AQA A-level History Weimar & Nazi Germany

What was Germany like before WWI?

- v. high population due to nationalistic ideologies

- v. strong economy after 1870

- Weak democracy with a kaiser

Who had the most power during WWI?

Ludendorff and Hindenburg

What made it clear to Ludendorff was on the brink of defeat?

Although the Allied forces had not entered German territory, they were in retreat along the Western Front.

Why did Ludendorff choose the route of partial democratisation of the political system?

Because Wilson's fourteen points offered a potential basis for a negotiated peace settlement but the autocratic political system would be an obstacle to this.

Who persuaded the kaiser to create a democracy and ask for an armistice?

Ludendorff

What were the 3 key 'october reforms'?

Prince Max of Baden was appointed as chancellor

The chancellor was responsible to the Reichstag

The armed forced were put under control of the civil government

Who were the first president and chancellor?

Ebert as president and Prince Max as chancellor

When did Ebert become chancellor?

November 1918

What was the first thing Ebert did?

Hold elections for the constituent assembly

What started the revolution from below?

When did this occur?

What party called this?

Workers striked against the Kaiser

9 Nov 1918

SPD

How did the SPD also pose a threat?

They threatened to withdraw support unless the Kaiser abdicated.

What did this cause Max to do? What caused it?

What happened in the same day?

He announced the Kaiser's abdication in a press statement.

Prince Max resigned and gave it to Ebert, leader of the SPD.

Where and when did naval mutiny occur?

Wilhemshaven into Kiel in October 1918

What happened on the following day?

The revolt spread to the city and workers' and soldiers' councils were formed.

What happened to the revolt?

It spread quickly to other ports and cities. despite the government trying to meet their demands

Who were the members of these revolts?

Patriotic Germans who wanted the Kaiser to abdicate and for the creation of a democratic government.

What happened on 8 November?

A republic was proclaimed in Bavaria and the Bavarian monarchy was deposed.

Who also announced the abdication?

Phillip Scheidemann

What finally caused the Kaiser to realise he had lost control and abdicate?

He was told by General Groener that the army would no longer fight for him.

Who was a peace note sent to?

Woodrow Wilson in November 1918

What was the peace note asking for?

An armistice

Why did he take 3 weeks to reply?

Because he was suspicious that they were using the request to buy time and regroup and prepare for a new offensive.

What did Wilson demand?

Did Ludendorff accept?

- End of submarine warfare

- Full democratisation of the political system

- Returning of all territory gained.

It was too much for Ludendorff to accept.

What did Ludendorff try to raise instead?

What did he eventually do after this failed?

A last ditch military effort to resist.

He resigned and fled to Sweden.

How big was the Reichsrat?

67 representatives from 17 states, proportionate to population

What did the president do?

appoint ministers, dissolve the reichstag and call elections

What were the strengths of the constitution?

- Wider right to vote

Women allowed to vote and become deputies

- Proportional representation allowed even smaller parties to win seats in the Reichstag

- Full democracy in local and central government.

Prussia could dominate the rest of Germany.

- Clearly set out the terms of rights of the individual

"all equal before the law"

"censorship is forbidden"

- Referendums could be called for by the president, Reichsrat or by people's request.

What were the weaknesses of the constitution?

- Proportional Representation

Smaller parties (anti-republican) were able to exploit the system to gain publicity, emphasised divisions in society.

- Coalition governments

Because of the smaller parties and PR, no one could gain a majority, just short lived coalitions.

What did the Chancellor have to have and what did they do?

- Support of half the Reichstag at least

- Propose new laws to Reichstag.

What did the Reichstag do?

Vote on the budget.

New laws had to originate through them.

What was the national debt in 1919?

How would this usually be paid back?

Why couldn't this be used here?

1.44 billion marks

By increasing taxes or cutting down expenditure

RISK!

rise taxes: alienating public away from gov as they would say it was going to rep payments.

cut expen: civil servants needed payment to keep their support.

When was the treaty of Versailles signed?

June 1919

How much land did Germany lose?

13% and 60 million people

What was the German word for the annexation of another country?

Anschluss

What article was the war guilt clause?

231

Coal production in the Saar was given to which country?

France

Why did Phillip Scheiderman resign?

The German cabinet members had decided that Germany had no option but to sign it, causing Scheidemann to resign.

What did the SPD ask their main opponents to do?

Why?

To state to their members that signing it would be unpatriotic.

Because they were so concerned about the backlash it would have on them.

What did the treaty of Versailles cause in the government?

Political demoralisation in the centre of the government.

What did many right supporters do as a result of the signing of the treaty?

What did they call those who signed it?

What were their actions of betrayal called?

They felt it was the last straw after the military defeat and the creation of a republic and it led them to join extremist parties committed to overthrowing the republic.

November criminals

'the stab in the back'

how did the goverment react to ToV

A policy of fulfilment - outwardly comply with the terms whilst negotiating modifications to it.

When did the Kaiser have to abdicate?

9th November

When was ToV established

Jan 1919

explain BRAT

blame

reparations-6.6 billion

army- limited to 100,000

territory-returned

What does self determination mean

Countries should be in charge of themselves

What pieces of land did France gain?

Alsace Lorraine

Which land made up the Polish corridor?

West Prussia, Posen, upper Silesia

What happened to the Rhineland

Demilitarised

What does Anschluss mean?

Union with Austria

Who controls Danzig?

League of nations

How many men were the army allowed?

100,000

How many ships were they allowed?

6

What military equipment was banned?

Submarines, tanks, large battleships, aircraft

What was the amount of reparations?

£6.6 billion

When was the amount of reparations set?

June 1921

Difficulty paying reparations

Gold:

Coal:

Manufactured goods:

- Gold reserves inadequate for reparations

- Coal reserves seized by TOV terms

- Allied countries' jobs and businesses faced threat

How much land was lost?

13%

When was the ToV signed?

28th June 1919

What land did Denmark gain?

Schleswig Holstein

What percentage of Iron ore was lost?

75%

How many men were allowed in the navy?

15,000

How many battleships?

6

Which article was the war guilt clause?

231

What was Germany excluded from?

The league of Nations

What was the reaction of the Germans?

(3)

- Millions of people who considered themselves German were forced to be living in non-German states like Czechslovakia, felt they had been denied Self-determination (14 points)

- Reparations caused lots of anger - felt it was too high and it would cripple the German government.

- German nationalists were appalled by the banning of nationalistic groups and of German songs and festivals in areas under French control.

What did Germany first ask for in January 1922 (and receive)?

The reparations to be postponed for 2 months

What did Germany ask for in July 1922?

For the payments to be suspended for the rest of the year

What did Germany ask for in November 1922?

A loan of 500 million marks and to be released from payments until 1925/6

How did the French react?

Over 1923, what did this increase to?

They sent 60,000 troops into the Ruhr

100,000

Aim of the ruhr invasion

How?

Seize area's coal, steel and manufactued goods as reparations.

Took control of factories, railways, demanded goods from shops.

What percentage of Germany's coal was in the Ruhr?

25%

Who ordered passive resistance?

Why?

What was the problem with this? (4)

Wilhelm Cuno

Army had been reduced so they could do a military opposition, no other option.

- Government promised to continue paying their wages - drained finances

- Tax revenue lost from businesses

- had to import coal with limited foreign reserves.

- Shortage of goods pushed prices up more.

How much did the strikers wages cost?

2 times the yearly reparations payment

How much was one dollar worth in 1919?

4.2 marks

How much was one dollar worth in November 1923?

4.2 trillion marks

What was the new currency called?

rentenmark

Which economist helped with the new currency?

Schacht

What did Schacht do after the new currency was made?

became President of the Reichsbank and kept interest high to encourage foreign investment

How were the public anti-young plan?

anti-young plan campaign and a referendum was held- 14% anti-young plan

What were the negative effects of the reparations?

(4)

- Fehrenbach resigned, replaced by Wirth

- French occupation of the Ruhr

- Difficulty in paying reparations due to lack of methods to do so

- Hyperinflation

What were negatives of the economic situation after the war?

(2)

- 1919 manufacturing output was 30% lower than in 1914.

- National debt of 1.44 billion marks, not payable by tax increase or expenditure reduction.

What were positives in the economic situation after the war?

(2)

- Germany unemployment rate in 1921 was at 1.8%, Britain's was 28%.

- Foreign investment was encouraged by inflation.

Who gained from the hyperinflation?

- Debts, mortgages and loans - payed them back with worthless money.

- Farmers - producing more food (more needed)

- Those leasing properties on long-term fixed rents because the real rent value decreased.

Who lost from the hyperinflation?

- Medical care increased - sick lost out.

- Rapid food price increase created malnutrition

- Pensioners were particularly badly hit, including war widows living on pensions

What social welfare was introduced in 1922?

National youth welfare act

What policy was first used with reparations?

fulfilment

What was the national youth welfare act?

All local authorities had to set up youth offices with responsibility for child protection and decreed that all children had the right to an education

When was the Munich Putsch?

November 1923

Who were the three leaders in the beer hall putsch?

Kahr (state commissioner), Lossow (local army commander) and Seisser (chief of police)

What was Hitler's inspiration for the Munich Putsch?

Mussolini in 1922 has seized power in Italy by marching in Rome

Which leader agreed to support the Munich putsch and was let go by Ludendorff?

Kahr

What was Hitler's prison sentence?

5 years but was shortened to 9 months

How many political assassinations were there between 1919 and 1923?

376, 22 left and 354 right

When was Hugo Hasse (socialist) assasinated?

October 1919

When was Erzberger (centre) assasinated?

August 1921

When was Walter Rathenau (socialist jew) assasinated?

June 1922

When was the attempted spartacist uprising?

January-March 1919

What was the effect of the spartacist uprising for the communist party?

they recieved four more seats in the reichstag

Who was it led by?

Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht

What did they want to do?

Set up a revolutionary communist regime.