(S2) 1924-28 The 'Golden Age' of the Weimar Republic Flashcards
What was the Grand Coalition?
- moderate pro demon ratio party
- stabilised currency and hyperinflation
- Stresemann led for 103 days
Emergency decree in 1923
- passed to make decision making quicker
How Stresemann made money work?
- introduces the rents mark, later became reichmark backed by gold standard
- kept control money circulating
Strengths/ weakness of how Stresemann made money work
- brought inflation under control
- people still lost savings
Key aim of Stresemann’s foreign policy
- stabilise the economy and settle the reperations bill
Dawes Plan (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- policy of fulfillment
- reperation bill decrease yearly till 1929
- start with paying a fraction
- German loan of 800 mil from USA to invest in infrastructure
Young Plan 1929 (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- German reperations until 1988, but only 1.8 nil
- Britain + France withdraw troops from Rhineland
Strengths / weakness of Young Plan 1929 (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- gradually left Ruhr
- unemployment around 1 mil
- Stresemann saw it as an economic armistice, did not believe in it
Stresemann’s Trade Recovery
- tariffs on foreign goods in 1925 to protect industries
Str / weak of Stresemann’s trade recovery
- exports rose 40% from 1925/29
- better living standards
- imports always exceeded exports so trade was in the red
Stresemann’s Farming policy
- made it easier to borrow money
Str / weak of Stresemann’s farming policy
- new machinery
- income per head less than national average
- in recession from 1927
Stresemann’s Government spending
- increased taxes to pay welfare benefits
Str / weaknesses of Stresemann’s gov spending
- reduced spending
- people against taxes
- disputes with workers / owners
Stresemann’s recovery of business
- encourages Cartels where businesses joined to control markets
Str / weak of Stresemann’s recovery of business
- 3000 formed from big industries buying small ones
- worker disputes with conditions and pay
- strikes
- unemployment increase
Treaty of Rapallo (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- with USSR to increase trade and develop weapons
- stepped away from post war isolation
- foreign powers angry as they are getting around disarmament
- Stresemann didn’t fully agree with TOV
Locarno Treaty 1925 (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- Germany agreed to respect boarders
- prevented territory loss and showed appeasement
Treaty of Berlin 1926 (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- stay out of USSR’s wars
- good relations created a buffer zone
League of Nations 1926 (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- Germany joined
- past post war isolation
Secret rearmament (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- increased troops but serving shorter terms
- support for gov through militarism
Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 (Stresemann’s foreign policy)
- internationals agreement to solve disputes peacefully
- prevent further conflict
Str of Stresemann’s actions towards the economy
- industrial production rose over 1913 rate
- pension, health and unemployment schemes
- hourly wages rose
- Dawes plan showed understanding of TOV
Weak of Stresemann’s actions towards the economy
- unemployment 1.9 mil in 1929
- agriculture levels still below pre war rate
- dependant on US loaned
- mittlestand no benefit from wage issue
- Young plan sparked nationality opinion from the rifjt
- farmers had to shut down their businesses
Str of Stresemann’s foreign policies
- fulfilment lead to acceptance from other powers
- Ruhr back to Germany for industry
- Coopertation with USSR
Weak of Stesemann’s foreign policies
- feeling of a puppet state to USA
Change in housing + public health
- increased spending
- improved living conditions
- increase doctors
- better health insurance
Change in the role of woman
- % outside of home compared to 1914 similar but different
- increased in teaching, social work ext
- equal rights under Weimar
- new ideas on gender equality
Problems with how people views woman
- still opposition to equality in government
- wage + sexual discrimination
Change for the youth
- Reich Youth Law 1922, all children entitled to a ‘decent’ upbringing
- rehabilitation after crime began to be controlled
Negative changes for the youth
- youth ‘cliques’ middle- class gangs
- wandervogel, middle-class boys with romanticised look on 2nd reich
- political youth groups, increased extremism
Education
- prided itself for best education systems in Europe
Negative points about education
- still divides in class lines
- only partial success
- did not remove influence of churches dictating religious views
Role that Jews had in society
- 1%
- achieved roles in press, politics, business, teaching and music
Negative view of the Jewish population
- antisemitism, not ‘German’
Changes for Berlin Nightclubs
- increased sexual freedom for gay, lesbian or transvestities
- rise of left wing comedy mocking authoritarians
How the older generation views nightclubs
- horrored
- no strength due to a decrease in cencorship
Changes in arts, music and literature
- expressionism, focus on meaning and emotion
- free, new political thought
Changes in architecture
- development in design for better housing has
Changes in theatre and music
- became political attacking Weimar
- long term effect as Nazi propaganda rose from this
Political instability- May and Nov 1924 elections
May
- 61% republican
- 6.5% Nazi
- communist decreased
Nov
- 67% republican
- 3% Nazi
Political instability- May 1928
- left increased support (KPD)
- centre party lost support and right lost support
- key turning point as there was a lot of political turmoil
Problems with coalition governments
- frequent changes = instability
- failed to win majorities
- no long term planing
- longest chancellor 2 years 26 days, shortest 86 days
Election of Hindenburg 1925- views
- general in WW1, authoritarian past
- seen as the Ersatzkaiser (substitute Kaiser)
- right wing
How Hindenburg bought stability
- right wing support
- overall, right wing less hostile to democracy
- more unity
- some mittlestand support
How Hindenburg bought instability
- only 48% of Germans voted for him
- represented authoritarianism
- impatiens with political parties
