UNIT 1.4) THE EXTENT OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE IN GERMANY 1918-1945

Question 1

Until 1871 there was no Germany.
It was split into small states loosely confederated.
The Prussian, Otto von Bismarck Created Germany. He wanted to create a greater Germany.

Answer 1

Try and remember the information using these words.

1871
Otto Von Bismarck
States

Question 2

Germany November 1918 it became clear that the war was lost. Before Armistice was signed, threat of defeat caused change in the 2nd German Reich. There was the revolution from below and the revaluation from above

Question 3

The revolution from below

Answer 3

1) The Kiel Mutiny: Early November 1918 Sailors began refusing to follow orders of the German high command and Kaiser. Revolt spread further with a general strike in Berlin. Soldiers sent to deal with the revolt joined it. Weakening the 2nd German Reich

2)The Spartacist Uprising(Communists). After armistice two groups of people fighting for power in Germany. The SPD (The Democratic system supporters) and Chancellor Ebert and The Bolshevist Communist Party of Liebknecht and Luxembourg. Ebert crushed the uprising using the army and paramilitary ‘Freikorps’.

Question 4

The revolution from above

Answer 4

German generals realised by 1918 then Germany was going to lose the war. General Ludendorff, persuaded the Kaiser to move to a civilian paramilitary democracy which would declare armistice.

Ludendorff did this for two cynical reasons. He hope it would provide more lenient terms for a future peace treaty. He hoped the new civilian government would be blamed for Germanys defeat.

Question 5

The treaty of Versailles

Answer 5

LAMB
13% of all Germanys land taken away.
demilitarization of the Rhineland.
Allowed 6 Battleships, no submarines.
Army Only 100,000 men.
No air force.
Germany to take full responsibility for the war.
6.6 billion to be paid as war debt to Britain and France.

Question 6

Historians have criticised two things about the Weimar constitution.

Answer 6

In a state of emergency the President could rule as a dictator.
Proportional representation-equal proportion of Reichstag seats to votes- encouraged lots of parties resulting in weak coalition governments.

Question 7

Three benefits of the Weimar constitution.

Answer 7

The most democratic in Europe at the time.
Presidential decrees could allow the government to function in a crisis.
Proportional representation was fair and allowed all parties to be included.

Question 8

The new government faced a number of threats.
Left Wing:
RIght Wing:
The Kapp Putsch:
Right Wing terrorism:
Economic/Financial Problems:
Explain these threats.

Answer 8

Left wing: The Spartacist Uprising in Berlin, led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg, took place in January 1919 and almost over threw the Weimar government. Communist revolts sprung up in 1920-21 but were crushed by the army.

Right Wing: Right wing parties that disliked parliamentary democracy won 15% of the vote in 1920.
Many state governments, like Bavaria were right wing.

The Freikorps: used to crush strikes etc, were right wing.

The Kapp Putsch: As a result of the Treaty of Versailles the army was forcibly reduced in size. This created tensions within the army ranks. Dr Kapp and General Luttwitz tried to exploit the situation. Marche din Berlin with 5000 men and declared the government overthrown. The army leaders refused to crush this putsch. Workers in Berlin However went on strike in support of the Weimar Government and brought putsch to an end.

Right wing terrorism: Frikorps disbanded in 1920, some members formed murder squads to carry on fighting the left. Between 1919-22 there were 376 political assassinations. OF these 326 went unpunished as many right wing judges condoned their crimes.

Economic/Financial problems: The weimar government worsened the economic situation by printing more money, fueling inflation. Workers claimed wages did not keep up with prices. However, it allowed some to pay off debts, farmers earnt more as food prices went up. German products were cheap abroad, which ensured little unemployment in Germany.

Question 9

Crisis 1923

Answer 9

1923 the value of Reichsmarks fell dramatically. This was due to the passive resistance as Ruhr workers downed there tools as French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr. this led to a paralysed economy and the government printed vast quantities of paper notes which led to hyper inflation.

Question 10

When did Hitler join the German Workers party(DAP) and what name did he change it to?

Answer 10

Hitler joined the DAP in September 1919 and changed its name to the National Socialist German Worker’s Party(NSDAP) in 1920.

Question 11

What was the Basic Programme of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ party?

Answer 11

It was a 25 point programme released in 1925 consisting of 25 demands.

Question 12

What were the 25 demands of the German workers party?

Answer 12

1. Unity of all German-speaking people..
   2.The abolition of the Treaty of Versailles.
   3.Land and colonies to feed Germany’s population.
   4.Only Germans can be citizens. No jew can be a German citizen.
   5.People in German who are not citizens must obey special laws for foreigners.
   6.Only German citizens, can vote, be employed or hold public office.
   7.Citizens are entitled to a job and a decent standard of living. if this cannot be achieved, foreigners(with no rights as citizens) should be expelled.
   8.No further immigration of non-German must be allowed . All foreigner who have come to Germany since 1914 must be expelled.
2. All citizens have equal rights and duties.
3. The first duty of a citizen is to work.
   11.All payments to unemployed people should end.
   12.All profits made by profiteers during the war must be shared.
4. Nationalisation of public industries.
5. Large companies must their profits.
   15.Pensions must be improved.
   16.Helps for small shops and businesses; large department stores**must be closed down.
   17.Property reform to give small farmers their land.
   18.An all-out battle against criminals, profiteers, etc., who must be punished by death.
   19.Reform of the law to make it more German.
   20.Improve education so that all Germans can get a job.
6. Improve people’s health by making a law for people to do sport.
   22.Abolition of the Army, and a new People’s Army in its place.
   23.German newspapers must be free of foreign influence.
   24.Freedom of religion.
   25.Strong central government with unrestricted authority.

Question 13

Munich Putsch November 1923?

Answer 13

Paying reparations meant German officials were admitting Germany started WW1.
Caused an attempt by NSDAP and general Ludendorff to overthrow the Munich however this failed due to poor planning.
This caused Hitlers arrest.

Question 14

What was Mein Kampf to the Nazis?

Answer 14

Became the bible of Nazism.
It appealed to the many dissatisfied areas of German society.

Question 15

Hitlers re-establishment of the Nazis?

Answer 15

Hitler vowed to win elections and gain power through majority vote and reform the government(Nazi dictatorship).
Hitler used his authority of the party to bypass or override any ideological conflict in his pursuit of power in Germany

Question 16

Bamberg conference 1926?

Answer 16

Hitler felt the party was splitting in 2 and called a conference in Bamberg.
He suggested those who supported his rival Gregor Strasser were supporting communism so they turned to support him instead.

Question 17

July 1932 Reichstag elections:

Answer 17

Nazi party gained 40% of the vote making it the most powerful party in Germany.

Question 18

When did Hitler become chancellor?

Answer 18

30th January 1933-Hitler becomes Chancellor.

Question 19

Reichstag fire?

Answer 19

on the 27th February 1933, somebody set fire to the Reichstag, supposedly it was a Dutch communist marinus van der Lubbe who set this fire. Historians question whether this was set up by Hitler to create instability.(Hitler was reported to be seen as happy and angry from this fire).

Question 20

Reichstag fire decree?

Answer 20

Passed as a result of the fire.
Suspended all civil rights and personal freedoms.
Political prisoners can be held in custody indefinitely without a hearing.
Communist newspapers banned.

Question 21

What was The Enabling Act?

Answer 21

Gave Hitler complete control over the country for 4 years. Invoking article 48 removed Reichstag’s power completely.

Question 22

How did Hitler get the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act?

Answer 22

He needed two thirds of Reichstag to vote for the act. He brought in the SA to intimidate some deputies and banned communists from voting, also fiddled with the attendance figures.

Question 23

Hitlers ‘Bringing into line’ of the country(Gleichstaltung) (Nazifying Germany)?

Answer 23

State parliaments re-organised so they had the Nazi majority before being abolished in 1934.
May 1933 trade unions abolished-Nazi labour front put in place to ‘look after ‘workers interests.
May 1933 the KPD and SPD were shut down.
July 1933 Germany became officially a one party state.

Question 24

What was the Knight of the long knives?

Answer 24

Hitler had the SA (Many were critical of him including leader Ernest Rohm), Hindenburg and Army in the way of him taking complete control.
On the night of 31st July 1934 he used the ss to purge key figures that posed a threat to Hitler including Rohm, Sleicher and Strasser.
Hindenburg and army gave Hitler there support.

Question 25

Impact of the Knight of the long Knives?

Answer 25

Made a statement to those considering treason and secured the support of the army.
SA relegated to a minor role and it was clear that fear and terror would be significant in keeping Hitlers power.
Hindenburg passed in August 1934. Hitler combined the office of President and Chancellor, making himself the Fuhrer.

Question 26

Hitlers economic policies?

Answer 26

Recovery-1934 New plan-controls on currency, and bilateral trade agreements, as well as government control of wages, prices.
Rearmament-1936 four year plan-Prepare for war, Autarky, Extended government controls, Expanded rearmament.
-Reflate the economy via government spending-Public work schemes, subsidies to private firms, Rearmament orders.

Question 27

Problems caused by Hitlers Economic policy?

Answer 27

Economic recovery led to rising demands for consumer goods.
Rearmament led to increased demand for raw materials.
with the increase in demand and money supply, inflation became a ever present danger.
By 1939 danger of economy overheating, due to labour and raw materials shortages.

Question 28

Nazis belief on Nationalism.

Answer 28

Nazis were fervent nationalists. Believed all Germans shared the same ethnicity’s and culture and that these were greater then anybody else’s. All those considered German should be able to live together in one country-a greater Germany. Many Germans lived outside of the borders of Germany in Poland and Czechoslovakia etc, meaning nationalism was to include all Germans beyond the German borders.

Question 29

Nazis belief on Socialsim?

Answer 29

Socialism in the Nazi sense is more of a class harmony, hard work obedience and service to the state. Hitlers socialism was driven by nationalism by that Germans must be taught they do not work for there own selfish reasons but for the good of the state.

Question 30

Why did Nazis choose to use the term ‘socialism’?

Answer 30

In an attempt to convince the middle and working classes to join the party. The socialist pledges within the Nazi programme helped them gather the widest support possible. However they were happy to drop the socialist elements of the programme as soon as they became politically able to do so.

Question 31

Nazis belief on Authoritarianism?

Answer 31

Nazi members rejected democracy and believed decisions should not be debated by parties but rather dictated to by strong leaders, including Hitler and the SS. Believed in Hitlers ability to guide the country to success. However this authoritarianism(rule by Hitler only) wasn’t successful as Hitler could not control every aspect of the country, so his ministers became authoritarian in there own areas deciding what would and would not happen in the economy etc.

Question 32

Nazis belief on the volksgemeinschaft(people’s community)?

Answer 32

The idea of building a peoples community was central to the Nazis as it was the ultimate aim of the movement. They hoped to reform German society. Hoped to set up a racially pure German state. The country would be free of conflict and united behind the leaders struggle to rebuild Germany.

Question 33

What were the principles and policies of Volksgemeinschaft?

Answer 33

-Common good to come before the good of the individual.
-Racial Purity, only pure German citizens allowed to live in the Volksgemeinschaft.
-Principle of struggle-all Germans working to rebuild Germany to its glorious past.
-Eintopf, people to eat a simple one pot meal on Sunday as a sacrifice for the Reich(country). The money saved from this to be donated to the Winterhilfe.
-Winterhilfe-fund introduced in 1933 to help the unemployed during winter months.

Question 34

Nazis beliefs on Antisemitism(Hatred of Jewish people)?

Answer 34

Antisemitism was widespread in the late 19th and early 20th century. Antisemitism was central to Nazism. All the leading Nazis were strongly antisemitic. 3 articles from the 25 point programme were directed at jews, article 4- jews denied citizenship, article 8-end to non-German immigration and article 23-non-Germans to be excluded from any influence within the media.

Question 35

Nazis belief on Eugenics and Social Darwinism?

Answer 35

Eugenics and Social Darwinism were the belief that the genetic quality of a human population could be improved through natural selection and survival of the fittest. In a Nazi context this meant a purified Aryan race would triumph in this world.
Nazis believed in three categories of racial groups
-Aryans-German
-Bearers of culture-those who could take up German -cultural values
inferior races-unable to ever be German.
In the inferior races were ‘racial aliens’ as well as the mentally and physically handicapped who the Nazis believed should be eliminated. Sterilisation(1933 law) and bans on marriages (1935 Nuremberg laws banning jews from marrying Germans and removing there citizenship) were used to remove alien races from Germany.

Question 36

Women and the three Ks?

Answer 36

19th century kaiser wilhelm 2nd defined a role for women kirche,kuche,kinder(church, kitchen children). Hitler thought the population of Germany had to increase to become more powerful so women were forced to give up work and have kids. 5th July 1933 the law for the encouragement of marriage passed(newly married couples loan 1000 riechmarks, 25% reduced for each kid). Many women supported the National Socialist party as it urged returning to tradition values where women were encouraged to play a more domesticated role, and many women wanted this simpler life.

Question 37

Reich church?

Answer 37

Hitler could not immediately crush the churches as they were powerful organisations, so he looked for co-operation with the churches as they had the same traditionalist values(women, hatred of communism and jews etc). 1933 Hitler established the Reich church. emphasised followers to be German Christians, and German culture. July1933 Hitler made Concordat with the pope to allow the catholic church freedom so long as they didn’t interfere with German politics.

Question 38

Weimar Germanys foreign policy?

Answer 38

Gustav Stresemann(Golden age of Weimar) oversaw 5 key international agreements at the time.
Dawes and Young plan-Germany willing to receive significant help from USA to re-start Germanys economy.
Locarno Pact-Border requirements of Treaty o Versailles accepted.
Kellogg-Briand pact-War should be outlawed.
League of Nations-Germany accepted into the League in 1926.
Disarmament-Germany hadn’t completely complied with the disarmament terms of the ToV, it had reduced the size of its Navy and Army.
Overall Weimar Germany wanted to be a international player and ally.

Question 39

Nazi foreign policy?

Answer 39

Reverse the treaty of Versailles
Unite all German-speaking people
Destroy communism
Anschluss
Lebensraum
Unite all German-speaking people

Question 40

Nazi Germanys foreign policy-establishing globally(1933-36)?

Answer 40

-Demanded major powers to keep their promise to disarm. They refused.
-He withdrew Germany from the League of Nations.
-He signed a ten-year non-aggression pact with Poland
-Regained control of the Saar in Jan 1935.
-March 1935 Hitler announced the expansion f the army to 550,000 troops and re-introduced conscription.
Allies slowly agreeing to the slow dismantling of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 41

Nazi German Foreign Policy-increasingly assertive(1936-1939)

Answer 41

-March 1936-Remilitirization of Rhineland.
-July 1936-Germany and Italy supported the Nationalist rebels(Franco) in the Spanish Civil war.(Using it to test the waters of a second front against communism and democracy in Europe.
-November 1936-signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan declaring hostility to international communism. Italy joined pact in Nov 1937 establishing the Axis Powers.
-March 1938-Anchluss with Austria.
-September 1938-invasion of the sudetenland. Prelude to taking over all Czech land. Resulted in Munich conference.
-1938 Munich conference-Hitler met prime minister Chamberlain. Hitler demanded Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Britain and France agreed on the understanding the rest of Czechoslovakia would remain independent.
Munich agreement left Czech defenceless and abandoned. Britain and France used appeasement to buy time to rearm rather then an attempt to prevent war.

Question 42

Nazi Germanys Foreign policy-war(1939-45)

Answer 42

-March 1939- invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia.
-May 1939-Pact of steel-Germany and Italy agreed to stand by each other.
-August,1939-Germany signed Non-Aggression pact with USSR. Stalin still needed time to prepare Hitler didn’t want to fight a war on two fronts.
-September 1939- invaded Poland from the west and Russia attacked from the east. Britain and France declared war on Germany but ignored Russia.
-September 1940- Tripartite pact signed in Berlin cementing the Axis Powers.

Question 43

Blitzkrieg(1939-42)?

Answer 43

Rapid military victories for Germany. Allies very inactive in the 1939-40 ‘phoney war’. Success in east Hitler turned Blitzkrieg west invading Denmark and Norway. Defeatist attitudes displayed by these countries demonstrates the success and unstoppable nature of the German Blitzkrieg.
German army punched whole through Ardennes and raced the British to the ports on the English Channel, forcing the British army to evacuate at Dunkirk.
By June 1940 Hitler looked for a settlement with Britain in order to focus on lebensraum in the east however the newly appointed Churchill rejected the offer, causing Hitler to issue invasion directive of Britain mainly through air(Operation Sealion). Hitlers main targets were cities(not military targets would been more effective). 1941 British victory of the air saw invasion plans forcibly postponed and blitzkrieg resources stretched thin.
December 1940 issued a Blitzkrieg against the USSR(Operation Barabrossa). Historians argue this was his ultimate folly. Opened up a second front. Despite significant land gain the USSR had not been finished of and had instead spread German lines thinly.

Question 44

Total war(1942-45)?

Answer 44

Total war refers to the idea that society as a whole was now ready to fight the war with the aim of winning it.1942 Hitler declared war on the USA, an irrational act done without military advice. Hitler hoped this declaration would cement its alliance with Japan and provide a new outlet of public anger, towards USA not Hitlers Blitzkrieg failures. Germany slowly ground down by the economic power of USA UK and USSR.
1943 tide of the war had turned against Germany. Failure after failure stacked up. Most of Italy withdrew in 1943. Hitler being attacked on 3 fronts USSR from the East Western Allies hammering Mussolini’s Salo Republic in South and June 1944 3rd front opening with the invasion of France. Hitler hoped allies would turn on each other to save Germany from defeat.
Invasion of Berlin on 30th April 1945, Hitler running out of false and committed suicide. 7th May third Reich surrendered.