The impacts of the war on Germany: social, economic and political Flashcards
Burgfriede
A political truce agreed between all the parties and laws for necessary loans were passed. Even the Social Democrats offered support for a defensive war - many socialists were patriotic, by showing patriotism in the hour of need they thought they could gain recognition politically
Kaiser quote about Burgfriede
“I know no parties anymore, only Germans”
Doubts about the war?
It was only during 1916, after the loss of Verdun and the Somme that doubts were being expressed - the Burgfriede had lasted well over 2 years.
German economic limitations
The long, drawn-out war created economic strain:
1) German banks and export industries became disrupted.
2) Germany’s capacity to produce enough food to feed the population was limited.
3) The ability to import raw materials was severely curtailed: materials such as oil, rubber, nitrates, copper and mercury were vita; for war production.
KRA (War Raw materials department) (economic)
Walther Rathenau worked to create this within the War Ministry. It oversaw a range of companies involved in raw materials. Within 6 months the KRA successfully organised provision for most essential supplies and prevented the looming munitions crisis.
Labour (economic)
Labour was effected by the War Ministry in deciding who should be conscripted, there was also need to prevent industrial unrest, this led to the creation of the local War Boards.
Labour in the short term? (economic)
In the short term, the measures to regulate the war economy were reasonably successful. However when military victory was not forthcoming, two important economic weaknesses continued to erode Germany’s capacity to maintain fighting. These ere the government budget and the provision of food.
Finance (economic)
The debt rapidly increased once the war started. The sae of war bonds represented the only real attempt to narrow the gap between income and expenditure. The idea of raising taxes on income and industrial profits was rejected on political grounds. The cost of war was simply to put to one side until the end of the war.
How did Germany pay for the war? (economic)
Altogether, only 16% of the cost of war was met from taxation; the rest was met from funding such as war bonds and printing more money. Printing more money meant that more money was in circulation which started inflation and also devalued the mark internationally.
Food (economic)
Germany could not feed itself - the effects of the blockade and the conscription of so many abled-body men led to reduction in grain supply and production
Food - nutrition office (economic)
Set up to regulate food supplies, but it met massive resistance from the agricultural lobby and its measures proved useless. Production continued to decline and, because insufficient food was made available, a black market flourished.
Auxiliary Service Law (economic)
Supreme Army Command, by the end of 1916 wanted to intensify the war effort with clear targets. The Hindenburg Programme aimed to increase arms production, while the ASL was supposed to achieve the ‘mobilisation of the entire civilian population’, it curtailed the freedom of workers to choose their jobs.
Failure of the Auxiliary Service Law and the Hindenburg Programme?
Both fell short of their objectives and the problems of labour and production continued to hinder the German war effort.
‘Total War’ (economic)
Forced Germany to use state power as a means to mobilise its economic potential.
Limits to Total War
Limits to how far this policy could go due to key interest groups. Ironically, authoritarian Germany failed to achieve the same degree of mobilisation.
The position of the Kaiser (political)
He exerted no real authority in the years of the war. Despite being supreme warlord, he was kept in the dark about military developments - he was no more than a figurehead
Impact of the lack of power of Kaiser on the chancellor? (political)
Bethmann did not have popular backing and the Burgfriede was pursued because of patriotic loyalty, not out of respect of the Chancellor. His power was based on the support of the Kaiser, which was increasingly unreliable. This left him isolated.
The ‘Silent Dictatorship’ (political)
Bethmann needed support after introducing unrestricted submarine warfare for the second time, and so replaced Falkenhayn with Hindenburg and Ludendorff as the Supreme Command, on-the-contrary this actually weakend the Chancellor and the Kaiser - they forced Bethmann out of office.
How had the ‘silent dictatorship’ reached new heights by the end of the war?
Constitutional authority of the Kaiser and chancellor had been sidelined, even the Reichstag could not exert political pressure. Instead the powers of the army had become obvious during ‘total war’.
Military morale (social)
Germany’s war dead was 1.8 million - 16% of those conscripted, millions more suffered injuries. Few families escaped the trauma of death. By 1918 there was a popular joke ‘what family is going to survive the war with all six sons alive?’
The Home Front (social) - food and fuel
Discontent with the war on the home front grew because:
1) Food and fuel shortages, especially the cold winter of 16-17. It was nicknamed ‘turnip winter’ because people were relying on turnips as potatoes could not grow
The Home Front - deaths (social)
The number of civilian dead from starvation and hyperthermia increased from 121,00 in 1916 to 293,000 in 1918.
The Home Front - flu epidemic (social)
In 1918, Europe was hit by the Spanish Flu which killed between 20-40 million people - people’s resistance to disease was lowered by the decline in living standards
The Home Front - inflation (social)
Workers had to work even longer hours, but wages fell below the inflation rate. Average prices doubled in Germany between 1914-1918, whereas wages rose by only 50-75 per cent.
