The Rise Of The Nazis

Question 1

A) What voting system was used in the Weimar Republic?

B) Why was this a problem?

Answer 1

A) Proportional representation

B) The government was always an unstable coalition.

Question 2

A) What was Article 48?

B) Why was it a problem?

Answer 2

A) Article 48 allowed the President to pass any law he wanted if it was an emergency.

B) The terms of an emergency were never defined so it made the Reichstag useless.

Question 3

What did the political extremists think of Weimar Germany?

Answer 3

They wanted to abolish it.

Question 4

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 4

It was a peace treaty signed by Germany at the end of WW1.

Question 5

What were the measures introduced by the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 5

• Limited army and navy size
• £6.6bn in reparations to be paid
• Germany had to give Alsace and Lorraine back to France
• Introduced a militarised zone in the Rhineland.

Question 6

How did Germans react to the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 6

People felt betrayed by their government. They called the politicians who signed it the November Criminals.

Question 7

How did the Wall Street Crash affect Germany?

Answer 7

America recalled its loans which left Germany with no money to pay back reparations. Hyperinflation came back.

Question 8

What was the Sparticist Uprising?

Answer 8

Communists overthrew newspaper and telegraph offices in 1919. There weren’t many people involved so they were quickly stopped.

Question 9

What was the Red Rising?

Answer 9

A communist army of 50,000 seized the industrial Ruhr area in 1920. They were stopped by the army.

Question 10

Who took over the Ruhr in 1923 and why?

Answer 10

France and Belgium. Germany was struggling to pay the reparations so France and Belgium seized materials for themselves.

Question 11

What was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 11

The government tried to overthrow the Freikorps. In retaliation the Freikorps captured the Reichstag. They were stopped after four days.

Question 12

Who founded the Nazi Party and when?

Answer 12

It was founded by Anton Drexler in 1919.

Question 13

What does DAP stand for?

Answer 13

German Workers Party

Question 14

What was the DAP renamed to?

Answer 14

National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP)

Question 15

How was Hitler introduced to the Nazi party?

Answer 15

He was sent as a spy by the Reichstag.

Question 16

In what year did Hitler become party leader?

Answer 16

1921

Question 17

Describe the Munich Putsch.

Answer 17

Hitler needed the support of Kahr, the Bavarian leader. He stormed a public meeting with 600 storm troopers, announced a revolution and forced Kahr to join him. Along with General Ludendorff they planned to take Munich the next day. However, Kahr pulled out and alerted the authorities. Hitler’s 2000 men were stopped by the army and police.

Question 18

What was the outcome of the Munich Putsch?

Answer 18

16 Nazis died. Hitler was given a 5 year prison sentence.

Question 19

Why do some people say the Munich Putsch was a failure?

Answer 19

• All Nazi activity was made illegal.

* Hitler was arrested so was effectively out-of-action.

Question 20

Why do some people say that the Munich Putsch was a success?

Answer 20

• The Nazis were in the news a lot.
• Hitler’s trial gave him a platform to express his ideas to a large audience.
• It gave Hitler time to write Mein Kampf.

Question 21

What was Mein Kampf?

Answer 21

Mein Kampf was the book Hitler wrote in prison. It was part autobiography and part manifesto.

Question 22

What conclusion did Hitler reach at the end of Mein Kampf?

Answer 22

“Instead of an armed coup, we shall have to hold our noses and enter the Reichstag.”

Question 23

Who was voting Nazi in 1928?

Answer 23

• Veterans who felt cheated by the Treaty of Versailles

* Patriots who felt cheated by the Treaty of Versailles

Question 24

Who joined the Nazi voters in 1932?

Answer 24

• The middle classes who had lost money during the war.
• Business people who were afraid of communism
• Farmers who had suffered because of hyperinflation
• Anti-Semites
• Criminals who found the party exciting

Question 25

What external factors affected the Nazi surge in popularity?

Answer 25

• The Wall Street Crash and following Depression made people move to the political extremes.
• The Weimar Republic was very weak
• Fear of Communism

Question 26

What internal factors contributed to the surge in Nazi support?

Answer 26

• Hitler was a powerful speaker
• Propaganda
• The party was well organised
• The party promises to make Germany great again were appealing

Question 27

Why didn’t Hitler become Chancellor when he won the majority of seats in the Reichstag?

Answer 27

The Weimar Constitution meant that the President could choose the Chancellor from any of the members of the Reichstag.

Question 28

Why was Hitler unpopular with Hindenberg?

Answer 28

Hindenberg saw him as a bit of an upstart.

Question 29

Who did Hindenberg make Chancellor in 1932?

Answer 29

Brüning. He was forced to resign soon after.

Question 30

Who replaced Brüning as Chancellor?

Answer 30

Von Papen of the Catholic Centre Party. He was rejected by the Reichstag.

Question 31

Who replaced Von Papen as Chancellor?

Answer 31

Von Schleicher. He was rejected by the Reichstag.

Question 32

Describe the political deal which lead to Hitler becoming Chancellor.

Answer 32

Von Papen approached Hitler about a deal to make Hitler Chancellor. He said he would give Hitler his party’s support as Chancellor if Von Papen would be his Vice-Chancellor. Hitler agreed.

Von Papen then approached Hindenberg. He convinced him that together they could control Hitler until he declined in popularity. Hindenberg agreed.

Question 33

Describe the Reichstag Fire.

Answer 33

On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag was set alight allegedly by a well known Dutch communist. Hindenberg banned all German Communist Party activity.

Question 34

What was the Enabling Act?

Answer 34

The Enabling Act granted Hitler absolute power over the Reichstag.

Question 35

What did Hitler do to the Trade Unions?

Answer 35

He replaced them with his own German Labour Front (DAF)

Question 36

What did Hitler do to his opposition?

Answer 36

He banned all other parties.

Question 37

What was the Night of The Long Knives?

Answer 37

Hitler ordered the army and the SS to take out key leaders of the SA including its leader Röhm. This was because he feared they were becoming too powerful and could overthrow him.

Question 38

When did Hindenberg die? What happened next?

Answer 38

2 August 1934. Hitler made himself president.

Question 39

What was the army oath?

Answer 39

The army pledged to defend Hitler by all costs. He became Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Question 40

In what year was the Weimar Republic established?

Answer 40

1919