history weimar and nazi regime

What were the 3 ways the Nazis were able to create a police state?

• policing
• legal reconstruction
• punishments

What were the names of the 3 new policing forces created by the Nazis to control and maintain the police state?

• SS (protection squad)
• Gestapo (secret police)
• SD (security service)

Gestapo: Who set them up, when, did they wear uniforms, what was their main purpose?

• Hermann Goering
• 1933
• no uniforms
• spied on the general public and prosecuted anyone who said anything critical of the Nazi party - intercepted letters and phone calls

SS: Who led them, when were they set up, did they wear uniforms, what was their main purpose?

• Heinrich Himmler
• 1925
• black uniforms
• group of 240 men who acted as Hitlers personal bodyguards -expanded to 240,000 men in the 1930s

SD: Who set them up, when, did they wear uniforms, what was their main purpose?

• Heinrich Himmler
• 1931
• brown uniforms
• originally formed as a security force, collected information about anyone who was an opponent or critic of the Nazi party

What were the 2 ways the Nazis legally reconstructed the state?

• controlling law courts
• controlling judges

Hitler set up a ‘peoples court’. What was this?

• abolished trial by jury
• heard all cases of treason against the state
• judges were hand picked and trials were held in secret

How did Hitler control the judges in the police state?

created the National Socialist League for the maintenance of the law

What 2 rules did the National Socialist League insist?

1. all judges must be members - if any judges displeased the Nazis they were denied membership
2. in any conflicts between the interests of the Nazi party and the law, the Nazi party took priority

Why were concentration camps created?

to cope with the number of people who were arrested for doing things the Nazi party disproved of

When and where was the first concentration camp opened?

1933, in Dachau, Germany

Where were concentration camps located?

away from cities away from the public gaze, typically in isolated countryside

What type of people were prosecuted and taken to concentration camps?

• “undesirables” → prostitutes or homosexuals
• minority groups → Jews, muslims
• political prisoners → communists, political writers, intellectuals, etc.

@@Legacy of the first world war (1914-1918)@@

-Two million German troops died & over four million wounded

-Government debt increased from 50m to 150m marks

-More than 750,000 Germans died due to food shortages

→ This led many to revolt my rioting and striking

@@Abdication of the Kaiser@@

9th November- Kaiser refused to abdicate but when denied support from army officers abdicated

10th November- The Kaiser fled to Holland

@@Strengths & Weaknesses of new Constitution@@

+No one group or person could have too much power

+Parties had a fair share of seats

+Women and men aged 21+ could vote

-Proportional representation led to unstable coalition governments

-Not the choice of the people- unpopular

-Lack of a strong government led to weakness- president could pass laws without Reichstag consent in an emergency (suspend constitution)- Article 48

@@Armistice & Revolution 1918-19- impact@@

Armistice:

-Signed 11th November

-First major decision of Ebert’s new republic

--------

-Germany republic declared on 9th November 1918

-Berlin streets crowded. Some armed hoping to take over parts of the city

-Scheidemann (of the SDP- largest party in the Reichstag) declared the new republic to the crowds. He was fearful that armed rioters were preparing to declare a communist government in Berlin. So to prevent this he promoted a peaceful transition

^^Stabbed in the back/Dolchtoss^^

German people didn’t believe their army lost in the war. Some who opposed the treaty claimed the army was betrayed by politicians for being forced to surrender when they could have won

^^Unpopularity of Weimar- reasons^^

-War Guilt Clause (Article 231)- made Germany accept blame for the war → shame

-Reparations (Article 232)- Germany owed 6600 million pounds. Cause hyperinflation & poverty

-Leaders of new republic blamed for signing Treaty of Versailles → labelled as November Criminals & seen as traitors to their country

^^1923 Hyperinflation- causes & concequences^^

-Caused by the government printing more money

-Caused the German mark to become worthless

-Some could not afford essentials such as bread

-Some businesses went bankrupt

-Savings became worthless

→ People blamed the Weimar government which made it less popular

^^Spartacists^^

January 1919- they took over the government’s newspaper & telegraph bureau to try and organise strikes. The Weimar government sent Freikorps units to shut it down

^^Freikorps^^

-Right-wing

-Made up of ex-soldiers who had kept their weapons after WW1

-They had 250,000 members in March 1919

-Organised by the regular army

^^March 1920- Kapp Putsch^^

Freikorps troops, fearing unemployment, marched on Berlin. Ebert asked the head of army to resist but he refused. Dr Wolfgang Kapp put in charge by rebels while the Weimar government fled Berlin for safety. To put down the rebels, the government organised trade unions to strike- this caused so much chaos that Kapp could not rule Germany & was forced to flee. The Weimar politicians returned to Germany.

^^January 1923- French Occupation of the Ruhr^^

-French troops invaded the Ruhr to take reparations payments in the form of goods

-German workers went on strike.

-80% of German coal, iron and steel reserves were in the ruhr. The occupation was a disaster for Germany

→ Weimar government printed more money to pay strikers and make up for loss of coal, steel and iron production

%%The Dawes Plan 1924%%

Charles Dawes’ (American banker) plan to help Germany pay reparations:

-Instalments temporarily reduced to £50m a year

-US banks agreed to make loans to German industry

→ Made the Allies more confident that they would get their reparations payments

%%Locarno Pact 1925- domestic impact%%

Agreement between Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium

-Germany had a new border with France → improved relations

-Allies & Germany agreed on the permanent demilitarisation of Rhineland

-Germany membership to the League of Nations was in discussion

Impact:

-Improved relations with France

-Not imposed on Germany (unlike the Treaty of Versailles)

-Increased the popularity of the Weimar Republic

-Boosted confidence in more moderate political parties

%%League of Nations 1926- domestic impact%%

New international body- hoped to discuss world problems to avoid war.

Set up in 1920- Germany initially excluded

1926- Germany invited to become a member of the council

Impact:

-Showed Germany’s views counted

-Boosted the confidence held by most Germans in the Weimar government

%%Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928- domestic impact%%

Agreement between 62 nations- committed countries to avoiding war to achieve foreign policy objectives

-Showed Germany was a major power again

-Showed moderate political parties could build Germany’s strength internationally

-Increased public confidence in how Germany was being led

%%Young Plan 1929%%

Organised by Owen Young & committee:

-Reduced total reparations to £2b from £6b

-Payments made over a longer time- up to 1988

%%Stresemann- domestic & international impact%%

-Strengthened the confidence of German people in the Weimar republic

-Reduced support for extremist parties (such as Nazis and communists)

-Increased support for moderate parties

-Reduced the economic hardships of the German people

%%Rentenmark%%

November 1923- Stresemann set up the Rentenbank and issued the new currency Rentenmark. Supply of these tightly controlled- value tied to the price of gold so it had real value

August 1924- Reichsbank given control of this new currency- renamed Rentenmark. Hyperinflation was over

%%Role of America%%

America loaned Germany money (Dawes & Young plans) so they could pay reparations to Britain and France. Then Britain and France could repay war loans to USA

%%Reasons for economic recovery%%

-Industrial output doubled by 1928 & passed pre-WW1 levels

-Employment & trade increased

==Wages and work==

+Working hours reduced

+Wages rose

+Working conditions improved

-Hyperinflation made employment insecure

-Well-off Germans resented seeing workers benefitting

==Unemployment insurance==

+3% of worker’s earnings were deducted to be put towards insurance that would give them a basic amount of benefits if they became unemployed or sick

==Cultural changes- cinema==

-Films internationally popular= 1920

-Expressionism flourished especially in Weimar Germany due to fewer restrictions

-Challenged traditional cinema

==Cultural changes- architecture==

-Bahaus school- set up by Walter Gropius who wanted to bring together all the disciplines (art, architecture, design, typography, sculpture etc)

-Challenged traditional styles from before the war

==Cultural changes- art==

-Represented everyday life

-Aimed to make people think/comment on problems- expressionism

-Raw emotion & disaster of WW1

-Otto Dix, George Grosz, Paul Klee

==Housing==

+15% rent tax was introduced to fund building associations

+Between 1925 and 1929, 101,000 homes were built

-There was still a housing shortage but things had improved

==Changes in the standard of living==

Living standards improved after 1924, brought about by government funding and policies

==Position of women in work==

-Most women gave up work after marriage

-Few women secured high status jobs

-Women encouraged to go to university

-Increase in part time work

==Position in women in politics==

-1918: women earned the vote and could stand for elections

-Marriage= equal partnership

-Article 109 of constitution: men & women had equal rights (including in the workplace)

What were the fve parts to Hitler’s takeover of the DAP?

-Party policy

-Hitler’s personal appeal

-Party organization

-Party leadership

-The SA

The 25 Point Programme

-A vision for a perfect Germany.

-Based around the ideas of both Nationalism and Socialism

25 Point Programme - Point 1

The unity of all German-speaking people into a greater Germany

25 Point Programme - Point 4

Only Germans can be citizens and no Jew can be a German

5 Point Programme - Point 9+24

All citizens have equal rights, freedom of religion

5 Point Programme - Point 14

Large companies must share their profits with the workers

Why was the 25 Point programme sucsessful?

It appealed to all areas of the political spectrum and therfore appealed to everyone

What was Hitler’s personal appeal?

-Well rehearsed speeches

-Gestures to draw audiences in (leaning forward and fixing his eyes on the audience)

-Had publicity photos and paintings done

The SA

The army belonging to the Nazi party

What did the SA do to help the nazi party?

-Disrupted SDP and Communist meetings

-Helped publicise the army

-Raised arm salute, brownshirt uniform, swastika usage

Psutch

An attempt to take power by force

Why did the Munich Psutch happen?

-Hitler hated the Weimar Republic

-Hitler hated the Treaty of Versailles

-Hitler believed all of Germany would support

-The WR was blamed for hyperinflation

How did the government try to reduce unemployment?

-Bruing reduced spending and raised taxes

-Increased sales income on beer and sugar

How did Hitler campaign to become the president of the Nazi party?

-Rode aeroplanes around Germany to make speeches

-No communist campaigns

-Became recognised as a political figure

Why was the role of Hitler important in increasing Nazi support?

-His charisma drew people in

-25 Point plan appealed to both sides of the political spectrum

Why were the nazis able to increase support between 1928-1932?

-People wanted people to blame for the wall street crash, blamed the WR

-Use of propaganda + Joseph Goebbels

How did big businesses help gain support for the Nazis?

-Nazis received money from big businesses which they used for advertisement

-They helped them gain publicity

Joseph Goebbels

German Nazi politician who was chief propagandist for the Nazi Party and one of Hitler’s closest advocates

How did Joseph Goebbels help increase support for the Nazis?

He masterminded propaganda to advertise the nazi party

Describe the events that resulted in the Kaiser eventually agreeing to abdicate

On 9th November 1918, ministers tried to persuade the Kaiser to abdicate but he refused. However, army officers also refused to support him which meant he had no choice other than to resign

When did the Kaiser abdicate the throne?

9th November 1918

When/where did the Kaiser flee after his resignation?

10th November 1918/Holland

How many German troops died in WWI?

2 million

What did government debts increase from and to after WWI?

50 billion marks to 150 billion marks

How many Germans died of food shortages as a result of WWI?

750,000

What step did Ebert take to establish a new republic in terms of the politics and leadership of Germany?

He temporarily suspended the Reichstag on 10th November 1918 and instead implemented the Council of People’s Representatives as a temporary measure to run the government

What step did Ebert take to establish a new republic in terms of the army?

He made an agreement with General Groener, the leader of the German army, that they would work together to prevent communists from taking power. He reassured Groener that all army generals would keep their positions in exchange for help to keep the new government in power

What action did Scheidemann (SDP member) take to ensure the position of the new government in 1918?

Fearing the rioting crowds would declare a communist government, he declared news of the new Republic to the crowds and promoted a peaceful transition

When did the revolutionary period at the start of the Weimar Republic continue until and why did it stop?

August 1919, the new republic was formally established by then

When was the Armistice signed and who were amongst the people who signed it?

11th November 1918, Ebert and members of the SPD

When was the new Constitution formally established?

July 1919

Give 3 details about the role of president within the Weimar Republic (think term, powers,)

Elected by the people every 7 years, had the power to appoint the chancellor

Which article of the Weimar Constitution allowed the president to pass laws by decree and what did this mean surface-level and how it was used?

Article 48, meant the president could pass laws in the event of an emergency without consulting with the Reichstag, this was often exploited as the meaning of “emergency” was vague

Why was the Chancellor a significant role within the Weimar Republic?

They chose all government ministers

What was the Reichstag?

It was one of the houses of the Weimar government and its members were elected once every four years, with seats awarded based on proportional representation

What was the Reichsrat?

This was one of the houses of the Weimar government, with each German state sending representatives with the no. of representatives depending on the state’s size

Give 2 ways that proportional representation was an advantage of the new Weimar Constitution

It allowed even small parties to have seats, it ensured no group was too powerful

Give 2 ways that the voting demographic was an advantage of the new Weimar Constitution

Women could vote, voting age reduced from 25 to 21

Give 2 ways that the government and its power (or reduction thereof) was an advantage of the new Weimar Constitution

The Reichsrat could regulate the power of the Reichstag by delaying new laws, no one group or person could have too much power as they were all regulated by other people/groups

Describe how proportional representation was a disadvantage of the new Weimar Constitution

It led to coalition governments that were unstable and often fell apart, as well as providing a voice to extremist parties

Describe how the coalition governments was a disadvantage of the new Weimar Constitution

These coalitions were unstable and often fell apart as well as taking a long time to make a decision in a crisis. This means that the President often had to resort to using Article 48, which was both exploited and not very democratic

Why was the Weimar Constitution initially unpopular? (think simple)

It wasn’t the people’s choice

What was the army limited to after the ToV?

100,000 troops

Give 2 details about the limitations of the navy due to the ToV

No submarines, limited to 6 battleships

Describe what happened to Germany’s air force after the ToV

Planes were destroyed and no air force was allowed

What happened to the Rhineland as part of the ToV?

It was demilitarised

Which article in the ToV was the “blame clause” and why did this make the ToV even more unpopular with Germans?

Article 231, they believed they were not to blame as a) they claimed they were only fighting in self-defence and b) technically Austria-Hungary started WWI

What % of their land in Europe did Germany lose as part of the ToV?

13%

How many colonies overseas did Germany lose as part of the ToV?

11 colonies (aka all its overseas lands)

Why were the areas of land seized in the ToV particularly problematic for Germany?

They lost 50% of its iron stores and 10% of its population

What were the reparations set at in the ToV?

£6.6 billion

What would happen if Germany couldn’t pay the reparations in the ToV?

French and Belgian bailiffs would seize land and goods

What was the “stab in the back” theory known as in Germany and what did it entail?

Dolchstoss, they believed that the army had not actually been defeated and the country had been betrayed by the politicians who had signed the ToV (some of whom were Jewish, fuelling antisemitism)

Where on the political spectrum did the Spartacists fall and who were their leaders?

Left-wing, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknicht

Describe the events of the Spartacist Revolt

In January 1919, the head of police in Berlin was sacked and the Spartacists viewed this as an opportunity to invoke general strikes and overthrow the government. 10,000 protesters came out in Berlin and took over the government’s newspaper and telegraph bureau with there being fighting in Berlin for several days. However, they were soon put down by Freikorps and the leaders were executed. Meanwhile the government withdrew to Weimar for safety

Where did the Kapp Putsch fall on the political scale and who was its leader?

Right-wing, Wolfgang Kapp - a nationalist politician

Describe the events of the Kapp Putsch

In March 1920, 5,000 Freikorp troops marched on Berlin as they feared unemployment. Ebert ordered the army to stop them but the army refused. The Freikorps wanted to invite the Kaiser to come back to rule but their rebellion was soon quelled when Ebert called for trade unions to go on strike. They were forced to give up then as they couldn’t keep Berlin running if there were no workers.

Why was the Kapp Putsch significant for the government?

It showed that the support of the army couldn’t be taken for granted