TYPED OUT NOTES - GER A-LEVEL

Question 1

Impact of depression on Germany + Nazi advances

Answer 1

• Feb 1632:Unemployment reaches 6m
• Output fallen to 58% of 1920 levels
• Real wages fell on avr 1/3 by 1932

Nazi successes: Hitler managed to secure 30% and 36.8% in 2nd election and marked his position as key man
•During elections Bruning had passed emergency decree of April 1932 which banned SA and SS

Question 2

How Hitler became chancellor

Answer 2

In 1928, Nazis only has 12 seats in Reichstag; by July 1932 they had 230 seats-largest

•Gov was in chaos. Hindenburg dismissed Bruning in 32’. Papen replaces and lasted 6 months. Schleicher replaces and lasted 2 months.
Hindenburg had to use Article 48 to pass almost every law
•Jan 33’, Hindenburg + Papen had idea to get Nazis on side by offering VC to Hitler-He refuses and demanded to be made chancellor-Thinking they could control him-Jan 33’ Hitler becomes chancellor and makes himself absolute ruler using Article 48

Question 3

Terror state + New plan

Answer 3

Gestapo: Created on 26th April 33’ under Diels
•April 34’, absorbed into SS under Himmler
•SS: Became independent party following purge of SA on Night Of Long Knives

NEW PLAN:
By 34’, Germany was facing 2 economic crises: Debt crisis caused by demands of spending on rearmament and public works-much needed raw materials from abroad-draining currency reserves
SOLUTION: more tightly regulated system of controlling imports + trade agreements with Reichsmarks

Question 4

The 4 year plan

Answer 4

By 35-36’ was a new crisis-export prices declining + import prices increasing
PLAN:
•strict control of imports, prices and wages
•priority given to manufacturers of essential war materials
Restrictions on workers freedoms(no TU)
•focus on autarky and self sufficiency

Question 5

Early problems - 1940-42’ + Solution (Speer)

Answer 5

Until 42’ German economy was not fully mobilised
•Output fell due to conscription (39-40 decrease of 12.5%)
•By May 40’ were 35m less workers
•New laws in occupied territories to bring in 6.4m foreign workers by 42’
SPEER: (Feb 42’) encouraged employment of women, put CC workers to work, between 42-44’ War production x3 + productivity per worker incr 60% in munitions

Question 6

Opposition and resistance leading up to wartime

Answer 6

REPRESSION: Fear of imprisonment (I.e. 300k in 33’), no trials since 1933
SURVEILLANCE: Stewards on shop floors monitoring
MILITARY: Rearment and removing Tov
+ Weimar
MIDDLE CLASS: Liked pursuit of national greatness

Question 7

Living standards in Germany 1933-1939

Answer 7

POSITIVE:
•Weekly net earnings rose by 22%, living costs x7
•Farmers income increased 41% - 33-36’
•1932-38’ vol of tourism x2

NEGATIVE: many worked 60 hours
•by 39’ wages only risen by 1%
•’Guns before butter’ saw consumption lower than USA+GB
•Many saw RAD as slave labour
Unemployment figures didn’t include: Jews, unmarried men under 25, women

Question 8

THE RACIAL STATE

Answer 8

Sterilisation laws (14th July 33’) allowed legal sterilisation for sufferers of illness
•Between 34-35’ 350,000 sterilised 
JEWS: Formed less than 1% of pop
PERSECUTION: 
•(APR) 33= Nazi boycott of shops
\+ Jews in gov jobs dismissed
•(SEPT) 35= Nuremberg Laws-striped Jews of basic rights 
•(Summer) 36= Olympics, toned down
•(NOV 38’)=Kristallnacht
•(DEC) 38= Jews banned from public

Question 9

JUNE 41’: Operation Barbarossa - A turning point

+ WANSEE

Answer 9

Escalated after they gained 1000s more Jews through Russia
EINSATZGRUPPEN:
•mobile killing units of German SS,
Shooting not a long term plan-gas van. By spring 43’, 1m dead.
WANSEE:
(20th Jan 42’) what to do now we couldn’t cope with number of Jews
Established final solution of systematic gassing

Question 10

Aftermath of war

Answer 10

RETRIBUTION: many women chose suicide over rape. Between 45-46, 200,000 Russian babies born in soviet zone
GUILT: not until auschwitz Trials in 60s when there were open debates

Question 11

Potsdam conference - 18th July 1945

Answer 11

Issues:
•E+W differed over democracy. West wanted to lift communism
SUMMARY:
•German former eastern territories incorporated into Poland and SU
•Confirmation that Germany would be divided into 4 zones
•Reparations to be taken by each power from its own zone

Question 12

Truman doctrine + Marshall plan

Answer 12

TD: implied the end of any meaningful political co-operation with DU
•was no fully committed to anti-communist path in Europe
MARSHALL PLAN:
•economic aid accounting to $13bn over 4 yrs
•Stalin’s refusal cemented econ division of Europe

Question 13

Bizone - 1st Jan 1947

+ Trizone

Answer 13

United 40m Germans under GB + USA rule to stop communism

TRIZONE: 17th June 47’, France joined

Question 14

Berlin blockade 48-49’

Answer 14

CAUSES= SU saw currency reform as to divide Germany + wreck East German economy - Blockade to try force Westerners into renewed negotiation over future of Germany
BERLIN AIRLIFT= 28th June, in total 271,000 flights made. 39 GB, 31 USA + 13 GER died
CONSEQUENCES= after 11months it was over
•removed any reservations about merging
•sped up development of formal western defence, formed Euro defence org, realisation that EDO would be too small —> (NATO, April 49’)

Question 15

FRG was born (23rd May 49’)

CONSITITION compared to Weimar

Answer 15

BASIC LAW
•Strong chancellor-could only be forced out by vote of no confidence
•5% rule: prevented extremist parties being elected to parliaments
•Federal system: substantial powers given to state parliaments to prevent misuse of centralised power
WEAKNESSES: weak president+any political parties not in line could be banned

WEIMAR: •weak constitution, could be forced out by vote of no confidence
•Strong pres-could rule be decree
•too many parties led to fragmentation
•extremist parties like NSDAP&KPD able to participate in politics-despite being openly anti-democratic

Question 16

Adenauer (49-63)

The 5 R’s

Answer 16

ACHIEVEMENTS: econ recovery, 8% growth per annum
•living standards rose by 58% 1953-60’
RECONSTRUCTION=1950 law provided grants + subsidies for house-building programme; 4m new homes by 57’
REINTEGRATION: millions of refugees dispersed from holding camps into work
RESTORATION: 1951 ‘131’ law allowed former Nazis employed-150,000

Question 17

Why was the West more popular than the East?

Answer 17

By mid 50s:
•CDU had developed efficient party org; party was seen to appeal to a wide cross section of society
•stark contrast to SPD. Actions of communists in East had created anti-socialist backlash in West
•Schumaher’s constant criticism That A was sacrificing German unity backfired on SPD
+ W.Germans preferred new models of Euro co-operations such as council of Europe
•By 1955, A brought reform of sovereignty, + NATO, 56’ introduced military force

Question 18

1953 and 1957 elections

Answer 18

• Adenauer’s early success led to an increase lead over SPD in 53’ election. Increased lead over SPD from 400,000 to 4.5m
• CDU won 277 and 50.2% of vote allowing them to rule as single party for 4 years

Question 19

State of German democracy in 63’ + assessment of Adenauer

Answer 19

1963= fragmentation of politics feared in 49’ did not occur
•number of smaller parties absorbed by larger ones
•econ success as result of social market economy + investment under Marshall Plan + joining EEC helped to gain support and legitimacy for new democracy
•A’s anti communist stance + push toward West integration had been popular
ASSESSMENT=
Commitment to full co-operation with W.Europe + USA (weltpolitik)
•compensates surviving victims of Nazi terror and rehabilitated

Question 20

Adenauer 1957-1963 - The decline PT.1

Answer 20

Series of miscalculations + scandals and prolonged disagreement with Erhard over economic priorities to believe he was out of tough with Zeitgeist

WRONGDOINGS=Aug 61’, Adenauer refused to visit W.Berlin to show his solidarity at the time
1961 ELECTION=Errors reflected in 1961 election results. CDU lost its majority, losing 1m votes, whilst SPD gained 1m + FDP Increased it’s vote by 50% - made negotiations difficult

Question 21

1957-63 decline

PT.2- SPIEGEL AFFAIR

Answer 21

Oct 62’, magazine printed article critical of Bundeswehr, claiming it was not capable of putting up any meaningful resistance to potential Russian attack
•Officers raises by police on OCT 26th
•The popular protests which grew out of this affair seemed to farewell beginnings of widespread protest culture in W.Germany
•Adenauer was badly tainted by this affair - in 62’ pushed coalition with FDP to breaking point

Question 22

Helmut Kohl 1982-1989 - a return to CDU

Answer 22

FDP used constrictive vote of no confidence to remove Schmidt from office
•Many concerned that FDP was the smallest party and was manipulating the constitution and abusing it in much the same way as Article 49
•Kohl used vote to call for an early general election, which created a majority of 58 seats for CDU/FDP, a share of 58.8% - ‘Turning point’ with end of SPD + return to conservatism

Question 23

Kohl and “Traditional conservatism”

Answer 23

• SPD had split between L and R wing factions like pre-Weimar years
• Kohl returned to Erhard’s style of social market economy with less gov involvement
• Also continued with policy of reintegrating with Europe, continued with Ostpolitik seemed to suggest that division was permanent

Question 24

Social problems under Kohl 82-89’

Answer 24

• Germany had growing problem with deprived underclass, made of 2nd gen immigrants
• In some cities, Turks made up 50%
• Kohl’s solution was to encourage them to leave

Question 25

Corruption under Kohl

Flick+Bitburg

Answer 25

FLICK affair= FDP finance minister, exempted Flick corporation, one of Germany’s largest businesses, from tax payments in return for financial contributions to FDP. Forced to resign (84’) for accepting bribes

BITBURG= during Reagan visit (85’) Kohl arranges ceremony on 40th war anniversary. Cemetery contained 49 SS members
ELECTIONS: weaker showing in 1987, CDU vote falling to 44.3%, lowest since 1949. Kohl’s popularity continued to decline despite potions economy. Was showed by collapse by German government in 1989.

Question 26

Opposition party growth

Answer 26

R+L wing grew - partially cos of econ depression
•Many young Germans grew up in highly comfortable society which seemed to ignore Nazism and led to questions of their values
•Many felt that economic success did not match its political consciousness. Led to wider student protests
•Higher education criticised as being poor quality. L/W students opposed materialistic youth culture. Anti-Vietnam

Question 27

The opposition parties

Answer 27

RED ARMY FACTION (RAF) opposed facist-learning bourgeois values of W.German society. It supported Communist ideas and opposed capitalist ‘exploitation’; it attached Vietnam war as imperialist action
•Focused on robberies and property attacks

APO=Loose alliance of left wing students, trade unionists and intellectuals
AIM: to coordinate radical protests through strikes and demos with the goal of making W.Germany a more tolerant society
•In their view-p opposition no longer operate- hence need to take to streets

Question 28

Origins of Green Party

Answer 28

From late 60s ecological concerns spread:
•Oil crisis of 70s, pollution of seas, acid rain in forests
•Greens support for radical peace movements + demand that FRG withdrew from NATO initially prevented many W.Germans from taking them seriously—> election of 80’, they gained only 1.5%
•In 83’ elections, benefitting from disaffected SPD, broke 5% barrier and won 27 seats in Bundestag
•Party remained on periphery of politics during remainder of 80s

Question 29

Evidence of success of FRG coalition in years 63-89’

Answer 29

• Constitution is set up to give greater potential to coalition politics, like the 5% rule meant less parties therefore more likely to have coalition of 2 parties rather than 4 or 5
• 3 main parties themselves had closer ideological views, and therefore resided more in the middle ground of political spectrum
• CDU + SPD worked together effectively in grand coalition
• Grand coalition also dealt with econ recession well enough to give Brandy scope for his social reforms

Question 30

Evidence of weakness of FRG coalition 63-89’

Answer 30

Led to resentment - left wing protests to represent the fact that coalition governments meant a lack of representation and debate
•FDP able to make and break coalitions. FDP sides with Brandt to bring him to power despite CDU being largest party and then cause the fall of Schmidt