Weimar Germany

From the set up of the Weimar Republic to Hitler becoming Fuhrer.

Germany at end of WW1

• huge debt

• huge loss of life (and workforce)

• widespread food shortages and hunger due to blocked trade routes

• general unrest - multiple riots & protests - fear or Communist revolution

• Navy rebellions & mutiny

Start of Weimar Republic

• Kaiser resigned Nov 1918

• SDP forms a Republic and calls for calm

• 1st Chancellor - Frederick Ebert

• Formed new Reichstag and avoided revolution

Signing of the Armistice

• 11/11/1918

• seen as betrayal of the German people

• Betrayal because Germany didn’t lose in battle

• “November Criminals”

• Dolchstoss - stab in the back theory - Weimar had betrayed the German people

Ebert’s actions to keep peace

• kept all existing civil servants so public services continued as normal

• communication with leaders of military, industry and trade unions - kept peace & they supported Weimar.

Reichstag elections

• Elections held ASAP

• Democratic - everyone over 20 could vote

• Huge turnout & success - SDP majority

• Reichstage to be elcted every 4 years

Role of the President

• Head of state

• Elected every 7 years

• In charge of military

• Chose the Chancellor

• no role in everyday politics

Role of the Chancellor

• head of government & led the Reichstag

• Chose the cabinet

Strengths of Weimar Constitution

• Very democratic - everyone over 20 could vote - unique in Europe

• Provided balance - proportional representation meant everyone had a part

• Local government to control local issues

Weaknesses of Weimar Constitution

• Unlikely to be a majority due to PR - coalitions formed and often fell apart

• difficult to pass laws quickly & hard to make urgent decisions

• Extremist parties allowed in the Reichstag

• People felt the government was too split up

Article 48

Gave the chancellor power during times of national emergency to pass laws quickly.

Treaty of Versailles

• 28th June 1919

• Terms decided by the Big Three

• Germany had no part in negotiations and were forced to sign on threat of invasion

Treaty of Versailles Terms

• Land - Poland taken from Germany, Loss of lots of land to the Allies

• Army - limited to 100,000 men, 6 battleships, no airforce

• Money - ordered to pay £6.6 billion in reparations to Allies

• Blame - forced to accept all blame for WW1 losses and damages

Article 231

“War Guilt” clause - Germany forced to accept all blame for WW1 losses and damages

Response to Treaty of Versailles

• Hugely unpopular - Weimar blamed and hated for signing

• Many Germans lost citizenship due to land loss

• Humiliation - Article 231

• Vulnerability - military loss - people felt vulnerable to invasion

• Huge economic issues due to reparations debt

Sparticists Uprising

• January 1919

• Left wing, communist

• Rosa Luxembourg & Karl Liebnecht

• Armed protest, protesting Weimar govt

• Weimar ordered the Freikorps to put it down - 100 murdered including leaders

• Made Communists hate SDP

Kapp Putsch

• March 1920

• Right Wing

• Wolfgang Kapp

• Protesting ToV terms

• Seized Berlin for multiple days

• Weimar called for worker strike to undermine the Putsch

• Strike worked - putsch ended non-violently

Invasion of the Ruhr

• Jan 1923

• Germany missed a payment in coal, French invaded the Ruhr to take the payment

• Weimar called for workers strike

• Couldn’t resist the French as Germany’s military was limited from ToV

• Angered German people and made economic situation worse

Hyperinflation

• Weimar had been printing more money since 1910s

• Eventually the Mark became worthless

• Wages increased but could not keep up with inflation

• Foreign suppliers refused to be paid in marks so foreign imports stopped → mass shortages

Winners in hyperinflation

• People in debt or with mortgages - debt paid off easily

• People who made raw materials e.g farmers - they could charge more for their produce

• People with fixed rent - it became very cheap

Losers in hyperinflation

• People on fixed income

• People with pensions

• Savings became worthless

• Businesses went bust or were sold for very little

Hit the middle class the hardest.

Consequences of Hyperinflation

• showed Weimar as weak

• lost support from the middle class, a huge proportion of their voters

• caused increased support with extremist parties

Economic recovery (Stresemann’s actions)

• set up temporary currency Rentenmark and limited supply to fix inflation

• then set up Reichbank and permanent currency Reichmark

• removed economy from government control & settled hyperinflation

• Dawes Plan 1924 and Young Plan 1929

Dawes Plan

• 1924

• reduced repartions to 1 billion for first year

• then 2.5 billion for 5 years

• reparations to be partly paid by American loans

Young Plan

• 1929

• Permanently reduced reparations to 2.2 billion

• Gave Germany longer to pay - 1988 due date

Economic Recovery positives

Employment and trade increased

More industry

Population happier and trusted Weimar again

Economic Recovery negatives

People who lost savings or businesses didn’t recover

Recovery was fragile as it relied on USA loans

Stresemann Foreign Policy

Improved foreign relations and established Germany as an equal again.

This improved the economy and national pride - decreased extremist support

Locarno Pact

• 1925

• Some European countries including France and UK

• secured borders with France & demilitarized the Rhineland - war with France now unlikely

• Unlike ToV, Germany was involved in negotiations

• Germany becomes part of League of Nations

Kellog-Briand Pact

• 1928

• 61 countries promised to avoid war and promote world peace

• Germany equal in negotiations

Criticisms of Foreign Policy

Extremist parties didn’t support the pacts as neither reversed the ToV or removed reparations.

Golden Age of Weimar

late 1920s

Time of economic prosperity, improved living standard, and cultural change

Golden Age - standard of living

• working hours decreased and wages rose by 25%

• Unemployment & sickness insurance protected people not in work

• New homes built to solve housing crisis

• Pensions for veterans & their families

• 60% more people in higher education

Golden Age - women

• involved in democracy - could vote and stand for election

• allowed to enter any profession

• More part-time jobs were created to support mothers

• In cities, huge partying scene - new, freer fashion, hair, makeup etc

- however, unpopular with some as the birth rate fell & divorce rate rose. Some saw it as women taking men’s jobs

Golden Age - culture

• new expressionist art syle

• freedom of speech in culture - satire was popular

• Weimar funded culture

• Germany world leaders in cinema

-some said this was money wasted

-right-wing saw it as an insult to tradition

Hitler’s route to the DAP

• fought in WW1 & was angry at the Armistice (Dolchstoss)

• Spied on extremist parties for the govt - attended DAP meeting

• DAP was a very small (23 members) right-wing party founded by Anton Drexler

• Agreed with DAP’s hatred of Weimar & ToV

• Sept 1919 - Hitler became a member and quickly a leading member

Hitler’s steps to full control of the DAP

• Policy - 25 point programme 1920

• Speeches - became a persuasive and passionate speaker

• Reorganisation & ‘rebranding’

• Leadership - picked loyal leaders

• Control - set up the SA and SS to act as NSDAP private army and Hitler’s bodyguard

Reorganisation of DAP

• New HQ 1920 - meetings better organised and advertised

• Renamed the party the NSDAP, created the swastika and one-arm salute

• Created the Nazi newspaper the People’s Observer - 17000 readers

25 point Programme key points

• written by Hitler & Drexler

• hatred of Weimar & backed the Dolchstoss theory

• blamed Jewish people for the economy

• Anti democracy - believed Germany would be better under 1 strong leader

Munich Putsch Causes

• long term - anger with Weimar and ToV

• middle term - Hitler inspired by Mussolini’s revolution - gave him confidence

• short term - 1923 hyperinflation had caused mass anger at Weimar

• Munich politicians hated Weimar & Hitler thought they would support him

Munich Putsch events

• 8th-9th Nov 1923

• Hitler crashed a political meeting in Munich & takes heads of local govt, army and police hostage

• SA takes control of police & army HQ and rob banks

• Ludendorff lets the leaders go- they raise alarm

• Nazis, SA and 2000 supporters march on Munich - met with local police and army.

• Gunfight, Putsch fails, members killed and leaders arrested

Munich Putsch consequences

• short term, disaster and humiliation. Leaders including Hitler imprisoned, NSDAP banned

• long term, useful - Hitler gains national platform, and develops the Party in prison.

Mein Kampf

• Hitler’s autobiography, written in prison

• created idea of Aryan race and ‘inferior’ races

• Called to abolish the ToV, demorcracy, invade Europe and return to traditional values

Nazi Lean Years & reorganisation

• Lean Years - late 1920s.

• Hitler remodelled the party to be like a govt

• Set up Hitler Youth and women’s organisations

• Got big business leaders on his side

• Made the Nazi party a national party with him as overall leader

Lean Years consequences

• Nazi Party lost popularity as Stresemann improved Weimar’s popularity

• New president Hindenburg very popular

• Decline in election results

The Wall Street Crash (WSC)

• October 1929

• USA’s Wall Street stock markets crashed

• USA and many other countries’ economy crashed

WSC consequences for Germany

• Economy collapsed

• Run on the banks - people demanded their savings in cash, banks ran out of cash

• USA demanded loans back from Germany - govt couldn’t afford to pay

• Industries - mass sackings & bankruptancy

The Great Depression

• 1929 to 1930s

• Widespread poverty and unemployment - 6 million in 1932

• Less foreign trade due to other countries economy crashing too

• Wages and unemployment benefits cut

• Homelessness, violence and theft increased

Govt response to the WSC

• Chancellor Bruning raised taxes & cut benefits

• taxes - angered right-wing, benefit cuts - angered left-wing

• Coalition collapsed - political instability

• Reichstag met rarely - only 13 times in 1932

• Bruning invoked Article 48 to pass laws, but resigned in May 1932

March 1932 Presidential Election

• Hitler vs Hindenburg

• Round 1 - 30% vs 49% - no majority so election held again

• Round 2 - 36% vs 56%

• Hindenburg wins but the election showed support for Hitler was increasing

Chancellor Bruning

• Very unpopular with right-wing, upper classes and Hindenburg

• banned the SS and SA

• Resigned in May 1932

Von Papen

• Chancellor May 1932 - Nov 1932

• Right Wing

• Persuaded by Von Schleicher to set up right wing coalition with Hitler and right wing business owners.

• Coalition was undemocratic and against constitution rules

Von Schleicher

• Army officer and advisor to Hindenburg

• thought Hitler could be controlled

• persuaded Von Papen to set up right wing coalition in May 1932

May 1932 right wing coalition

• coalition formed between right wing business owners, army officer and the Nazi Party

• Von Papen leader

• Hitler persuaded to join, as long as SA and SS reinstated

• Coalition was completely undemocratic and against the constitution

• Not the majority in Reichstag - Article 48 used to pass laws

Reichstag Elections in 1932

• July 1932 - Nazi vote increased to 38%. Became the largest party inthe Reichstag

• Nov 1932 - Nazi vote decreased slightly to 33%, but still largest party.

How Hitler became Chancellor

• After the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag, Hitler demanded to be Chancellor

• Hindenburg denied and made Von Schleicher Chancellor instead

• Von Schleicher set up a military government

• Von Papen told Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor instead to avoid a military dictatorship & mass unrest

• Hindenburg agrees - him and Papen think they can control Hitler

Hitler becomes Chancellor

30th January 1933

Von Papen becomes Vice Chancellor

The Reichstag Fire

• 27th February 1933

• whole building destroyed

• A Communist was found at the scene, claiming to have started it but said he acted alone

• Hitler was quick to blame the Communists, and had 4000 arrested

• Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to declare a state of emergency, and he was free to use Article 48

• it has been suggested the fire was a plot by Hitler, so he could use Article 48

The Enabling Act

March 1933

1. All laws to be proposed by Hitler

2. The Cabinet could pass all laws (bypassing the Reichstag)

3. Laws will overrule the Constitution

Effectively ended the Weimar Constitution and democracy in Germany.

Hitler passed the Enabling Act through the Reichstag by banning Communists from voting and many Social Democrats were ‘missing’ from the vote.

Decree for the Protection of People and State

• Passed during the March 1933 election campaign

• imprisoned political opponents & Communist party banned

• SA free to attack communists

• Big businesses funded the Nazi’s campaign.

Trade Union opposition - Hitler’s response

• Trade unions banned & strikes made illegal

• Offices smashed up

Opposition from other political parties - Hitler’s response

• July 1933 all other political parties banned except the Nazi Party

• offices smashed, many politicians went ‘missing’ or were intimidated by the SA

opposition from local governments - Hitler’s response

• Abolished local government

• Replaced them with governors chosen by Hitler

Night of the Long Knives Causes

• Hitler thought Ernst Rohm and the SA were too powerful

• Rohm didn’t like Hitler - Rohm wanted to support the working class, not upper class business owners.

Night of the Long Knives Events

• Ernst Rohm and 100 SA leaders invited to a meeting with Hitler

• Ambushed - everyone arrested and killed.

• Von Papen concerned and complained - returned home to find all his staff had been killed.

Night of Long Knives consequences

• Showed Von Papen & Hindenburg that they couldn’t control Hitler

• First time Hitler acted illegally

• Some opposition from the public, however most were happy the SA had been abolished.

How Hitler became Fuhrer

• Hindenburg dies in August 1934

• Hitler declares himself Fuhrer, combining the roles of Chancellor and President

• Hitler now had full control of Germany - totalitarian dictator

• Won 90% of the public vote - however there was mass intimidation and threats so this isn’t accurate