Unit 2 - The Great Depression in Germany Flashcards
How many days did Germany have to begin repaying Dawes Plan?
The US gave them 90 days to begin repaying the $200 million loan
What impact did the Hawley Smoot tariffs have?
Less exports to America - America was the largest importer of German goods before WSC
Lack of demand = bankrupt or lay off workers
Rapid unemployment and declining economic activity (1932 industrial prod. decreased 58% in comparison to 1928 levels)
Unemployment in 1928 vs in 1933
1928 = 650 000
1933 = 6.1 million
(1/2 all Ger aged 16-30 = unemployed / 60% uni graduates + 40% factory workers)
What was the impact of high unemployment?
Poverty + deprivation
Mass starvation (thousands of children starving to death)
Children had to leave school to work
Evictions (shanty towns created)
How were the middle class feeling in 1932?
Humiliated again (after hyperinflation in 1923-24)
Wanted a strong leader because didn’t think democracy was working
= support communist parties/extreme parties
How were the working class feeling in 1932?
Disillusionment with democratic gov
= support for communist party
Desperate + frustrated bc wages increased during WR
Election results of extreme parties 1928 vs 1932
1928: Nazis = 2.6%
Communist = 10.6% (4th)
1932: Nazis = 33.1% (1st)
Communist = 16.9% (3rd)
Demonstrates support for extreme political parties because they seemed like they offered solutions
Why was the Nazi party outlawed in 1923?
Believed to be high treason
How did the Nazi party attempt a coup in 1923?
Hitler + 600 Nazis stormed a beerhall containing Bavarian PM + 3000 officials
Took PM to other room and forced him to give support to Nazis but when they let him go, he told the authorities
Attempt = failed to take buildings in Munich
Why did Hilter only serve 9 months in jail after Munich (beerhall) Putsch?
The judge sympathized with his ideas and his ability to defend himself during the trial (and his passionate speaking)
Treason usually punishable by execution but only given 5 years
He was seen to have such important views and ideas about how to improve Ger that he was let out early
German word for ‘living space’
Lebensraum
What is Lebensraum?
Aryan race = superior to all other races
= right to take land from inferior ppl bc needed to expand east (for survival or Aryan race - need food and land to support growing population)
What is Anti Semitism?
Anti - Jewish people
Jews = evil sub-humans controlling the world who planned to destroy Aryan race / soul purpose = make life difficult for Germans/
responsible for everything negative in life (WW1 + TOV)
What is the German word for ‘people’s community’?
Volksgemeinschaft
What is volksgemeinschaft?
Classless society where everyone works for the benefit of the race rather than them individually
‘racially pure’ Germans and practicing ‘racial hygiene’ to ensure sub-human and disabled people removed from gene pool / create perfect Aryan race
Germany needs to be united behind a single, strong leader (Hitler)
What is Pan-Germanism?
All Germans should be united into a single nation = unite all German speaking ppl
Overturn TOV and get back lost territory
How did Hitler reform and establish the Nazi party after leaving prison?
Move away from violence + win control of Reichstag (parliament)
Expanded party membership + establish national presence
Propaganda + Hitler’s passionate speeches to attract voters
Create certain messages to appeal to groups (middle class, working class, etc)
What was the overall event which increased Nazi popularity?
Hardships of the Great Depression
(ppl wanted a new leader who would actually support them + cared about them)
How many seats did Nazis have in Reichstag in 1928 vs 1932?
1928: 12 seats (2.6% of vote)
1932: largest single party (1933 = 33.1% of vote)
Why did people vote for Nazis?
!! Belief that WR failed to care for Germans during GD !!
Desire for stong autocratic leader (bc disillusionment and distrust in democratic gov)
Humiliation of TOV = restore pride
Fear of communist revolution (due to growing support for communists)
Nazi support in July 1932
July 1932 election = Nazi 37.8% of vote
230 seats - largest single party
= Hitler demands Chancellorship but not given
What did Hitler do when he wasn’t allowed to be Chancellor?
Used his majority party in parliament to ensure laws couldn’t be passed then would explain how they would negatively impact working + middle class (increase his support and decrease support for WR + blame put on the current Chancellor)
When did Hitler become the Chancellor of Germany?
30th Jan 1933
When was Reichstag burnt down?
27th Feb 1933
Who was blamed for the Reichstag burning down?
Blame = Ger communists
= Hitler removing opposition + ensuring Nazi control
Uses this event to ban Communist party
What happened on the 29th of Feb 1933?
(2 days after Reichstag burnt down)
Declared state of emergency
Suspension of free speech
Press = controlled by Chancellor (Hitler) = more Nazi control over state
When was the Enabling Act proposed and what was it?
23rd March 1933
Gives power to Chancellor to issue laws without parliament approving
Enabling Act outcome
Passed 441/647
Nazi dictatorship = elected + legal
Parliament (Reichstag) = voted for own demise
(official end of WR and beginning of Nazi Ger)
Hitler achieved powers legally and was able to pass laws by himself (= live up to his promised to working class)
What was Hitler concerned about in April 1934? What did he decide to do?
All external opposition gone but internal threats from within the party
Decided to purge any opposition or risk
Who was Hitler’s main internal threat?
Ernst Rohm
Leader or paramilitary Nazi force called SA (brown shirts)
What was Hitler’s main concern with the SA?
3 mill men whose loyalty split between Rohm and Hitler
Rohm could use the SA to begin a revolution and attempt to remove Hitler from power
When was the Night of Long Knives?
30th June - 2nd July
1934
What was the Night of Long Knives?
Purge of Nazi leaders and any political opposition that posed a threat to Hitler as the dictator of Germany
(=cement Hitler’s control and power)
What was Hitler’s promise about unemployment?
He would solve the crisis and provide jobs for all Germans
What was the Autobahn?
7000kms of road that connected Germany
= created 80,000 jobs
What was the widespread rearmament policy?
Focus on the armed forces that went against TOV to increase employment
Rapid spending (to rearm Ger): 1933 = 3.5 bill marks // 1939 = 26 bill marks
Created millions of jobs in production industry (steel, iron, oil, etc to match demand needed for building military equipment)
1939 = 1.4 mill in army (conscripted but considered employed)
What was the National Labour Service 1933?
6 months of work for young men unemployed
Wearing military uniform + military style discipline
No wage but ‘pocket money’ / covered food, healthcare, housing etc as long as they followed directions
Hard, physical labour
Aim = keep men fit and healthy
Levels of unemployment by end of 1933 and end of 1939
End 1933: dropped 20%
End 1939: Nazi gov claimed it to be 0% but not all ppl included in this statistic
Which groups weren’t included in ‘unemployment = 0%’ statistic?
Women: Hitler viewed womens role as domestic + traditional / not expected to work in industries
(1939 = few women in full time work - replaced by men)
Jews: not considered citizens from 1935 onwards so not included
Rearmament/Military: not on unemployment roles
1939 - 1.4 mill soldiers (conscripted but still paid)
What was the impact of the spending on military?
Ger = close to bankruptcy
Between 1933-39 over 40 bill Reichmarks spent on military and rearmament
When were trade unions banned and what was the impact?
May 1933
Banning trade unions and outlawing ability to strike = increased state control over workers
Workers have no legal way of challenging poor conditions or wage
Hitler wanted nation to be better, not individuals
How did rights of workers decline throughout the 1930s?
1935 - Nazi gov chose who worked where
(bc needed more ppl to create weapons for rearmament)
Workers couldn’t leave jobs without gov permission (rarely given)
Wages set and couldn’t strike bc it was illegal
Wage in 1936 - 35 marks per week (below late 1920s average)
