Weimar Democracy - Part Two of Germany 1890-1945

Question 1

The men who partook in the Kapp Putsch were?

Answer 1

5000 members of the free corps, mainly ex-soldiers.

Question 2

Where did the Free Corps take over first during the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 2

The capital, Berlin.

Question 3

What was the aim of Wolfgang Kapp?

Answer 3

To take over the government and reclaim lands lost in the Treaty of Versailles by restrengthening the armed forces.

Question 4

What did Ebert and the Weimar government do during the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 4

They fled from Berlin.

Question 5

What was the problem for Wolfgang Kapp during the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 5

Kapp didn’t have the support of the workers, who went on strike, resulting in no gas, water, electricity or trains.

Question 6

What did Kapp do after he realised he didn’t have support?

Answer 6

He fled Germany for abroad, Ebert and his government returned to power in Berlin.

Question 7

What did workers do after Kapp fled Berlin?

Answer 7

Workers in the Ruhr remained on strike, rose up and took many towns.

Question 8

Why is the attempted revolt by the workers called the Red Rising?

Answer 8

The colour red is symbolic of Communism and workers tended to support socialism or communism.

Question 9

How did Ebert react to the Red Rising?

Answer 9

He sent 1000 free corps units to deal with the communist rebellion. Over 1000 workers were killed.

Question 10

How many political assassinations took place between 1919 and 1922?

Answer 10

Around 350 political assassinations.

Question 11

Who carried out the majority of political assassinations?

Answer 11

Right-wing extremists.

Question 12

In August 1921, a man who signed the armistice was short dead by right-wing extremists, who was he?

Answer 12

Matthias Erzberger.

Question 13

Many right-wing extremists who carried out assassinations against key government officials in the early 1920s were given short ______ _________. What two words finish this sentence?

Answer 13

Jail sentences.

Question 14

How did Hitler learn of the Nazi party? (Then German Workers’ party)

Answer 14

He was sent to investigate different political groups, the Nazis were only in their infancy when he discovered them.

Question 15

Why did speeches made by the right about the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles appeal to Hitler?

Answer 15

He was a wounded ex-soldiers who felt betrayed by the “November Criminals”.

Question 16

What is the symbol that was most commonly used to represent the nazis?

Answer 16

The swastika.

Question 17

What was the name given to Hitler’s first private army?

Answer 17

The SA (Sturmabeiltung) meaning stormtroopers.

Question 18

What was the main role of the SA in the Nazi party’s infancy?

Answer 18

To beat or kill political opponents, to guard Hitler and high ranking nazis and to disrupt other political meetings.

Question 19

What did Hitler change the German Workers’ Party name to?

Answer 19

The National Socialist German Workers Party or NSDAP.

Question 20

The Nazi party grew before the Munich Putsch, it had 3000 members in 1920, how many members did it have in 1921?

Answer 20

5000 members.

Question 21

What did Hitler do on 8th November 1923?

Answer 21

He interrupted a meeting in a beer hall in Munich. Saying he would take over Munich and later all of Germany.

Question 22

Who was in the beer hall when Hitler interrupted it during the Munich Putsch?

Answer 22

Gustav Von Kahr, head of the Bavarian government.

Question 23

What did Hitler say in the beer hall during the Munich Putsch in 1923?

Answer 23

That he planned to march into Berlin from Munich and take control of the government.

Question 24

Who else pledged support for Hitler’s putsch in the beer hall?

Answer 24

General Ludendorff.

Question 25

What happened as Hitler was speaking in the beer hall?

Answer 25

The SA took control of key government buildings and arrested officials.

Question 26

What happened on the morning after the Munich Putsch?

Answer 26

Kahr was released but informed the police of the takeover and when Hitler and 2000 supporters began a march through Munich, they were met with armed police.

Question 27

What was the casualty rate in the clash with the police in Munich during the Munich putsch and how did Hitler attempt to resist arrest?

Answer 27

After the battle, 3 policemen and 16 Nazis were dead. Hitler was wounded and Ludendorff was taken into custody. Hitler fled to a neighbour’s closet to be found 2 days later and arrested on charge of his involvement.

Question 28

What happened during Hitler’s trial? How did this partially help him?

Answer 28

When Hitler was put on charge, his trial was broadcast throughout the country and gave him a chance to show his political beliefs. He impressed the judges and the public and he only received a 5 year sentence for the highest crime (treason). He was let out 9 months later on parole.

Question 29

What did Hitler do during his imprisonment? How did this help lay the groundwork for the Nazis?

Answer 29

Hitler wrote “Mein Kampf” (my struggle) and described his life story and political views. It became a bestseller in Germany and people began to become sympathetic towards the nazis.

Question 30

How did the failure of the Munich Putsch change Hitler’s perspective?

Answer 30

He realised he couldn’t take power by force but had to grow in power politically and destroy democracy from the inside.

Question 31

Who became foreign minister of Germany in 1924?

Answer 31

Gustav Stresemann

Question 32

How did Stresemann fix the hyperinflation of the mark?

Answer 32

He stopped the printing of the old paper mark (which was worthless) and printed a new ‘Rentenmark’, this could be exchanged for old German marks. In 1924 it was later replaced by the Reichsmark.

Question 33

Was stresemann’s solution to the currency devaluation a success? Why or why not?

Answer 33

It was a success as Germans quickly accepted the currency change and hyperinflation ended, with the reichsmark being stable for the next 25 years. However people who had lost their savings weren’t repaid and they blamed Stresemann and his government.

Question 34

How did Stresemann end the Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr?

Answer 34

He met with American Vice President Dawes and arranged for the USA to lend money to Germany (800 million gold marks) and Germany could now repay what it owed and repayment schedule was arranged which saw them repay their reparations at a lower amount.

Question 35

Was the ‘Dawes Plan’ a success?

Answer 35

Yes, Belgian and French troops left the Ruhr and Germany now only had to pay £1.8 billion as opposed to £6.6 billion, with longer to pay it.

Question 36

How did Stresemann improve Germany’s position in the world stage?

Answer 36

In 1925 he signed the Locarno Pact with Britain, France Belgium and Italy, promising never to invade each other. In 1926, Germany joined the League of Nations, which they were banned from joining at its inception in 1919. In 1928 he signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, promising never to invade each other, unless they were attacked.

Question 37

Was Stresemann”s foreign policy a success?

Answer 37

Yes, Germany regained its international status and became a key member of the League of Nations. Some on the right wing felt he didn’t do enough to regain lands lost in the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 38

How did Stresemann fix Germany’s industry?

Answer 38

He used some of the money from the Dawes Plan to build new factories, houses, schools and roads. This meant more jobs and Germans earning more money. Some American companies also built factories in Germany.

Question 39

Was Stresemann’s policy towards industry a success? Why?

Answer 39

Yes, slowly, Germany became more of a healthy economy and many Germans saw better quality of life. For example, the sale of the radio (the phone of the 1920s) rose from 1 million in 1926 to 4 million in 1932. However, some Germans including Stresemann feared that Germany relied too heavily on German loans for the upkeep of their economy.

Question 40

Why are the 1920s called a “golden age” for Germany?

Answer 40

Until the change in government in 1918, the Kaiser was strict on entertainment but these restrictions were lifted in Weimar Germany, giving Germans a sense of freedom. After the horrors of the First World War, people experimented with new ideas.

Question 41

What was the cinema industry like in Weimar Germany?

Answer 41

It became very popular, for example, Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang, was a technological advanced film exploring sci-if and creativity, representative of contemporary culture.

Question 42

What was Nightlife like in Weimar Germany?

Answer 42

Germany became a centre for new plays, operas and theatre shows during the 1920s. Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera was a box office smash, musicians performed vulgar songs about politicians, not endorsed by the Kaiser’s government. Berlin, in particular, had many nightclubs famous for American jazz music. Dancers appeared naked and transvestite evenings were held.

Question 43

How did literature change in Weimar Germany?

Answer 43

Writing became big, people had over 120 newspapers to choose from and an an anti-war novel - “All Quiet On The Western Front“ by Erich Remarque sold over 1.5 million copies in three months.

Question 44

How did art change in Weimar Germany?

Answer 44

Art flourished, Avant-garde artists like Otto Dix and George Grosz believed art should show the different realities of life, particularly social class, and make people consider this. They tried to show what World War One and Germany were actually like, their paintings often criticising events at the time.

Question 45

How did design change in Weimar Germany?

Answer 45

A new group of designers called the Bauhaus designed anything from chairs to coffee pots to office buildings. They believed in modern, simple and practical designs rather than more elaborate and antique designs of before.

Question 46

How did different people react to the cultural changes in Germany?

Answer 46

Some Germans embraced the changes to culture, whilst others hated them, they wanted the media to celebrate the older, traditional values of Germany. They thought nightclubs, shows and paintings were leading Germany into a moral decline. Berlin was viewed as corrupt and sex-obsessed.

Question 47

How did the nazis react to the cultural changes in Weimar Germany?

Answer 47

They openly criticised the nightclubs and art of this time and when Hitler passed the enabling act in 1933, giving him full power, many Weimar artists and performers like Fritz Lang and George Grosz has to flee the country as they were at risk of persecution.

Question 48

What caused the Great Depression?

Answer 48

America was rich by the end of the First World War, staying neutral for most of the war and making lots of money from lending money to both sides. Some Americans had excess wealth and invested in similar ways to stock brokers of the time in hopes of making a profit, some borrowing money to be able to invest. When share prices dipped millions sold their shares and couldn’t sell them for as much as they bought them for, being in debt and unable to pay the banks. Soon, Americans went out of business as they couldn’t have their goods bought.

Question 49

How did the Wall Street Crash affect Germany?

Answer 49

Americans bought some goods from Germany, completely leaving the German-American market unable to work and American business like Ford shut down in Germany. Goods were not selling and factories had to be shut down. American banks also demanded all the money back they lent to Germany and German banks took money from businesses, putting them out of business. People were soon living on the streets, jobless angry and full of resent for the Weimar government.

Question 50

How did the effects of the Wall Street Crash affect the political landscape of Germany?

Answer 50

Unemployment and hunger lead millions to be distasteful towards the government and they looked for radical solutions to the problem like Communism or Fascism, whose leaders promised to solve German problems.

Question 51

How did the depression increase votes for the Nazi Party?

Answer 51

The depression left Germany bankrupt and starving, those who gave little thought to Hitler during the 1920s were ready to accept his way of thinking if he were to provide a solution. They continued the belief that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair towards Germany, that the Jews should be blamed for economic problems and Germany should become a world power again. Their message was the same but their audience had changed.

Question 52

Why were Germans unhappy with the contemporary government and how did this lead to the rise Nazism?

Answer 52

The problems with proportional representation were becoming apparent, under the Weimar government little to no legislation could be passed and the Chancellors Brüning and Müller passed emergency laws with Article 48. However Brüning’s almost communist approach lead Hindenburg to withdraw support and now no one was supporting him, for many, democracy wasn’t enough to fix Germany’s problems even if they didn’t inherently agree with Nazism or Communism.

Question 53

How did Hitler himself appeal to the German population?

Answer 53

He had a charismatic personality and could make people believe he was trustworthy to make Germany strong, as a powerful and inspiring speaker he was able to fill audiences with hope.

Question 54

Why was there such a fear of communism in Germany and why did this lead to Hitler’s increase in popularity?

Answer 54

In 1917, the Russian communist revolution took place, with land and money being shared equally throughout the population, there were attempts to make Germany communist too, thus upper class and middle class hated the prospect of communism and the loss of their valuable land. Nazism is the most staunch communist ideology and Hitler used this to appeal to these influential people in his speeches and actions, persecuting communists in Germany.

Question 55

How did Nazi tactics lead to Hitler’s increased popularity?

Answer 55

Hitler started by trying to take Germany by force in 1923 and when he realised this wouldn’t work he worked his way up politically. Nazi party offices were set up across Germany, there were 100,000 men in the SA by 1931 and 400,000 by 1932, these men protecting Hitler and influencing voters on election day. They used propaganda posters to show off their ideals as Joseph Goebbels was made chief propagandist in 1928. Hitler himself partook in meetings and parades of Nazi ideals, rallying followers. The Hitler Youth Movement was founded, bringing young children into Nazi beliefs who would grow up to be soldiers in the Second World War. Finally, their extensive parades and demonstrations utilised great discipline and the marches, combined with new technology like planes, showed the Germans that the Nazi party was party of discipline and respect in times of chaos.