The Collapse of the Democracy 1928-1933 Flashcards
What fraction of German workers were registered as unemployed by 1932?
A third
What has it been estimated that the number of unemployed was by January 1933?
8 million
Which glass making city was affected by the depression and by 1931 half of the population was receiving welfare payments and some that no longer qualified had to rely on relief?
Brand-Ebisdorff
Which diseases begin to spread because of poverty?
Terberculosis and Rickets
In Hamburg in June 1933 unemployment was what among the age group of 14-25?
39%
What were young people convicted with during the depression?
Theft
Assault
Threatening behaviour
Who did the KPD have success in recruiting during the depression?
working class youths to ‘wild cliques’
Which political extremist paramilitary groups attracted young boys with the promise of a uniform, food and shelter?
The SA
What law was passed in May 1932 in response to right wing accusations of ‘double earners’?
A law allowing female civil servants to be dissmissed
How many women were dismissed from the Reich Postal service after the law in May 1932?
1000
In response to the depression, the DVP wanted to reduce unemployment benefits. What did the SPD want to do?
Protect benefits and raise taxes
What did the appointment of Bruner as Chancellor influenced by Groener show about the Weimar Government?
That the army was beginning to play a key role in politics
What did Bruner’s coalition Government exclude that meant the Weimar was practically a dictatorship after March 1930?
The SPD
How many votes did the Nazis gain in September 1930?
6.5 million!!
From 12 to 107 seats
Nazis claimed communists killed 29 of their men. How many did the KPD accuse them of killing communists?
92
What was outlawed in April 1932?
The SA
How many members did the SA have by 1932?
400,000
Which Nazi ideology proclaimed that power, strength and determination would succeed and were presented through the image of the SA?
The power of the will
Which Nazi ideology stressed that conflict between races was the natural order of things and war would reconstruct a new German Reich that glorified the military?
Struggle and War
Which Nazi ideology demonstrated an Aryan state that would abolish social class and go back to a romanticized mythical Germany that would be based on ‘blood and soil’?
Volksgemeinschaft
Which Nazi ideology stressed that democracy was the evil of communism and that the ‘November Criminals’ should be replaced with a dictatorship?
Fuhrerhsip
Which Nazi ideology hoped to reverse the TOV, establish a Great German Reich and secure Lebensraum?
Nationalism
What did Nazis argue was a major result of the depression?
Jewish Capitalism
What did Hitler use money from Hugenburg and Thyssen for?
Travel all over Germany giving speeches
How many votes did the KPD gain between 1928 and July 1932?
2 million
What did the communists stage?
Hunger marches
What was Bruner dubbed for his economic policies like reducing state expenditure and cutting welfare benefits?
The hunger chancellor
Who began to rule by decree in December 1932?
Papen
Who believed the greatest threat to Germany was communism and lifted the ban on the SA?
Papen
How many Nazis were in Hitler’s cabinet in 1933?
3 out of 12
Who organised a demonstration that proved Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor wasn’t going to be a ‘normal change’ in German society?
Joseph Goebbels
How many members did the SA have by 1934?
3 million
What was the name of the merged SA and German police ‘Stahlhelm’?
Auxillary police
Who’s paper was banned for criticising the murders of a communist and an SPD mayor?
SPD
What was the first permanent concentration camp that began in 1933 and housed 5,000 people?
Dachau
What happened on the 27th February 1933 that intensified Nazi violence and led to the decree for the protection of the people and the state?
The Reichstag Fire
What decree was passed that gave the police the power to arrest and detain without charge and search private premises?
the decree for the protection of the people and the state
How many communists were arrested in 2 weeks because of a fear of a ‘German Bolshevik Revolution’ after the Reichstag fire?
10,000
What act was passed on the 24th March 1933 that gave Hitler the dictatorial power to pass laws without the permission of the Reichstag?
The Enabling Act
Between 1929 and 1932, Germany’s export trade declined by what?
61%
Between 1929 and 1932, Germany’s industrial production declined by what?
11%
During the depression, why was there a difference between male and female employment statistics?
Some traditional female jobs weren’t affected
Women less likely to register as unemployed
What were Bruning’s Government’s priorities towards young people during the depression?
Control expenditure of benefits
Lessen effects of unemployment on young people
During the depression, what did the Government establish for young people?
Day centres for work related activities and socialising
Emergency labour schemes of manual labour with wages which were below the minimum
Voluntary labour schemes = leaving home for 6 months
During the depression, when were there 2 waves of strikes for higher wages for young people in the Emergency Labour Schemes?
October 1930
June 1932
What was the law allowing married women to be dismissed from the Civil Service symbolic of?
Victory for those who believed married women shouldn’t be employed outside the home
During the depression, who’s rights suffered?
Women’s
What were the political consequences of the depression?
Collapse of Grand Coalition
Left and right extremist groups gained support
Intensification of political violence
In the Grand Coalition during the depression, what did the DVP and the SPD want to do which created a deadlock and forced Muller to resign?
DVP reduce unemployment benefits
SPD protect benefits and raise taxes
What did the role of General Groener and Von Schleicher, who were opposed to democracy, in the appointment of Bruner as Chancellor in 1930 signify?
Army’s role in politics
In 1932 how many laws were passed by decree in comparison to laws passed by the Reichstag?
66
5
In 1930 how many laws were passed by decree in comparison to laws passed by the Reichstag?
98
5
What did Bruning’s coalition Gov exclude, meaning he couldn’t support laws as he didn’t have enough support from the Reichstag?
SPD
How did Bruning respond to the depression?
Cut expenditure
Raised taxes
What did Bruning do that caused a political crises because Article 48 was only meant to be used in emergencies not for political business?
Used Article 48 to pass a law putting the budget of cutting expenditure and raising taxes into law
How many seats did the communists have in the Reichstag in 1930?
77
Out of the whole electorate, what fraction of people voted for anti democratic parties in 1930?
2/5
Between February and November 1931, how many times did the Reichstag meet?
0
What paramilitary group did the KPD form?
Red-Front Fighters League
In the March 1933 election, who still had significant presence in the Reichstag despite Hitler’s efforts?
Centre Party 11.25% of vote
SPD 18.25% of vote
What did the communist’s membership increase to in 1932?
360,000
What is an example of a place that came under communist control as the communists presented themselves as defenders of working class districts?
Wedding District of Berlin
What did the KPD believe in?
End to cuts in unemployment benefits and wages legislation of abortion close cooperation with the USSR end of military spending workers state
What was the KPD’s ultimate aim?
Throw over the Weimar
What did the KPD label the SPD as?
‘social fascists’
What were some strengths of the KPD?
Posters
In the July 1932 election, what percentage of the vote did the Nazis have?
37.3%
Which groups didn’t vote for the Nazis in the July 1932 election?
SPD
KPD
Catholics from the Centre Party
What percentage of the vote did the Nazis have in the November 1932 election?
33.1%
Why did the Nazis get less votes in the November 1932 election?
Middle class alienated by Nazis attacks on Papen nd his refusal to join a coalition
Who alienated industrialists during his chancellorship from December 1932 to January 1933 because of his economic policies?
Schleicher
Who failed to get a coalition with the Nazis?
Shleicher
Who asked for virtually dictatorial powers?
Schleicher
Why was Nazi prominence in elections important?
Because it meant Hitler had to be listened to and consulted on coalitions
