The establishment and development of the Weimar Republic 1919-1933

Question 1

When was the Wall Street Crash?

Answer 1

October 1929

Question 2

What was the Wall Street Crash?

Answer 2

When the US stock market collapsed.

Question 3

What kind of impact did the Great Depression have on Germany?

Answer 3

Particularly severe impact due to American loans and investments. US firms and banks recalled the loans

Question 4

What was the unemployment figure in the spring of 1929?

Answer 4

2.5 million

Question 5

How did the WSC further add to Germany’s problems?

Answer 5

Unemployment continued to rise, the demand for German goods collapsed, loans on which Germany relied were recalled and production was cut back which created further unemployment.

Question 6

How many people were registered unemployed in 1932?

Answer 6

1/3 while others were working shorter hours and had taken pay cuts.

Question 7

What did unemployment and reduced hours/ wages lead to?

Answer 7

Increased poverty and people being unable to pay their rent/mortgages.

Question 8

What did many young unemployed people do and why?

Answer 8

Many joined paramilitary groups such as the Nazi SA as it gave them a sense of belonging and something to do.

Question 9

How did the depression affect the government?

Answer 9

It weakened the Great Coalition. The divisions over the unemployment insurance system then caused a crisis within the government.

Question 10

How did divisions over the unemployment insurance system cause a crisis in the government?

Answer 10

The PSD did not want cuts while the DVP did. Industrialists argued that the welfare system should be removed all together due to the costs. Any attempt at compromising failed and the Cabinet resigned. This weakened democracy.

Question 11

When the Cabinet resigned, what did Hindenburg use the opportunity to do?

Answer 11

Bring in right-wing Bruning who supported his policy of rearming Germany.

Question 12

Was the WSC to blame for Germanys economic problems?

Answer 12

It is easy to blame the economic problems on the WSC however there were fundamental problems before the WSC. The trade of balance was already red, in 1929 there was 1.9 million people unemployed, many farmers were in debt due to facing falling prices since 1927 and then from 1925, the German government finances were continually run on deficit.

Question 13

What happened to the Nazi vote in September 1930 and why?

Answer 13

They made considerable gains. They had 18.3% of the vote and became the third largest party in the Reichstag. Many people oted for them as they appeared to offer simple solutions to Germanys problems.

Question 14

What were the consequences of a divided Reichstag (1930-) ?

Answer 14

As the problems carried on into 1931 and 1932, it gave the impression that democracy could not deal with the problems/ situation.

Question 15

What did Brüning have to rely on in order to be able to rule?

Answer 15

Article 48/ Emergency decree. This further weakened democracy. Use of A48- 1930=5 1931=44 1932=66

Question 16

What were the unemployment figures in the winter of 1929-30?

Answer 16

Rose to over 2 million.

Question 17

What were the unemployment figures 12 months after the crash?

Answer 17

3 million

Question 18

What were the unemployment figures in January of 1932?

Answer 18

6.1 million.

Question 19

Were the problems of the Economic Depression suffered by only the working class?

Answer 19

No, many industrial workers faced the prospect of long term unemployment while the middle class struggled to survive due to little demands for their services and goods.

Question 20

How did many people view society?

Answer 20

They believed it was breaking down uncontrollably which led to them loosing faith. People then began to see salvation in the solutions offered by extremist groups.

Question 21

How did the economic crisis quickly degenerate into one of political nature?

Answer 21

Many people turned to the solutions offered by extremist parties as a way of surviving after the economic depression. There was also a loss of faith in the republic.

Question 22

Could it be argued that the WSC was the final push for Germanys economy?

Answer 22

Yes- the economy was already in crisis beforehand and it could be argued that the WSC was the final push that brought Germanys economy tumbling down. It was merely occasion not a cause.

Question 23

How much did industrial production fall by (1932) compared to its 1929 level?

Answer 23

42%

Question 24

Could it be argued that the economic problems caused the political problems in Germany?

Answer 24

To an extent yes, they made people resort to extremist parties and through the loss of faith, it led to the wholesale collapse of the political system. However this did not happen in Britain, France or the USA where they had well- established democracies.

Question 25

2 points to suggest depression hasted the end of the Weimar Republic?

Answer 25

• Economy was already in trouble

- Democratic basis of government was not sufficiently well established.

Question 26

What does NSDAP stand for?

Answer 26

National Socialist German Workers Party.

Question 27

What was the NSDAP’s original name and who was the founder?

Answer 27

DAP (German workers party) and Anton Drexler.

Question 28

After the war, Hitler was employed as a sort of spy, what did this entail?

Answer 28

He was a political spy whose first mission was attending DAP meetings.

Question 29

What did Hitler do when he joined the DAP?

Answer 29

Placed in charge of propaganda and political ideas. Together him and Drexler drew up the 25 point programme and changed its name to the NSDAP.

Question 30

What was the Munich Putsch/ Beer Hall Putsch?

Answer 30

1923. Hitler’s attempt to seize power in Bavaria however it failed.

Question 31

Why did the Munich Putsch fail?

Answer 31

Hitler grossly overestimated the publics support, had a lack of planning, relied too heavily on support of Ludendorff and at the eleventh hour, Lossow and Kahr held back in fear of failing.

Question 32

What could be argued as wins for Hitler and the NSDAP after the Munich Putsch?

Answer 32

It led to a change in tactics as Hitler now accepted he could only gain power through the ballot box. It also brought Hitler national publicity- used his trial as propaganda. The leniency of his sentence, 5 years but only serving 9 months, suggesting encouragement from judiciary/ sympathy for views.

Question 33

What changed with the Nazi party after Hitler came out of prison?

Answer 33

The party had collapsed so it had to be rebuilt. With Weimar now starting to recover, there was not much support for the Nazi party.

Question 34

Seat numbers for the Nazis in the years 1924 and then 1928?

Answer 34

Won 32 seats in the 1924 elections, this decreased t0 14 by the end of the year. In 1928, there were 12 seats held by the Nazi party.

Question 35

How else did Hitler use the time in prison to his advantage?

Answer 35

Used it to build up support including local parties. He also established the HJ and the Students League.

Question 36

When was Goebbels put in charge of propaganda?

Answer 36

April 1930.

Question 37

Nazi’s number of seats in the Reichstag? 1928, 1930, July 1932, November 1932 and 1933.

Answer 37

1928=12 
1930=107
July 1932=230
November 1932=196
1933=288

Question 38

Why did the depression increase support for the Nazi’s?

Answer 38

• Weimar govt appeared weak and unable to deal with crisis.
• Unemployment= rising and Nazi’s offered pubic work to reduce it.
• Many people feared communism and support grew in depression

Question 39

What other factors (other than depression) helped to increase Nazi support?

Answer 39

Support of industrialists (scared of communist, financial backing).

Question 40

What was the Nazi party called before Hitler took over?

Question 40

What was the Nazi party called before Hitler took over?