Support for German Govs Flashcards
Majority of trade unions supported Weimar.
Give an example of one & details.
ZAG - Central Workers’ Association
Created in Nov. 1918, made up of union leaders, industrialists.
Supported government because they introduced reforms in the Stinnes-Legien agreement.
Included:
- Formal recognition of trade unions by employers.
- 8-hour working day
What happened in the Kapp Putsch (1920) that showed workers support for the Weimar Government?
Within four days, they walked out on a general strike.
Did strikes increase or decrease from 1922-29?
By 1924, the number of strikes was half of what it was in 1922.
They continued to decline until 1929.
What was the average total of voters in Reichstag elections between 1919-32?
What was the highest?
What does this suggest?
Average voter turnout was 80%.
Highest was 84% in 1932, 80% in 1919.
This suggests that voters supported the idea of democracy, even if they didn’t support the Weimar Government.
What parties were pro and anti constitution?
Between 1919-30, was the average votes for pro-constitution parties higher than those for anti-constitution parties?
Pro-constitution parties:
SPD, DDP, DVP, ZP
Average votes: 57.4%
Anti-constitution parties:
KPD, USPD, Nazis
Average votes: 29.1%
On average, what type of party did women vote for?
On average, moderate parties.
E.g. In 1920s, 60% of votes for ZP came from women, and 40-45% of women voted for the SPD.
Why did some of the working class support the Nazi Government after Hitler became Chancellor?
Because of the reduction in unemployment.
What was the Beauty of Labour designed to do?
What group did this increase support from?
Beauty of Labour was designed to make factories cleaner, safer & more efficient.
This increased working class support.
Why did middle class & conservative women support the Nazis?
Because they agreed in the idea that there were specific gender roles.
Women should bring up the children & look after the home.
What was the Nazi Party section that recruited women?
How much did membership rise in 1932-34?
National Socialist Women’s League
Saw membership rose from 110,000 (1932) to 1.5 million (1934).
Hitler held 5 plebiscites (like a referendum).
What did this give people in the Nazi regime?
It gave the option to ‘vote’ on an issue & gave the Nazi regime the appearance of legitimacy & popularity.
How much % was in agreement with each of the plebiscite questions?
Agreement with the gov. decision to withdraw from the LoN - 95% (1933)
Support for Hitler taking Hindenburg’s powers after his death - 90% (1934)
Want the Saarland to reunify with the rest of Germany - 90% (1935)
Support for the remilitarisation of the Rhineland - 99% (1936)
Support for Anschluss - 99% (1938)
In the FRG, what did the collapse of the NDP (national democratic party) & low voter support (4.3% 1969) show?
It shows that there was limited support for right, extremist parties that acted like the Nazi’s.
What group was formed in 1969 that never gained representation in the Bundestag?
DKP - Communist Party
Between 1965-69, what was the average strike days per 100,000 employees?
There was an ever age if 6 strike days per 100,000 employees between 1965-69.
What policies in the FRG encouraged people to support the government?
Extensive welfare policies.
What did research by the Allensbach show happened between 1951-65
The research showed that between 1951-65, the number of people who thought that the Bundestag represented public interest, doubled.
Post WW2, what showed that there was more support for women in the FRG?
Females made up a significantly larger proportion of the electorate than men in all post-WW2 elections.
Up to 1972, women primarily voted for the CDU (Christian Democratic Union).
Between 1966-74, how much did the % of women disagreeing with the statement that ‘politics is a man’s business’ increase?
It increased by 14%.
1966 - 51%
1974 - 65%
From 1972, what the general trend of women’s votes, and why?
Women voted for the SDP (Social Democratic Party) rather than the CDU/CSU.
They saw the SDP as more progressive.
Between 1949-89, what was the average voter turnout?
What did parties lacked votes, as a general trend?
The average voter turnout between 1949-89 was 80.1%.
There was a lack of votes for extremist parties.
How does a low number of strikes indicate support for a government?
- Reflects public satisfaction with its policies, economy stability or effective labor relations.
- Suggests fewer grievances among workers and a collaborative approach to resolving issues.
Why do welfare policies encourage people to support a government?
- Improvement overall quality of life builds trust and goodwill by showing the govs. commitment to social well-being and equality.
- This fosters a sense of gratitude and reliance, making citizens more likely to support the ruling administration.
