Shitstory a deux (Germany) Flashcards
1
Q
What were the consequences of the first world war for Germany?
A
- The Kaiser abdicated, left Germany
- Millions of German workers had been killed or injured
- Germany had become an international outcast
- Germany was subjected to an imposed peace settlement
2
Q
What political problems did the Weimar Govt face (1918 - 1923)?
A
- Communist revolutionist, putsches
- Fear of revolution
- dependency on the army
- politicians blamed for political slump
- November criminals
- From 1923 to 1930 there were 10 coalition governments
3
Q
What Economic problems did the Weimar Govt face (1918 - 1923)?
A
- Massive inflation
- food shortages
- by the end of 1923, economic stability was restored under Gustav Stresseman new currency was introduced called Reichmark
- US lend money
4
Q
What were the Social problems the Weimar govt faced (1918 - 1923)?
A
- National unrest
- many saw the end of the war as a betrayal of the army
- challenges from civil service judges and senior civil servants did not want weimar as govt
- people unhappy with weimar because they had not established a good constitution and food shortages.
5
Q
What did the Treaty of Versailles mean for Germany?
A
- Land = 13% taken away
- Armed forces = 100,000 soldiers, no airforce
- Money = reparations £6,600,000,000
- Blame = article 231
- The treaty cause great anger amongst the German people. More importantly, it was to trigger further economic and political problems in 1923
6
Q
Describe the 1923 year of crisis.
A
1922 - Germany fails to pay reparations instalment to France and Belgium
- 1923 - Weimar Govt, decided to print money to pay instalments
- France invades Germany
- Passive resistance
JULY 1923 : HYPER INFLATION
7
Q
How did Gustav Streseman solve Germany’s hyper inflation?
A
- Streseman’s actions passive resistance called off september 1923
- Stresseman introduced new currency (Rentenmark) introduced under the presidents emergency decree to enforce the New currency in November 1923.
- The rentenmark was on a mortgage of all land and industry, so was relatively secure.
- Each rentenmark was exchanged for one trillion old marks and the supply of new currency was strictly limited
- Germany got a 800M marks injection from the US, with this money, reparations were sorted and debt was managed
8
Q
What was the significance of what Stresseman did in 1923?
A
- Money had worth again and people were able to exchange money properly.
- Hyper inflation ended and was unlikely to happen again.
- Recovery encouraged more support on Weimar
9
Q
What were the weakness of the Weimar republic?
A
- Appointment of chancellor - the chancellor was appointed by the president and was meant to be the leader of the largest party. After 1930 president Hindenburg appointed chancellors who did not lead the largest party and allowed them to rule using article 48
- frequent changes of government during the republic, during the republic, there were 9 elections, two each in the years 1923 and 1932, this resulted in weak and often unstable government
- President could pass laws unchallenged by the reichstag using article 48
- PR proportional representation was ineffective
10
Q
What was the Munich Putsch what was its significance?
A
- on the 8 November 1923, Hitler and 600 SA men burst into a public meeting held in the burgerbrau beer hall in Munich which was being addressed by Gustav von Kahr, the bavarian chief minister. at gunpoint, von kahr and the chief minister agreed to help Hitlers takeover, but they later informed police of the plan. 2000 SA men marched through Munich the following day, where they were met by police, few were killed. Hitler was arrested two days later, and he was later sentenced to 5 years the following year.
- Whilst in prison Hitler had time to reflect, he realised that in order to win power the Nazi party would have to change its strategy. instead of an armed rising, the party would have to build upon recent publicity and work towards achieving a majority in the polls and be elected through the ballot box.
- He wrote his autobiography Mein kampf, T.O.Versailles abolition of the hated treaty and reversal of its terms, social darwinism, the idea that some races are superior to others, anti semitism, jews had to be eliminated from germany, lebensraum, living space, create a greater Germany, Anti communism.
11
Q
Describe the development of the Nazi party 1924-1929
A
- Upon release of his release, Hitler managed to have the ban on the Nazi Party lifted and he quickly set about reorganizing and re-establishing his leadership:
- He created his own bodyguard, the Schutzstaffel (SS)
- he introduced the Hitler jugend, Hitler Youth to attract younger members
- He used every opportunity to attack the weaknesses of Weimar and the Nazi partty began to attract support from all classes
- in 1925 the party had 27,000 members and by 1928 this had increased to over 100,000. by 1928, they went down 4 seats to 28.
12
Q
How did the Depression hit the German economy
A
- Demand for consumer goods fell sharply and German firms were forced to lay off workes
- international trade began to conflict and German exports fell rapidly
- factories closed and unemployment rose sharply, reaching a peak of 6.2 million in 1932
- many Germans were unable to pay their rents and found themselves homeless, living on the streets
- four out of every ten Germans were without a job
13
Q
How did the nazis gain such significant electoral success?
A
- Impact of depression - the onset of the depression created the political and economic conditions that caused millions of germans to switch their voting habits and vote for the extreme parties.
- Appeal of Hitler - Hitler was a gifted public speaker who captivated his audiences. he projected the idea that he would save Germany, he offered something to all sections of society
- Use of Propaganda - Dr Josef Goebbels was in charge of the party propaganda machine. through staging mass rallies, huge poster campaigns, using the radio and cinema, he ensured that the Nazi message was hammered home
- Financial support - the Nazi party was funded by big industrialists like Thyssen, krupp and bosch. industrialists feared a commie takeover. Hitler had promised to deal with this fear
- The use of the SA - the SA played a vital role in protecting nazi speakers and also disrupting the meetings of their political rivals. Engaged in street fights with political opposition
14
Q
What were Hitler’s promises to different sections of society?
A
- WOMEN: put emphasis on family life, emphasis on children’s welfare
- INDUSTRIALISTS: protect against communists, curb growth of powerful trade unions
- MIDDLE CLASS: increase living standards, protect from communism
- UPPER CLASS: Protect from communists, let them keep their wealth
- WORKING CLASS: tackle unemployment, protect workers rights, provide a decent wage
- FARMERS: reverse decline in agricultural rices
15
Q
How did the Nazi’s consolidate their power.
A
- Reichstag fire Feb 1933 - reduced communist numbers in election, Article 48, 4000 commies arrested (leaders/officials)
- Enabling Act March 1933 - End to the Weimar constitution, created dictatorship, leads to banning of political parties and trade unions
- Banning of political parties and trade unions 1933 - Annihilates political opposition, DAF established, loyalty of workers
- Night of the Long Knives - Threat of Rohm gone, SA threat dealt with, had support of army now
- Death of Hindenburg 34 - No challenge to Hitler’s leadership
- Oath of allegiance to Hitler from army Aug 1934 - Army loyalty
