Weimar Flashcards
Who was the Kaiser in the war who stepped down?
Kaiser Wilhem II
9th Nov 1918- flees to Holland
Revolution across Germany?
.German sailors refuse to fight English Navy
.Nov 1918- 40,000 sailors join dock workers and take over dockyeard, bavaria and hamburg
Who follows Wilhem II
Ebert
Social Democrat Party
Chancellor of Weimar
First time Germany is a democracy
10th Nov 1918
When does WW1 end?
11th Nov 1918
Germany end war
-Gov not stable untill mid-1919/ left and right wing fight
Impact of the First World War?
-many unsure/ wanted Kaiser back
-7 million died
-500,000 starved
-cost Germany 37billion
-German population unhappy that Weimar surrendured/ felt like they had been ‘stabbed in the back’
Who were the Freikorps?
ex soldiers who refused to give up their weapons
What was the Weimar constitution?
-freedom of speech
-all men/women over 20 could vote
-free elections
What is Article 48?
In an emergency or crisis, the President can
use Article 48 to rule themselves.
They would not have to ask the Chancellor or
Reichstag for permission to pass laws.
Structure of Weimar gov?
.President / picks chancellor
.governemnt= chancellor/head of gov/ cabinet
.parliament= Reichstag=voted 4 years
=Reichsrat/regions of Germany
How many seats in the Reichstag?
421
e.g 23% of votes= 23% of 421
Strengths of Weimar consitution?
-small parties had a fair share
-no one should have too much power
-more equal rights than Britain
Weaknesses of Weimar Consitution?
-coalition govs couldn’t agree
-hated by the people
-article 48
Treaty of Versailles?
28 June 1919
Germany had no say
Military of Treaty of Versailles?
Army limited to 100k
navy reduced to 15k
air force banned
Rhineland (German border with France)- demilitarized
Blame of Treaty of Versailles?
-Article 231
-Germany had to accept full responsibility for starting war
-Couldn’t join the League of Nations
Reparations of Treaty of Versailles?
6.6 billion to rest of Europe
Terretorial terms of Treaty of veersailles?
lost 13% of land
48% of coal production
overseas empire taken over
Saar coldfields (rich in industry+raw materials) given to France for 15 years
50% of iron
Why did tensions build form 1919-1923?
taxes rose
communist revolution in russia
Sparticists Uprising?
-challenges from the left
-wanted communism
-Jan 1919- 50,000 sparticists/ failed to get much support
-army and freikorps shut them down
Kapp putcsh?
-March 1920
-Ebert tried to disband the Freikorps
-Kapp and 5000 freikorps took government buildings using the army
-Army refused Ebert
-Ebert ordered workers to refuse the Putch and go on strike
-Failed, 400 army officers involved, not really punished
Ruhr Crisis?
Jan 1923
Germany didn’t pay France
France in debt to USA
Took the Ruhr and took coal and steel/60,000 soldiers
80% of Germanies Steel produced there
German workers refused to work
industry in the Ruhr a standstill
German industry fell
Results of the Ruhr Crisis?
-Germans united
-To support the workers German’s mass proudce money
-Value decreased
-Hyperinflation
Cost of bread?
1 mark in 1918
200 billion marks in 1923
Positive Impacts of hyperinflation?
Workers- had low savings
- paid higher wages
Rich- land,possessions and foreign currencies
-possessions swapped for food
-buy small businesses
Farmers- grow and eat own food
-used to trade/sell
Negative impacts of hyperinflation?
Pensioners- pensions/savings worthless
-couldnt work
Middle class- savings worthless
-businnessman could no longer buy goods from abroad
-debts easily paid off
How did they recover?
Stresemann- chancellor
-aug 1923
-‘golden years’
Dawes Plan?
-1924
-help from US banker
-remove the mark
-introduced rentenmark + rentenbank
-more time to pay reparations/indefinite
-2.5 billion marks a year
-US banks loaned money
-800 million a year
Young plan?
-1929
-had 60 years to pay off
-6 billion to 1.85 billion
Solving the Ruhr Crisis?
-Germany could pay off debts
-Ordered the strike in the Ruhr to end
-France left
-Industry could carry on
International relations?
Locarno Pact- 1925
-France,UK,Italy,Belgium
-Borders should stay the same
.relations improved
League of Nations- 1925
- increased internation respect
Kellog-Briand pact- 1928
-64 countries
-armies for self defence
-solve all future disagreements by peace
Political stability for Stresseman?
-coalaition of different parties together
-worked togther
-decisons made together
Why was Stresseman successful?
industry grew by 40%
wages increased and working hours didn’t- lack of striking
Why was Stresseman unsuccessful?
.reliant on America
.unemployment- 10% 1927
.middle class couldn’t recover- felt annoyed
.farmers
.some hatred
Wages and unemployment in Weimar?
-increased every year
-10%
-best in europe
-some middle class did not get increase in wages
-lack of teachers lawyers, teachers
Housing in Weimar?
Between 1924/1931= 2mill homes built, 200k improved
by 1928- homelessness had been reduced by more 60%
Unemployment insurance?
unemployment insurance law in 1927
-workers and employmees made contributions for a national scheme for unemployment welfare
-benefits and assistance for war veterans, wives and disabled
Politics in Weimar?
-equality in education
-equality in jobs
-26 women deputies in the eichstg
Women in Weimar?
-leisure
-more freedom
-fashion conscious
Women in Weimar?
-employment?
By 1933,
100k teachers
3k doctors
-equal pay in civil service
-still hostility
Culture in Weimar?
-Germany Europes’s cultural capitla city
-Bauhaus- bold designs, unusual mats- designed new buildings/furniture
Cinema and theatre in Weimar?
-golden age
-Metropolis- most advanced film of the decade
-Dietrich/ most popular film star in the world
-plays focused on realism- problems of German society
Hitlers first party?
-1919
-German workers party- DAP
Hitler’s early life?
-rejected at art school
-he was homeless
-despised Austria
-moved to Germany- became obsessed
-fought in WW1/ blamed Weimar for loss
DAP?
-started in Munich with 50 members
-were national socialists
Hitlers rise in the Nazi party?
-became Draxler’s right hand man, introduced 25 point programme
-Hitler passionate speaker + hatred of Weimar led to 3000 members by 1920
-changed name to nazis
-July 1921- Hitler leader
25 point programme?
-Nazi policies
-appealed to many Germans at a point when Weimar were in trouble
Key features of 25 point programme?
-get rid of Treaty of Versailles
- a strong germany for Germans
- get rid of unemployment
-increase pensions
-state must protect women and infants
Hitlers organisation?
-set up a permanent office
-bought 2 newspapers
-Hess(deputy), Goering(WW1 hero)
Streicher(publisher), Rohm(popoular ex army officer)
-made friends with Ludendorff- leader of German WW1 army
Members in Nov 1923?
55k
SA?
-Aug 1921
-dressed in brownshirts
-ex-soldiers or Freikorps
-Aug 1922- 800 members/ power+organised
-beat communists
When did Hitler get complete contol of the NSDAP?
Jan 1922
-Hitler was the Fuhrer
NSDAP?
national socialist german workers party
Munich Putsch?
-Nov 1923
-violent uprising to overthrow weimar
-failure/ 14 dead/ hitler in prison
-
Start of the Muncih Putsch?
8th Nov 1923
-Hitler + 600SA marched into a beerhall in Munich where the Bavarian gov were meeting
-At gunpoint Hitler forced leaders to support him
-took control
-however Ludendorff let the leaders go after Hitler left
Middle of Munich Putsch?
9th Nov 1923
-1k SA + 2k volunteers
-Marched on Munich town centre and declare himself president of Germany
-locals+army did not support him
-met by state police/ chaos
End of Munich Putsch?
11th Nov 1923
-Hitler found hiding in his friends wardrobe
-failed
Long term causes of Putsch?
-war
-Treaty of Versailles
-weimar
-region of germany
Middle term causes of Putsh?
-Nazis heavily influenced by Mussolini
Short term causes of Putsch?
-1923
-hperinflation+ruhr crisis
-Weimar looked weak
-Hiter thoughrt time was irght
Short term consequences of Putsch?
-Nazi party banned
-Hitler arrested for 5 years
Long term consequences of Putsch?
-only spent 9 months in jail
-used his trial for publicity
-wrote Mein Kampf
-Hitler realised he would need a new strat/ violence not the answer
-Ban lifted in 1925/32 seats in election
Mein Kampf?
-Nationalism
-Aryan race superior
-socialism
-removing democracy
-traditional values
Re-Launch of Party?
-27th Feb 1925
-4000 came to see him at Munich beer hall
-made changes to strucuture
Nazi organisation changes?
-raised money from businessmen who supported them
-split into 35 local regions
-German womens order + hitler youth
-1929- 100k members
Leadership changes?
Bamburg conference- 1926- Hitler remained leader/abolished any split between his party
Ernst Rohm removed as leader of SA- threat
Set up the SS- selected members to be Hitler’s bodyguards
Developing Support for the Nazis?
-Goebbels put in charge of propaganda
-used posters,radio,film and organised rallies
Hitlers lean years?
1928- 3% of votes
Why did Nazis fail?
-Golden years
-Hindenburg new president/respected
-Lack of support from working class/1% of their votes
The depression?
Wall street crash
october 1929
Depression?
businesses
-forced to pay back their lones + no investment
-Wages dropped by 15%
-Industrial production dropped 40%
-businesses lost/ unemployment
Depression?
govs
-refused to print more money
-Bruning deciced to raise taxes and cut unemployment benefits
-struggled to agree on how to fix the economy
Depression?
-German People
-3 million unemployed 1930
-6 million unemployed 1932
-people lost savings
-poverty
How did the depression help the Nazis?
-Weimar hated
-Nazis in favour/ promised to fix the economy
-as unemployment grew so did the Nazis
Communist party?
-working class voted communism
-1932/ 100 seats in parliament
-Nazis hated communism
-Middle/upper classes + businessmen voted Nazis out of fear of communism + gave them money
Weaknesses of Weimar?
1919-1933= 20 diff coalition parties who constantly fell out
looked weak and useless- Hindenburg had to use article 48
-Hitler was a strong leader
Organisation of Hitler?
.SA
.Hitler himself
.Propaganda- owned 140 newspapers
.Promises- appealed to lots of people- working class- ‘work and bread’- traditional german values
-middle class- restore changes made by Weimar
Stage 1 of Hitler as chancellor?
-Nazis were far off/early 1932
-Bruning resigns
-Von papen new chancellor
Stage 2 of Hitler as chancellor?
July 1932
-Nazis get 38% votes- highest ever for them/230 seats
-Hindenburg refuses to make Hitler chancellor
Stage 3 of Hitler as chancellor?
Nov 1932
-Von papen quits
-drops to 196 seats/ still the highest
Stage 4 of Hitler as chancellor?
Dec 1932
-Schleicher is new chancellor
-tried to split the Nazis by asking Strasser to be vice chancellor/ strasser stayed loyal
Stage 5 of Hitler as chancellor?
Jan 1933
-Hitler appointed chancellor
-Von papen could no longer control the Reichstag
-believed they could control Hitler
Reichstag fire?
27th Feb 1933
-Reichstag burnt down
-communist Van der Lubbe arested
-Hitler used it to say communists wanted to destroy the gov
What did the Reichstag fire lead to?
‘The Reichstag Decree’- Hitler gained power
-allowed the Nazi controlled police to arrest anyone suspected of opposing the gov,hold people without trial, ban meetings
-become a police state
What did The Reichstag Decree lead to?
4000 communits arrested
communist party banned
thousands sent to conc camps
shut down political opponnents newspapers,meetings
March 1933 election?
44%
didnt get overall majority
What was the Enabling Act?
March 1933
Hitler could pass laws without the Reichstag decision
What did he do with the Enabling Act?
April 1933- Peoples courts
control over justice system
May 1933- trade unions banned
-removed workers rights
-under Hitler control
July 1933- Political Parties banned
-leaders of other parties imprisoned
Jan1934- local gov
-replaces local parliaments and replaces them with a governor who directly serves Hitler
The Night of the Long Knives?
1934
-Hitler cant take over the army
SS murdered 400
-SA have 3 mill
-Hitler orders arrest of SA ‘traitors’
The night of the long knives events?
30th June 1944
SS arest 400SA leaders
Rohm executed
-also took out Von Papen
Death of Hindenburg?
2nd Aug 1934
-combines the role of the president with the chancellor
-forced the army to swear an oath of loyalty to him
-Hitler now complete ruler of Germany
Gestapo?
set up in 1933
secret
imprison without trial
160k arrested
thousands killed in custody
SS?
-Blackshirts
-240k- Himmler in control
-unlimited power
-
Conc Camps?
1939- 150k in conc camps
How many crimes punishable for death?
44
SD?
-security force
-Heydrich
-monitor Nazi opps
How many christians in Germany in 1933?
67 million
Nazi control of churches?
-introduction of the Reich Churches
-1933- agreed a Concordat with the Pope/ he would not interfere in the running of the Catholic Church if it stayed out of political matters
-Hitler broke it/ took contol of catholic schools/Catholic youth league banned
Nazi attempts to supress churches?
-ban the old testament (jewish book)
-800 protestant pastors arrested
-catholic newspapers banned
-400 catholic priests sent to conc game
Impacts of Nazi actions on Church?
-1937
-Hitler forced to return the control of the church to protestants if they stay out of politics
-attendance at catholic churches increased
Rallies?
-Yearly Nuremburg rallies
-1934- 200k attended
20k Nazi flags
Film?
-audiences of over 250 million in 1933
-all films included a 45min Nazi newsrell
-1300 films
-e.g The eternal jew- showed German triumph
Newspapers?
1600 anti nazi papers shut down in 1935
Culture?
-Nazis opposes Weimar culture
-people had to follow Nazi culture
-all art had to fit Nazi beliefs, picasso banned
-huge nazi buildings
Radio?
-over 70% of homes had nazi radios
-loudspeakers on streets
Censorship?
-millions of books burnt
-20k Jewish and communist books burnt in the centre of Berlin
The Fuhrer Cult?
-Hitler as a superman and as a man of the people
-Hitler as a god
-pictures everywhere
German Faith Movement?
-1934
-Nazis set up their own religion
Reich Church?
-1936
-Reich Church
Between 1933-39 how many sent to camps?
1.3mill
The edelwiss pirates?
-working class youth
-resistant to Nazis
-taunt or attack Hitler Youth
-hair long/American style
-anti nazi graffitit
The swing Youth?
-teenagers from wealthy families who admired American Culture
-listened to jazz+swing illegally
-groups+parties up the 6k
1939 numbers in youth groups?
2k edelwiss
8mill hitler youth
Church Oppositon
Confessors church set up- protestant church
-6k pastors- 800 sent to conc camp
Martin Niemoller?
Pastors Emergency League
-7k mebers
-obey god not a man
Nazi Education?
.in school until 14
.military boys
.housework girls
.PE doubled
.Race and nazi beliefs introduced- RE dropped
Nazi ideology in lessons?
-textbooks re-written to support nazi history
-mein kampf a core study
-History emphasies Germany sucess and blames Jews
-Maths taught military tactics/solve economic cost of disabled in Germany
Jewish children in school?
Banned from school 1938
bullied by students and teachers
Teacher groups?
The nazi teacher alliance- 97% joined
-teach Nazi curriculum or risked being fired
-students encouraged to report teachers
Nazi Youth groups?
-banned other organisations like Scouts
Nazi Youth Groups?
-boys?
6-10 Pimpfe
10-14 German Young People
14-18 Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth activities?
-military style activities
-camping/hiking
-map reading
-rifle shooting
Hitler Youth facts?
-oath of loyalty
-1932- 108k members
-1936- Hitler Youth Act- membership compulsory
Girls youth?
10-14 Young Girls Legaue
14-18 The league of German Maidens (BDM)
BDM activities?
-fitness/strength/beauty
-had to run 60m in 14secs
-‘racial hygene’- only marry Aryan men
-
Were the youth groups successful?
-millions joined
-then joined army
-had Aryan children
-many enjoyed feeling important to Germany future
Why were the youth groups not successful?
-secret groups like edelweiss pirates formed
-thousands avoided meetings as it felt like military life
Changes to women in work?
1933
-banned from professional jobs e.g doctors
-15% of women sacked from other jobs- 4k teachers
Later changes to women in work?
1937
compulsory duty year/ shortage of workers
had to work on farms/homes
1939- 14 million working women
Changes to women in life?
-organisations like the Women’s front set up to brainwash women
-couldnt smoke
-traditional clothes
-German womans enterprise
Mothers cross?
4-bronze
6-silver
8-gold
10- Hitler was the godfather
Marriage for women?
-marriage loan of 1k marks
-keep 250 marks for every child
-4 would pay it back
Lebensborn?
Aryan Women encouraged to donate a child to the Fuhrer by getting pregnant with Aryan SS soldiers at special centres
Abortion?
-abortion and contraception banned
-Sterilisation Law of 1933= Non Aryan could not have kids
-married couples who could not have children were allowed to divorce
Results of Nazi policies towards women?
Marriages increased by 21% from 33-39
1936 had 30% more births than 1933
Economic conditions?
-1933
-mass unemployment- 6 million
Nazi methods to reduce enemployment?
-National Labour Service
-Conscription and Rearmament
-Autobahns
-‘Invisible Unemployment’
National Labour Service?
-men aged 18-25 had to do 6 months- paid work to help Germany
-Building schools/hospitals
-Repairing Roads
-Low pay and lack of food
Conscription?
-breaking the treaty of versailles
-1935
-18-25 year olds
-1.4 million in 1939 in the army
Rearmament?
Spending increased from 3.5billion to 26 billion- big need for workers
-1935- 72k workers involved in aircraft construction
Invisible employment?
women and jews forced out of their jobs not included
those in prisons and conc camps taken off stats
Public Works?
autobahns- build 7k miles
-1935- 125k men working on Autobanhs
38 billion marks a year by 1938 on public works like hospitals/school
Results of emmployment?
4.8 million in 1933 to 300k in 1939
The german Labour Front
DAF- had to join
-strikes illegal
-workers couldnt ask for higher wages
-hours increased to 60+ a week
Strength through joy?
-provide leisure activities that everyone could enjoy
Facts about strength through joy?
-a ski trop cost one weeks wages
-over 7 million took part in kdf sports events
-over 10 million went on holiday in 1938, most loyal workers got to go on better holidays
-cultural nights
Beauty of Labour
-campaigned to improve better facilities for workers
-gave companies financial help to improve the safety of their buildings
Why did German workers benefit?
-more money to spend so standard of living improved
-1936-39 wages increased by 20%
-German workers got their ‘bread and work’ as promised by Hitler
Why did German workers not benefit?
-price of food also increased by 20%
-lower earners struggled
-working hours increase
-
Disabled?
1933- sterilsied law
-alchols,blind,disabled… etc
-400k sterilised by 1939
1939- T4- young people with mental/physicl difficulties killed by lethal injection
-5k
Homosexuals?
-lowered racial purity
-1935 laws against homosexuality
-5k sent to conc camps
Gypsies?
-work shy
-35k gypsies put into camps and deported
How many Jews in Germany?
how many left?
1933- 437k
1933-39- 250k forced to flee
Timeline of Jews?
-first stage
1st april 1933
-boycott of jewish businesses
- jews banned from gov jobs and public places
Timelne of Jews?
-second stage
Sep 1935
-Nuremburg Laws
-jews no longer citizens- could not vote
-marriage between jews and aryan race illegal
1936
-banned in working common jobs
e.g doctor
Timeline of Jews?
-third stage
March 1938
-Jews had to register all their possessions
July 1938
-had to carry ID cards
Timeline of jews?
-fouth stage
9th + 10th NOv 1938- Kristallnacht (night of broken glass)
- murder of nazi diplomat in Paris by young jews
- Nazis destroy 7.5k jewish businesses
- burn 400 synagagues
-20k jews sent to conc camos
-Jews forced to pay 1bill for damage
-turning point
Timeline of Jew?
-5th stage?
dec 1938
-banned from owing shops/businesses
april 1939
-evicted out of theur homes for no reason
nov 1939
-kicked out of school
