To what extent had Germany recovered by 1929?

Question 1

When was the year of crisis?

Answer 1

-1923

Question 2

What were the political issues facing Germany?

Answer 2

-high profile uprisings eg Kapp and Munich Putsch->threats to democracy
-proportional representation ->allows a voice to extremist groups like KPD
-coalitions led to an unstable government
-association with the Armistice and the Treaty of Versailles made Weimar unpopular

Question 3

How did Germany try and solve its political issues?

Answer 3

-the Weimar Republic became more stable->dominated by 2 parties (SDP and DVP) due to public support of democracy
-Hindenburg elected president and he was an ex army leader and represents authoritarian->people in Germany wanted this->he was highly respected due to his war service

Question 4

Where the solutions to help political recovery successful?

Answer 4

-in 1928 Nazis had 3% of seats in the Reichstag->demonstrating that there had been no attempts to get rid of extremism
-proportional representation remained unchanged
-coalitions continued thought they were longer lasting
-Hindenburg was not supportive of Weimar democracy->demonstrates that democracy was not fully accepted

Question 5

What were the foreign diplomacy (relationship with other countries) issues facing Germany?

Answer 5

-Treaty of Versailles->left Germany isolated from the rest of Europe and America->banned from joining the League of Nations, limited defence capabilities, limited trading opportunities
-occupation of the Ruhr region

Question 6

How did Germany try to solve the foreign diplomacy issues?

Answer 6

-League of Nations allowed Germany to join in 1928
-Kellogg Briand Pact 1928
-Dawes Plan 1924
-Locarno Pact 1925

Question 7

What was the impact of Germany joining the League of Nations to try and solve their foreign diplomacy issues?

Answer 7

-League of Nations allowed Germany to join in 1928->provided alliance to support->extremist parties were angered because they saw it as an extension of the Treaty of Versailles

Question 8

What was the impact of the Kellogg Briand Pact to try and solve their foreign diplomacy issues?

Answer 8

-Kellogg Briand Pact 1928->could build Germany’s international strength and standing->agreed not to use war to end international distributes which gave Germany time to recover->not all Germans agreed with it because it didn’t remove all the Treaty of Versailles restrictions

Question 9

What was the impact of the Dawes Plan to try and solve their foreign diplomacy issues?

Answer 9

-Dawes Plan 1924->first 5 years of reparation payments were fixed in accordance with Germany’s ability to pay->France and Belgium had to wait to be paid for the damages of WW1

Question 10

What was the impact of the Locarno Pact to try and solve their foreign diplomacy issues?

Answer 10

-Locarno Pact 1925->allowed Germany to keep existing borders with Belgium and France which led to peace->demilitarisation of Rhineland was made permanent
-Treaty of Berlin with the USSR (Russia) 1926->increased military cooperation, opened up the possibility of a larger commercial market and reaffirmed the German-Soviet Treaty of Rapallo->placed even more pressure on Poland to give way to German demands about frontier changes

Question 11

What were social issues facing Germany?

Answer 11

-poor quality of life
-living conditions
-Dolchstoss/Stab in the back theory
-unemployment

Question 12

What were the economic issues facing Germany?

Answer 12

-Treaty of Versailles->6.6b reparations
-hyperinflation (1923) led to loss of savings->occupation of the Ruhr led to hyperinflation

Question 13

What was the impact of cutting government expenditure in trying to improve the economy?

Answer 13

700,000+ employees sacked
->helped the government make more money->over 700,000 people were now unemployed

Question 14

What was the impact of introducing a new currency in trying to improve the economy?

Answer 14

-new currency introduced by Schacht in 1923 (Rentenmark)-> helped solve hyperinflation but many people lost their savings

Question 15

What was the impact of the Young Plan in trying to improve the economy?

Answer 15

-Young Plan 1924->lowered the reparations Germany had to pay based on what year and Germany’s economic stability at the time-> France and Belgium had to wait to get the money from Germany which would help them pay for the damage caused by WW1

Question 16

What was the impact of the Dawes Plan in trying to improve the economy?

Answer 16

-Dawes Plan 1924->first 5 years of reparation payments were fixed in accordance with Germany’s ability to pay->America loaned Germany money which helped Germany rebuild their economy->it was still a lot of money for Germany to pay and Germany was just recovering from hyperinflation->America could recall loans with a months notice

Question 17

What was Stresemann’s famous quote about the Golden Years?

Answer 17

-Germany was ‘dancing on a volcano’
-during the Golden Years many Germans were having good times and partying and enjoying themselves more
-the German government didn’t have to worry about paying reparations
-however the Wall Street Crash happened in 1929 which ended the Golden years

Question 18

When was the Wall Street Crash?

Answer 18

1929

Question 19

What were the economic issues facing Germany?

Answer 19

-the Treaty of Versailles->6.6B reparations
-hyperinflation in 1923 led to loss of savings
-occupation of the Ruhr led to hyperinflation

Question 20

What were the positive and negative impacts on economic recovery when they cut government expenditure?

Answer 20

-over 7,000 made unemployed
+it helped the government have more money

Question 21

What were the positive and negative impact on economic recovery on introducing the new currency (Rentenmark)?

Answer 21

-introduced by Schacht in 1923
+helped solve hyperinflation
-many people lost their savings

Question 22

What were the positive and negative impacts on economic recovery with the introduction of the Young Plan in 1929?

Answer 22

+lowered reparations Germany had to pay based on what year and Germany’s economic stability at the time
-France and Belgium had to wait to get the money from Germany which would help them pay for the damage

Question 23

What was the Young Plan and when was it?

Answer 23

-1929
-reduced the total amount of reparation payments demanded of Germany to 121 billion gold marks, almost $29 billion, payable over 58 years

Question 24

What were the positive and negative impacts on economic recovery with the introduction on the Dawes Plan in 1924?

Answer 24

+Germany didn’t have the pressure to pay the reparations and could focus on rebuilding the economy
-it was still a lot of money for Germany to pay and Germany was just recovering from hyperinflation
-America could recall loans with a months notice

Question 25

What was the Dawes Plan and when was it?

Answer 25

-1924
-the first 5 years of reparation payments were fixed in accordance with Germany’s ability to pay
-America loaned Germany money but could recall it with a months notice

Question 26

What were the social issues facing Germany?

Answer 26

-unemployment
-poor quality of life
-Dolchstoss ‘stab in the back’ theory

Question 27

What were the positive and negative impacts on social recovery with the improved provision of welfare state to create a more equal society?

Answer 27

+more equality between men and women
-many people didn’t like the idea of women working or having a live outside their home

Question 28

What were the positive and negative impacts on social recovery with the finance minister, Erzberger?

Answer 28

+taxes fixed to people’s income->can be easier to pay
-there was more tax for the rich to pay which would make them dislike the government even more

Question 29

What were the finance minister, Erzberger’s, aims?

Answer 29

-to offset the costs by implementing a series of progressive taxes eg increasing taxes on capital and in the highest income tax from 4%-60%

Question 30

What were the foreign diplomacy issues facing Germany?

Answer 30

-Treaty of Versailles isolated Germany from the rest of Europe and America
-occupation of the Ruhr

Treaty of Versailles restrictions:
-banned from joining the League of Nations
-limited defence capabilities
-limited trading opportunities

Question 31

What were the positive and negative impacts on foreign diplomacy recovery with Germany being allowed to join the League of Nations?

Answer 31

+provided alliance to support
-extremist parties were angered because they saw it as an extension of the Treaty of Versailles

Question 32

What were the positive and negative impacts on foreign diplomacy recovery with the introduction of the Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928?

Answer 32

+could build Germany’s international strength and standing
+agreed not to use war to end international distributes
-not all Germans agreed with it because it didn’t remove all the Treaty of Versailles restrictions

Question 33

What were the positive and negative impacts on foreign diplomacy recovery with the Locarno Pact of 1925?

Answer 33

+allowed Germany to keep existing borders with Belgium and France-> agreement to settle disputes peacefully
-demilitarisation of Rhineland was made permanent

Question 34

What were the positive and negative impacts on foreign diplomacy recovery with the introduction of the Treaty of Berlin with USSR in 1926?

Answer 34

+increased military cooperation
+opened up the possibility of a larger commercial market
-reaffirmed the German-Soviet Treaty of Rapallo
-placed even more pressure on Poland to give way to German demands about frontier changes

Question 35

What were the political issues facing Germany?

Answer 35

-high profile uprisings eg Kapp and Munich Putsch->threats to democracy
-proportional representation->allows a voice to extremist groups (eg KPD)
-coalitions led to instable government
-association with the armistice and Treaty of Versailles

Question 36

What were the positive and negative impacts on political recovery with the Weimar Republic becoming more stable?

Answer 36

+they became dominated by 2 parties, the SDP and the DVP due to public support of democracy
-in 1928 the Nazis had 3% of seats in the Reichstag->demonstrating that there had been no attempts to get rid of extremism

Question 37

What were the positive and negative impacts on political recovery with Hindenburg being elected president?

Answer 37

+he was an ex army leader and represents authoritarian->people in Germany wanted this->he was highly respected due to his war service
-Hindenburg was not supportive of the Weimar democracy->demonstrates that democracy was not full accepted

Question 38

What political issues still remained unchanged by 1929?

Answer 38

-proportional representation
-coalitions continued though they were longer lasting