History

Germany 1890-1945

what elements of the german empire from 1890 were democratic?

1. the Reichstag: made up of members elected by all men over 21 (arguably undemocratic) in a secret ballot every 3 years. Passed, amended or rejected laws proposed by the Bundesrat/ chancellor.

2. the Army- highest ranks advised the Kaiser and therefore could play a political role

3. Bundesrat (federal council) 25 representatives from state governments ( but dominated by Prussia). Consulted with the Kaiser and Chancellor over government policies.

what elements of the german empire from 1890 were undemocratic

• the role of the Kaiser: a hereditary position could dissolve the reichstag, dismiss the chancellor and/or the chancellors ministers, commanded the armed forces

• the role of the Chancellor: led the bundersrat, proposed topics and laws to be debated, could choose to ignore the decisions of the reichstag.

what were the good elements of kaiser wilhelms early life?

• when he visited england, his grandmother Queen Victoria spoilt him

• studied law at university

• joined the prussian army at the age of 21 + became a lieutenant (loved being an officer)

what were the bad elements of kaiser wilhelms early life?

• had a traumatic birth, left his left arm permanently paralysed

• His mother found it difficult to love a son with physical defects

• his mother wanted her son to be cured of his birth defects, forced to wear a brace and into painful operations

• his parents forced him into horse riding lessons

• his mother taught him that germany was a backward country compared to england, he thought she was anti german

• fiercly competitive with his uncle, hated each other

• increasingly turned his back on his mother and listened to his German teachers who said he should rule as a kaiser alone

• Chancellor Bismarck tried to turn wilhelm against his parents

• when his father died of cancer he was upset and blamed his mother ( for allowing English doctors to look after him)

what were the difficulties of ruling Germany? (growth of parliamentary government)

• Wlihelm II didnt have complete power due to the reichstag

• could dismiss the reichstag but elections were freely held so couldnt directly influence the vote

• before 1890, political parties had started to develop and this continued under Wilhelm IIs rule, reichstag members, at times, were more lyal to there parties than the kaiser, political groups often acted as pressure groups

• growth of socialism and the SDP was particularly concerning for Wilhelm I. Frequently voted against the legislation the kaiser wanted.

what were the difficulties of ruling Germany? (socialism)

socialism in germany ( the idea that profits from industry should be shared equally between everyone in society) had been growing since unification.

Kaiser and higher classes feared socialism + potential rise of workers

SDP gained more poularity throughout Wilhem IIs reign and gained more and more seats in the Reichstag (had the most seats in 1912)

what were the difficulties of ruling germany? (social reforms)

• 1891, employing children under 13 years old, women working over 11 hours a day and businesses operating on a sunday were all banned

• old age pensions and welfare provisions for those too ill or injured to work were improved over the period of 1890 onward

• after 1900, industrial courts to settle disputes between workers and their employers were made compulsory in towns of over 20000 people

many put forward by Chancellor Caprivi, who believed that they would ease the pressure from socialism. However, kaiser Wilhelm II thought Caprivi was too socialist and dismissed him in 1894

what were the difficulties of ruling germany? (industrialisation)

• created social problems: living and working conditions worsened, outbreaks of disease e.g cholera were prevalent all due to rapid urbanization as people moved into towns and cities

• working classes took a greater interest in politics, growing popularity for socialism

• agriculture production didnt increase at the same rate so more food was imported- food was expensive

what were the difficulties of ruling germany? (prussian militarism)

• maintaining and growing the army was expensive

• Wilhelms dependence on Prussian military leaders for advice increased during the first world war, essentially were ruling germany by 1918

what were the difficulties of ruling germany? (Navy laws)

• many were very opposed to the navy laws including members of the reichstag primarily as they would cost lots of money

• huge cost was born by raising taxes- SDP strongly opposed, won them some support but also helped the kaiser present the SDP as the unpatriotic ‘enemy’ within

• army leaders disapproved as they felt the improvement and funding of the navy was at the expense of the army- brought them into conflict with the kaiser

Kaiser wilhelms actions relating to prussian militarism?

• made use of his prussian background to improve the german armed forces

• large army in proportion to population size

• high government spending on maintaining the army at all times

• strong culture of service and absolute loyalty to the king from the army

• army was respected and admired by prussian society

Kaiser Wilhelms actions relating to industrialisation?

• industrialisation increased rapidly, as supported by powerful german businesses, production of iron and coal doubled

• by 1913, germany was producing as much coal as britain and more ion and steel

• 1914, they produced two thirds of europes steel

• generally brought great benifits to germany and created huge wealth for some

• more coal, iron and steel helped to build and feul railways, trains, ships, aiding communications and trade

Kaiser Wilhelms actions relating to navy laws?

• increasing the german army was a central part of weltpolitik

• kaiser wanted a large navy to help him take over more countries and protect those already in the german empire

• taxes were increased and money was borrowed- were in debt for a long time

the navy laws, reasons? timeline?

• partly due to the influence of his new navy secretary, Alfred Von Tirpitz, Wilhelm pushed his government to increase the size of and power of the navy.

• 1897- Kaiser appointed Admiral von Tirpitz as his new Navy secretary

• 1898- Germany Navy League established first naval law- approval to increase the size of the navy by seven battleships to 19

• 1900- Second naval law- approval to double the size of the navy to 38 battleships

• 1904- Entente Cordiale agreement between Britain and France

• 1906- Third Naval Law- another 6 battleships. Britain launches the first dreadnought, amendment to the naval laws; some of the battleships are changed to the dreadnoughts

• 1907- triple entente between britain, france and russia

• 1908- further amendments to naval laws approving 21 dreadnoughts

• 1912- further amendments to the naval laws further increasing the size of their fleet

outcome;

• helped industries and businesses by creating more work and employing more people

• encouraged patriotism and nationalism and therefore helped win support for the policy of weltpolitik

what was the domestic importance of the navy laws?

• britains response to the navy laws helped create a greater fear within germany which generated support for the kaisers other policies

• helped industries create more job opportunities and employ more people

• created conflict between the kaiser and army leaders ( army felt they should have more funding)

• Navy laws encouraged patriotism and nationalism and therefore helped win support for weltpolitik ( kaisers plan to turn germany into a global power)

arguements for the navy laws?

• naval position

• support in the reichstag

• colonial expansion

• fairness

• unification and patriotism

• protection

arguements against the navy laws?

• competition and tension with britain

• risk theory (von tirpitz himself knew that germany couldnt expand the navy enough to outgrow the british navy)

• opposition in the the reichstag

• debt

• social tensions, grpwing industrialisation and urbanisation was causing social tensions between working class and the conservative elite

what was the first world war like for germany?

• british used its navy to create a blockade around germany stopping any supplies getting in

• terrible shortages of food, medicines and clothing

• 1915, 500 women gathered in front of german parliament buildings saying they wanted there men back from the trenches

impact of the war on germany?

• by 1918 germany was close to collapse, many were dying from a flu pandemic and were weak as they were surviving off of turnips and bread

• General Ludendorff advised the kaiser to be more democratic so he allowed the leading political parties to form a government, yet it was too late to satisfy the people of germany and demonstrations to end the war kept happening

• 28th oct 1918, German navy ordered sailors to prepare for an attack on the british, the sailors refused to do so as they no longer wanted to fight in the war. Many more sailors joined in with this, the soldiers sent to quash this also joined in the rebellion and soon took over city coucils like Munich and Hamburg

• by this point, the kiaser had lost control and the army generals refused to support him so he abdicated on the 9th of November 1918 and secretly left Germany.

• By the end of the war, Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the most popular party of the time (SPD), took temporary leadership and control of Germany, promise to hold elections soon. He gave the german people what they wanted: an end to the war on 11th November 1918 Germany surrendered and the war was over.

What impact did the first world war have on Germany?

• Political: A rebellion broke out oct/nov in 1918 + abdication of the kaiser, germany was now unstable, many ex-soldiers and civilians hated the new democratic system, felt that heroic war leaders like Hindenburg were betrayed by weak politicians

• Social: huge gaps between living standards of the working class and the upper classes, workers were bitter about the restrictions place on there salary yet factory owners made vast fortunes with no limitations.

• Economic: Germany was left virtually bankrupt, national income was 1/3 of what it used to be

what was the ‘stab in the back’ theory?

-news ofht esurrender came as a shock to many germans (including Hitler)

-men like adolf hitler felt they were betrayed by weak politicians- called the ‘november criminals’

what happened for the weimar republic to come about?

-Ebert appeared to be a leader who supported equality and would allow ordinary people to vote and have a voice in politics

-Ebert ordered improvements to working conditions, help for the unemployed, improving housing and more food supplies

-guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of religion and arranged elections for a new german parliament.

-held the election he promised: SDP won the most votes and he became the new president

-all newly elected politicians met in the city of weimar to discuss as Berlin had many problems, 11th February 1919 the Weimar republic started.

what were the strengths and weaknesses of the wiemar constitution?

• strengths: democracy and power to the people, more political participation (all men and women above 21 could vote), reichstag had control over taxation, electing the resident prevented a dictatorship, checks and balances, Chancellor, respect, 18 local governments

• weaknesses: article 48 still in place, proportional representation meant no majority ever occured and many coalitions formed resulting in regular weak governments, criticism from the right, reichsrat chosen by local areas could delay new laws, president elected the chancellor, slow decision making in times of crisis.

what were the elements of the weimar constitution 1919-1934

• the president: head of state, elected every seven years, controlled the army navy and air force, stayed out of day to day running of the country however in a crisis could rule using the power of article 48 (emergency decrees/laws)

• the chancellor: prime minister, chosen by the president, responsible for the day to day running of the country, such as law and order, taxation, schooling and healthcare, must have support of at least half the MPs in the Reichstag to introduce laws.

• the Reichstag: discussed and introduced laws, members of the Reichstag were elected every 4 years, the voting system used was called proportional representation. This meant the number of MPs each political party had in the Reichstag was based on the number of votes they had. For example: if a party won ten percent of the vote, it was given 10 per cent of the seats

• the German people: all men and women above the age of 21 could vote, they elected the president and the politicians in the Reichstag, the constitution guaranteed them basic freedoms, such as free speech.

Why did the Germans hate the treaty of Versailles?

• Horrified by the tough terms

• terms included: £6.6 billion in reparations, 100,000 soldiers, 6 battleships, no submarines, no air force, must hand over its colonies, large areas of German land is to be used to create new countries like Czechoslovakia and Poland, Anschluss (no uniting with Austria), no German soldiers to enter the Rhineland

• not invited to the discussions- were told they had no choice but to accept them or they would face invasion from Britain France and Russia

• signed the treaty on the 28th June 1919

• felt it was too harsh (felt humiliated)

• Germans hated the fact that the treaty had been forced upon them, ordered to sign it, called it a ‘diktat’ (dictated peace)

• many Germans felt they hadn’t actually lost the war, felt betrayed by there new politicians ‘November criminals’

Which extremist political group was the biggest threat to the Weimar republic?

• The Spartacist Rising (1919): extremst socialists from the USPD communist group led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. Rosa had been put in prison because of her opposition to the First World War, she supported the Russian revolution and with Karl set up sparticist league as they didnt trust the new government, Sparticists thought that Ebert wouldnt improve the lives of working people. They wanted a full-scale communist revolution, like the Russian revolution of 1917.

• Jan 1919, Sparticists tried to turn workers striking into a revolution, in Berlin, the took over the government newspaper and telegraph headquarters. They hoped protesters would join them and taken over other buildings, this DIDN’T happen and the government ordered the army to stop the uprising who were helped by the Freikorps (ex soldiers/ anti communists)

• However, the uprising was badly planned and they didn’t get support from other left wing groups. Rosa was captured by the Freikorps and was shot (body dumped in Berlin canal),Karl also murdered.

Which extremist political group was the biggest threat to the Wiemar republic?

• The Kapp Putsch (1920 right wing extremists): Freikorps units led by Wolfgang Kapp who had worked with Admiral von Tirpitz during the war. 1918, was elected to Reichstag where he campaigned to bring back the monarchy. 1920, the Weimar gov. wanted to reduce the size of the army and disband the Freikorps as they felt they had little need for them as left wing extremist threats had been crushed. However the leader of the Berlin Freikorps refused to disband and a plan was drawn up to seize control of Berlin and form a new right wing government.

• 120,000 Freikorps marched to Berlin. Army was asked to stop the uprising but the coommander in chief refused to give orders to the army to shoot down ex soldiers. Gov. forced to flee to Stuttgart- Freikorps put forward Kapp as a new leader of Germany

• success? the leader of the Weimar republic and trade unions called on people to not support the Putsch and asked them to go on strike and protest. Freikorps failed to win popular support, strikes and protests also made it hard impossible for Kapp to rule after 4 days, Kapp fled from Berlin and Eberts government returned.

Which extremist political group was the biggest threat to the Weimar republic? pt3

• The Red Rising in the Ruhr, groups of workers led by members of the communist party, German workers were angry about bad pay and bad working conditions , had been protesting throughout 1919

• 1920, a communist ‘red army’ of 50,000 workers occupied the Ruhr region of Germany and took control of its raw materials (one of Germany’s main industrial areas)

• German army, with the help of the Freikorps crushed the rebellion- over 1000 workers killed

• Communist party had a weak leadership, didn’t have a clear plan, protests didn’t have widespread, committed support.

Hitler and the munich putsch-origin of hitler and politics?

• discovered the german workers party in may 1919, where he was sent by the army to investigate new political groups- it was a fairly new party.

• Hilter attended regualrly as they often met for meetings in beer halls and he liked what was being said

• They made speeches on things like the treaty of versailles and how it was damaging to germany making it a weak and defenceless country and how they wanted to restore germanys greatness

• Appealed to Hitler as he felt strongly that the war wasn't over for germany and that the politicians betrayed him as he was himself a soldier, developed a hatred for these politicians

• Hitler soon joined the party an immediately tried to attract more members

• Held public meetings all over Munich and put up advertisements

• He was a brilliant speaker and fascinated his audiences with his powerful speeches

• He persuaded the party to buy a newspaper- the Munich Observer

• soon, Hitler was running the party

Hitler and the Munich Putsch- how the Nazi party came about?

• he designed a new flag and symbol as leader

• set up a private army of thugs to beat down and intimidate any one who disagreed specifically communists

• mostly ex-soldiers who woukd guard Hitlers meetings

what happened in germany as a result of the treaty of versailles reparations bill?

• 6.6 billion marks over 66 years was a large amount

• lead to two major crisis in 1923: the invasion of the Ruhr, and hyperinflation

what were the economic problems leading up to hyperinflation?

• prices in Germany had already been increasing during WW1 (as a result of shortages caused by the allied blockades) and continued to do so

Why was the Ruhr invaded and what happened?

• first installement was paid in 1921, but nothing was paid in 1922, December 1922, German government agreed that, with hyperinflation causing major economic problems, it couldnt afford to pay in 1923

• French thought germany were exaggerating there economic issues to avoid paying altogether, so in Jan 1923, French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr (germanys main indsustrial area) ewith the intention of collecting the reparation payments in kind

• people of Germany were outraged. German government ordered the workers of the Ruhr to go on strike, ‘passive resistance’. The French responded by sending in French workers, sporadic violence in turn broke out, with some Germans being shot when they refused to work. Over 150,000 German workers were removed from the Ruhr

• the strike by the workers in the Ruhr increased shortages of materials in Germany and this further pushed up prices. The government had to print more notes to keep up. They also tried to cut down on the numbers of notes produced by printing larger numbers on each one- this sent prices spiralling out of control.

• price of bread in 1918: 0.63 marks, nov 1923: 201,000,000,000

What was Hitlers life like?

• Early life: born in 1889 Austria, unhappy at school (moody, shy, lonely), poor at most subjects (except art and PE), 1903 father dies , leaves school with no qualifications

• 1907 mother dies, goes to Vienna, fails to gain a place at the Academy of Fine Arts, struggles to make money

• 1914, joins the German arm, fights in WW1, wins a medal for bravery

• 1918, angry to hear of Germany’s surrender

• political life: 1919- employed as a spy by the army, sent to a meeting of the German Workers Party, finds himself agreeing with many of their ideas, joins as there 55th member

• 1920, helps to write their political programme, party is renamed the Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi party)

• 1921, Hitler becomes leader of the Nazi party. Sets up the SA, the nazi partys private army

• support grows, by the end of 1922 it has 20,000 members

• Leadership qualities: tremendous energy, charismatic and inspirational, single-minded, and suspicious of others, great public speaker (his timing and delivery and content captivates his listeners)

what were Hitlers key beliefs?

• destroy the treaty of versailles and end reparations

• only those of German blood may be members of the nation- therefore no Jew may be a member of the nation

• all non-german immigration to be stopped

• take over land in Eastern Europe in order to provide ‘living space’ (lebensraum) for the growing German population

• criminals against the nations should be punished by death

• provide generous old age pensions

• abolish incomes not earned by work

• help should be given to small businesses

• change the education system- pupils should be taught to love their country. Physical fitness should be encouraged, sport and gymnastics compulsory

what were the SA?

• Stormtroopers, more than half the members came from the unemployed and many were ex-soldiers who fought in WW1. Hitler set up the SA in 1921, to stop Nazi meetings being interrupted by followers of other parties- however in reality the SA were far more likely to disrupt the meetings of their opponents. Hitler effectively used them like a bunch of hired thugs. Their main aim was to use any means possible to stop opponents of the nazi’s spreading there message. The SA became very important to Hitler and the party. Protected Nazi speakers and helped to deliver propaganda leaflets to people’s homes. Some Germans were put off by their violence but others seemed to be impressed by their organisation.

what happened at the Munich Putsch?

• 8th November 1923, Hitler interrupted a meeting in a beer hall in Munich where Gustav von Kahr ( head of the Bavarian government) was speaking , Hitler fired a bullet into the ceiling and announced he was taking over Bavaria, then he would march to Berlin and take over the whole country.

• locked Kahr and his companions in a small room. Then General Ludendorff, a great German war hero, who knew about the plan, walked in and said he supports Hitler.

• Around Munich, storm troopers took over government buildings and arrested officials

• Morning after, in which, upon Kahrs release he promised to help, he went back on his word and called the police.

• When Hitler and 2000 of his supporters began theior march through Munichs streets, they were met with armed police, after a short gun battle, three policemen and 16 nazis lay dead. Hitler was wounded with a dislocated shoulder, and he and Ludendorff were arrested and taken to prison

• Hitler went on trial for treason

What was Hitlers trial and time in jail like?

• trial lasted 24 days, was a media sensation, reported in newspapers all over Germany. Largest audience Hitler had ever recieved so used every opportunity to criticise government and put across his views. His tactics worked and he impressed the judges resulting in a much nicer sentence of only 5 years and Ludendorff was set free (he could have been executed for such a serious crime)

• Whilst in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, became a bestseller describing his life story and political views. Saw as many visitors as he wished and was released in December 1924 after just nine months.

Impact of the Munich Putsch on Hitler?

• Failure and his time in prison taught him a lesson, he realised he had to change his strategy. Would have to win seats the legal way, and nazis would have to stand in elections and win votes, just like any other political party

What kind of problems did the Weimar republic face 1919-1924?

ECONOMIC- the treaty of Versailles meant Germany lost valuable areas of land with valuable resources, e.g Alsace- Lorraine contained iron ore and Upper Silesia had coal.

-Germany had to pay reparations of 132 billion marks.

-in 1923, German money became worthless when the govermewnt printed more money to pay workers who went on strike in response to the Ruhr invasion, German banknotes were used as wallpaper.

SOCIAL- War guilt clause, many Germans felt humiliated.

-people had suffered terribly because of the war, all coutnries resources had been poured into the war effort.

-Extremist groups, who were discnotented with the Republic tried to seize power by force e.g Sparticist Rebellion of 1919, the Kapp putsch of 1920 and the Munich putsch of 1923.

POLITICAL- the ‘stab in the back’ theory

-changing borders, many germans were now living outside the borders in places like the Sudetenland, Poland and Austria

-ineffective constitution, proportional voting system allowed extremists to come to power, Germany was run by coalitions (hard to make decisions + frequent changes with the government), president could rule by decree at a time of national emergency, he did this often.

To what extent did Stresemann solve the problems facing the Weimar Republic?

problem: hyperinflation (POLICY: introduce a new currency), was successful with this new currency being the Rentenmark, old notes recalled and burned however, the german people never forgot hyperinflation, people who had lost there savings werent compensated

problem: French occupation of the Ruhr (POLICY: persuade the French to leave the Ruhr), called off passive resistance because it wasnt effective in making the french withdraw troops + had created serious economic problems, promised to keep up reparation payments so French left the war SUCCESFUL however this was very unpopular in Germany especially amongst right wing extremists, felt it was a sign of weak government as if hed given in to the french

problem: Germany is not trusted by other countries (POLICY: Stresemann decided to co operate with other countries in Europe, 1925, Stresemann signed the LOCARNO pact with Britain France Belgium and Italy - promised not to invade one another , 1926 Germany joined the League of Nations + he was awarded the nobel peace prize. However some Germans felt that Stresemann was weak by saying that Germany couldn’t try to regain the land it had lost in the Treaty of Versailles. ‘given in’ to France.

problem: Germany is facing massive reparations (POLICY: continue to pay reparations) promised to pay, Dawes plan 1924 gave them longer to pay 1929, the Young plan lowered the amount they had to pay to under 2 billion however, plans were hated by many Germans who thought they shouldn’t have to pay at all, were protests from right wing politicians.

problem: Germany needs to rebuild its economy (POLICY: Get help to improve the economy) organised loans from the USA as part of the Dawes plan (gave a massive boost to the German economy) , improved housing, hospitals schools and roads, wages rose, exports increased however the German economy was now dependent on the USA, wages didnt rise for everyone e.g farmers as food prices stayed low.

What were some political achievements or problems under Stresemann (1924-1929)?

achievements- politics became more stable, no more attempted revolutions after 1923, by 1928 the moderate parties had 136 more seats in the Reichstag than the radical parties

problems- despite stability the communists and the nazis were building up there organisations , were still 4 different chancellors during this time period.

What were the key features of Weimar culture and why did this annoy some people?

literature: writers e.g Erich Remarque produced novels with strong anti-war messages, his popular book ‘All quiet on the Western front’ was a powerful description of the horrors of the first world war- was made into a successful film. ‘Nationalist’ writers were critical (who preferred to produce work that glorified the events of the second world war)

Art: artists tried to represent the reality of everyday life e.g George Grosz produced paintings that criticised the politicians of the Weimar period. Some Germans disaproved of this style, Hitler thought modern art was unpatriotic.

Cinema: 1920s Germany produced a very successful star Marlene Dietrich and one of its most celebrated directors Fritz Lange , in film Blue Angel she played a nightclub singer and dancer who captivates an elderly proffessor who becomes obsessed with her. Nationalists disapproved of an ‘American industry’ , some were disgusted by her open sexuality and the film.

What were the key features of Weimar culture and why did this annoy people? pt2

Architecture and design: famous Bauhaus style developed, rejecting traditional styles, first exhibiton attracted 15000 visitors. Some didnt like this new style as wanted to keep with traditions

Music, Cabaret, Nightlife: going to clubs was a major pasttime, 1927 there were 900 dance bands in Berlin alone, Cabaret performers sung songs that criticised politicians (would’ve been banned in the kaisers time) including songs about sex. Some were shocked, thought WC represented moral decline.

Theatre: saw some directors e.g Bertold Brecht produce plays about ‘ordinary people’, he was a communist and aimed to show that ordinary peoples lives were just as suitable subjects for operas as stories of heroes and gods. Some thought it was disgusting that he had constructed his opera around ‘lowlifes’ and saw it as another example of moral decline in society.

what was the economic impact of the Great Depression?

• US banks demanded back their money they lent to Germany after WW1, German banls tried to reclaim this money from German businesses. They couldn’t pay, so went bankrupt.

• Originally, America had bought many German goods including cars, electrical equipment, and clothing, but they couldnt afford these things anymore so stopped buying them.

• German factories shut down, millions lost their jobs, Germany’s economy collapsed without American aid.

• Banks went out of business, was mass unemployment, by Feb 1932, there were over 6 million. Government cut unemployment benifits as it couldn’t afford to suport the large numbers of Germans out of work.

Social impact of the Great Depression on Germany?

• all sections of society were affected, from business leaders to industrial workers. Optimism gained from the Wiemar republic had vanished.

what was the political impact of the great depression on Germany?

• Weimar goverment failed to end the crisis, shortcomings of the Weimar system became more obvious. No party was strong enough to take decisive action. As weimar government struggled, extremist parties gained support.

• Many working class people turned to extremist left wing parties (Communists), who seemed to offer solutions to unemployment and falling wages

• Many middle and upper class people turned to extremist right wing parties (Nazis) because they were afraid of the communists gaining power and taking over their businesses.

• KPD- increased its influence,

• communists promised to represent workers’ needs and make German society more fair.

• This helped the KPD to gain a lot of support from unemployed Germans during times of economic crisis.

• between 1928 and 1932, membership of the KPD grew from 130,000 to almost 300,000, however, Nazi membership grew more rapidly.

How did the depression change life in Germany?

• Mood of the country changed

• Businesses closed down, 52,000 German firms closed between 1929-1932

• Farmers struggled- people couldn’t afford to pay high prices for food, by 1932, 18,000 farmers had gone bankrupt

• Unemployment went up, by January 1932, unemployment had reached 6 million, 1/3 of German workers were unemployed

• Wages went down, 1932, value of German workers’ wages fell by 1/3

• Welfare system couldn’t cope, had been set up to help 800,000 unemployed people, not over 6 million, government had no money so decided to cut, unemployment benefits by 60%

• Homelessness increased

• crime increased- many were under the age of 25, many young people joined street gangs

• Street violence increased- supporters of different political parties fought with each other.

what attracted people to the Nazi party?

1. Hitlers’ beliefs and aims expressed in Mein Kampf- trial and publicity that followed the Munich Putsch gave Hitler the chance to make a name of himself, some judges were sympathetic, so he got as shortened sentence

key points from Mein Kampf: one strong leader (debate and discussion produced weak government, There should be no majority decisions-should be taken by one man)

Aryan master race (all other races, especially jews, were inferior

Smash communism

ignore the ToV

rebuild the army and invade land in Eastern europe

2. Hitlers’ powerful and charismatic leadership- Nazi party struggled whilst Hitler was in prison, he was a strong leader who made people believe he could save them from them problems facing Germany (he came across as a saviour and a messiah). Hitler became the centrepiece of the enormous rallies the Nazis held in Nuremberg every year from 1924

3. The role of the SA- His own private army ‘brownshirts’ , more than half the members came from the unemployed and many were former soldiers who had fought in WW1. SA provided these people with food and sometimes a home. Hitler set up the SA in 1921, to stop Mazi meetings being interrupted, yet the SA often interrupted the meetings of opponents e.g communists. Hitler used them like hired thugs withthe aim of stopping opponents spread their messages.

4. Nazi party organisation and campaigns- local branches of the nazi party distributed leaflets and organised public meetings, with visiting speakers, to win more support. Over 6000 people passed through nazi training school, designed to make people better public speakers. Raised money to fund their election campaigns by developing links with rich businessmen e.g Fritz Thyssen. Promises designed to appeal to everyone, flexible in what they said , made sure propaganda was focused on the issues people cared about. Over 100,000 people attended some rallies, H often made a dramatic entrance + designed a flag and a salute

5. Nazi party propaganda- key message pushed was that Hitler is the saviour who can solve Germany’s problems and make Germany great again (MAGA), providing HOPE for German people, nazis are strong, determined and well organised, can defend Germany from communism, believed they would introduce change and build a better future, would help the unemployed and German families.

How did the Nazis become so popular?

1. The Depression: businesses collapsed, unemployment soared (by 1932 unemployment stood at 6 million) and banks closed. Voters started to listen to Hitler now as they were so desperate.

2. Germans were unhappy with the Weimar government: achieved very little and couldn’t agree on a way to help the unemployed.Chancellor Muller (first weimar chancellor) and then Bruning made very little impact. For a while, Bruning was passing laws by using the presidents emergency decrees and making them legal under article 48. HOWEVER, when Bruning tried to pass laws and seize rich people’s land and give it to poor peasants, the new president Hindenburg quickly withdrew his support (Hindenburg was aristocratic and owned land himself) . Without this support, Bruning resigned. For many ordinary Germans then, the government system just wasn’t working. So some were drawn to more extreme political parties with more extreme and strong ideas on how to run the country, instead of democracy.

3. Fear of the rise of other German extremist parties such as the communists- 1917 communist revolution in Russia, had been attempts in Germany e.g Sparticists, as a result the upper classes and businessmen particularly feared communists as they didn’t want to lose their wealth. Hitler claimed he would fight communism, and would send his own private army (SA) to fight with communist gangs.

4. Nazi party structure, methods and tactics- Hitler realised he needed to change tactics after his Munich putsch failed. Decided he needed to win power legally and through elections so pushed to gain support by: setting up nazi party offices to recruit more followers, 300,000 men joined the party between 1931/32. Also made use of propaganda through news like media broadcasts and cinema news , they bought newspapers + printed millions of leaflets and posters to persuade and influence Germans to their ways of thinking