Rise of Hitler and Collapse of Weimar Republic Flashcards
1
Q
Weimar Early Difficulties?
A
- Stab in the back Legend (“dolchstosslegende”) - Socialists, Pacifists, Jews, democratic politicians (scapegoats, “November Criminals”)
- Failure of sparstist revolution - ensured survival of anti democratic elites
- Widespread political violence
- Wolf Kang Kapp lead right wing Rebels to attempt to seize power - failed due to general strike (March 1920)
- Forced to sign TOV - reparations failure lead to reliance on US and lead to French troops invading the Ruhr in Jan 1923
- Hyper - inflation - Germany went bankrupt (mark was worthless and unemployment)
- 1918 - strikes and mutinies spread across the country
- Failure of the Revolution 1918 - 19- failure to bring about socio - economic Judicial change
2
Q
The Revolution left destroyed?
A
- as soon as Ebert gained power made secret agreement with General Groener, Lunderoffs replacement - Ebert Groener Pact:
- Ebert would maintain discipline in army and oppose rev/bolshevik socio - economic changes
1. meant there would be no right wing army coup against govt
2. guaranteed survival of Eberts govt
3. meant there would be no socio-economic changes in Germany
4. guaranteed survival of conservative elites and maintain army political influence in future - far lefts - Sparscists led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg - became communist party of Germany (KPD)
- Jan 1919 early - spascists called general strike over dismmila of USPD (led to attempt seize of power)
- Defence minister Noske called in “Freikorps” units to oppose rebels - right wing volunteers, hated socialists (blamed for Ger defeat)
- After a week general strike called off - captured rebel executes, Liebknect and Luxemburg murdered
3
Q
Lasting Impact of German Revolution on democratic republic?
A
- conservative elites remained in power
- army would remain key anti democratic force in politicsd
- the left became divided and distrustful
- govt authorities overlooked right wing violence focussing on left
4
Q
Weimar Constituition?
A
- appointed Elebert first president, Scheidemann chancellor
- Constitution guaranteed basic political liberties - freedom of speech, equality before the law, men and women right to vote
- head of state was a president elected by people for seven years
- president could appoint/dismiss the chancellor article 25 close Reichstag and call elections
- Article 48 gave president emergency power in times of crisis - right to close parliament, (suicide clause) can appoint chancellor, prone to exploitation
- Parliament had two houses: Reichstag (peoples house) and Reichstrat (states house)
5
Q
Ideas of the Left Wing?
A
- Internationalists sought cooperation with nations
-Opposed to “stab in the back” idea - Not racist
- No pro businesses supportive of sate intervention and govt welfare politics and pro trade unions
- (KPD) shared opposition to right wing
6
Q
Ideas of the Right Wing?
A
- Nationalist
- Strongly opposed to TOV
- “stab in the back” idea and “November criminals”
- Supportive of Germanys military tradition and he army
- Anti communist
- Racist and anti semetic
- Anti state intervention, anti trade unions
- Further right more oppsiion to Weimar System
7
Q
Positive side of Stresemanns’s Germany?
A
- Hindenburg became president in 1925, Stres presence maintained orderly changes of govt, army kept out of political life
- Germany had Eurpeas best welfare system: womens rights, 1927 provisional work hours law, 1927 unemployment insurance act
- Germany accepted into family of nations, signed Locarno Pact 1925, Joined league of nations 1926
- Weimar Ger beacme artistic mecca of the world, exelled in the arts
Ger had boom in economy as US money flooded in, 1924 Dawes reduced reparations, Retenmark established, international trade rose
Decrease in politcial violence, Hindeburg didnt abuse article 48 - Dem parties 50%, extreme parties were ignored, Nazis 2.6% of votes 123 seats
8
Q
Negative side of Stresemanns Germany?
A
- Proportional representation resulted in underlying inter part wrangling
- Social welfare = high taxes, resented by working class, industrialists resented workers gains
- Accepting Dawes plan meant agreeing to reparations, Locarno and League meant accepting TOV = War guilt
- Right wing hated that leading figures were communist or jewish
- Economic success relied on US loans
- Main parties developed para military organisations, nazis SA’s, KPD Red front fighters
9
Q
Hitler before Nazi Party?
A
- after Nov 1918 Ger in political Ferment and fear of communism - allowed Hitler to be made “political indoctrination offical”
- Purpose was to root out possible communist activists
- Joined political party - German worker party
- Left army and went through ranks of party
10
Q
Nazi Party - Early Years?
A
- 1920 - suggestion renamed party to National Socialist German Worker Party (NSDAP)
- Members would stick by him during Nazi period - Hermann Goering, Rudolf Hess, Ernest Rohm and Gregor Strasser
1920 - Party membership reached 3000
1921 - party newspaper, the volkisscher Beobacter is launched
July 1921 - Hitler becomes leader of party and refered to as Fuhrer
Sep 1921 - Hitler sets up para - military arm of the party, SA or the brownshirts (former Freikorps and frontline troops, purpose to protect party members
Jan 1923 - Hitler made head of the kampfbund, loose grouping of right wing Bavarian political groups
Mid 1923 - party had 70000 members and 15000 in SA (former solidersz)
11
Q
The Munich (Beer Hall) Putsch: November 1923?
A
- 8th Nov - Hitler burst into Munich Burgerbraukeller where von Kahr was speaking - had support of Ludendorff
- Von Kahr and others were orderd to join Hitler in an attempted putsch (attempt to overthrow govt)
9th Nov - Hitler led 2000 supporters in a march to Munich centre, shooting, 16 Nazis and 4 police dead - Sentenced five years imprisonment fined 200 gold marks, eligible for parole in six months, only spend nine months there
- Munich Putsch proved to be significant for movement:
1. Failure to achieve power by force convinced Hitler that only way to gain power was legaly through ballot box - set out to reorganise the party
2. He realised that in order to hold power he would need the support of army - cultivate relations with the army
3. The trail brought Hitler to national prominence, national figure, ideas and speeches read all throughout Germany
12
Q
Party Growth from 1924 - 1933?
A
- Munich Putsch had demoralising effect
- Northern and Western Nazis - Socilaist, Ant capitalist (Gregoir Strasser, Joseph Goebbels)
- Souther Barvarine Nazis - emphasis on racism, Anti semitism, nationalsim, anti communist (Alfred Rosenberg, General Lunddorff)
- 1920s idealogical division
- party branches established (nazi teachers, doctors)
- propoganda, rallies and marches
- Hitler invited to anti young plan campaign (reducement of reparations but over long period of time)
- gave Hitler publicity, media prominence , money and respectability
13
Q
Electoral Breakthroughs due to depression?
A
- September 1930: 18.3% of vote 107 seats
- April 1932: 36.3% of vote in Prussian sate election
- March 1932: 36.8% of presidential vote
- July 1932: 37.3% of vote 230 seats
- November 1932: 33.1% of vote
14
Q
A
15
Q
Imapact of the Great Depression?
A
- economic crisis created by depression led to political crisis saw end of democracy March 1930
- deflationary economic policy pursed by Bruning March 1930 drove Germany deeper into depression
- suffering created feelings of desperation and psychological disillusionment - led to a polarisation of German politics and increasing violence
- Gave Hitler and Nazi Party opportunity they lacked
- conservative elites come back - lead to Hitlers appointment
