Social And Cultural Devlopments In Germany - 1924-28 Flashcards
How did the Weimar constrict union bring about wider social and cultural developments in Germany?
- Gave more rights to German citizens, freedom and greater equality than they had been allowed before
- many embraced these opportunities with enthusiasm
- witnessed a challenging of traditional values vs an attempt to prevent old order and stability
What were the 3 stages of social welfare reforms?
1924 - public assistance system - provided help for and destitute modernised
1925 - the state accident insurance system - introduced Bismarck to help injured at work, extended to those suffering with occupational diseases
1926 - supports of 800,000 disabled war veterans,
1927 - a national unemployment insurance system was introduced to provide benefits for unemployed - financed by contributions from workers and employers
What were the main problems associated with the welfare system ?
- very expensive to maintain
- supported 800,000 disabled war veterans, 360,000 war veterans and over 900,000 war orphans
- added to old age pension and unemployment benefits
- ## needed large bureaucracy to administer it
How was administering benefits and expenditure kept down locally?
- means tests checked claimants were not cheating the system
- increasing delays of benefits payments came as a result
Why did those part of powerful trade unions benefit in the years 1924-28?
They could maintain their living standards by negotiating wage increases
Why did those dependant on welfare benefits fare less well in the years 1924-28?
The economy prioritised this a lot less than other economic priorities
How did business owners and employees benefit from the improvement of living standards?
Improved trading position for German companies
Who benefitted least from the improved living standards amend social welfare reforms?
- those who had lost savings as a result of hyperinflation
- farmers suffered from poor trading conditions and their incomes fell
Summarise how the position of women changed socially in the 1920’s:
- idea of a ‘new woman’ - portraying change in woman’s life after was as a free independent, sexually liberated and visible person
- woman had increasing equality in employment and educational rights
- correlated to the amount of young men who had died in war
- war had brought many German woman into employment
- bdf - league of german woman set up with 900,000 members - supported ideas of traditional families and women
What was the true extent of this change?
- not all German citizens of women approved of the changes, the civil code of 1896 remained in place :
- husbands still decided things in marriage
- husbands could decide whether wives were employed
- league of women United to promote traditional female values
What was the truth about female employment in the 1920’s?
- woman left their jobs so men could take them up after the war
- women required to give up umployment when married
- women were paid much less then men
- woman who had jobs were blamed for male unemployment
What was the truth about female sexual freedom in the 1920’s?
- abortion was a criminal offence
- decline in birth rate was attacked as a ‘birth strike’
- Catholic and Protestant churches severely opposed brith control, abortion etc…
What was the truth about female politics and public life in the 1920’s?
- no female reichstag representatives
- no woman became a cabinet memebers during Weimar Republic
- no political party had a female leader in the Weimar years
- gender equality was unappealing
- no parties ever supported feminist issues
Name the four female politicians in Weimar Germany and their role
1) Clara zetkin - KPD member of reichstag, campaigned for woman’s rights
2) Marianne Weber - wrote books on Flemish issues
3) Marie juschacz - part of national assembley and member of the SPD
4) Paula Muller Oltfried - co founder of Protestant woman’s league
What had happened to a large proportion of the youth at the birth of the Weimar Republic?
They turned to a life of crime and anti-social behaviour
