Weimar Germany (Erin)

When did the Kaiser abdicate? Where did he go?

9th November 1918, Holland

How many German troops died in WWI?

2 million

What did government debts increase from and to after WWI?

50 billion marks to 150 billion marks

When was the Armistice and who signed it?

11th November 1918, Ebert and members of the SPD

When was the new Constitution formally established?

July 1919

Which article of the Weimar Constitution allowed the president to pass laws by decree?

Article 48, meant the president could pass laws in the event of an emergency without consulting with the Reichstag, this was often exploited as the meaning of “emergency” was vague

Give 2 ways that proportional representation was an advantage of the new Weimar Constitution

It allowed even small parties to have seats, it ensured no group was too powerful

Describe how proportional representation was a disadvantage of the new Weimar Constitution

It led to coalition governments that were unstable and often fell apart, as well as providing a voice to extremist parties

What was the army limited to after the ToV?

100,000 troops

Give 2 details about the limitations of the navy due to the ToV

No submarines, limited to 6 battleships

What happened to the Rhineland as part of the ToV?

It was demilitarised

Which article in the ToV was the “blame clause” and why did this make the ToV even more unpopular with Germans?

Article 231, they believed they were not to blame as a) they claimed they were only fighting in self-defence and b) technically Austria-Hungary started WWI

What % of their land in Europe did Germany lose as part of the ToV?

13%

How many colonies overseas did Germany lose as part of the ToV?

11 colonies (aka all its overseas lands)

Why were the areas of land seized in the ToV particularly problematic for Germany?

They lost 50% of its iron stores and 10% of its population

What were the reparations set at in the ToV?

£6.6 billion

What was the “stab in the back” theory?

Dolchstoss, they believed that the army had not actually been defeated and the country had been betrayed by the politicians who had signed the ToV (some of whom were Jewish, fuelling antisemitism)

Where on the political spectrum did the Spartacists fall and who were their leaders?

Left-wing (communist) Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknicht

Describe the events of the Spartacist Revolt

In January 1919, the head of police in Berlin was sacked and the Spartacists viewed this as an opportunity to invoke general strikes and overthrow the government. 10,000 protesters came out in Berlin and took over the government’s newspaper and telegraph bureau with there being fighting in Berlin for several days. However, they were soon put down by Freikorps and the leaders were executed. Meanwhile the government withdrew to Weimar for safety

Where did the Kapp Putsch fall on the political scale and who was its leader?

Right-wing, Wolfgang Kapp - a nationalist politician

Describe the events of the Kapp Putsch

In March 1920, 5,000 Freikorp troops marched on Berlin as they feared unemployment. Ebert ordered the army to stop them but the army refused. The Freikorps wanted to invite the Kaiser to come back to rule but their rebellion was soon quelled when Ebert called for trade unions to go on strike. They were forced to give up then as they couldn’t keep Berlin running if there were no workers.

Why did the occupation of the Ruhr contribute to hyperinflation? (3 things)

Increased debts, increased unemployment, worsened the shortage of goods

When did the price of a loaf of bread reach its infamous peak and how much did it cost?

1923, 200,000 billion marks

What was the largest face value of a note during hyperinflation?

100 trillion marks

What events prior to 1923 had contributed to continual inflation in Germany?

During WWI the gov. had to keep printing more money to pay for the war but didn’t have the gold reserves to back it up, then between 1918-22 they continued to pr8int more money to deal with post-war shortages

What was the main thing that triggered a surge in hyperinflation and what response to this event by the gov. caused hyperinflation?

Invasion of the Ruhr, the gov. called for passive resistance and striking for the workers in thr Ruhr but agreed to still pay the workers their salary. The gov. was broke and had spent all the treasury so didn’t have the money to back this up. They therefore printed extra money that was the final push towards reaching a state of hyperinflatuion

When did French and Belgian troops invade the Ruhr?

January 1923

Why was the occupation of the Ruhr specifically as an area of land problematic for Germany?

It contained 80% of their coal, iron and steel reserves alongside many factories

What currencys did Stresseman set up to deal with hyperinflation?

The Rentenmark, then the Reichsmark

When did Stresemann create the Rentenbank and Rentenmark?

November 1923

What 2/3 steps did Stresemann take to ensure that the value of the Rentenmark would stay high and not go in the same direction as Germany’s previous currency?

The supply of the notes was strictly limited and their value was tied to the price of gold and backed up by German industrial plants and agricultural land

When was the Dawes Plan introduced?

1924

Which party was Stresemann a member of?

DVP

What were the 2 main things agreed to in the Dawes Plan?

Instalments were temporarily reduce to £50 million a year, US banks were to loan money to help the German industry

How much did the US banks loan Germany frokm 1924-1930?

$25 million

When was the Young Plan proposed?

August 1929

Why didn’t the Young Plan go ahead?

The Great Depression

What was laid out in the Young Plan about the total reparations?

They were reduce from £6.6 billion to £2 billion

What was laid out in the Young Plan about the time over which the reparations had to be paid?

The payments could be made over a longer time, up until 1988

How did Stresemann help to improve political stability (think aside from his plans and economic work)?

He created the Great Coalition which was all the moderate, pro-democracy parties and this allowed them to overcome the issues created by proportional representation and reduce the voice of extremist parties

How had industrial output increased by 1928 thanks to Stresemann’s work?

It had doubled by 1928 and had exceeded pre-war levels

Give 2 ways that Germany was still unstable in the late 1920s despite Stresemann’s work

The economy was dependant on loans from US banks, extreme political parties still vocally opposed Germany having to pay any reparations at all

When was Stresemann chancellor/foreign minister

August 1923-Nov. 1923, -1929

Give 2 ways that Stresemann was beneficial to the political stability of Germany (think general)

He increased support for moderate parties and decreased support for extremissts

Give 2 ways that Stresemann’s worlk benefited the ordinary German (think general)

He increased the public’s faith in the Weimar gov., he reduced the economic hardships of German people

When was the Locarno Pact agreed?

1925

What was decided about German borders in the Locarno Pact?

Germany accepted their current border with France, improving relations

What was decided about the Rhineland in the Locarno Pact?

It was to be permanently demilitarised

What was decided about the League of Nations in the Locarno Pact?

Germany could be a member

Give 3 reasons why the Locarno Pact was beneficial for Germany and its international state

It wasn’t imposed on them unlike ToV, it improved relations with France, gave them a position on the world stage again

Why was the League of Nations problematic for Germany when it was first set up in 1920?

It was an international body that discussed world problems to avoid war but Germany was excluded from joining

When was the Kellog-Briand Pact?

1928

How many coutnries signed the Kellog-Briand Pact?

62

What was the main term of the Kellog-Briand Pact?

Countries had to avoid using war to achieve foreign political objectives

Give 2 reasons why the K-B pact was significant for Germany`

It showed Germany was a major poewr once again, it increasedd public confidence in how Germany was being led

Give 2 ways that the ToV was still causing discontentment within Germany even with Stresemann’s reforms

The terms were still in place, some people thought that the LoN was a symbol of the ToV

Give 2 reasons (aside from ToV) why there was still discontentment during Stresemann’s reforms

Extremist parties still were around, lots of people didn;t like the agreed borders and improved relations with France

Give 3 ways that workers benefitted during the increased standards of living during the Golden Age (think simple)

Working hours reduced, wages increased, working conditions improved

How was unemployment insurance improved during the Golden Age>

3% of worker’s pay checks were put towards insurance that would care for them if they became unemployed or sick

What welfare law was introduced in 1927?

Unemployment Insurance Law, which covered 17 million workers

By how much had homelessness reduced by 1928?

60%

What % did “real wages” rise in 1928?

10%

Give 2 pieces of evidence to suggest that work conditions during the Golden Age hadn;’t imrpoved for everyone

Farmers were struggling as agricultural output was less than ¾ of what it was pre-war, white-collar workers didn’t see the same pay rises as those working in the industrial sector

What article in the new Weimar Constitution ensured that everyone should have housing which then prompted new gov. schemes during the Golden Age?

Article 155

Give 2 pieces of evidence to suggest that life for women got worse during the Golden Age in terms of work

% of women working went from 75% in 1918 to 36% in 1925, few women were able to secure high-status jobs due to underlying societal bias

Give 2 pieces of evidence to suggest that life for women got better during the Golden Age in terms of work

Women had better access to careers like healthcare and teaching with the number of female doctors doubling from 1925 to 1932, more women were encouraged to go to university

In what way did the social lives of women benefit during the Golden Age>

They were able to have more independence away from their male relatives, with more women being more interested in having a vibrant social life than settling down, having children and getting married

Why was there some backlash against the new lifestyle of many women during the GOlden Age?

The behaviour of “new women” was disliked by more traditional men and women who felt their behaviour was sinful and traditional values were being eroded

Give 2 ways that the legal rights of women improved during the Golden Age

Marriage was seen as an equal partnership in the eyes of the law, 90% of women turned out at elections during the Golden Age

Give 2 art movements that emerged/were developed in Germany during the Golden Age

Dada/Expressionism

What school of visual arts and architecture was significant during the Golden Age?

Bauhaus School

Which female film star rose to fame during the Golden Age?

Marlene Dietrich

Describe some differences between older films and newer German films during the GOlden Age

Expressionist film-markers started to favour darker storylines, expressionism was adopted which relied on unrealistic sets and exaggerated acting techniques

Give 2 reasons why the Bauhaus School was significant during the Golden agae

Their ideas challenged traditional attitufdes, they drew in artists from all around the world

When was the Wall Street Crash?

October 1929

Describe the events of the Wall Street Crash

In Oct. 1949, share prices began to fall on the Wall Street Stock Exchange. Investors then rushed to sell their shares which caused share prices to plummet. People also rushed to take their money out of the banks due to this financial uncertainty which caused a run on the banks

Describe how the WSC was significant on Germany

The run on the banks meant US banks wanted their money back. They said Germany had 30 days to repay the loans so the German gov. had to recall all the loans they had given to groups like businesses. This caused many businesses to close and unemployment increased. However, Germany had no money to pay unemployment benefits so put taxes up, angering employed people. Their money from imports and exports also decreaed as lots of countries were closing their trading borders to preserve their own economies

Give one piece of evidence to suggest that young people particularly felt the effects of the WSC

60% of new uni graduates couldn’t find a job

Give a piece of evidence to suggest factory workers were badly affected by the WSC

40% of factory workers became unemployed

When did Hitler first attend a DAP meeting as V-man (government informant)?

September 1919

Give 3 policies the DAP campaigned about that meant their group appealed to Hitler

They blamed Jews for undermining the German economy, they hated the Weimar Republic for accepting the ToV, they blamed the communists and socialists for bringing down the Kaiser

When did Hitler become 2nd in command to Drexler in the DAP?

Feb 1920

When was the 25-point programme launched?

1920

What did the 25-point programme say about Jewish people?

Only German races could be members of Germany and Jews therefore couldn’t be German citizens

What did the 25-point programme say about the ToV? (2 things - one of which was a policy going against the ToV)

The ToV would be abolished, Germany should rebuild its army

What were 2 things laid out in the 25-point programme about ordinary Germans?

All hard-working Germans should have access to higher education, every citizen should have equal rights and duties

When did the DAP become the NSDAP aka the Nazi Party and what else did it adopt at this time?

Aug 1920, new rebranding and the swastika as its emblem

WHen and why did Hitler push Drexler aside and become leader of the Nazi part?

Mid-1921, he felt Drexler was too soft and left-wing, plus Hitler wanted more power for himself

What did Hitler have to set up due to the discontentment at him pushing Drexler aside?

The SA

What were the role of the SA when they were first established?

They were a paramilitary force made up of ex-soldiers that were used to disrupt opposition meetings and control any crowds or opposition to Hitler, normally using violence

Who intially led the SA and what were the SA known as?

Ernst Rohm, “Brownshirts”

Give one reason why business men meant Hitler and the SA were influential

They were backed by wealthy business men who agreed with their anti-communist attitudes so were able to create a well-funded, well-trained private army that created a culture of fear

Give one piece of evidence to suggest that Hitler was a powerful public speaker and therefore an asset to the NSDAP since his early days of joining

He was an energetic, passionate speaker that drew in large crowds to meetings, helping to raise membership to 1100 by mid 1920

When was the Munich Putsch?

8th November 1923

When was the Hitler Youth formed?

1926

How many members were there of the Hitler Youth by 1932?

108,000

What age did children enrol in the Hitler Youth movement and at what age did they join/leave the main Hitler Youth group?

6, 14/18

What was the group before the Hitler Youth called and what was its age range?

Young German Folk, 10-14

When was the Hitler Youth made compulsory for all young Germans aged 10+?

December 1936

Describe the oath boys in the Hitler Youth had to take

They had to swear an oath of allegiance to the Fuhrer and promise to give up their lives if necessary