History

When did WW1 end?

11 November 1918

When was the Weimar Republic formed?

1919

When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

28 June 1919

When was the Spartacist Revolt?

January 1919

When was the Ruhr Crisis?

1923

When did hyperinflation occur?

1923

When was the Munich / Beer Hall Putsch?

8-9 November 1923

When did Hitler go to prison for the Putsch?

1 April 1924

What years were the Golden Years?

1924-1929

When did the Great Depression begin?

1929

When did Hitler become Chancellor?

30 January 1933

When was the Reichstag Fire?

27 February 1933

When were trade unions banned?

2 May 1933

When did the Night of the Long Knives happen?

30 June - 2 July 1934

What was the Weimar Republic?

Germany’s new government formed after the Kaiser abdicated.

What was a constitution?

A set of rules for running a country.

Who was Friedrich Ebert?

The first President of the Weimar Government.

What was Article 48?

It allowed the President to suspend rights during an emergency and rule as a dictator.

What was proportional representation?

The electoral system used by the Weimar Republic.

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

The peace treaty that officially ended WW1 and punished Germany.

What was the War Guilt Clause?

Germany was forced to accept responsibility for starting the war and causing deaths and damage.

What were reparations?

Compensation Germany had to pay for war damage.

What was the Polish Corridor?

Territory in eastern Germany given away, splitting Germany territory.

What was the Ruhr?

An important industrial region of Germany.

What was hyperinflation?

A period when prices rose dramatically and German money rapidly lost its value.

What was the Great Depression?

A worldwide economic crisis of the 1930s, started by the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Who were the Spartacists?

Communists who wanted Germany to be run by the working classes.

Who were the Freikorps?

Ex-German army soldiers who hated Communists.

What was a Putsch?

A violent attempt to overthrow a government.

Who was Anton Drexler?

Leader of the German Workers’ Party before Hitler took control.

What was the NSDAP?

The Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party (the Nazi Party).

What was Fascism?

A form of government in which most of a country’s power is held by one ruler.

What was Dolchstoss?

The idea that Germany had been forced to surrender in WW1.

What was propaganda?

Material presenting a biased view.

What was Lebensraum?

The desire for more “living space” for German speakers.

Who was Josef Goebbels?

Minister for Public Enlightenment and the person in charge of propaganda.

Who was Marinus van der Lubbe?

A 24-year-old Dutchman accused and convicted of setting fire to the Reichstag.

Why did Germany suffer food shortages during WW1?

The British naval blockade stopped supplies entering Germany.

What was the Turnip Winter?

Winter 1917, when Germany suffered severe food shortages.

How did the Spanish Flu affect Germany?

It killed around 400,000 German civilians and soldiers.

Why did sailors munity?

They refused to follow orders because they believed Germany had lost the war.

Why did America entering WW1 hurt Germany?

America had a strength Germany could not match.

What happened to the Kaiser?

He abdicated in 1918, creating a power vacuum.

What were the November Criminals?

The politicians who signed the peace armistice in 1918 and later took power as the Weimar Republic.

What did the Armistice require Germany to do?

End fighting, hand over weapons and return Allied prisoners of war.

What happened to the German army?

It was reduced to 100,000 men.

What happened to the German navy?

It was reduced to 6 warships, with no submarines.

What happened to German tanks?

Germany was not allowed any tanks.

What happened to conscription?

It was banned.

What happened to the Rhineland?

It was demilitarised.

What happened to Germany’s alliance with Austria?

Germany was not allowed to have an alliance with Austria.

What happened to Alsace-Lorraine?

It was given back to France.

What happened to the Saar coalfields?

They were given to France for 15 years.

What happened to Germany’s colonies?

They were given to France / Britan.

How much did Germany have to pay in reparations?

£6.6 billion.

Why was the Weimar Republic unpopular?

Germans disliked the new politicians, economic/political unrest, Versailles, democracy, the Kaiser being gone and reparations.

What happened in the Spartacist Revolt?

Around 100,000 workers demonstrated and occupied newspaper/railway offices.

How did Ebert respond to the Spartacist Revolt?

He asked General Groener for help, who sent in the Freikorps.

What was the result of the Spartacist Revolt?

Around 700 protesters were killed and the leaders were arrested and exectuted.

What impact did the Spartacist Revolt have?

It showed the Weimar Government lacked full support and divided the SPD and KPD.

Why did Hitler attempt the Munich Putsch?

He saw the Weimar Republic as weak and wanted to take advantage of this.

What was Hitler’s plan in the Munich Putsch?

Take over Bavaria and then the rest of Germany.

What happened during the Munich Putsch?

Hitler and the Nazis took over a Beer Hall meeting and later marched into Munich.

What happened when the Nazis marched into Munich?

German troops stopped them and shots were fired; 16 Nazis and 4 policeman were killed.

What happened to Hitler after the Putsch?

He was arrested and charged with High Treason.

What was Hitler’s sentence?

Five years in prison, although he served nine months.

Why did France and Belgium invade the Ruhr?

Germany was unable to pay its reparations.

How did Germans respond to the Ruhr occupation?

They used passive resistance.

How did passive resistance contribute to hyperinflation?

The government printed money to support workers.

What happened to the value of German money?

It became almost worthless.

What happened to people’s savings?

They became worthless.

What happened to pensions?

They became worthless because they did not rise with inflation.

What happened to food prices?

They rose dramatically and could change by the hour.

What happened to wages?

Men received wages twice a day and often collected them in wheelbarrows.

What happened to employment during hyperinflation?

Some people lost jobs because companies could no longer afford to pay them.

What happened to housing?

Some people lost their homes because they could no longer afford rent.

What happened after the Wall Street Crash?

American loans were recalled, sending the German economy into crisis.

How did the Great Depression affect unemployment?

By 1933, over 6 million people - around 33% of Germany - were unemployed.

How did the Great Depression help the Nazis?

Many Germans lost trust in the government and began listening to Hitler’s promises to solve Germany’s problems.

Why did Germans dislike the Treaty of Versailles?

They hated the harsh terms, including reparations, military restrictions, loss of territory and the War Guilt Clause.

Why was Hitler’s leadership important to Nazi popularity?

Hitler was a powerful speaker who could tailor his speeches to different audiences. The Nazis also created a “Cult of the Leader” around him.

Why was the Weimar Republic created?

After the Kaiser abdicated, Germany needed a new government. A new government was formed and the National Assembly met in 1919.

Why was the government called the Weimar Republic?

Parliament met in the town of Weimar because Berlin was considered too dangerous.

What type of government was Weimar Germany?

It was a republic and democracy, with no king or queen and people have a say in government.

Who could vote

All adults aged 20+ could vote.

How was the President chosen?

A President was elected every 7 years.

How was the Chancellor chosen?

The Chancellor was chosen by the President.

How was the Reichstag chosen?

The German people voted for the Parliment.

What rights did Germans have?

Rights included freedom of speech and the right to meet in groups.

What was a problem with Article 48?

It allowed the President to suspend rights during an emergency and rule as a dictator.

Why could proportional representation be a problem?

It meant there could be many different political parties - 35 at one point.

Why did Germans blame the Weimar Government for Versailles?

Signing the Treaty was the Government’s first action and it was blamed for accepting harsh terms.

Why did Germans dislike the new politicians?

The new politicians were associated with Germany’s defeat and the peace settlement.

Who were the Big Three?

Clemenceau, Lloyd George and Wilson.

What did Clemenceau want?

Revenge, punishment for Germany, reparations and a weaker Germany so France could not be invaded again.

What did Lloyd George want?

A middle ground between Clemenceau and Wilson and justice rather than revenge.

What did Wilson want?

He did not want to destroy Germany or blame Germany for the war.

Why did the Treaty humiliate Germany?

Germany was punished, forced to accept responsibility for the war and lost military power, territory and money.

Why did Germans hate the military terms?

Germany's army and navy were drastically reduced and Germany was banned from having certain weapons and conscription.

Why did Germans hate the territorial terms?

Germany lost land, including Alsace-Lorraine, the Saar and eastern territory, and its colonies.