Unit 3- The Collapse of Democracy 1928-33 Flashcards
1
Q
What were Economic Impacts of the Depression 1929 ?
A
- America demanded immediate repayment of loans
- Germany’s export trade declined by 61%
- Government closed all banks and stock exchange for 2 days, made it worse
- Unemployment increased
- Cuts in civil service
- Farmers forced to give up farms
2
Q
How many people registered as unemployed during the Depression 1929 ?
A
- 1/3 of Germans registered as unemployed
- Estimated x8 the amount
- 8 Million
3
Q
What were Social Impacts of the Depression 1929 ?
A
- Unemployed only entitled to state benefit for a fixed period
- Women receive less benefits than men
- People were strictly means tested
- Increase of TB and Rickets
- Malnutrition amongst children
- Suicide rates went up
- Shanty towns appear
- Poverty diets
4
Q
What was the Poverty Diet ?
A
- Increased during the Depression
- -Rarely featured meat
- Described as “too little to live on but too much to die from”
5
Q
What was the Impact of the Depression on the Youth ?
A
- Increased youth unemployment
- Increase in gangs and crime
- NO of 14-25 year olds accused of crime increased
- Joined extremist political parties- KPD recruited working class youths
- Hitler’s Youth and SA offered unemployed boys food and shelter
6
Q
What schemes were introduced to help the young unemployed ?
A
- Established day care centres, had work related activities and could socialise
- Emergency labour schemes, would undertake unskilled manual labour and receive wages
- Voluntary labour schemes, residential work, sent away
7
Q
What were the criticisms of the Youth Schemes ?
A
- Unpopular with young children
- Two waves of strikes for higher wages
- Few of the schemes offered any prospect of vocational training and finding employment
8
Q
What was the Impact of the Depression on Women ?
A
- Female in the workforce increased
- “double earners”
- Law passed allowing married women to be dismissed from civil service- limited to central government
- Could only be dismissed if they were economically stable
- Reich postal service dismissed 1000 married women
9
Q
What were the Political impacts of the depression ?
A
- Grand Coalition collapsed
- Provided opportunity for extreme parties to gain support
- Intensification of political violence
10
Q
What caused the collapse of the Grand Coalition ?
A
- Made up of parties from left and right
- Unemployment benefit put strain on state finances
- Right DVP wanted to reduce unemployment benefits
- Left SPD wanted to protect benefits and raise taxes
- Government was deadlocked on the issue
- Muller resigned
11
Q
What led to the appointment of Brunning as chancellor ?
A
- Influenced by Groaner and Schleicher
- Both opposed to parliamentary democracy
- Political crisis an opportunity to impose an authoritarian style of government
- Brunning had authoritarian views
12
Q
What did Brunnings government exclude ?
A
-The SPD
13
Q
What was the Impact of Brunning excluding the SPD from his government ?
A
- His government didn’t have enough support in the Reichstag to pass laws
- After March 1930- No government had majority support in Reichstag
- Governments rely on ruling by presidential decree
14
Q
How many laws were passed by the Reichstag compared to by Decree in 1932 ?
A
Reichstag= 5 Decree= 66
15
Q
What was Brunnings response to the Depression ?
A
- Cut expenditure and raise taxes to balance the budget
- Didn’t have majority in Reichstag
- Persuades Hindenburg for him to rule by decree
16
Q
What was the Political crisis regarding Article 48 ?
A
- Only suppose to be used in emergencies
- SPD won Reichstag support to withdraw the decree
- Brunning dissolved the Reichstag and called the September 1930 election
17
Q
What were the results of the September 1930 Election ?
A
- Extreme parties gained the most
- Communists gained over a million votes, 77 seats in Reichstag
- Nazis were the second largest party (6.5 million votes)
18
Q
How did the Reichstag become unmanageable ?
A
- Did not meet between February and October 1931
- Meetings became shorter and infrequent
19
Q
What did the Nazis and Communists claim regarding political violence ?
A
- Nazis claimed 29 of their men had been killed by communists
- Communists said 92 of their supporters had been killed
20
Q
How did Political Violence increase ?
A
- Nazis and communists took their struggles onto the streets
- Communists had their Red-Front Fighters League
- Broke up political meetings of their opponents
- Rival marches often turned into full scale riots
21
Q
How did Brunning act against Political Violence ?
A
- Banned the wearing of political uniforms
- Banned the SA
22
Q
How did the Weimar fail to stop Political Violence ?
A
- SA continued to wear uniforms
- SA membership continued to grow
- End of 1932, SA had 400,000 members
23
Q
Which parties gained support during the Depression years ?
A
- The Nazis
- Communist KPD
- Both gained support during the Depression years
- Nazis more successful in broadening appeal
24
Q
Where did Nazis see increased support from after the Wall Street Crash?
A
- White-collar workers
- Middle class
- Farmers
25
How did Nazis broaden their support amongst farmers ?
- Promised farmers higher prices and protection from imports
- Exploited their issues
- Nazis gained 68% of the vote in one rural district
26
Why did Nazis attract support from the Middle Class ?
- They were worried by the threat of a communist revolution
| - They were disillusioned with well established middle class parties such as the DVP and DNVP
27
What areas were the Nazis strongest and weakest ?
- Strong in Protestant areas
| - Weak in Catholic areas
28
How much of the vote did the Nazis gain in the 1932 elections ?
- 30.1% in 1st ballot
| - 37.3% in 2nd ballot
29
Who was Hindenburgs opponent when he stood for election in 1932 ?
-Thallman of the KPD
30
What were the results of the 1932 elections?
- Hindeburg won in the end with 53% of vote
| - Hitler got 37%
31
Why were the working class important in the elections ?
- Working class made up nearly half of the electorate
| - Their votes were crucial
32
Who did the working class support ?
-The SPD or the communists (especially trade unions)
33
What areas did left wing parties gain support ?
- SPD support in large cities
| - Communist support in poor cities like Berlin and amongst the unemployed
34
How many working class voters voted for the Nazis in the 1930 election ?
- 1930 election
| - 27% of Nazi voters were manual labourers
35
How did the Nazis become the most popular party ?
- Won support amongst all classes and generations and across different regions
- Emphasised issues that had been neglected
36
What was the Nazis "Power of Will" ideology ?
- Hitler presented himself and the Nazis as being a force for change in Germany
- Nazi propaganda claimed power, strength and determination were qualities of Hitler
- Parades of SA presented an image of discipline and unity
37
What was the Nazis "struggle and war" ideology ?
- Believed war would reconstruct German society
- Nazi propaganda glorified military virtues of courage and loyalty
- SA to give German males the chance to demonstrate manliness
38
What was the Nazis "racial community" ideology ?
- Volkscemeinschaft
- Only Aryans could be citizens of the state
- No social classes and equal opportunity within Aryan community
- All work for nation and would receive benefits
- Wanted to return to a romanticised Germany before the war to create a "new man" and "new woman"
39
What was the Nazis "national socialism" ideology ?
- Sought support of wealthy businessmen such as Hugenberg and Fritz
- Used the word "socialism" loosely to appeal to working class voters
- In his view socialism and the "peoples community" were the same
40
What was the Nazis " The Fuhrerprinzip" ideology?
- Hitler set out to destroy Weimar Republic because it was a democracy
- Wanted it to be destroyed and replaced by a dictatorship
41
What was the Nazis "Aggressive nationalism" ideology ?
- Wanted to reverse the TOV
- Restore lands taken from Germany
- Secure Lebensraum (living space) to the east
- To create a greater German state
42
What was the Nazis "anti-semitism" ideology ?
- Hitler saw Jews as responsible for all German ills
- Represented in Nazi propaganda as greedy, cunning and selfish
- They were held responsible for evils of capitalism, German loss in the war, TOV and Weimar democracy
- Regarded communism as a Jewish creed
43
How was the role of Hitler important to Nazi success?
- His political skills and qualities were important to the party
- Possessed great charisma and skills
- Speeches were long and repetitive (hypnotic effect)
- Knew how to play on people's emotions and fears
- Adjusted speeches to different audiences
44
What was the role of anti semitism in Nazi success ?
- Jews used as scapegoats in Nazi propaganda, portraying them as responsible for Germany's problems
- Blamed for "Jewish capitalism
- Many Germans had anti-Semitic views and felt they could now express them freely.
- Most Germans, were not anti-Semitic, and still voted for Nazis due to the huge economic problems they were dealing with.
- The SA often chanted ‘Juda Verreche!’ – or ‘Down with the Jews!’ and would beat Jews in the street
45
Why were men attracted to the SA ?
- Were anti-communist
| - For comradeship in the pub
46
What was the role of propaganda in Nazi success ?
- Joseph Goebbles was the master of propaganda
- Provided with money by big businesses
- Hitler made speeches all over Germany
- Nazis had their own newspaper
- Published posters, leaflets, films and staged rallies
- Skilfully targeted different groups and adapted nazi message to particular target audiences
47
What showed there was an appeal of Communism?
- KPD gained 2 million votes in the Reichstag elections between 1928-32
- Its membership increased to 360,000 in 1932
- Growing force at street and neighbourhood level in large industrial cities
48
What issues did the KPD mainly focus on ?
- Focus on the unemployed
- Set up committees on the unemployed and staged hunger marches and agitated against benefits cuts
- Attempted to co-opt the "wild cliques" of working class youths into communist led campaigns against the police
49
What was the Red-Front Fighters League of the KPD ?
- Engaged in frequent battles with the SA and with the police
- The communists presented themselves as the defenders of the working class against the Nazis
50
What were the KPD's political aims?
- Advocated close cooperation with the USSR
- Establishment of a workers state
- Ultimate aim to overthrow the Weimar Republic
- Replace SPD as leading party on left
- Demanded an end to cuts in unemployment benefits and wages
51
What did the KPD accuse the SPD of ?
- Accused the SPD as damaging to working class interests
| - Labelled them as "social fascists"
52
What were strengths of the KPD ?
- Communist propaganda attracted membership, through speeches of Thalman, who emphasised struggles
- Appealed to the unemployed and poor - "bread and freedom"
- KPD propaganda attacked the SPD
- Growing force at street and neighbourhood level in large industrial cities
53
What were weaknesses of the KPD ?
- More than 50% of new members in 1932 left within a few months
- No support outside main industrial areas and women
- Unemployed members meant KPD were always short of money and they did not have big businesses support
- Concentrated on fighting the SPD that they neglected the threat of Nazis
- Threat of communist revolution persuades many rich industrialists to give support to the Nazis
54
What caused the Fall of Brunnings government in 1932 ?
- Never had majority support in Reichstag
- Could only remain in office and pass laws with Hindenburg and Schleicher's support
- Mostly ruled by presidential decree
55
Why was Brunning known as the 'Hunger Chancellor" ?
- Reduced state expenditure and cut welfare benefits
- Reduced civil servants and cut wages
- Deepened the depression
- In 1936, unemployment exceeded 6 million for the first time
56
What did the deepening of the Depression cause ?
- Increased support for the Nazis and communists
- More street violence
- Unemployment exceeded 6 million for the first time
57
What did Brunning do to stop street violence ?
- Imposed a ban on the SA to stop street violence
| - Situtation actually got worse
58
Why did Scleicher withdraw support from Brunnings government ?
- Knew the ban on the SA would cause a Nazi uprising and he wanted to establish an authoritarian government
- No government could rule without Nazi support
59
What were Hitler's conditions to joining a coalition in 1932?
- Demanded to be chancellor
- Hitler agreed to not oppose the new government, if there was a new Reichstag election
- SA ban to be lifted
60
Why did Brunning resign ?
- Hindenburg acted on Schleicher's advice
- Refused to sign a presidential decree Brunning had submitted
- Had no choice but to resign
61
Who was Brunning replaced with ?
-Franz Von Papen
62
What were the issues with Papen's government ?
- Constructed government on non-political party basis
- DNVP were the only party that supported his coalition
- His cabinet were mostly filled by industrial elites who weren't members of the Reichstag
- Shared his authoritarian leanings
- Only ruled by decree
63
What did Papen believe ?
- Believed a communist revolution would threaten Germany
| - The Weimar democracy allowed this threat to grow
64
What was Papen's view of the Nazis ?
- Saw Nazis with their mass support as useful allies to establish an authoritarian government
- Sympathised with Hitler's ideas
65
What did Papen do to cause more street violence ?
- Lifted the ban on the SA
| - Imposed curbs on left wing press
66
What happened in Prussia, which caused Papen to impose an authoritarian government ?
- The SA marched through the streets and the KPD confronted them.
- Police shot the KPD- killing 18.
- Papen blamed the SPD who led the local government
- Appointed himself the leader of the government.
67
What were the results of the July 1932 election ?
- DVP and DNVP lost support
- Nazis become main party on the right (230 seats)
- Nazis still don't have a majority- 37.3% of the vote
- Hitler can ask for the chancellor position as he's in a stronger position than Paper or Schleicher
- Nazis have more votes than the SPD DID IN 1919
68
Where did Nazis attract votes from in the July 1932 election ?
- Middle class
| - Unemployed
69
Where didn't Nazis attract votes from in the July 1932 election ?
- SPD/KPD voters
| - Catholic voters
70
Why did Hitler refuse to join Papen's government ?
- Hitler would only join if he was chancellor
| - Wanted to attack Papens government
71
Why was a second 1932 election in November called?
- Nazis support a vote of no confidence in Papen's government
- Papens position weakened
- Forced to ask Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag and call a new election
72
What were the results of the November 1932 election ?
- Nazis lose 2 million votes and 34 seats
- Centre parties suffered losses
- KPD won 16.9% of the vote
- Nazis are still the largest party
73
What caused a loss of support for the Nazi party in the Nov 1932 election ?
- Middle class voters were alienated by Hitlers attacks on Paper and by his refusal to join a coalition
- Nazis supported a communist led transport strike in Berlin during the election
- Led to them to support the DVP and DNVP
- 3 election campaigns in 8 months exhausted Nazi funds
74
What caused the end of Papen's government ?
- Papen's government lost credibility
- Government still faced a hostile Reichstag majority
- Considered banning the Nazis and Communists and using the army to enforce an authoritarian style of government
- Schleicher told Papen the army wouldn't support him
- Papen resigns
75
What was the importance of Hindenburgs inner circle ?
- Involved in all key decisions
- Advised Hindenburg on the appointment of chancellors and the signing of presidential decrees
- Seen as the main source of backstairs intrigue
76
What was the role of Schleicher in the inner circle ?
- Was head of the army and an authoritarian
- Instrument in persuading Hindenburg to withdraw support from Brunning and replace him with Papen
- Involved in the downfall of Papen, due to the fact he was too independent minded
- Schleicher was very ambitious and addicted to behind the scenes intrigue
- Aimed for an alliance between forces of old Conservatives and the Nazis to legitimise an authoritarian regime.
77
What was the role of Oskar von Hindenburg in the inner circle ?
- Army office (authoritarian)
- Son of Hindenburg
- Controlled access to the president
- His options were highly valued by his father
- Close links to Schleicher
78
What was the role of Otto Meissner in the inner circle ?
- Civil servant
- Acted as a go between in negotiations between Hitler and Hindenburg
- Huge influence over the president
- Arranged meetings between Hitler and the president
79
What were Hindenburgs view of the Nazi's ?
- Regarded the Nazis with distain
- Saw them as a noisy rabble
- Therefore reluctant to make Hitler chancellor
- Running out of options after the fall of Papen's government
80
Why was Hindenburg reluctant to make Schleicher chancellor ?
- Schleicher preferred to operate behind the scenes
| - Lost his trust because he alienated Papen
81
How did Schleicher try and get a Nazi coalition ?
- Tried to put pressure on Hitler by playing on divisions within the Nazi party
- He opened negotiations with Strasser (a key Nazi,)
- Hitler quickly realised he was being undercut
- Got rid of Strasser to stop the negotiations.
- Schleichers bid to gain Nazi support FAILED
82
How did Schleicher try and gather Reichstag support after his failed attempt with the Nazis ?
- Turned to socialism to gather trade union support
- Economic reform to cut Nazi support
- Cancelled cuts in wages and benefits made by Papen
- Considered a large scale job creation scheme to relieve unemployment
83
How did Schleichers Economic reform fail ?
- Too much for industrialists and landowners
- Were the backbone of German conservative parties
- Failed to attract trade union support
84
What led to Schleicher resigning ?
- Asked Hindenburg to suspend the constitution, dissolve the Reichstag and give him powers of a dictator
- Hindenburg refused
- Schleicher resigned
85
How did Hitler become chancellor in 1933 ?
- Papen involved in negotiations with Hitler over forming a new coalition government
- Hitler still insistent on being chancellor and considered a coalition
- Hugenburg (DNVP) was prepared to support a Nazi-led coalition
- Talks between Hitler, Papen and Hindeburgs inner circle, led to a deal in which Hitler would form a coalition government with himself as chancellor
86
Why did Papen believe Hitler would be easy to control and that a dictatorship wouldn't be established?
- There would only be 2 other nazis in the cabinet
- Believed he was poorly educated and inexperienced because he was a corporal
- Papen was vice-chancellor
- Papen won the right to be present when Hitler and Hindenburg met
87
What was the Nazi torchlight procession in January 1933 ?
- Hitler stood on the balcony of the Reich
- Torchlight procession of 100,000 Nazi members walking through the streets of Berlin
- Organised by Joseph Goebells
88
What was the importance of the Nazi torchlight procession in January 1933 ?
- Was a demonstration of Hitler's personal triumph and the victory of the Nazi movement
- Made it clear that it would mark a historic break with the past
- Start of their "national revolution"
89
How did the Nazis use the SA for terror ?
- Expanded the SA to eliminate opposition
- 500,000---> 3 Million members in a year
- Activities of SA gained legal authority
- SA and the Stahlehlm were merged= AUXILARY POLICE
- Regular police force forbidden from interfering with SA
- Terror against socialists and the communists
90
How did the Nazis use terror against political opponents ?
- Terror against socialists and the communists
- Assaulted homes of left wing politicians
- Assaulted trade union and KPD offices
- Centre Party newspapers banned after criticising nazi regime
- SA broke up SPD and KPD meetings
- SPD newspapers banned
91
How did the Nazis use concentration camps as a form of terror?
- Communists, socialists and trade unionists imprisoned
- Dacheu was the first permanent concentration camp= 5000 people
- July 1933- 26,789 political prisoners arrested by SA in 70 camps
- Nazis said it was 'protective custody'
92
How did the Reichstag fire encourage use of terror ?
- Communist Marinus Van der Lubbe arrested for the fire
- Nazis claimed it was a communist plot to start a revolution
- Terror became a legal mean to crush opposition
93
What was the Decree for the Protection of the People and the State ?
- Police given increased powers to arrest and detain without charge
- Police given powers to enter and search private premisses
- Government had powers to censor publications
- Used to arrest communists and socialists
94
What was the impact of the Decree for the Protection of the People and the State ?
- Police arrested 10,000 communists in 2 weeks
- KPD party membership treated as an act of treason
- Civil servants, judges and police were conservative and nationalists
95
How did the Nazis control the March 1933 election ?
- SA controlled streets, opponents locked up
- Impossible for left to organise an election meeting, posters removed as soon as they were put up
- Anyone distributing leaflets for SPD and KPD was arrested
96
What were the results of the March 1933 election ?
- Nazis won 43.9%
- KPD won 12.3%
- More than half supported non-nazi parties
- Nazis with support of their DNVP allies, now had a Reichstag majority
97
What was the Enabling Act ?
- Allowed Hitler to make laws without Reichstag approval and without reference to the president
- Also gave him power to make treaties with foreign states without Reichstag approval
- Legitimised the Nazi dictatorship
98
Why did Hitler struggle to pass the Enabling Act ?
- HITLER NEEDED A 2/3 MAJORITY TO PASS IT
- Communists unable to take their seats
- SPD votes against it
- Centre party held the key to gaining majority
99
What was the Centre Parties condition to accepting the bill to pass the Enabling Act ?
- They were reassured Hitler would not use powers without consulting Hindenburg first
- Hitler won support
