The junker class had completely lost its influence in German politics by the Second World War. How far do you agree with this statement? Flashcards
Complete the missing word….The once ___ Junkers
redoubtable
What era truly ended the junkers’ influence?
The Nazis
How far do you agree with the statement?
Politically their influence had certainly ended by the end of the war but not the beginning
When does their social influence end?
Socially, however, it could be said that their influence was not truly lost until the division in Germany following the end of the war, where they lost Prussia, the foundation of their elitism.
Summarise the political impact of Junkers during the Kaiserreich?
Junkers led government, dominated the army as well as most major social and administrative positions across the country, giving them huge influence about the governing of the country.
What did Bismarck’s constitution mean for the relationship between the two houses?
Bismarck’s constitution meant that Junkers in the Bundesrat could veto legislation from the Reichstag
What did Bismarck’s constitution mean for the choice of Chancellor?
Chancellor was chosen by the Kaiser, king of Prussia
Describe the Kaiser?
A paragon of Prussian Aristocracy
Explain how to Prussian voting system maintained the influence of the junkers?
The Prussian voting system mean that Junkers’ votes were worth three times that of a worker.
The Prussian voting system mean that Junkers’ votes were worth three times that of a worker, what did this mean for the political system?
This allowed them to dominate the Reichstag and Bundesrat and could block or pass whatever legislation that was most beneficial to them.
What happened in 1894 that demonstrates the extent of jUnker influence during the Kaiserreich?
Chancellor Caprivi was sacked for his ‘Socialist’ New Course which appeared to bring about too much change and benefit the workers too much.
What two groups formed an alliance against the SPD?
Junker German Conservative Party and the National Liberals.
Junkers tended to maintain support of which groups?
Businessmen and Upper middle classes
How did industrialisation mark a declining Junker influence during the Kaiserreich?
Junker influence was founded on peasant control based on an agrarian economy where they owned vast swathes of agricultural land. When Germany industrialised, however, workers started to support parties and ideas which benefitted them rather than siding with the land owners.
Before industrialisation, what was there before between the Junkers and the peasants?
This meant that there was a quasi-alliance between the peasants and the land owners.
What did Junkers do that thought would not change their influence, but actually diluted it?
started to allow the upper middle classes and industrial elite positions of political power in the idea that they would work for the junker interest. This, however, diluted their power and meant that government policy started to favour big business over Junkers.
Which state was the location of most of the Junker land and influence?
Prussia
What was the new state in relation to Prussia and how does this suggest a declining influence?
The German state was far more diverse than was Prussia, the state in which most of the Junker’s influence lay. Their ability to exert authority over all states, particularly southern states such as Bavaria and Baden who were resistant to Junker influence, was limited.
What meant, under the Kaiserreich, that meant that their influence was cemented as declining in the long term?
Structural changes to the state, such as industrialisation
What and when under Weimar ensured that the Junker influence over the army was maintained?
The Ebert-Groener Pact of November 1918
How did the army agree to support the Weimar government that relates to Junker influence?
The army agreed to support the new government as long as the Junker leadership of the military was not reformed.
Give the names of three Junkers who maintained their influence throughout Weimar?
Hans von Seeckt
Franz von Papen
Paul von Hindenburg
How did, and when did, Hans von Seeckt maintain his Junker influence throughout Weimar?
commander in chief of Army 1920-26
How did, and when did, Franz von Papen maintain his Junker influence throughout Weimar?
chancellor July-December 1932
How did, and when did, Paul von Hindenburg maintain his Junker influence throughout Weimar?
President 1925-34
What happened in 1920 that signified a maintained influence of Junkers?
right wing Kapp Putsch in 1920 signified a maintained influence of these Junkers as Seeckt refused to fire on the Freikorps
As Seeckt refused to fire on the Kapp Putsch, what was the leader able to do and who was he?
a coup by Wolfgang Kapp lasted for three days
How did the Kapp Putsch end?
Not by the army, but by Ebert calling for a general strike
What happened to the perpetrators of the Kapp Putsch?
None were persecuted
What did the Weimar constitution mean for the judiciary?
They were maintained to create continuity but were distinctly conservative
What three cases demonstrate how the judiciary kept its junker influence?
Hitler’s treason offence served 9 months of his 5 years sentence in 1924, Ludendorff was let off straight away due to his Junker status. BUT
Felix Fechenbach sentenced to 11 years for press violations due to affiliation with KPD.
Whose cabinet had a nickname and what was the nickname?
Von Papen’s government from July -November 1932 was even nicknamed the ‘Cabinet of Barons’ due to the nature of those involved and illustrates the power many junkers maintained.
When did Prince Max push through reforms that ensured that the Junkers could no longer dominate the government?
28th October 1918
What was abolished after Prince Max pushed through his 28th October 1918 reforms?
The Three Tier Prussian voting system
When did the Junker kaiser abdicate?
9th November
What did Papen say about Hitler?
He would be a chancellor in chains
how did Papen and Hindenberg see Hitler?
a way to eventually return to a junker dominated state after Weimar
What did Papen’s fallacy of Hitelr being a chancellor in chains demonstrate?
indicative of the assumed authority of Junkers over others
What did Weimar signify for Junkers overall?
A decline rather than a complete removal of influence
How did the Junkers see themselves as superior to Hitler?
Hitler was a mere corporal
Complete the sentence about Weimar: Whilst Germany had become much more democratic….
….those with a realistic chance of political power were still a distinct elite.
The abolition of what was itself a distinct reduction in the power of the junkers in Weimar?
The kaiser
What piece of trivia can be used to describe the power of the Junkers under Hitler?
Röhm, purged during June/July 1934, was the only person allowed to call Hitler du rather than the more informal Sie
Who was the night of the long knives supported by?
Night of the long knives was backed by the junker military leadership
Why was the night of the long knives supported by the junkers?
as a way of stemming the “brown flood” of the SA into the military
How was Röhm seen by the Junkers?
Röhm was seen as too radical and needed to be removed
What was the only resistance that really came close to Hitler and who was this operated by?
Key members of the Kriseau resistance circle were Junker landowners including Helmuth von Moltke and Stauffenberg.
Who was Stauffenberg and what did he do?
Stauffenberg himself was a member of the aristocracy who carried out the 20th July 1944 plot to kill Hitler in his Wolf’s Lair Bunker.
How many were killed as a result of the 20th July plot?
5 000
What about Hitler personally meant that the power of Junkers declined considerably?
Hitler’s absolutism as Führer
What did Hitler seek to abolish, that the Junkers were victims of?
Any links to imperial Germany
When was junker Papen removed?
1934
Which junkers were removed in 1938 and why?
Army leaders Bloomberg and Fritsch were removed as head of the armed forced in 1938 because they were unconvinced about his aggressive foreign policy ideas.
Complete the sentence: Hitler’s status as Fürhrer…
….left little room for considerable influence on the part of the junkers.
How was the Junkers’ fate sealed after the Nazis?
Through the division of Germany
How was the Junkers’ fate sealed through the division of Germany?
Most of the junker land and influence lay in Prussia, yet most of Prussia lay in the communist east where the land was divided up into small plots and turned into nationalised farms.
What happened to the Junkers’ large houses when the GDR was formed?
destroyed
Why which time had their economic and social power completely come to an end?
1952
Complete the sentence: It could well, however, be argued that the social influence of the Junkers was not truly eliminated..
.. until the division of Germany, and that their power could still be felt, however diluted, after the war.
When was the Wolf’s lair plot?
July 20th 1944
