History- Germany

What did LAMB stand for?

Land, army, money, blame

How much territory and population did germany lose?

13% of territory, 10% of population, including Alsace-Lorraine

How was the german army restricted and why was this humiliating?

100,000 soldiers, no air force, no submarines, Rhineland demilitarised

What was article 231, and why did it anger germans?

blamed germany fully for ww1, allowing allies to demand reparations

Why did germans believe the army was ‘stabbed in the back’?

many germans believed politicians betrayed the army by surrendering when it had not been defeated

Who were the november criminals and why were they blamed?

politicians who signed the armistice, they were blamed for defeat

What economic problems did germany face after WW1?

huge debts, loss of industry, reparations and inflation

How did political divisions between left and right affect stability?

extremist parties on left and right caused violence/instability?

Why was weimar republic unpopular from the start?

was linked with defeat, the treaty of versailles and economic hardship

Why did france invade the ruhr in 1923?

France invaded the ruhr because germany failed to pay reparations

What was passive resistance and what impact did it have?

meant workers refused to cooperate, stopped production and hurt the economy

What caused hyperinflation and who suffered most from it?

printing money, pensioners and savers suffered the most

What happened during the munich putsch?

Hitler attempted to seize power in munich but failed and was arrested

How did the failures of 1923 help change his strategy?

realised he must gain power legally rather than violently

How did Gustav Stresemann help stabilise germany?

stabilised the economy, ended hyperinflation and improved foreign relations

What was the purpose of the Dawes plan?

gave US loans and restructured reparations

Why was germany joining the league of nations important?

restored germany’s international status

How did the locarno agreements improve germany’s foreign relations?

locarno guaranteed borders and improved trust with france and belgium

Why did the young plan reduce opposition to reparations?

the young plan reduced reparations by 2/3 and extended payment time

How did the wall street crash affect germany’s economy?

US loans were withdrawn causing economic collapse

What happened to unemployment between 1929 and 1932?

rose to 6 million by 1932

Why did the Depression increase support for extreme parties?

parties promised radical solutions and blamed democracy

How did economic hardship affect ordinary germans?

poverty, hunger, homelessness, and despair increased

Why did the depression weaken democracy in germany?

governments relied on decrees, weakening democracy

How did Nazi propaganda help increase support?

blamed weimar leaders and promoted hitler as saviour

What role did the SA and SS play in Nazi success?

SA intimidated opponents, SS protected Hitler

Why were the weimar government blamed for the crisis?

blamed for unemployment and misery

What promises did Hitler make to win support?

jobs, food, pride and nation revival

Why was Hitler such an effective public speaker?

He was charismatic and appealed to fear and hope

Why did chancellor bruning lose support?

failed to solve the crisis and relied on decrees

How did backroom deals help Hitler gain power?

political elites made deals believing they could control hitler

Why did von papen support hitler’s appointment?

papen wanted revenge and power

Why did hindenburg believe hitler could be controlled?

he thought hitler could be controlled within a coalition

Why was 30th Jan 1933 a turning point for germany?

hitler regained power legally as chancellor

How did the reichstag fire help hitler increase his power?

allowed emergency powers and arrests

What powers did the enabling act give hitler?

let hitler make laws without parliament

Why was the night of the long knives important?

removed SA leaders and rivals

How did hutler combine the roles of president and chancellor?

merged president and chancellor roles

Why did the army support hitler after 1934?

the army supported hitler after the SA was crushed

How was Gleichschaltung, and how was it enforced?

coordinated all aspects of society under nazi control

How did the police state control opposition?

fear, surveillance, and violence removed opposition

What powers did the gestapo have?

could arrest without trial

How was propaganda used to control german society?

controlled information and glorified hitler

Why was opposition to Nazism difficult inside germany?

terror and censorship prevented resistance

What military successes did germany achieve early in the war?

early victories involved poland, france and much of europe

How did the war affect life on the home front?

rationing, bombing and hardship increased

Why did germany eventually lose the war?

they fought too many enemies and lacked resources

How did allied bombing affect german citizens?

bombing destroyed cities and killed civilians

What forms of resistance existed inside germany?

resistance included white rose, edelweiss pirates and the july bomb plot

What decisions were made about germany at yalta?

germany was divided into 4 occupation zones

How did potsdam change plans for germany?

allies planned reconstruction and future self government

Why did tensions grow between the USSR and the west?

disagreements between USSR and west increased

What was bizonia and why was it formed?

it united british and american zones economically

How did these conferences lead to the division of germany?

germany became permanently divided

How did political systems differ between east and west germany?

west was democratic, east was a communist police state

Why was the west germany economy so successful?

west received marshall aid an had a free-market economy

What problems did east germany face after 1949?

east lacked resources, suffered shortages and repression

Why did so many people migrate from east to west?

people fled east due to poor living standards

How did the soviet union maintain control in the east?

the ussr used the army and stasi to maintain control

Why did stalin introduce the berlin blockade?

stalin wanted to force the west out of berlin

How did the western allies respond?

the allies supplied berlin by air

Why was the airlift a success?

continuous flights kept the alive

How did the blockade increase cold war tensions?

it increased cold war hostility

What were the long term consequences for germany?

it led to two german states

Why was the berlin wall built in 1961?

it stopped emigration from east to west

How did the wall affect families and daily life?

families were seperated and freedoms restricted

What was the death strip and why was it used?

prevented escapes

Why was checkpoint charlie important?

it symbolised cold war tension

How did the wall become a symbol of the cold war?

became a symbol of divison

How did gorbachev’s reforms weaken communist control?

gorbachev refused to use force

Why did communist governments collapse in eastern europe?

communist governments collapsed without soviet support

What events led to the fall of the berlin wall?

mass protests led to the wall’s fall

Why did east germany become economically unsustainable?

east germany’s economy collapsed

How did international cooperation allow reunification?

superpower cooperation allowed reunification

What economic problems followed reunification?

east industries collapsed under competition

Why was it expensive for west?

west paid huge financial subsidies

How did it affect employment in the east?

unemployment rose sharply in east

Why do some inequalities still exist today?

economic differences remain

Why is reunification still seen as a success overall?

germany became stable, democratic and europe’s leading economy