Social Booklet - Junkers

Question 1

How did Junkers benefit from Bismarck’s constitution? What about the chancellor position?

Answer 1

Bismarck’s constitution meant that the Junkers in the Bundesrat could veto legislation from the Reichstag and the chancellor was chosen by the Kaiser, the king of Prussia. The Chancellor was often a Junker himself

Question 2

How did the Prussian voting system help the Junkers?

Answer 2

The Prussian voting system meant that Junker’s votes were worth more than middle and lower class votes to ensure their dominance (1:3 working class votes)

Question 3

How did the Junkers retain their parliamentary majority?

Answer 3

To retain their parliamentary majority, the German Conservative Party (Junkers) formed an alliance with the National Liberals (middle class and industrial elite) to stand up to the rising SPD who represented the working class of the country 
- To maintain the alliance, the Junkers began to allow the upper middle classes and the industrial elites into positions of power

Question 4

Why did the Junker’s political alliance not work in the long term?

Answer 4

The alliance contributed to the slow decline of the Junkers because they had to compromise so much with big businesses (owned by the middle-upper class) that government policy began to favour business over the interest of Junkers

Question 5

By 1912, who were the largest party in the Reichstag? How many seats did they have and how many votes did they gain?

Answer 5

By 1912, the SPD was the biggest party in the Reichstag with 10 seats and over 4 million votes

Question 6

Prince Max’s role in the decline of the Junkers

Answer 6

October 28th 1918 – Prince Max pushed through reforms which ensured that the Prussian elite could no longer dominate he military of government and the unfair Prussian voting system was abolished

Question 7

After Prince Max’s actions, what happened in Germany?

Answer 7

A revolution swept through the country following this, which led to the Kaiser abdicating on the 9th of November 1918. This led to the first civilian government forming under the SPD (end of Junker-led government)

Question 8

Role of Ebert (Junker)?

Answer 8

Due to SPD’s fear of a communist takeover, Ebert signed the Ebert-Groener Pact in November 1918, which meant that the army would support the new government as long as they didn’t reform the leadership of the military

Question 9

Significant Junkers in Weimar Germany?

Answer 9

• Hans von Seeckt (commander in chief if the army from 1920-26)
• Franz von Papen (chancellor of Weimar Germany)
• Paul von Hindenburg (President of Germany from 1925-34)

Question 10

How did Hans von Seeckt undermine Weimar?

Answer 10

Hans von Seeckt refused to fire upon the Freikorps during the Kapp Putsch in 1920, which led to Wolfgang Kapp being able to take over for 3 days. The putsch eventually ended by Ebert calling for a general strike following which Kapp fled

Question 11

How did Papen and Hindenburg undermine Weimar?

Answer 11

Papen schemed with Hindenburg to undermine Chancellor Schleicher and bring Hitler into power in January 1933 with the support of Junkers and military leaders – they wanted to use the popularity of the Nazi party to establish a dictatorship, remove Hitler from power and return to a Junker-dominated state

Question 12

How did Hitler manipulate the Junkers?

Answer 12

e.g. June 1934, Hitler carried out Night of the Long Knives, earning him support from military leadership

Question 13

How did Hitler gain power over the Junkers in 1934?

Answer 13

After Hindenburg’s death in August 1934, Hitler assumed the role of Führer (chancellor and president) and the power of the Junkers declined considerably

Question 14

How did Hitler gain power over the Junkers in 1838?

Answer 14

Powerful Junkers in Hitler’s cabinet were removed, e.g. Papen, Blomberg and Fritsch in 1938 (heads of the armed forces)

Question 15

Who were the Kreisau Circle?

Answer 15

• In 1944, a small group of military leaders (Kreisau Circle), concerned about the failings of the war, plotted to assassinate Hitler
• Count von Stauffenberg attempted to carry out the murder, but it failed and 5000 people were murdered by the Nazis in reprisal attacks

Question 16

By the West Germany period, how had the Junkers lost mostly all of their power?

Answer 16

• Most of Junker lands were in Prussia and these lay in East Germany and Poland following the end of the war – therefore, most Junkers were forced to give up their land
• In the communist controlled East, Junker’s lands were divided up into smaller plots and turned into state-run farms
• The large aristocratic houses that had existed for hundreds of years were destroyed
• By 1952, the power of the Prussian land-owning elite had come to an end