passed, what effect would this have?
1927
- A fixed rate unemployment benefit provided
- Lots of unemployment after Wall Street crash would end up meaning lots of payments
What was the effect of state spending on housing?
1929 Spending 33 times more on housing than in 1913
What was the effect of building and refurbishing housing?
1927-1930 300,000 houses built or refurbished
What would be the result of better health insurance
Less deaths from teburculosis
What was the Lambach Article 1928?
- Article titled ‘Monarchism’ by William Lambach
- Told that the restoration of the monarchy was no longer possible
- Attempt to reduce anger at drop in vote in the 1928 elections (103 -> 73)
What did the Treaty of Berlin reaffirm?
- The Rapallo Treaty
When was the Bamberg Conference and what was it?
1926
- A meeting for the Nazi Party by Hitler where he attempted to placate the split party
- Said they would honour the 25 point programme (even socialist)
- Gregor Strasser would lead the ‘left’ of the party
- Established Führerprinzip, partys leader was in absolute control and no dissent would be tolerated.
