Nazism and Democracy (Everything)

The October Reforms

October 1918. Change to the autocratic rule of the Kaiser. Army put under civil control.

The Peace Note

3rd October 1918. A message sent from chancellor Prince Max von Baden to President Wilson asking for an armistice.

Kiel Naval Mutiny

24th October 1918. German Sailors refuse their orders, triggering revolts and 'Workers' Councils'.

The November Revolution

9th November. Abdication of the Kaiser. Scheidemann announces new democratic republic.

The Stab-in-the-Back Myth

The idea that the Germany military was never beaten, and instead betrayed by the politicans, Jews and Liberals.

Ebert-Groener Pact

Army pledged support for the SPD/USPD Government in return for guarantees against reform.

Spartacist Uprising

Left-Wing strike to continue the revolutionary changes of 1918. Suppressed by the Freikorp.

The Weimar Constitution

The name given to the radical, new constitution of Germany written in a town in central Germany.

Proportional Representation

System of allocating deputies to the Reichstag Anyone would receive a seat if they received over 60,000 votes.

President

Elected every seven years. Supreme commander of the armed forces. Appointed chancellor and cabinet. Had emergency powers.

Chancellor

Appointed by President if they had controlling share of the Reichstag. Led the government.

Reichsrat

Upper house of German Parliament. Represented the states. Had power to veto laws from the lower house, but could be overridden.

Article 48

Allowed president to rule by decree in exceptional circumstances. These decrees could bypass the Reichstag.

National self-determination

The idea that groups of people that share a language, culture and identity should be able to control their own country.

Alsace-Lorraine

Area of West Germany lost to France.

Eupen and Malmedy

Area of West Germany lost to Belgium.

Northern Schleswig-Holstein

Area of North Germany lost to Denmark.

Eastern Pomerania

Area of East Germany lost to Poland as part of the Polish Corridor.

Upper Silesia

Area of East Germany lost to Poland after a plebiscite and several Polish uprisings settled by the League of Nations.

Danzig

City in East Germany lost to the League of Nations.

South-East and South-West Africa

Southern African Colonies lost to League of Nations.

German Kamerun and German Togoland.

West African colonies lost to the League of Nations

'War Guilt' Clause

A clause of the Treaty of Versailles recognising German responsibility for any damage caused by its aggression in WWI.

Reparations

Payment of money and goods for the damage caused by the war. Small bill in 1919. Full bill set in London Schedule of London in 1921.

Anschluss

Union with Austria was banned to stop the powerful unification of two 'Germanic' countries

Disarmament

German had to reduce its army to 100,000 men and limited officers, with no air force, submarines or tanks.

Kapp Putsch

Coup by General Luttwitz and a civil servant, Wolfgang Kapp. Freikorp took Berlin, but failed after workers strike and poor organisation.

Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr

France and Belgium occupied German industrial area to ensure in-kind reparations agreed at Versailles.

Passive Resistance

Protest against the Franco-Belgian occupation. Germans refused to work and were paid with newly printed money.

Hyperinflation

Passive Resistance, high expenditure and poor control of foreign currency, led to the Mark losing all meaning.

Munich Putsch

Attempted coup by NSDAP members led by Hitler. Inspired by Italian Fascism and the recent hyperinflation crisis.

Treaty of Rapallo

Germany renounced Treaty of Brest-Litovsk , improving relations with USSR. Walter Rathenau was assassinated for signing it.

End of Passive Resistance

Stresemann took the unpopular decision to end strikes and cooperate with the allies in the hope of more favourable treatment.

Policy of Fulfilment

The idea that cooperating and compromising would help put Germany in a stronger diplomatic situation long-term.

Rentenmark

New currency to replace the worthless 'Papiermark'. Conceived by economists led by Hjalmar Schacht.

Dawes Plan

US-led scheme to change reparations. Payments would start smaller and increase incrementally. Also a large US loan to help restart the German economy.

Rationalisation

Modern technology and management techniques to cope with the economic hardship. Coal, steel and chemical production all became far more efficient.

Cartelisation

Many small and medium businesses formed cooperatives or merged with larger companies during 1923 crisis.

Tariff

A tax on products imported from foreign countries. Good for domestic businesses but led to higher prices.

Trade Union

An organisation formed to protect workers and give workers greater power to demand changes to work conditions.

Compulsory Arbitration

A system that forced employers and trade unions to try and reach agreements without going on strike. Businesses thought the system as biased in favour of workers.

Young Plan

An agreement to cut the overall amount of reparations from £6.5 billion to £1.8 billion.

Social Welfare

Protections and benefits for citizens, including pensions, some medical care, unemployment benefit and education.

The 'New Woman'

Changing ideas about society and religion led to many women challenging concepts of sexuality and employment.

Youth Culture

Society, influenced by USA, began to offer new leisure and entertainment opportunities for young people such as cinema, jazz, and night clubs.

Cultural Bolshevism

A right-wing term for the changes in the arts that challenged traditional ideas of beauty and creativity. Many saw this as a Marxist or Jewish corruption.

SPD

Believed in state-control of infrastructure and social welfare spending. Did not want radical, revolutionary upheaval.

DDP

The Liberal Party. Supported by intellectuals and professional groups such as doctors and lawyers. Supported waned over the period.

Zentrum (Centre)

Centre-based politics, specifically focused on Catholic ideals of social justice and freedom of religion. Became more right-leaning over the period.

DVP

Conservative party focused on business and industrial interests. Maintained more central policies under Stresemann. Turned to the right after his death.

DNVP

Traditional conservative party. Support came from monarchists, nationalists, aristocratic landowners and rural peasant-class. Flirted with coalition in 20s.

NSDAP

A cocktail of nationalism, authoritarianism, anti-semitism, anti-Bolshevism and modern ideas of racial hygiene. Insignificant until late 1920s.

KPD

Created from the revolutionary left of USPD in 1919. Wanted revolutionary change in Germany, like Russia in 1917. Strongly argued that that the SPD 'betrayed' the left.

The Locarno Pact

A collection of treaties that confirmed the western boundary of Germany, removed troops from the Rhineland and signed many countries up to 'Arbitration Treaties'.

Arbitration Treaties

An agreement between countries to settle disputes through international discussions (using the League of Nations).

Treaty of Berlin

Reiterated the Treaty of Rapallo, with further agreements about staying neutral. Secret agreements to improve the German and Russian military.

The Kellogg-Briand Pact

Franco-American agreement, later signed by Germany and others, that agreed to renounce war as a means of resolving international disputes.

The Wall Street Crash

A collapse in the American financial sector after a speculation boom.

The Great Depression

Name given to the time after the Wall Street Crash, characterised by huge unemployment and crippling poverty.

Statutory Unemployment Benefit

Welfare introduced in 1927 when demand was low. It became an enormous problem after 1929. Cut under Bruning.

Bruning's Economic Policy

'Deflationary' policies that decreased demand, making German goods cheaper, alongside massive reductions in government spending.

Work Schemes

Bruning founded the Voluntary Labour Force (FAD), to coordinate public work schemes for unemployed labour. Became the Reich Labour Force (RAD) after 1933.

The Grand Coalition

The last democratically elected cabinet of the Weimar. Led by Muller and SPD, the cabinet passed the Young Plan before resigning over unemployment benefit cuts.

The 'Hunger Chancellor'

Nickname given to Bruning for his policy of cutting welfare.

Presidential Government

A term used for the chancellorships of Bruning, Papen and Schleicher as they all relied on presidential decree to pass legislation.

Sturmabteilung (SA)

Paramilitary group associated with the Nazi party. Their use of political violence helped the growth of the Nazis.

Red Front-Fighters' League

Paramilitary group associated with the KPD. Fought large gang battle with SA in early 30s.

Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold

Paramilitary group associated with the SPD. They clashed with both communist and fascist groups. Named after the colours of the Weimar flag.

The SA Ban

Bruning banned all uniforms for paramilitary groups in 1930 and 1932 in an attempts to cut political violence.

The Fall of Bruning's Cabinet

Hindenburg turned against Bruning in May 1932 after threatening aristocratic land. Orchestrated by Schleicher.

The 'Cabinet of Barons'

Papen's cabinet made up of men outside of political parties. Mostly from aristocratic elite.

Papen's Coup in Prussia

Papen removed the state government of Prussia, ostensibly to quell a communist uprising. This removed the SPD leaders and disregarded State rights.

Backstairs Intrigue

The unofficial and backhand moves made by powerful individuals to gain power. Led to the appointment of Hitler.

The Fall of Papen's Government

He could not improve the economy or political violence in 1932 so Hitler betrayed their deal and called a 'no confidence' vote.

Schleicher's Government

Lasted only 2 months. Approached Gregor Strassor to undermine Hitler. Then desperately approached the SPD, before being ousted by intrigue.

Hitler appointed Chancellor

30th of January 1933, Hindenburg agrees to Hitler becoming Chancellor under the influence of Papen, Meisner and his son Oskar.

Hitler's Cabinet

Only had 2 Nazis in his first cabinet so as to limit his power. Papen thought other conservatives could keep him in line.

The Torchlight Procession

SA, Steel Helmets and other Nazi supporters paraded around Berlin holding torches to celebrate Hitler on his first night in power.

The Legal Revolution

The idea that Hitler followed a lawful method to gain control of German institutions (Reichstag, the Church, the Press).

The Reichstag Fire

Arson attack on the parliament. The Nazis used this incident to enflame anti-communist fears and suspend civil liberties.

Reichstag Fire Decree

Allowed wide powers to arrest citizens and censor the press. Used to push Nazi message and intimidate rivals in March 1933 election.

The Enabling Act

Changed the German Constitution to allow the Chancellor to pass legislation without the oversight of the Reichstag.

Gleichschaltung

'Coordinating' or 'Forcing-into-line'. A term to describe how the Nazis took control of every aspect of German life.

SS (Schutzstaffel)

Originally, Hitler's bodyguards. The role of the SS grew under Himmler and Heydrich to include the secret police, elite soldiers, and the concentration camp system.

One-Party State

A country where only one political party is allowed. The Nazis had removed all other parties by July 1934.

Law against the Formation of New Parties 1934

The law that secured one political party on July 14th 1933.

Centralising of State Power

From March 1933 to February 1934, the Nazis removed state powers, giving it to the central government.

Gauleiter

A Nazi Party leader at the regional or state level. 2nd Highest Party rank.

Reichsleiter

A Nazi Party leader with national responsibilities. The highest Party rank.

The Night of the Long Knives

30th June 1934. Hitler arrests and kills his political opponents, mostly from the SA and political elite.

Ernst Rohm

Leader of the SA and close supporter of Hitler. Betrayed and killed in 1934.

Gregor Strasser

Important Nazi on the left of the party. Rival to Hitler who was killed on the Night of the Long Knives.

Kurt von Schleicher

Important general who had political influence over Papen and Hindenburg. Killed by Hitler in 1934.

The Death of Hindenburg

2nd August 1934. Hindenburg dies of old age. Hitler then merges Chancellor and President in the role of 'Fuhrer'.

Army Oath to Hitler

After Hindenburg died, the army swore an oath of loyalty that specifically named Hitler.

The Terror State

Nazi use of the police, law courts and concentration camps to control Germany.

Heinrich Himmler

Ambitious leader of SS. Slowly gained power over the period, especially through the use of terror.

Growth of the SS

After 1933, the SS became involved in police, spying and military training. The concentration camp system was run by the SS.

Orpo

Everyday police involved in low-level crime. Remained largely unchanged.

Kripo

Police involved in serious crimes such as murder and rape. Similar role to before Nazis.