What were the main factors affecting the growth of the white-collar workers between 1871-1990 and when do you think there was a turning point in their development?

Question 1

What are the 4.5 factors?

Answer 1

1) Political representation
2) Class conflict
3) Economic change
4) Government policy
4. 5) External factors

Question 2

What happened to their size during the Bismarck era?

Answer 2

Increased

Question 3

What did their increased size under Bismarck mean?

Answer 3

organised themselves into pressure groups such as the 1901 Co-Ordinating committee

Question 4

Their increased size mean that they organised themselves into pressure groups such as the 1901 Co-Ordinating committee. What did this argue for?

Answer 4

state-insurance for white collar workers (different from what was offered to workers)

Question 5

When was the co-ordinating committee successful in arguing for state-insurance for white collar workers (different from what was offered to workers)?

Answer 5

1911

Question 6

What pressure group aimed to unite the lower-middle classes, the industrialists and aristocracy behind the kaiser and against the SPD?

Answer 6

The german middle class association

Question 7

generally, who were the middle class apertures in the Reichstag willing to work with?

Answer 7

Spd

Question 8

What were the middle classes’ parties willing to work with the SPD to do?

Answer 8

Challenge the entrenched political system dominated by the Kaiser and the Junkers

Question 9

How did the union between middle and lower classes increase?

Answer 9

The union between white collar and lower classes against the elites was increased when the middle class leader of the Z party, Matthias Erzberger made a peace call in Jul 1917 aligning himself with the SPD against the elites.

Question 10

Compare the representation of White collar workers in the Nazi party compared to the representation of workers?

Answer 10

Within the Nazi party itself, the WCWs were 65% over-represented compared to the population, whereas the BCWs were 30% under-represented.

Question 11

Even before their rise to power in 1933, what was the support for the Nazis from the young WCW?

Answer 11

The Nazis enjoyed particular support form the young WCWs, who made up 20% of Nazi party members from 1929-32.

Question 12

What happened to the number of the WCWs between 1907-25?

Answer 12

Doubled

Question 13

Compare the growth of the WCW between 1907 to 25 with the Blue and Workers, and how did this create class conflict?

Answer 13

Blue collar workers only increased by 20% and unemployment increased for the working classes, causing interclass resentment

Question 14

Why did the union between the WCW and the working classes falter during the Weimar republic?

Answer 14

because the middle classes were always fearful of a communist uprising

Question 15

How did the self-proclaimed class status of the WCW link to reality in Weimar?

Answer 15

White collar workers deemed themselves to be superior to the working class but their economic situation was little better than them during this period and was even worse in some cases. This led to class conflict

Question 16

How was there a division within the WCW over their votes for the Nazis?

Answer 16

Not all WCWs voted for the Nazis. Those employed in state sectors such as the civil service, did vote for the Nazis whereas WCWs in more manual positions (and in working class districts of big cities) voted for the SPD.

Question 17

What did the WCW remain loyal to throughout WW2?

Answer 17

The Nazis

Question 18

What policy in the FRG led to class conflict?

Answer 18

White collar workers enjoyed more benefits than did the Blue collar workers

Question 19

What happened to white collar women in the FRG?

Answer 19

They were still discouraged from working and when they did, they were paid less than were men

Question 20

How was class conflict reduced in the FRG?

Answer 20

There was less income disparity putting most Germans more rigidly in the middle of the employment structure, rather than working class or upper class.

Question 21

How many white collar workers unemployed in Weimar?

Answer 21

183 371

Question 22

How many of the 183 371 unemployed WCWs in weimar had no income support from the state whatsoever?

Answer 22

90 000

Question 23

Who got more support than the WCW in Weimar?

Answer 23

The BCWs

Question 24

Why was the Nazi’s promise to reduce female employment so appealing to white-collar workers who thought it would improve their situation?

Answer 24

There was a 60% graduate unemployment rate in Berlin

Question 25

what two things did the WCWs enjoy enhanced levels of under the Nazis compared to the lower classes?

Answer 25

Insurance and pensions

Question 26

How was their enhanced status under the Nazis epitomised?

Answer 26

they were addressed as ‘Sie” rather than ‘du’

Question 27

How did the Nazis give increased employment rights to the WCW over the BCW?

Answer 27

Nazis gave increased employment rights to WCWs over BCWs, a WCW could be sacked only 6 weeks’ notice, but a BCW only 1 week’s notice

Question 28

What led to the reduced income disparity during the FRG?

Answer 28

Erhard’s social market economy

Question 29

When was a law was passed making it easier for people to buy a house and tax allowances made it easier to buy a car, so advancement was visible across the FRG

Answer 29

1956

Question 30

To provide opportunities to those who had previously struggled, what law when in the FRG, helped those who suffered during the war, or from Nazi Germany.

Answer 30

Equalisation of Burdens law 1952

Question 31

What did the Equalisation of Burdens law 1952 do?

Answer 31

Over 20 years it transferred DM 90 000 million from those who had suffered the least, or indeed had gained from Nazi Germany.

Question 32

Compare the increase in living standard between the FRG and Britain which shows the benefits of the FRG’s government policies for the WCW?

Answer 32

Living standards improved by 58% between 1953-60, compared to only 25% in Britain, measured by housing, consumer goods and leisure time.

Question 33

What four WC jobs increased during the Bismarckian economy?

Answer 33

Lawyers, teachers, admin jobs and scientific researchers

Question 34

By what percentage did the number of teachers grow between 1891 and 1913 in Prussia?

Answer 34

43%

Question 35

What happened to the number of doctors between 1876-1913?

Answer 35

Doubled

Question 36

What shows the growth in the civil service under Bismarck?

Answer 36

Civil Service grew from 40 000 in 1850 to 250 000 by 1907

Question 37

How was white collar growth fuelled during the Kaiserreich?

Answer 37

By social mobility, that meant that the children of artisans could take up the better paid WC jobs

Question 38

Between 1882-1907 compared the make up of the population in WCW and artisans?

Answer 38

1882-1907 number of self employed artisans decreased from 24.4% of the population to 18.8%. The number of white collar workers grew from 4.7% to 10%.

Question 39

What two things of Weimar hit the WCWs hard and made them question government’s ability to look after them?

Answer 39

Hyperinflation 1921-23 and the Great Depression at the end of the 1920s hit the white-collar workers particularly hard and this lead to a growing sense of unease about the ability of Weimar governments to help them.

Question 40

What did the working classes have throughout the 1920s which the WCWs did not enjoy?

Answer 40

Real wage increases

Question 41

Though there were not real wage increases under Weimar for the WCW, what was there under the Nazis?

Answer 41

White collar workers did enjoy a 10% pay rise compared to blue-collar workers whose income stagnated.

Question 42

Describe the growth of the WCW from 1933-39

Answer 42

The WCW population grew by 25% from 1933-39 and they made up ¼ of the population, an increase from 1/13 in 1895.

Question 43

What drove a huge growth in the WCW during the FRG?

Answer 43

The evolution of the economy to a more advanced one with services and complex manufacturing

Question 44

The educated WCW in service or manufacturing formed what in the FRG?

Answer 44

The biggest single employment group

Question 45

By 1989, what percentage of people were employed in the service industry?

Answer 45

66%

Question 46

What uelled consumerism and led to increasing demand for skilled labour in the FRG?

Answer 46

Between 1950-64 real wages doubled

Question 47

What happened to WC living standards during WW1?

Answer 47

During the war white-collar workers saw a dramatic drop in their living standards, to the same level as ordinary workers.

Question 48

There was increased opposition to WW1 from August 1916 from the WCW. what does this suggest?

Answer 48

that it was harming their position

Question 49

What was the impact of the war on the Weimar years for those retiring from the war?

Answer 49

The increasing number of women working in the war and the progressive society of Weimar meant that many white-collar workers returning from the war didn’t necessarily find employment

Question 50

Who carried out the lowest paid jobs in the FRG?

Answer 50

The guest worker