Unit 2 Flashcards
Burgfriedan
‘Peace in the fortress’ - country uniting behind war effort
When did Burgfriedan break down
1917
siegfriede
Peace through victory - German nationalists wanted
What changed betweem Autumn 1917 and August 1918?
Growing economic/military crisis
Germany made major territory gains
Generals realised Germany would be defeated (due to Americans)
Generals during WW1
Ludendorff and Groener
What did Ludendorff do during WW1
Persuaded Kaiser to give power to Reichstag in order to shift responsibility from himself and generals onto public to help reputation and positions
‘Stab in the back’
Army thought weak/unpatriotic politicians did this. Germany was defeated by pacifists and socialists and the new government in 1918 did not support the military.
What were the significance of the stab in the back theory?
Weimar associated with German defeat and peace treaty which weakened their prospect of a Weimar democracy
From monarchy to democratic republic in how long?
six weeks
When did the Kaiser abdicated?
9th November 1918
When did Germany sign the armistice?
11th November 1918
Who did Prince Max von Baden hand chancellorship to?
Friedrich Ebert
What was Friedrich Ebert leader of?
Socialist Democratic Party
What happened in October 1918?
Sailors refused to sail out to salvage German honour in battle. Led to creation of sailors/soldiers/workers councils who challenged authority of governements
Aims of Spartacists/KPD
seize power and enact soviet revolution (wanted communist state)
Aims of USPD
Remove enemies of democracy and create conditions for a secure socialist society
Who led the Spartacists?
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
Aims of SPD
Establish democratic socialist system by democratic means.
Who led SPD?
Ebert and Scheidemann
What did the SPD form in November/December 1918?
coalition government with USPD
How many members of SPD in 1919?
1 million
What were the new governments aims 1918
Moderate change
What happened on the 10th November 1918
General Groener phoned Ebert to make deal. He proposed that in return for the gov keeping authority of existing offers and crushing Bolshevism, the army would defend the gov.
Bolshevik
Communist
When was The Spartacist Uprising?
January 1919
Where did Spartacist uprising take place?
Berlin
Freikorps
Around 200 paramilitary groups recruited from demobilised soldiers and officers and protected Germany from Spartacist Revolt in January 1919.
When was Ebert elected president of German republic?
19th January 1919
Who voted in elections?
All men and women over 20
What is Article 48
Gave president power to act without parliaments approval in emergency
Problems with Article 48
Did not define ‘emergency’ and power overused which weakened confidence
What were the problems of the Weimar Republic between 1918 - 1923
Had to accept Treaty terms/constitution weakness/Left and Right wing revolts/French occupation of Ruhr/hyperinflation
What were the doubts of constitution
German people suspicious of new constitution as they’re used to strong government led by Kaiser/not ready for democracy
Dates of revolution from above
29th September 1918 and 3rd October 1918
29th September 1918
Generals recommend new civilian government and armistice
3rd October 1918
New civilian government led by max von baden on Reichstag support
Dates of Revolution from Below
31st October 1918 and 9th November
Date of limited revolution
10th November 1918
When was Philipp Scheidemann chancellor
February 1919
What did multiple chnacellors during 1918 to 1923 show?
Unstable Weimar
What territory did Germany lose from Treaty?
Northern Schleswig/Lorraine etc.
Features of Treaty
Territory loss/disarment/war guilt/Rhineland/reparations
Features of disarment
Abolition of conscription/reduced army to 100k/no tanks or aircraft/6 battleships no sub/under observation
What is war guilt under treaty
Germany accepts responsibility for causing damage and loss in war
Rhineland
Germany could not keep troops there, left German boarder undefended
How much did Germany have to pay in reparations in April 1921?
132 billion gold marks/£6.6 million
How many died in Germany during war?
2 million
How many Germans wounded during war?
6.3 million
When was treaty signed?
28th June 1919
When was the Kapp Putsch?
March 1920
What was the reaction of germans towards treaty?
angry due to harsh terms/unfair/attacked weimar gov for signing it
What were the politicians that signed the treaty labelled as
November criminals
Who led the Kapp Putsch
Wolfgang Kapp
What was Kapp leader of?
Fatherland party
What was Kapp’s plan
To overthrow government as he wanted more power given to the army and a bigger army
How many Freikorps at Kapp Putsch?
12,000
Overview of Kapp Putsch
Freikorps and Kapp marched to Berlin and army refused to support gov so they had to flee Berlin and a new gov headed by Kapp was claimed.
How long did Kapp gov last?
4 days
Why did the Kapp Putsch fail?
Failed to gain widespread support and Ebert organised work strikes in Berlin leaving it paralysed.
Who was Walther Rathenau
Head of electrical firm
What were the reasons for Rathenau’s assassination?
Monarchist/Major role in running war economy/founder of democratic party/Jewish background
Why was Weimar weak from the start?
No equality between left and right wing/political bias in weimar as judges were reluctant to convict many (typically right-wing)
What is hyperinflation
Increase in prices combined with a fall in value of money
Causes of hyperinflation
After end of war/Treaty reparations/French and Belgian Ruhr /Actions of Weimar in 1923
French and Belgian occupation of the Ruhr
November 1922 - Marched to Ruhr and wanted to confiscate industrial goods as reparation payments. They occupied coal mines and railways
Who lost out during hyperinflation?
Those with savings/pensioners/those on welfare benefits
Who did well during hyperinflation?
Entrepreneurs/those in debt/foreigners
Who was Hugo Stinnes?
Businessman in coal,iron,electrical industry/gained wealth by gaining cheap credit to buy struggling competitors and converted currency into millions of marks
Who was known as the King of the Ruhr
Hugo Stinnes
When did hyperinflation end?
November 1923
How did hyperinflation end?
Stressemann appointed financier Schacht to Reichsbank and replaced mark to rentenmark
Political effect of hyperinflation
Turned against democratic regime but no serious actions were taken.
Financial effect of hyperinflation
Debt paid off/did not collapse
Social effect of hyperinflation
Poverty among elderly/social norms challenged/health suffered
When did stressemann become PM
August 1923
NSDAP
Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party
Who formed German Workers party and when?
Drexler and Harrer in 1919
What and when did GWP publish first programme
Twenty Five Points in February 1920
Some points of 25 point programme
union of all germans to form Great Germany/Members of nation should only have german blood etc.
Who did GWP programme appeal to?
Nationalists/socialists/anti semites/anti democrats
When was the Munich Putsch?
8th November 1923
What was the Munich Putsch
- Hitler and stormtroopers burst into meeting and declare a national revolution and Hitler forces von Lossow and von Kahr to state support for Berlin march to impose new government
- After the two are allowed to leave they issue denounciation of the putsch
- Ludendorff persuades Hitler to go to Munich instead
- 2,000 armed Nazis march to Munich and met by armed police and Bavarian soldiers
- 14 Nazis killed
- Hitler and Ludendorff arrested along with Nazis
When was Hitler arrested?
11th November 1923
When was Hitler tried and sentenced?
February 1924
How long was Hitler in prison?
Sentenced to 5 years but released in 9 months
What does Hitler write in prison
Mein Kampf
Why did Munich Putsch fail?
Ludendorff allowed soldiers to go
wrong time
lack of support
poor organisation
Why was Munich Putsch positive for Hitler?
Trial gave Hitler platform to speak by judges which made him famous out of Bavaria and gave him a chance to change tactics via getting elected through parliament democratically and not through violence
What were the dissatisfactions with Weimar politicians
Coalition governments/voting system/political parties/sectional interests/minor issues/election of Hindenburg as president
Problems with voting system
voted for a party list rather than individual politicians. Didn’t choose their deputy therefore no close tie.
What were the minor issues of Weimar politicians
New national flag controversy-opposed by conservatives
There was no charismatic leader in Weimar
Problem with Hindenburg presidency
Powerful groups wanted more authoritarian system
He was general who invented stab in the back
What didn’t industrialists support?
Weimar and workers influence
What did army desire?
Authoritarian leadership
Who saved German economy?
Stressemann and Charles Dawes
What was the most important thing Stresseman did in 1923?
Organise great coalition of moderate, pro democracy parties in reichstag
When did Germany join the league of nations?
1926
Who was Dawes?
Budget director sent to Europe in 1923 to sort out German Economy
What was the Dawes plan?
Gave Germany longer to pay reparations
How much did America lend Germany?
800 million gold marks
Conservative view of who was responsible for the problems of weimar’s economy
German economic historians critical of weimar’s economic performance - argues there’s not enough economic growth and unemployment
Alternative view of who was responsible for problems of weimars economy
Left - wing argue lack of entrepreneurial attitude
What was Stressemann’s pragmatic policy?
Co operation with the west and conciliation with other powers from Germany’s economic potential
Stressemann Policy of fulfilment
Complying with terms of treaty to improve relations with Britain and France to encourage them to rethink treaty
What did Hitler do to party after release from prison?
rebranded in 1925/Fuhrerprinzip/reorganised strategy,structure and symbols
What happened in February 1926
Meeting in Bamburg where Hitler gains control and establishes a fuhrer party
Why was Hitler successful?
Charismatic leader/willpower/inspiring/wanted better germany/powerful speaker
Why did Hitler appoint Goebbels?
propoganda
Methods of Nazi gaining support?
Personal contacts/targeted influential people/pamphlets/campaigns/trained speakers
Leader of SA
Ernst Rohm
Other names for SA
Brown shirts and Stormtroopers
Who joined SA and why?
Young men and ex soldiers joined when depression hit unemployed
Why did SA make a positive impression on many?
Well dressed and disciplined marches
Where did Nazi have few voters
West and South Germany
