Weimar and Nazi Germany (word bank)

mutiny

rebellion by soldiers or sailors who refuse to obey orders and try to take control away from the person who commands them

abdication

the formal resignation of a monarch or leader from their position of power.

armistice

an agreement or truce to strop fighting for a certain period of time

democratic

refers to a form of government in which people choose the leader by voting

Spartacists

group of German Communists who wanted a revolution in Germany similar to the one in Russia in 1917,

Freikorps

A right-wing German Group organized like a military force that was active in the Early years of the Weimar Republic

Weimar Republic

The democratic Government system between 1919 to 1933

Weimar Constitution

set of rules and laws that controlled how the Weimar Republic was governed

proportional representation

political system in which the number of politicians in government for a particular party is in proportion to the number of votes they have won

Reichstag

main elected German Parliament

reparations

payments promised by Germany to some of the winning nations of the First World War for damage done by the fighting

hyperinflation

sudden, dramatic rise in prices

Retenmark

New currency ion Germany introduced in 1924

Dawes Plan

an agreement made in 1924 that sought to resolve the issues of Germany’s unpaid First World War reparations

Young Plan

an agreement made in 1929 between Germany and the countries it owed money to for reparations after the first world war. The plan reduced the amount owed and extended the payment period

Locarno Pact

A peace agreement was singed in December 1925 by Britain, France, Italy, and Germany.

League of Nations

An international peace-keeping body established after the First World War.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

A peace deal was signed in August 1928 by 62 countries, including Germany, that agreed not to use war to settle international disputes

Coalition

A government in which two or more political parties work together to rule a country

avant-garde

new and experimental ideas and methods in art, music and literature

Bauhaus

A school of design, originating in Weimar Germany in 1919 that focused on modern and practical designs

German Workers party

(DAP) set up in early 1919 and became the national Socialist Germans Worker Party in 1920

nationalist

a person with strong beliefs about their nation who wants political independence for their nation

antisemetic

anything or anyone that is hostile to, or prejudiced against, Jewish people as an ethnic, religious, or racial group

manifesto

a written statement of beliefs, ideas, and promises of a political party

swastika

the crooked-cross symbol adopted by the Nazi party as its emblem

Sturmabteilung (SA)

Hitlers brown-shirted private army that was used to beat up opponents and guard Nazi Meetings

Putsch

sudden attempt to seize power or take control by forcegau

gauleiter

A Nazi in control of a regional branch of the Nazi Party. Gauleiters were appointed and directly overseen by Hitler and were responsible for recruiting more Nazis

Schutzstaffel (SS)

Originally Hitler’s elite personal bodyguard, the SS became one of the main instruments of terror in Nazi Germany. Led by Heinrich Himmler, SS responsibilities gradually expanded to include the suppression of Hitler’s political opponents and the persecution of Jewish people.

Great Depression

A worldwide economic crisis that began in 1929 and lasted through to the 1930s. During this period of high unemployment, many businesses and industries failed.

propaganda

refers to the spreading of ideas, messages, and information to influence people’s thinking and actions, often through the use of media such as posters, film, radio, and newspapers; propaganda is generally misleading or untruthful in its approach

mass rallies

public meetings of large groups of people, united for a common cause or occasion

dictatorship

a one-party state, governed by a dictator with total control over how the country is run

dictator

a ruler who has total control over how a country is run

decree

an official order that has the force of law

concentration camp

A prison camp in which large numbers of people are held under harsh conditions and without the freedoms or facilities of the rest of society. Prisoners might be forced to carry out hard labour or might be executed, often in groups

Gestapo

Nazi Germany’s secret police force. In 1933, the Gestapo was created by Herman Goering as a part of the SS, which was controlled by Heinrich Himmler

Fuher

‘leader’ or ‘guide’ in German and was the political title adopted by Adolf Hitler

oath of allegiance

A promise, undertaken by members of the German Army, to be loyal and obedient to Adolf Hitler personally.

police state

A country controlled by a police force; the government has strict control over peoples lives, especially by means of a secret police force, such as the Gestapo

Holocaust

Name was given to the systematic state-sponsored killing of six million Jewish men, women and children by the Nazis and their collaborators during the second world war.

Concordat

It is an agreement between the pope and a government or monarch regarding the regulation of religious matters. In 1933, the Nazis and the Catholic Church made an agreement called the Concordat, promising that they would not interfere with each other

Reich Church

A German Protest group, largely under Nazi control; the group was also known as the German Christians

Confessing Church

A German Protest group led by Pastor Martin Niemoller that wanted nothing to do with the Nazis or the Reich Church

censorship

Happens when a government or other controlling body limits peoples access to information, ideas, or books to prevent knowledge being gained or to prevent the freedom of thought and speech

Aryan

Falsely used by the Nazis to describe a so-called ‘master race’ of people of German or Northern European origin; the Nazis promoted the Racist and false idea that this group was superior to other ethnic groups, including Jews, Slavs, Black people, and the Roma

Degenerate

Describes something that has lost physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal. Hitler called forms of modern art he dislikes degenerate

pacifist

A person who believes war and violence are always wrong

compulsory military service

occurs when a government forces all able men of a certain age to serve in the military for a period of time, often two years

indoctrinated

It is another word for ‘brainwashed’, which happens when someone has been taught to accept a belief without exception or question

eugenics

The unscientific and racist belief that the mental and physical characteristics of the human race can be improved by choosing who may become parents

autobahn

A motorway linking cities

rearmament

Is the building up of new stocks of weapons or the replacement of old weapons with new ones

conscription

A policy of compulsory military service in which the government requires all able adult men (or able women) of a certain age to serve in the armed forces for a period of time, normally for at least two years

self-sufficient

To be self-sufficient, a country has a ‘closed economy’, which meant the Nazis tried to stop trading with other countries and tried to reply entirely on their own resources instead.

Sterilised

A person who has been deprived of the ability to have children, typically by medical procedure.

scapegoat

People, or groups, falsely blamed for the negative effects of other’s actions

boycott

Refuse to buy or use something, or to refuse to take part in activities, usually in protest or punishment

pogrom

An organised and violent attack of a particular ethnic group, such as Jewish people in Nazi Germany