Weimar Germany/Rise of Hitler Flashcards
What made Otto von Bismark such a significant German leader
Rapid industrialization
Rigid class structure
Undemocratic, but artistic freedom
At turn of century, why was Germany considered one of the world’s most advanced nations?
Well educated (less illiteracy than france+britain)
Homogenous
Fastest growing industrialization, steel
Universities=centers for research and modern teaching
Kaiser
Name for Germany’s leader at the turn of the century
Held all the power
(3 reasons) Why did the Triple Entente fear Germany
1) Germany building strong Navy
2) Germany leading exporter
3) France feels inferior to Germany because of Franco-Prussian war results
How did Germany deal with the fear of being encircled?
Strengthened their alliance with the Autro-Hungarian empire
What event in 1914 “began” WW1?
Serbain nationalist assassinated Archduke Frank Ferdinand of Austria
What strategy did Germany use in WW1 to prevent having to fight a two front war?
Attacked France through Beligium
How did WW1 affect the lives of ordinary Germans?
Germany cut off from overseas food and raw materials
People starving and dying
Paul von Hidenburg and Erich von Ludendorff
Germany’s two leading generals
Approved stronger measures to combat anti-war movement
Members of SPD charged with treason
What events in 1916 and 1917 affected Germany’s ability to fight strongly in WW1
Walkouts and strikes by thousands of German workers
Radical members of SPD split off to form two new politcial parties
Why did the German’s like Wilson’s 14 points?
Did not blame Germany for the war and did not single out Germany
How did Russian communist help Germany gain a military victory in 1918?
Lenin was eager to end the war so he made a desperate bargain with Germany
Why were the German’s surprised to learn that their country had signed an armistice?
Germany leaders told the people their victory was assured, so people were surprised when they learned of the armistice
4 Key Parts of the Versailles Treaty
Reparation: how much they have to pay
Reduce the German military
Loss of territory
Germany takes sole ownership for WW1
How did the Versailles Treaty backfire on England and France?
Germany cuts all the weaklings out of the army and makes it very elite and strong
3 German political parties that set up Weimar Republic
SDP
Catholic Center
German Democratic Party
Results of the election of 1920
Democratic party’s share of vote shrunk to less than 50%
Extremist groups began to gain power
Why did people never accept the legitimacy of the Weimar republic
Military officials argue that the government betrayed the armed forces in the final days of war
Which group did Germans start to blame for loosing WW1 and for communism?
The Jews
Freikorps
Bridgades marched on Berlin and forced the government to flee
Early uprising, but ultimately failed
How was the French occupation of the Ruhr tied to Germany’s hyperinflation
Germans printed more money to support strikers that were revolting against the French
Who were the winners of hyperinflation?
People with a lot of debt
Who were the losers of hyperinflation?
Middle class
Elderly
How are hyperinflation and the Great Depression connected?
American investors got them out of hyperinflation, but they also got Germany hit hard by depression
Weimar culture
Explosion of cultural in Berlin
New values after the war
Women’s rights
Who opposed Weimar culture?
Conservatives
Thought too much freedom (women)
Thought soldiers were being undermined
Who supported the Center party?
Catholics
Who supported the SPD
Workers
How did the Great Depression affect German politics?
Economic crisis caused grand coalition to collapse allowing extremists to rise
Was Germany democratic?
No. People used to changing government and supression
British WW1 Blockade
So effective that Germans on the homefront were starving
Brownshirts (SA)
Hitler’s following of people unhappy with Weimar republic
What did Hitler use to rule by decree?
Article 48
What starts Hitler’s hunt for communists?
Mentally ill man burns Reichstag
Law for Protection of the People and the State
Takes away Germans civil liberities
Why was the law for protection of the people and the state created?
Dutch man that burned down Reichstag
Enabling Act
Gave Hitler the sole power to rule by decree
Why did Hitler create the enabling act?
He had just lost seats in Reichstag and needed more power
Worked with Center party to make this
Night of the Long Knives
Hitler orders the murder of important Brownshirt leaders
How does Hitler become a complete dictator?
President Von Heidelberg dies and Hitler gets power of president and chancellor
The Labor Front
replaced various trade unions
helped Hitler quickly upturn the economy
What risky move did Hitler make?
Sends armed forces into demilitarized Rhineland
Appeasement
Believed that Hitler had real grievances and that his goals were limited and acceptable
Western powers decided to negotiate and make concessions
Where does Hitler try to cease power?
Austria
How do Nazis start to take over Austria?
Assassinate Prime Minister
Why is Austria strategic?
It surrounds Czechoslovakia
Anschluss
Union of Germany and Austria
Czech and Germany
Chamberlain try to appease Germany
But Germany wants succession of Sudetenland in 3 days
Who proposed Munich conference?
Mussolini
Why was Munich conference called?
To discuss the succession of Sudeteland
Results of Munich conference
Gave Sudetenland to Germany
Czechs defenseless
Danzing
A formerly German city in Poland that Hitler put pressure on to run a railroad through
Maginot Line
Defensive line that French had
Play defensive against Germany
What made the Russians want Nazi-Soviet pact?
They felt the West had shunned them by excluding them from the Munich Conference
How does World War II start?
Germany invades Poland
Lebenstraum translation
Living space
What was Hitler’s primary goal?
Lebenstraum
Mainly in the East
Lebenstraum and Germany
Felt that in order to thrive need more space
