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