unit 2 just essay Flashcards
Extent to which economic problems of 1919-1923 solved by 1928?
✅Hjalamar Schacht established Rentenmark currency stabilised + new reichsmark introduced in 1923 (backed by German gold reserve at 30%) ➡️hyperinflation solved
✅Dawes plan 1924 made it more manageable by cutting annual reparation repayments +loan of 800 mil marks from the USA ➡️amount paid each year reduced until 1929 (starting with 1000 mil marks) + France left Ruhr 24/25
✅govt compensating those who lost all their savings to hyperinflation (12.% of value investments + 15% for debts
✅ govt strategy changed of balancing the budget ➡️Stresemann cut govt expenditure eg. 300,000 civil servants lost jobs + raised taxes
extent to which economic problems were not solved by 1928?
❌Dawes plan meant Germany was very reliant on foreign loans especially from US (vulnerable if loan payments stopped)
❌attacked by RW groups who wanted Germany to defy the TofV
❌middle class resentment (lost all savings) + creditors annoyed that only receiving 15% of original value ➡️bitter resentment
❌Agriculture saw bankruptcy and an increase in votes for nazis
evidence of social change, how did women see change?
- Constitution gave women equality in voting rights, equal pay, and equal opportunities in civil service appointments
- War meant women got used to working
❗️By 1925 40% of german workforce= women - Birth control more available
- Divorce rate rose
- Reichstag had higher proportion on women’s deputies than british house of commons
how did women not see change?
- Most popular women’s group was the BDF with 90,000 members- promoted traditional values
- Church and more conservative political parties alarmed by new values
- Demobilisation laws required women to give-up jobs to returning soldiers
- Equal pay not achieved in reality
- Married women often required to give up job when married
- Abortion illegal and decline in birth rate attacked by conservatives ‘birth strike’
- No women cabinet members and no parties led by women
how did young people see changes?
-Notable youth unemployment
1924-5: 17% of unemployed were 17-24, working class youth particularly hit
- Youth groups:
- Wandervogel- sought freedom of wild spaces, hiking/camping, nationalistic and middle class
- Church YG- promoted religious observance and traditional values
how did young people see continuity?
- State education system well regarded but divided clearly on class lines
- middle and upper classes would be selected to go to gymnasium schools whilst rest expected to get apprenticeships
‘golden’ social evidence?
new welfare system set up
- ❗️1925, state accident insurance extended to cover those injured at work
- ❗️1927, national unemployment introduced
living standards improved
- by 1924-29 workers saw real wages rise
➡️supported the poorest but business owners also benefited from improved currency and trading position
not ‘golden’ social evidence?
- middle class who lost savings previously in 1923 never regained their comfortable lifestyle
- welfare system was expensive and hard to maintain so taxes had to be raised
political stability?
✅’Grand Coalition’ under Muller Jun 28 to Sept 30 (had majority) BUT took over 6 months to agree on govt policies + numerous disputes
✅elections (May 24, Dec 24, May 28) showed increasing/steady support for moderate centre parties (SPD/Z) + extremist made little gains (KPD around 10% and NSDAP 3%) + turnouts remained relatively high (people wanted to participate in democracy)
✅At the end of 1927 the nazi party had only 75000 members (threat massively reduced)
✅ no attempted coups or uprising + no political uprisings ➡️ slowly stabilising
political instability?
❌6 coalition govts (only 2 command majority) ➡️short lived govts saw as weak and ineffective by German people
❌political violence ➡️ frequent flights between SA and Red Fighting League (50 killed)
❌PR system meant anti-democratic parties could have seats in Reichstag and influence decisions ➡️ fragmented Reichstag
❌little change in resentment and lack of support for the democratic regime among elite, army leaders, judiciary and industrialists (retained their distaste for democracy)
❌ presidential election 1925 saw Hindengurg elected (anti-democratic + traditional)
❌ May 1928 election ➡️ Nazi targeted rural areas 18% (2.6% nationally)
❌ left wing divided (KPD vs SPD) ➡️not forgave Ebert suppressed LW uprisings using the RW therefore unwilling to compromise
❌ SPD not participating in ⅚ coalitions
significance of the Locarno pact?
a series of treaties signed with britain, france, belgium and italy in 1925
- Germany negotiated as an equal rather than having the treaty dictated
G accepted the western borders (but not eastern) set by TofV ➡️ France security as their border with Germany was now agreed and G could be confident that the French wouldn’t repeat the Ruhr invasion
- G agreed to keep troops out of the rhineland
- France reassured by guaranteed borders and Britain agreed to intervene if G attacked
- However, G only agreed to not alter her eastern borders by force (effectively leaving a door open to negotiate those borders via diplomacy)
significance of joining the League of Nations?
1926: germany was allowed to join the league and was given ‘great power’ status on the league council
- A major victory in restoring Germany as a ‘great power’ status
- Germany no longer the international outcast
- Stresseman received nobel prize for negotiating locarno and g’s entry into the league
significance of the Kellogg Brand pact?
an agreement to outlaw war signed August 27 1928, also refered to as the pact of paris
- held no actual power to stop another war (evidenced by WW2)
- but showed willingness of cooperation and how Germany had no intention of attacking
treaty of Berlin significance?
1926, treaty with Russia (of Rapallo 1922) economic and trade cooperation and implied that R+G both saw poland as a threat to their security
- added to the R+G relationship
- G promised to remain neutral if russia was involved in a war (as long as R was not the aggressor)
- hinted G wouldn’t resist revisions to polish borders (still looking to revise own eastern borders)
changes made to reparations by 1929?
Dawes plan
- Amount would be reduced each year until 1929 (S viewed as economic armistice)
- first time allies ever budged
- Loans allowed Germany to rebuild its industrial stations, homes and jobs
Younge Plan
- Young (1929),obliged germany to continue to pay reparations until 1988 but was reduced to £1.8 billion
- Germany’s agreement france and britain agreed to withdraw troops from the Ruhr by 1930 (from zone 2 in 1929 and zone 3 in 1930) ❗five years before schedule
- Foreign control over reparations over
- Germany paying responsibility was ended and Germany was given full responsibility (trusted)
