Weimar Germany - Economic policy 1928 onwards Flashcards

1
Q

What evidence of the economy’s recovery was there by 1930
(trade)

A
  • Germany was one of the world’s leading exports of manufactured goods.
  • The reparations were being paid & exports were increasing
  • The government increased welfare benefits
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2
Q

What evidence of the economy’s recovery was there by 1928 - production

A

Industrial production exceeded pre-WW1 levels

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3
Q

What evidence of the economy’s recovery was there by 1928 (plans)

A

The USA lent Germany 800 million marks through the Dawes Plan to invest in industry & commerce

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4
Q

What evidence was there of the economy’s continuing problems by 1928
instability

A

the economic boom was unstable - US loans could be called in at short notice which could ruin Germany

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5
Q

What evidence was there of the economy’s continuing problems by 1928
wealth inequality

A
  • still huge extremes of poverty & wealth/power
  • money was concentrated in just a few men who ran more than half of Germany’s industry
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6
Q

What evidence was there of the economy’s continuing problems by 1928
jobs

A
  • unemployment was a serious problem
  • the economy was growing but it wasn’t creating jobs fast enough for Germany’s rising population
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7
Q

What evidence was there of the economy’s continuing problems by 1928
agriculture

A
  • Income from agriculture went down between 1925-29
  • Farmers earnings were half the national average by 1929
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8
Q

The Dawes (1924) & Young (1929) plans renegotiated ……. & resulted in germany being loaned………. to aid her economic recovery

A

reparation payments
25.5 billion marks

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9
Q

When was the wall street crash

A

28 October 1929

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10
Q

Why were Germany incredibly vulnerable to the impacts of the Wall Street Crash

A
  • The German economy was propped up by foreign capital, predominantly from American loans & foreign trade
  • When America immediately stopped foreign lending & recalled loans from abroad, Germany’s economy suffered
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11
Q

What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on German businesses - income

A
  • Unemployment increased meaning less disposable income, so demand for goods dropped
  • Suppliers & businesses couldn’t pay off their loans & went bankrupt
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12
Q

What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on German businesses - unemployment

A
  • German businesses reliant on bank loans did not have enough money to sustain their production & pay their workers
  • Fewer goods were sold, so more people lost their jobs
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13
Q

What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on banks

A
  • With unemployment on the rise, many Germans could not afford rent & mortgage payments, & lost their homes
  • With banks no longer receiving payments back from businesses & individuals, 5 major banks collapsed, so people lost their money & savings
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14
Q

Following the collapse of 5 major banks, the German economy…

A

spiralled into a economic depression

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15
Q

How many people were unemployed in Germany by 1932

A

6 million

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16
Q

How many businesses bankrupted following the wall street crash

A

50,000

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17
Q

Following the wall street crash, industrial production declined by ….%

A

40%

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18
Q

What was the effect of the Wall Street Crash on workers wages

A

On average wages feel between 20-30%
National Income shrunk by 39% between 1929-32

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19
Q

What were the positive features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?
Main 4 points

A
  • Increased political stability
  • Increased acceptance of democracy
  • The creation of the Grand Coalition in 1928
  • Hindenburg
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20
Q

What were the positive features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
Increased political stability

A

there were no putsch or political assassination attempts between 1924 and 1929.

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21
Q

What were the positive features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
Increased acceptance of democracy

A
  • Between 1924 and 1929, the support for extremist and anti-constitution parties declined
  • and public support for pro-constitution parties increased
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22
Q

what percentage of people voted for the extremist, anti-constitutionist NSDAP in 1928

A

2.6%

23
Q

what percentage of people voted for pro-constitution parties in 1928

A

57.7%

24
Q

What were the positive features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
The Creation of the Grand Coalition in 1928

A

this coalition was of the left, right and centre and commanded a secure majority (over 60%) of the Reichstag.

25
Q

What were the positive features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
Hindenburg

A
  • Despite his authoritarian past,
  • President Hindenburg upheld the new constitution
  • and in 1928, chose a SPD Chancellor, despite his hostility to socialism.
26
Q

What were the negative features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
3 main reasons

A

Unstable coalition governments
Extremism
Growing contempt & cynicism towards democracy

27
Q

What were the negative features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
Extremism

A
  • Support for extremists had reduced
  • but it remained worryingly high with a quarter of people voting for parties that wished to see Weimar democracy end
28
Q

what percentage of people voted for anti-democratic parties in 1928

A

27.4%

29
Q

What were the negative features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?
Growing contempt & cynicism towards democracy

A

The turn-out to elections declined in mid-1920s compared to high turn outs in 1919 and 1920.

30
Q

What were the negative features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
Unstable coalition governments

A
  • Forming stable coalition governments proved difficult.
  • There were 7 governments between 1923-9.
  • Some governments did not have a majority in the Reichstag.
31
Q

What were the negative features of Stresemann’s domestic policies between 1924-28?’
Unstable parties within coalition governments

A
  • Political parties, which were not used to the real political power that the new constitution gave them, did not work together well.
  • The SPD were reluctant to co-operate with others
  • Governments were brought down by trivial issues.
32
Q

How successful was Stresemann at achieving political stability in Germany through his actions

A
  • Party achieved success:
  • Increased acceptance of democracy
  • & coalition governments show an attempt at cooperation,
  • however still extremism
  • & less people voting
33
Q

What were the positive features of Stresemann’s foreign policies between 1924-28?

A
  • Enabled Stresemann to renegotiate reparations
  • Better financial relations through Dawes Plan 1924
  • improved French & German relations - French Evacuation of the Ruhr 1925 - Locarno Pact
  • Germany was admitted to the League of Nations in 1925
  • The Young Plan 1929
34
Q

What were the positive features of Stresemann’s foreign policies between 1924-28?
Opposition

A
  • Nationalist right-wingers were opposed to the acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles
  • its diminishing impact helped to gain the govt support from Nationalists
35
Q

What were the negative features of Stresemann’s foreign policies between 1924-28?
Dawes Plan

A
  • The Dawes Plan was dangerously dependent on the continuation of American loans
  • In attempting to break out of the hyperinflation crisis of 1923,
  • Stresemann had linked Germany’s future to forces (and economies) beyond its control
36
Q

How successful was Stresemann at achieving stability in Germany through his foreign policy

A
  • Partly successful:
  • reparation payments were lowered & foreign relations improved
  • The Dawes Plan placed great dependence on the American economy, short term economic solution
37
Q

What was Chancellor Bruning’s policy to combat the economic collapse

A

A policy of Deflation

38
Q

What was the idea of Deflation behind Bruning’s policy

A

Reducing the prices of goods & services to reduce government spending

39
Q

Why did Bruning think deflation was the best policy to combat the economic crisis

A

He thought if state revenue declined, state expenditure had to also be cut

40
Q

Bruning used an……. ……. to implement…

A

emergency decree
wage cuts, rent cuts & tax rises

41
Q

What was one of the few benefits of Bruning’s policies

A
  • As Germany’s depression deepened, it was clear to other countries that it would not be able to meet reparations payments or repay loans.
  • On July 1, 1931, the Hoover Moratium suspended the need for Germany to pay back loans for a year.
42
Q

What would have been effective at combatting the economic crisis instead of Bruning’s policies

A
  • plan for job creation, as had happened in the USA,
  • or
  • devaluing the Reichsmark to make German goods cheaper and to increase demand for these goods abroad
43
Q

What was the impact of Bruning’s economic policy of deflation

A
  • Deepened the recession between 1930 and 1932.
  • Industrial production fell, prices fell and exports fell, all by around 50%.
  • Unemployment rose to its highest level ever in 1932.
44
Q

In May 1932, the chancellor, Bruning was replaced by…

A

Von Papen

45
Q

How did Von Papen try to combat the economic crisis from 1932

A
  • introduced some tax concessions and subsidies for businesses
  • that created new jobs and helped to improve the economy
46
Q

Why were Von Papen’s economic policy unable to be effective

A
  • The goverment was caught up in political problems
  • which made it increasingly difficult to focus on the economy
  • and produce a coherent policy to bring about economic stability
47
Q

What policy fell apart as parties disagreed over how to manage the economic crisis 1929-32? What was the result of this?

A

The Grand Coalition government - subsequent governments were minority administrations

48
Q

What direction did the German political system move in during the years of the depression

A

An authoritarian direction

49
Q

How many laws were passed under Article 48 from July 1930 to July 1932, in comparison to those passed by the
Reichstag?

A

44 compared to just 5

50
Q

How many chancellors and elections were there during the years of the depression in an attempt to find a government which worked?

A

4

51
Q

What evidence is there of increasing political violence during the years of the depression?

A

July 1932 election campaign - 461 riots in Prussia

52
Q

During the years of the depression, the Lego of support for pro-constitution parties….

A

Declined

53
Q

During the years of the depression, the Lego of support for pro-constitution parties declined by ____

A

23.5%

54
Q

What is the relationship between the economic environment and the political situation between 1929 and 1932?

A

Declining economy- an increase in support for anti constitution parties