History A: Germany 1925-1955: The People and the State

Weimar Republic

Weimar Republic

Germany's first democratic government post-WWI, facing economic and political challenges.

Treaty of Versailles

1919 treaty imposing territorial, military, and financial burdens on Germany.

Hyperinflation Crisis

Period of skyrocketing prices and currency devaluation in Germany (1921-1923).

Stresemann Era

Period of economic recovery and cultural development in Weimar Germany (1924-1929).

Bauhaus Movement

Revolutionary art, design, and architecture movement in Weimar Germany.

Nazi Party

Political party led by Adolf Hitler, rose to power in Germany in the 1930s.

Enabling Act

Legislation granting Hitler dictatorial powers after the Reichstag Fire (1933).

Gestapo

Nazi secret police enforcing compliance and suppressing opposition.

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws stripping Jews of citizenship and rights in Nazi Germany.

Blitzkrieg

Swift and intense military attack strategy, used by Germany in WWII.

Final Solution

Nazi plan for the genocide of Jews during the Holocaust.

Battle of Stalingrad

Major WWII battle resulting in a turning point against Germany on the Eastern Front.

Berlin Airlift

Allied operation supplying West Berlin during the Soviet blockade (1948-1949).

Marshall Plan

US aid program to rebuild Western Europe post-WWII, including West Germany.

Wirtschaftswunder

German economic miracle in West Germany post-WWII under Ludwig Erhard.

Cold War

Geopolitical tension between Western and Soviet blocs post-WWII.

NATO

Military alliance formed in 1949, including West Germany as a member in 1955.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance of Eastern bloc countries, including East Germany.

Totalitarianism

Authoritarian system controlling all aspects of public and private life.

Reichstag Fire

Fire in the German parliament used by Hitler to consolidate power in 1933.

Night of the Long Knives

1934 purge of SA leaders and political rivals by the Nazis.

Great Depression

Severe economic downturn leading to mass unemployment and poverty.

Dawes Plan

Reparations restructuring and American loans aiding Weimar Germany's economy.

Rentenmark

Currency replacing the old mark in Weimar Germany to curb hyperinflation.

Golden Twenties

Period of cultural flourishing in Weimar Germany despite political polarization.

League of German Girls

Nazi organization indoctrinating young German girls with party ideology.