The collapse of democracy 1928-1933

Question 1

The Wall street Crash 1929

Answer 1

• stock market crash
  -thousands of American firms and banks went bankrupt
  -USA withdrew loans and investments from around the world and got protectionist tarrifs on trade

Question 2

Impact of the Wall street Crash

Answer 2

-world trade fell by more than 60%
-total wealth of nations fell by 15%
-global fall in demand

Question 3

unemployment

Answer 3

-Rose from 600,000 in 1928 to 1,699,000 in 29
-Crop prices fell by up to 60% as poverty reduced demand

Question 4

Bankruptcy

Answer 4

By 1932, 18,000 farmers had gone bankrupt
Industry- 50,000 businesses went bankrupt
1931- 5 major banks closed down

Question 5

Loans

Answer 5

• German banks could not fill the gap and there was no credit to be had elsewhere- Germany still had to pay reparations

Question 6

Efforts to combat the depression

Answer 6

• print more money
  -cut back spending as tax revenues had fallen
  -war victims pensions were cut by a third
  -raised the cost of imports

Question 7

Political extremism in 1930

Answer 7

Mullers Coalition fell over a failure to agree where cuts in welfare budget should be made- reduced belief in democracy

Question 8

Coalition government

Answer 8

• Farmers wanted high food prices, workers wanted low
  Muller could not get his finance bill through the Reichstag so asked Hindenburg to use Article 48 but he refused so Muller was forced to resign

Question 9

Brunings dependence

Answer 9

• Depended on Hindenburgs use of Article 48-reflects the inability of coalition government to agree on policies

Question 10

1928 elections

Answer 10

Nazis - 2.6% to 18.3%- second biggest party

Question 11

1930 elections

Answer 11

KPD- 10.6%- 13.1%
SPD-29.8% to 24.5%

Question 12

1932 elections

Answer 12

July-
Nazis 37.4%
KPD-14.5%
SPD- fell about 25%

November-
KPD- 16.9%
Nazis-33.1%

Question 13

1933 election

Answer 13

Nazis vote-43.9%

Question 14

Brunings attack on paramilitary groups

Answer 14

Banned the SA and the RF

Question 15

Deflation under Bruning

Answer 15

• prices,wages, welfare payment, rents all decreased
  -bussiness profits fell, losing him industrialists support

Question 16

Bruning policy of giving land from bankrupt junker estates to employed workers

Answer 16

Lost more money and his chancellorship- resigned in 1932
- Brunings government fell not because of a no-confidence vote but because Hindenburg did not approve of his policy and refused to sign his emergency decrees

Question 17

KPD support in 1931

Answer 17

260,000- its links with the USSR alienated many voters

Question 18

The Nazi message

Answer 18

-25 point programme- nationalism and to undo Versailles

Question 19

Nazi propoganda

Answer 19

Goebells- posters, films, symbols, flags, SA delivered leaflets( The SA attracted people as it portrayed strength and an ability to fight as opposed to failing Weimar democracy

Question 20

Fuhrerprinzip

Answer 20

Hitler was a charismatic leader at a time of failing chancellors

Question 21

President elections

Answer 21

Hindenburg-49.6% of the vote
Hitler won 40%

Question 22

Papen Chancellorship 1932

Answer 22

• Catholic aristocrat
  -Schleicher influenced Hindenburg to make Papen chancellor
  -Had little support

Question 23

How did Papen gain NSDAP support

Answer 23

• He lifted the ban on the SA in June 1932- increased political violence

Question 24

Failure of Papen

Answer 24

-Papen couldnt work with the Reichstag, Hindenburg dissolved it and called for new elections, disaster for the Weimar Republic

Question 25

July 1932 elections

Answer 25

Nazis -37% August 1932- Hitler demanded to be made Chancellor with an Enabling Act enabling him to issue decrees himself September 1932- no confidence in Papen- 512 votes - Hindenburg dissolved reichstag

Question 26

November 1932 elections

Answer 26

Nazis-33.1%- the elite asked for Hitler to be chancellor - Hndenburg demanded Hitler must control a majority in the reichstag first

Question 27

Schliechers chancellorship 1932

Answer 27

December 1932- developed Brunings land reforms but it alienated the junkers and therefore failed to win the support of the socialist section of the Nazi party

Question 28

Papens plan

Answer 28

Papen wanted to make Hitler chancellor with him as vice- in order to control

Question 29

Date of Hitlers Chancellorship

Answer 29

30th January 1933

Question 30

Hitlers rule and restriction of complete control

Answer 30

- Given 3 cabinets seats - Had werner von blomberg oversaw army -Hugenburg was minister for Economics -SA and the SS merged

Question 31

reichstag fire

Answer 31

Feb 1933- blamed on communists- Hitler used this to get Hindenburg to issue an emergency decree suspending civil liberties

Question 32

March 1933 elections

Answer 32

Nazis-43.9% DNVP-8%

Question 33

Enabling Act

Answer 33

The Act gave emergency powers to the government for 4yrs- it allowed Hitler to pass decrees without the presidents involvement -Passed by 441 votes- end of democracy

Question 34

End of the Weimar Republic

Answer 34

- Weimar republic flag banned on 12 march 1933 15 March- Hitler proclaimed the Third Reich

Question 35

When did the Dachau concentration open

Answer 35

20th March 1933

Question 36

When was the ministry for public enlightenment and propoganda set up

Answer 36

13 March 1933