Year of Crisis and the Golden Years Flashcards
When was the Year of Crisis?
1923
What three main things occurred in the Year of Crisis?
The French-Belgian invasion of the Ruhr
Hyperinflation
The Munich Putsch
Why did the French invade the Ruhr?
In 1922 Germany defaulted on their reparations and claimed they couldn’t pay anymore.
The French didn’t believe them and invaded the Ruhr - claiming the raw goods as compensation?
What did the Weimar Government do in response the the invasion of the Ruhr?
They ordered workers to go on a passive resistance.
How did hyperinflation occur?
The Weimar Government had ordered the strike so still needed to pay the workers.
But with the reparations and the main German industrial area not working they don’t have the money.
So they print money to pay the workers.
The influx of paper money causes the currency to lose it’s worth and prices spiral
How many rentenmarks was one pound equal to in September 1923?
413, 648 rentenmarks
What was the munich putsch?
A right wing rebellion by the Nazis.
Why did Hitler chose to led the Munich Putsch in 1913
He believed he could capitalise on the publics misery and they would support him
Who did Hyperinflation affect the worst?
The elderly; on fixed pensions and too old to work
The middle class; lost their savins overnight
How did hyperinflation affect the government?
People lost trust in them
People supported extremist parties
When were the golden years
1924 - 1929
Who ‘helped’ Germany recover in the golden years?
Gustav Stressemann
How did Gustav Stressemann address the invasion of the Ruhr?
He called off passive resistance and reorganised reperations
What did people think about Stressemann’s actions in dealing with the Ruhr invasion
He was weak and that Germany shouldn’t have to pay reparations at all.
How did Stressemann stop hyperinflation?
He brought in a new currency the rentenmark
