Stresemann Era Flashcards
1
Q
What was the ‘Golden era’?
A
-The period of ‘recovery’ after the disasters of 1918-23 is sometimes know as the ‘Golden era’.
2
Q
How long was Stresemann Chancellor for?
A
-He was Chancellor for five months in 1923.
3
Q
How long was he a member of every Government (as Foreign Minister) for?
A
-He was a member of every Government from 1923 - 1929 (as Foreign Minister - for five years).
4
Q
Who was Stresemann?
A
-The most influential politician in Germany.
5
Q
What was the Foreign Policy?
A
-Stresemann was Foreign Minister from the end of 1923 - 1929 (for five years).
6
Q
What was the Dawes Plan?
A
- 1924.
- Germany was lent 800 million marks by theUSA to invest in economy and helped German businesses export goods.
7
Q
What was the circle of the Dawes Plan?
A
- The USA lends Germany money (800 million marks).
- The Germany economy prospers.
- Germany pays reparations to the Allies.
- Th Allies pay back war debts to the USA.
8
Q
What was the Locarno Pact?
A
- Germany signed this pact with Britain, France and Italy. They guaranteed Germany’s western border with France and Belgium.
9
Q
What was the League of Nations?
A
- Stresemann took Germany into the League of Nations. It’s status as a great power was recognised as it was given a permanent seat on the League’s council.
10
Q
What was the Young Plan?
A
- This plan finally settled the payment of reparations.
- The amount of reparations was cut by nearly 70% and the payments were to be made annually until 1988. (N.B. Reparations were stopped forever in 1932).
11
Q
What is the acronym for evidence of recovery in he ‘Golden period’?
A
-PICE.
12
Q
What does the P stand for in the evidence of recovery in the ‘Golden period’?
A
- Political.
- 1924-29 saw more stable coalition governments.
- One politician who had been a leading opponent of Ebert in 1923 said that ‘the Republic is beginning to settle and the German people are becoming reconciled to the way things are’.
- Parties that supported the Weimar democracy did well in these years.
- Extremist parties, like the Nazis - wanted to remove the Weimar Republic - gained little support. For example, in the 1928 election, the Nazis only won 2.6% of the vote.
13
Q
What does I stand for in the evidence of recovery in the ‘Golden era’?
A
- Improved international relations with other countries.
- Shown by the signing of the Locarno Treaty, Germany’s acceptance into the League of Nations and the reduction of reparations in the Young Plan of 1929.
14
Q
What does the C stand for in the evidence of recovery in the ‘Golden era’?
A
- Cultural.
- In the 1920s saw a ‘Golden period’ for German culture.
- There was a tremendous amount of talent at work, e.g. Thomas Mann - Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1929; in cinema there was Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’ (1927).
- In architecture and design, there was also the ‘Bauhaus’ movement.
15
Q
What does the E stand for in the evidence of recovery in the ‘Golden period’?
A
- Economy.
- By the late 19s, Germany had a stable currency as was respected by other countries.
- This helped foreign investment in Germany (mainly from the USA).
- This helped the Germany economy grow (e.g. 40% increase in exports from 1925-1929).
- In 1928, Germany finally achieved the same levels of production as before the war.
16
Q
What is the acronym for why the ‘recovery’ in the ‘Golden period’ was fragile?
A
-PECS.
17
Q
What does the P stand for in why the ‘recovery’ the ‘Golden period’ was fragile?
A
- Political difficulties.
- Coalition governments were not strong (25 separate governments in 14 years); Stresemann’s foreign policy was not popular and the Treaty of Versailles had only been modified, not overthrown; extremist parties such as the Nazis and the Communists made no secret of their wish to overthrow the Republic.
- Weimar Government had lost much sympathy for their mistakes in 1923; President Himdenburg (elected in 1925) disliked the Republic yet still voted President by the German people.
18
Q
What does the E stand for in how the ‘recovery’ in the ‘Golden period’ in Germany was fragile?
A
- The German economy still had many weaknesses.
- Economy recovery depended on American loans which could be withdrawn at any time; unemployment = still a very big problem + agriculture = serious trouble. The peasant farmers increased production in war. In peace times, they found themselves overproducing. They had mortgages to pay but not enough demand for the food they produced.
- Many small business owners became disillusioned during this period. Small shopkeepers saw their business threatened by large department stores (many of which were owned by Jews).
- A university lecturer in 1913 earned ten times as much as a coal miner. In the 1920s he earned twice as much. These people began to feel that the Weimar government offered them little.
19
Q
What does the C stand for in how the ‘recovery’ in the ‘Golden period’ in Germany was fragile?
A
- In many of Germany’s villages + country towns, the culture of the cities seemed to represent a moral decline, made worse by the American immigrants and Jewish artists and musicians.
- Organisations such as the Wandervogel movement were a reaction to Weimar’s culture. The Wandervogel wanted a return to simple country values and wanted to see more help for the countryside and less decadence in later years.
20
Q
What does S stand for in how the ‘recovery’ in the ‘Golden period’ in Germany was fragile?
A
- Stresemann.
- Nationalists attacked Stresemann for joining the League of Nations and for signing the Locarno pact, seeing it as an acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles.
- Communists also attacked Locarno, seeing it as part of a plot against the Communist government in the USSR (Russia in those times (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)). Germany was still a troubled placed.
21
Q
What was the overall effect in the years 1918-1923?
A
-Despite all the problems from 1918-1923 and the underlying weaknesses and dislikes, the Weimar Republic had recovers and seemed to beg rowing as 1929 approached.
22
Q
What impact did the Wall Street Crash on 29th October 1929?
A
- The US demanded its loans back but Germany could not pay.
- By 1932 over six million Germans were unemployed.
- Millions became homeless and dependant on charity to survive.
- There was a growth in support for both left-wing and right-wing extremist parties like the a Communist and Nazi Party.
- The Weimar Republic became extremely unpopular and seemed incapable of pulling Germany out of the Depression.
- Hitler and Nazi Party did not change their political message but more people were willing to listen to their message now that times were bad.
- In 1933 Hitler seized power in Germany brining an end to the Weimar Republic.
23
Q
What problem did the Dawes plan solve?
A
Germany needed to pay reparations so that they could regain the industrial region of the Ruhr
They also needed to rebuild the economy after Hypeinflation
24
Q
What was the Dawes Plan?
A
Germany borrowing money from America in 1924
800 million marks
25
What was the positive impacts of the Dawes Plan?
Solved immediate economic crisis as they could pay reparations to the French so they left the Ruhr
Many US firms set up in Germany
Germany had money to improve housing, hospitals etc
Gained natural resources from the Ruhr region
26
What were the negative impacts of the Dawes Plan?
Economy was too reliant on the Us
In the Wall Street Crash in 1929, Germany became crippled
Food prices stayed low so farmers lost out, turned to extreme groups like the Nazis
Food production declined because of poor wages
27
What was the Locarno Pact?
A treaty signed in 1925 between Germany and other European countries where they promised not to invade each other and guaranteed Germany's borders
28
What was the positive impact of the Locarno Pact?
Improved relations with other countries
29
What was the League of Nations?
Stresseman entered Germany into the League of Nations in 1926
30
What was the positive impact of the League of Nations?
Germany was given a voice in big decisions that were made on the Leagues Council
31
What were the negative impacts of the League of Nations and the Locarno Pact?
Some Germans, thought that Stresseman should have built up an army and tried to regain the Ruhr by force, instead of giving in to France
32
What was the Young Plan?
Germany was given a longer period of time to pay reperations, the final payment was also decided in the Young Plan, which was lower. 1929
33
What was the impact of the Young Plan?
Germany was able to stabilize its economy as it did not have to pay Reperations. It could spend the money on improving roads, hospitals etc
34
What was the limitations of the Young Plan?
Many Germans thought that Germany should not have to pay reparations at all
35
What was the new currency introduced by Stresseman?
The new currency was the Rentenmark
36
What was the positive impact of the new currency?
Brought hyperinflation under control
Improved trade with other countries
Solved the economic crisis
37
What was the negative impact of the new currency?
Loss of upper and middle class support as many people lost all of their savings
38
What evidence of recovery to the economy is there because of the recovery by Stresseman?
The economy had recovered to the state that it was in post-war
Unemployment stopped rising
Trade and exports increased
The reparations were spread over a long time period
39
What evidence of recovery to culture is there because of the recovery by Stresseman?
It was the Golden Age for German culture
New films, such as "Metropolis" by Fritz Lang
Bauhaus movement in archictecrure
Dances like the Charleston were picked up in Germany and there was clubs and night live in Berlin
40
What evidence of recovery to politics and foreign policy is there because of the recovery by Stresseman?
More stable coalition Government
Reduction in extreme parties support as many people were happy with Weimar because of Stresseman
Young Plan and Locarno Pact were steps forward in the recovery
41
What evidence of no recovery to the economy is there?
Economy depended on American Loans
Unemployment in agriculture because of reduced food prices and lack of demand after WW1
Small business were threatened by big American Department Stores sometimes owned by Jews
42
What evidence of no recovery to Culture is there?
Wandervogel group wanted to return to simple country values and did not agree with the decadence of the cities, because of American Immigrants and Jewish artists and musicians.
They supported extreme parties like the Nazis
43
What evidence of no recovery to politics and foreign policy is there?
Stressemans foreign policies were not well supported as Germans still thought that they should not pay reperations at all
Nationalists attacked the Young Plan as an acceptance to the TOV
44
What was the impact on Germany of the Wall Street Crash?
US demanded back its loans which Germany could not pay
6 million people became unemployed
Weimar became unpopualar because they were seen as unable to keep Germany out of depression
Support for Nazis and Communists increased
