THE WEIMAR CONSTITUTION

what were the left wing parties of Weimar

• SPD - socialist democrats

• USPD - independent

• KPD - communists

what were the views of the left wing parties of Weimar

• greater socio-economic equality

• more tax spending on public services

• greater worker rights

what were the centre parties of Weimar

DDP + Zentrum - catholics

what were the views of the centre parties of Weimar

• Pro-Weimar

• Liberal views

what were the right wing parties of Weimar

• DVP - The German People's Party

• DNVP - The German National People's Party

what were the views of the right wing parties of Weimar

• favoured authoritarian leader

• low taxation

• tradition/conservative views

• less equality - monarchists

what did the January 1919 elections state

• SPD winning with 38% of the vote

• CCP had 20%

• DDP had 19%

What was the Bill of Rights

a law stating that everyone had the freedom of speech, right to work, welfare rights, right to property etc.

What was Article 48

an emergency law allowing the president to rule through presidential decree (basically become a dictator in emergencies) - any decrees made under article 48 were reviewed by Reichstag

criticisms of weimar

• germany had not much experience in high levels of democracy

• article 25 + 48 said to give president too much power

• proportional representation made it difficult for coalition governments to last long

• gave minority parties (think radical and extremists) the opportunities to gain full government control

What was article 25

allowed the president to dissolve the reichstag at any given moment

supporters of weimar

SPD, Z, DDP and Liberal DVP later in 1920 - with liberal views

Opponents to weimar

• Conservative DVP - wanted constitutional monarchy.

• Industrial and business owners - felt they gave too many rights to workers, did not serve their interests.

When and what were the Dawes and Young plans

• the dawes plan 1924 was a receiving of loans from the USA (800 mil gold marks) to stabilise the economy

• the young plan 1929, reduced the amount of money Germany had to pay off and extended the deadline to 58 years

What were the conditions of the TOV

• reparation payments - 132 bil gold marks and taking responsibility of WWI

• demilitarisation of the Rhineland, as well as restrictions on Germany’s military (only 100,000 soldiers, 6 battleships, no submarines or air forces)

• lost territory - West posen and west Prussia to Poland, Saarlands and Lorraine to France

• Anschluss banned.

what was the invasion of the Ruhr

• germany failed to pay reparations - 1923-25 France occupied the ruhr, seizing their factories, mines, productions of raw materials and goods

how did germany retaliate to the invasion of the ruhr

• workers striked and refused to co-operate, Germany paid these workers but that made inflation worse. the invasion heavily damaged german economy

exchange rate from marks to 1 USD 1919 compared to1923

• April 1919 - 12 marks for $1

• Jan 1923 - 4.2 trillion marks for $1

what main things did chancellor Stresemann suggest to stabilise Germany as a country

• called off passive resistance to invasion of Ruhr - reduced reparation payments and calmed situation

• began Dawes plan + began to resolve hyperinflation with banker Schacht and finance minister Luther.

• intro-ed new currency ‘Rentenmark’ - 1 unit worth 1 trillion of old marks.

Hyperinflation effects of LS (living standards)

• those with savings lost them - effected mostly middle class

• those with debts had no debts anymore (working class)

• maintained employment - good for workers, however wages did not keep up with inflation, bad for workers.

left extremism examples

• spartacist uprising 1919 jan - attempt at communist revolution (KPD), diffused by Friekorps immediately

• strikes and street violence - contribute to instability

right extremism examples

• Kapp Putsch 1920 - Freikorps disbanded, many right wing politicians and soldiers

• White terror - 354 political assassinations from right wing

• Damaging ideas - stab in back, make democracy look bad

• Nazi party

how many political assassinations between 1919-22

in total: 376

• right: 354, 326 unpunished, 1 life sentence, 90 total years in jail handed out

• left: 22, 4 unpunished, 10 death sentence, 3 life sentences, 250 total years in jail handed out

What was the munich putsch 1923

• build support for Nazis, attempt to take control of gov through conservative meeting, Hitler announcing revolution

• authorities notified, police stopped putsch

• Hitler sentences to 5 years, served 9 months, made Mein Kampf

how did Weimar control extremism

• weakness from extremist - Spartacist poorly planned, Hitler’s poor decisions during Putsch

• Lack of public support - not widespread support for proper revolution (700K people show distaste in violence in Berlin)

Strengths of democracy

• Ebert - ruthless to left extremism, ruled A48 during M.P.

• Army crushed left rebellion

• Foreign Policy, Dawes plan stabilised Germany

positive features of politics weimar golden years 1924-29

• political stability - no putsch or political assassinations, Grand coalition had secure majority 60%

• accepted democracy - 1928 election - 76% for pro Weimar parties, low Nazi support with 2.6%

• Hindenburg - elected 1925, chose Muller chancellor

positive features of economics weimar golden years 1924-29

• 1928 - production equalled and nation income 12% from 1913

• Dawes + Young plans

• inflation + unemployment low

• wages rose every years from 1924-30

negative features of politics weimar golden years 1924-29

• immature party politics + unstable coalitions. unused parties unable to cooperate, 7 different govs in 1923-29, many didn’t have reichstag support

• extremist support - ¼ parties anti-weimar (KPS 10% in 1928)

• Hindenburg - supported far right, didn’t like SPD

negative features of economics weimar golden years 1924-29

• dependence on US loans, Wall St. + Gt. D. = US pulled out.

• Unemployment 1.3mil. + climbing

• B + F had better economy

• high social tensions between workers and business owners

what is the New Woman

• behaved and dressed more relaxed (smoking, trousers)

• more independent with careers, less focused on marriage and family

• more sexually liberated - more liberal too

what is the Traditional Woman

• stayed at home and focused on tending to family and husband

• more conservative

weimar artist culture and its impact

• Bauhaus inspired architecture

• American Jazz was popular - not so fascist

• All Quiet on the Western Front - people opposed WWI and its outcome

• Metropolis - hope for change in future

what years were the Great Depression

1929-32

how much did national income shrink during the Great Depression

39%

what effect would low national income have on a country, living standards and economy

• leads to unemployment, poor living standards due to poverty

• gov may cut funds towards public services (like Bruning cut welfare spendings)

• political instability may lead to people looking toward parties that seek immediate change, like extremist parties

how much did industrial produce decline by during Great Depression

more than 40%

what effect would low industrial produce have on a country, LS and economy

• unemployment + reduced income in industrial sector - low LS due to poverty + income inequality, people unable to afford goods.

• dependency on foreign policy + imports

• looking toward extremist parties

about how many were unemployed in 1932

over 6 million, compared to 1929 - 1.3 million

how many banks went bankrupt

50,000 around the country, 5 MAJOR banks went bankrupt

what were living standards like during the Great Depression

• increased homelessness + unemployment, reduction in welfare spending made matters worse

• many middle class lost savings in banking crash, + reduced wages

• bank owners went bust

how did hindenburg respond to the Gt D

• refused to back SPD chancellor Muller over whether or not to cut welfare spendings - Hindenburg supported the idea

• attempted to increase support for new Bruning government using A48 to stabilise him more

What party was Bruning from

the Zentrum Party

How did Bruning respond to the Gt D

• known as the ‘hunger chancellor’, cut welfare spendings to end reparation payments

• relied on Hindenburg to take measure to stabilise his gov

• began a public works scheme

• his policies viewed as ‘Too Little, Too Late’ - led the way for Hitler to rise to power

Why did Bruning cut unemployment welfare

he thought cutting benefits would make people more inclined to get a job, therefore, increasing employment levels for the good of the economy

What did schools try to prioritise in their students

• civil responsibilities

• personal development

• teach reconciliation with other nations from WWI

The School Law 1920

insurance that all children receive a standard education for first 4 school years

the four types of Weimar schools

• Gymnasium - private school, focused on discipline

• Realgymnasium - less prestigious, used integrated curriculum from Gymnasium

• Oberrealschule - focused on core subjects as well as languages

• Aufbauschule - offer gymnasium style but for poor children.

what were the (important) weimar chancellors

Ebert, Hindenburg, Muller, Bruning, Von Papen, Schleicher

What years was Ebert chancellor for

1919-24

What years was Hindenburg chancellor for

1925-28

What years was Muller chancellor for

June 1928-March 1930

What years was Bruning chancellor for

March 1930-May 1932

What years was Von Papen chancellor for

May 1932-November 1932

What years was Schleicher chancellor for

December 1932-January 1933

how many members were in the Nazi party by early 1933

around 2 million

how many SA members in 1931 compared to

what percentage of votes did the nazi party have in 1928

2.6% - 12 seats

what percentage of votes did the nazi party have in 1930

18.3% - 107 seats

what percentage of votes did the nazi party have by July 1932

37.3% - 230 seats, single largest party in the Reichstag

what percentage of nazi members were working class

31% and 46% of population was Working Class

what people were typically members of / voted for the nazi party

• first-time women voters, typically conservative who opposed democracy and weimar.

• younger males 2/3 under 40

• working class

• office workers and self-employed overrepresented

who was the nazi’s head of propaganda

Joseph Goebbels - portrayed hitler as a courageous and credible leader - strong + decisive whilst other politicians weak and unreliable

what was the outcome of the 1932 presidential election

Hindenburg VS. Hitler, Hitler lost but established himself as a great political leader - giving more hope for his party in next presidential election

what propaganda was placed in Working Class areas

messages about bread and work - hitler for the working class people making it seem he could solve their issues unlike Weimar

what propaganda was placed in rural areas

Mostly Anti-semitism

How effective was propaganda in gaining popularity for the Nazi party

• in areas where propaganda wasn’t used, people still voted for the party, could be argued it wasn’t so effective

• but in places it was used were proven to be the majority of votes

• whilst it wasn’t fully necessary, it was useful and somewhat effective

what type of propaganda was used by Hitler and Goebbels

• leaflets, rallies, speeches, posters etc

• the use of modern tech, radios and film etc. made Hitler appear dynamic and favourable with more forward thinking implying dramatic change from Weimar

When was Hitler appointed chancellor

30 January 1933

who or what was Hindenburg pressured by to appoint Hitler

• influential bankers (Schacht) and industrialists (Farben and Krupp)

• Von Papen, wishing to be vice-chancellor and ‘control Hitler’

• conservative political members and economic elite

• threat of KPD growth

What was the vote share for KPD in 1928 compared to 1933

• 1928 - 3 million

• November 1933 - 5.9 million

what factors contributed to the appointment of Hitler

• taking advantage of Great Depression and political crisis, make Hitler seem way more appealing than Weimar

• Hitler was a charismatic leader

• Nazi propaganda

• KPD threat

• SA violence