Germany 1918-1945 Possible 8 Markers

Explain two effects of defeat in the First World War on Germany.

1) Marked end of kaiser, beginning of democracy

2) Treaty of Versailles

Explain two effects of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany.

1) Accept full responsibility for causing the war (article 231/war guilt clause) and therefore the devastation and losses of the war.
- Resented by all Germans who did not believe they were responsible for the outbreak of the war.
- Was a constant thorn in the side of the Weimar leaders who tried to meet the terms of the agreement while trying to have these terms modified.
- Stabbed in the back theory

2) Limited military power
- Army of no more than 100,000 members.
- No submarines or aeroplanes.
- Six battleships.
- The Rhineland was demilitarized.
- The idea was to reduce Germany's armed forces to a size where they couldn't endanger the countries near.

Explain two effects of the Weimar Constitution on Germany.

1) Abuse of power.
- Article 48
- Gave the president the power to act without parliament's approval in an emergency.
- It didn't clearly define what an 'emergency' was, so the power was overused, which weakened Germans' confidence in democracy.

2) Violent uprisings from both sides of the political spectrum.
- Spartacist Uprising.
- January 1919: 50,000 members of the post-WW1 Communist Party,the Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
- The government was saved when it armed bands of ex-soldiers, known as the Freikorps, who defeated the Spartacist rebels.
- The Kapp Putsch.
- In crushing the communists, the Freikorps had saved the government, but the terms of the Treaty of Versailles meant Germany's army had to be significantly reduced and the Freikorps had to be disbanded.
- 13 - 17 March 1920: as a reaction to this, Dr Wolfgang Kapp led a Freikorps takeover in Berlin.

Explain two effects of the challenges from the Right on the Weimar Republic.

1) Showed that Weimar constitution had good support

2) Showed that military was weak as it was reduced to 100,000 men

Explain two effects of the challenges from the left on Germany.

1) showed that communism was a threat

2) Showed weak military

Explain two effects of the French occupation of the Ruhr on Germany.

1) Passive resistance.
- December 1922: Germany stopped paying reparations.
- In retaliation, the French army invaded the Ruhr and seized goods and factories to make up for the lack of payment.
- Germany couldn't respond with force as its military was too weak, so the German government ordered workers to resist the occupation using passive resistance.
- Workers in the Ruhr went on strike and refused to assist the French occupiers.
- Overall, caused huge problems for Germany: Much of the country's raw materials were located there and now this was in the control of the French.

2) A key consequence of the occupation was a rise in prices (inflation) due to shortages of goods and raw materials.
- German marks became worthless compared to foreign currencies.
- The government collected less tax as unemployment rose and fewer people paid tax.
- To tackle this shortage of tax incomes, the government decided to print money, which further fuelled rising prices.

Explain two effects of hyperinflation on Germany.

1) Some people benefited.
- Farmers profited from rising food prices and some businesses were able to pay off loans, as the loans lost value.
- Others were able to buy up smaller, failing businesses very cheaply.

2) Many people suffered.
- Everyone suffered from shortages:
- German marks became worthless compared to foreign currency.
- Foreign suppliers refused to accept marks for goods, so imports dried up and food shortages got worse!
- Difficult to buy what was needed:
- People had to carry wheelbarrows full of money.
- Workers were paid twice a day so they could rush out and buy goods before prices rose further. Some resorted to trading goods instead of money.
- Savings wiped out:
- Those with savings, insurance policies and pensions were hit hardest as saving became worthless.

Explain two effects of the work of Gustav Stresemann on Germany in the years 1923-29.

1) Confidence in the currency, banking system and economy was restored.
- Oct 1923: introduction of the rentenmark
- Old currency was abolished and a new, temporary currency was introduced
- Deposits in German banks rose from 900m marks at the start of 1924 to 4,900 marks at the end of 1926.

2) Germany had become a respectable member of the international community.
- Locarno Pact (1925): Germany agreed to keep to its new 1919 border with France and Belgium. Allies agreed to remove their troops from the Rhineland.
-->Germany treated as an equal.
- League of Nations (1926): Germany was trusted again and treated as an equal in world affairs.
- Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928): international agreement by which states promised not to use war to achieve their foreign policy aims.

Explain two effects of the Rentenmark on Germany.

1) Confidence in the currency, banking system and economy was restored.
- Oct 1923: introduction of the Rentenmark
- Old currency was abolished and a new, temporary currency was introduced
- Deposits in German banks rose from 900m marks at the start of 1924 to 4,900 marks at the end of 1926.

2) Lead to the introduction of the Reichsmark.
- Aug 1924, the Rentenmark was replaced by a new, permanent currency called the Reichsmark.
- A new independent national bank, the Reichsbank, was also created to control the currency.

Explain two effects of the Dawes Plan on Germany.

1) Economic Benefits.
- 1924: 800m marks in loans/reduce annual payments.

2) Showed cooperation?
- USA helped
- French withdrew
- Gained bit of Reichbank
- Reviewed payments

Explain two effects of the Young Plan on Germany.

1) Strengthened the Weimar Republic.
- Eased the burden of reparations payments.
- 1929: Cut reparations payments from £6.6 billion to £2 billion, with 59 more years to pay.
Reduced by 20%
Between 1925 and 1929 exports rose by 40 percent

2)
- The deal didn't please everyone, especially those who resented the Treaty of Versailles, such as the National Socialists. They were still angry that they had to pay reparations
Referendum held where 14% voted against young plan
Also Brits opposed young plan, hated Germans

Explain two effects of the Locarno Treaties on Germany.

1) Germany treated as an equal
- (1925): Germany agreed to keep to its new 1919 border with France and Belgium.
- In return, the Allies agreed to remove their troops from the Rhineland.
- The agreement was made with Germany and not forced upon it like the Treaty of Versailles.
- As a result, many moderate Germans had greater confidence in Stresemann and the Weimar Republic.
- The 'spirit of Locarno' improved relations in Europe in the 1925-1930 period, encouraging foreign investment in Germany.

2) Some people turned more against the gov.
- Extremist parties such as the Nazis and Communists still detested the Republic and viewed the Locarno Pact as further betrayal of Germany as it confirmed many of the points of the hated Treaty of Versailles.

Explain two effects of the Kellogg-Briand Pact on Germany.

1) Showed that Germany had become a respectable member of the international community.
- Germany was one of 65 countries to sign (1928).
- Promised not to use war to achieve foreign policy aims.
- Germany was viewed as a serious power that could be respected and trusted.


2) Some people turned more against the gov.
- It was supported by moderate Germans but despised by extremist parties.
- Those who hated the Pact detested it because it did not reverse any of the sanctions placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.

Explain two effects of the Munich Putsch on the Nazi Party.

1) Nazi party was banned until 1925.
- 1923: Munich putsch
- Hitler was found guilty of treason and sentenced to five years in Landsberg Castle prison (the minimum sentence).
- Ludendorff was acquitted and the others leaders released almost immediately.
- Nazi party headquarter were raided and its newspaper and the party was banned.

2) It was a propaganda victory for the NSDAP.
- Hitler used the trial to get national publicity for his views.
- Every word he spoke was reported in national papers the next day.
- The judges were impressed and he only served 9 months and was fined only 500 Reichmarks.
- As a result of the publicity, the NSDAP won its first seats in the Reichstage
- 32 seats in the 1924 election
-Mein Kampf: Hitler formed his political ideas which became a guide for the party.

Explain two effects of party reorganisation on the NSDAP in the years 1924-8.

1) Hitler became a national figure.
- By 1928, the Nazi Party was well organised & had over 100,000 members.
- The Nazi Party also pioneered the use of radio, films and gramophone records to keep Hitler in the public eye.
- Hitler was famous for using aeroplanes to fly from city to city, speaking up to five times a day in some cases.
- His speeches reported across the whole country

2) Increased use of propaganda.
- Became more important as the party hoped to increase its share of the vote.
- Goebbels was the Nazi Party gauleiter and was a brilliant propagandist. He worked with Hitler to improve the party message.
- They created scapegoats for Germany's problems: Jews, the communists and leaders of the Weimar Republic.
-The Nazi Party also pioneered the use of radio, films and gramophone records to keep Hitler in the public eye.
- Propaganda created the image of strength for the party

Explain two effects of the Great Depression on Germany.

1) Extremist parties like the Nazis and Communists benefited from public anger with the government.
- Many joined the private armies of political parties and violence increased across Germany.
- Right-wing parties opposed higher taxes.
- Left-wing parties opposed lower benefits.
- Bruning's coalition government collapsed and he had to rely on Presidential decree (Article 48) to govern.
- In 1930 only 5 decrees were used this rose to 66 in 1932.
- Decrees just undermined confidence in the Weimar Republic.

2) German government left without money and struggling to afford reparations repayments.
- Middle classes lost savings, their businesses and their homes to the banking collapse.
- Workers became unemployed, further increasing the welfare bill for the German government.
- More unemployment and closing businesses and decreasing trade resulted in the government loosing tax revenue at a blistering pace.
- This was made worse by the fact that the government relied on American loans which have been recalled.

Explain two effects of the SA on the Nazi Party's success.

1) The SA allowed the Nazi Party to demonstrate organisational ability and control.
- Nazis sent the SA to break up meetings of communists and other opposition.
- They paraded around the streets with flags and songs showcasing the power and control of the Nazis.
- They protected meetings of the Nazis from other extremist parties and fought opposition to Hitler.

2) Gave the appearance of strength, order and unity to the party
- expanded to 400,000 members by 1930.
- They were used to protect meetings and intimidate opponents like the communists

Explain two effects of the Reichstag Fire on Nazi control.

1) Used to remove comms
- Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg that Germany was on the brink of a communist rebellion to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree.
- This decree allowed Hitler to remove the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), have its leaders arrested and imprison or execute them
- 4000 comms arrested

2) Hitler used the confusion and unease generated by the fire to consolidate his own power.
- Passed 'Law for the Protection of People and State' on 28th February = ended freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of the press.
- March 1933 election, Hitler and the Nazis managed to achieve 288 seats in the Reichstag, which failed to achieve a majority of seats but together with other right wing groups managed to achieve a majority.
- This new majority and the removal of opposition allowed Hitler to start the legal transformation of Germany into a dictatorship.

Explain two effects of the Enabling Act on Germany.

1) No more democracy.
- The Act changed the constitution of the Weimar Republic and gave Hitler the right to make laws for four years without the consent of the Reichstag.
- It marked the end of Democracy and the end of the Weimar Republic.

2) Germany turned into a totalitarian state.
- To stop the threat of a nationwide strike, in May 1933 Hitler used his new powers to ban trade unions and make strikes illegal.
- In July 1933 he issued the 'Law against the Establishment of Parties.'
--> Article 1 removed all opposition and declared the NSDAP as the only legal party.
- Local government was also brought under tighter central control.
- In January 1934, Hitler banned all regional parliaments and declared that governors, appointed by him, would run every region.

Explain two effects of the Night of the Long Knives on Germany.

1) Removed internal threats to Hitler's leadership.
- June 1934
- 400 SA members and leaders shot
- Proved that Hitler was now acting illegally by murdering his rivals for power.
- SA continued after 1934 but was limited to giving muscle to the Nazi party and was now firmly under Hitler's control.

2) Helped relieve German people.
- He claimed to be doing this in the interests of Germany.
- Some Germans objected to the violence but most were grateful that the SA, hated for their brutality, had been restrained.

Explain two effects of the Nazi police state on German people.

1) Gestapo controlled all aspects of people's lives.
- They controlled what people did, what people said and where people went.
- Anything which was against the ideals of the Nazi party was dealt with by the police forces and anyone breaking rules was to be punished severely.
- By 1939, 150,000 people were 'under protective arrest' in prison and few would ever see release.

2) People were sent to prison camps.
- Use of concentration camps was significant as it boosted the German economy during the war.
- It was also an efficient, if morally reprehensible, way for Hitler to deal with the opposition and his control on society.
- Undesirables were simply sent to camps and never seen again, often murdered or worked to death.
- By 1939, there were 6 camps holding about 20,000 people.

Explain two effects of Nazi rule on women in Germany.

1) Women were expected to be mothers.
- The Mother's Cross was awarded to women based on the number of children they had to encourage them to have more. Bronze=4/5, silver=6/7, and gold 8+.
- The Lebensborn programme was another policy to encourage childbirth.
- Started in 1935 by Heinrich Himmler, it attempted to encourage the creation of 'ideologically pure' children for adoption.
- In one home alone, 540 mothers gave birth from 1938-41.

2) Women were not allowed to be their own individual.
- Women were encouraged to leave work and concentrate on the 3Ks - kinder, kuche, kirche (children, kitchen and church)
- Nazis disagreed with the use of excessive makeup and instructed women of the Reich to dress plainly, and have a natural look
- Women should be discouraged from joining the labour force. 'A women in work was taking the place of a man.'

Explain two effects of Nazi rule on young people in Germany.

1) Nazi's took over education.
- New subjects like Race Studies taught children that Aryans were superior and they should not marry Jews.
- Mein Kampf became a compulsory school text.
- History lessons criticised communism and the Treaty of Versailles.
- Teachers had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and join the Nazi Teachers' League.
- Teachers taught children the Nazi salute and started each lesson with the children saying 'Heil Hitler'.

2) Nazi's made compulsory youth movements.
- Hitler youth, League of German Maidens
- All groups had uniforms and had to swear loyalty to the Nazi Party.
- Activities encourages good health, good citizenship and support for the Nazis. Sports, Camping and Hiking were popular activities. Group activities encouraged co-operation and comradeship.
- Boys mainly did marching drills, map-reading, signalling and rifle shooting.
- Girls mainly did cooking, setting up camps and motherhood activities.

Explain two effects of Nazi rule on the Church in Germany, 1933-45.

1) Signing of the Concordat (1933).
- To respect freedom of worship for Catholics.
- To not interfere with Catholic schools in Germany.
-Catholic Church agreed to: Instruct its priests not to interfere in Politics, Ordered German bishops to swear loyalty to the National Socialist regime.
- Worked to reduce opposition to Hitler's policies from Catholic Christians.
- It seemed as if the Nazi Regime was one that respected Christian traditions and ethics.

2) Breaking of the Concordat (1937).
- Catholic priests were harassed and arrested with
many ending up in concentration camps.
- Catholic schools were closed or brought in to line with state schools and curriculums.
- Catholic youth groups like the Catholic Youth
League were banned.
- Encouraged Catholics to oppose Nazi policies.
- However, state control of society was too strong by this point; the repression of the Catholic Church by Hitler weakened opposition and served to strengthen his control of society.

Explain two effects of the Nuremberg Laws (1935) on the lives of Jews living in Germany.

1) Jews weren't allowed relationships with Germans.
- 15th September 1935
- The Protection of German Blood and Honour surrounded the issues of marriage and childbirth.
- Under this law, Jews were prohibited from marrying Germans, and were also prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with them.

2)Jews were made out to be invalid.
- Not be German citizens.
- Lost the right to vote, hold government office or have passports.
- From 1938, Jewish doctors, lawyers and dentists could not work for white Aryan Germans.
- Jewish identity cards hard to carry a large letter 'J' for 'Jew'.
- Jews had to register all possessions.

Explain two effects of Kristallnacht on Germany.

1) Jewish property and lives were destroyed.
- Using the assassination of von Rath as an excuse, Germans, including SS and SA, attacked Jews.
- 9th and 10th of November.
- 814 shops, 171 homes and 191 synagogues were destroyed.
- At least 100 Jews were killed.

2) The Jews were fined for the damage that Gemans inflicted on them.
- 1 billion Reichsmarks for instigating the violence and to pay for any damage.
- This was followed up with the rounding up of Jews and interning them in concentration camps.

Explain two effects of Nazi economic policies on Germany.

• Economic Recovery:

  • Explanation: Nazi economic policies, such as public works programs and rearmament, stimulated economic growth.

  • Impact: Reduced unemployment and boosted industrial production, leading to a perceived improvement in living standards for some Germans.

Effect 2:

• Autarky and Isolation:

  • Explanation: Nazi policies aimed at achieving economic self-sufficiency (autarky) and reducing reliance on international trade.

  • Impact: Germany became isolated from global markets, leading to shortages of certain goods and increased dependence on domestic resources.

Explain two effects of Nazi social policies on German workers.

1) National Labour Service
- Form of employment for the unemployed.
- Compulsory in 1935 for all young men.
- Service to the Labour Service was for six months.
- The Labour Service was run like the military.
- Members lived in camps near the projects and wore a special uniform.
- The pay was low.

2) Beauty of Labour.
- Mission to improve working facilities for ordinary Germans.
- They wanted employers to improve their facilities for workers and would give employers help with the cost of making the changes.
- Despite this help, employers used their employees to improve the facilities, without pay, and often after they had finished for the day.
- Employers would look to improve the conditions in toilets, canteens, and showers for their employers.
- The Nazis wanted the conditions for the German worker to be of excellent quality.

Explain two effects of ghettos on Jewish communities.

1) Jews were isolated from Germans.
- Ghettos were walled-off, guarded parts of cities where Jews were forced to live.
- The Nazis were now using force to remove Jews.
- The Ghettos reinforced Nazi propaganda about Jews being dirty and forced many people outside ghettos to views Jews as 'sub-human'.

2) Inhumane conditions.
- In Warsaw, the Nazis crushed 380,000 Jews, 30% of the population, into a ghetto 3% of the size of the city.
- By 1942, 50,000 Jews had died from hunger, cold and disease.
- Made to show that Jews were 'dirty' and 'sub-human'

Explain two effects of the police state on Germany, 1933-39.

1) Boosted the German economy.
- The use of concentration camps was significant.
- It was also an efficient, if morally reprehensible, way for Hitler to deal with the opposition and his control on society.
- Undesirables were simply sent to camps and never seen again, often murdered or worked to death.
- By 1939 there were 6 camps holding about 20,000 people.

2) Nazi's were in control of the law.
- Ensured that all elements of the judiciary would follow Nazi Party priorities and judgements.
- It also strengthened their control of society by punishing people for their political views.
- Judges were hand-picked for loyalty and Hitler would often intervene in cases.
- 'the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law'.
- Hitler also gave judges the freedom to punish people even if they had not broken the law.

Explain two effects of the Second World War on the German Home Front.

1) Political Opposition
- Normal political opposition was impossible so people had to find other ways to undermine the regime.
- Passing on information to foreign governments was one way to undermine the Nazi government.
- Liselotte Herrmann: got information from sympathetic government official about secret weapons projects.
- She sent information to the KDP offices abroad.
- Beheaded June 1938

2) Military Opposition.
- Officer class in German society had never been natural supporters of the Nazis and disliked the paramilitary SA and SS.
- While the war was successful, opposition was subdued, but as the war went badly, opposition increased.
- July Bomb Plot of 1944
- Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg was one of many senior officers at the War Office in Berlin who, by 1944, believed that Hitler was leading Germany to inevitable defeat.
- On 20th July, he took a bomb inside a briefcase into a meeting with Hitler and placed it under the map-table Hitler was using.
- The bomb blew up 12 minutes later but had been moved.
- Over 5,000 were arrested for their suspected part in the plot.

Explain two effects of the Second World War on women in Germany.

1) Women went back to work.
- By the end of the 1930s, German industry was expanding so quickly that women were needed to work so some of the early policies were scaled back or reversed.
- Women entered the workforce in large numbers, working in armaments factories and as medics.

Explain two effects of the Second World War on opposition to the Nazi regime.

1) More people became aware of the monstrosities the Nazi's were doing.
- White Rose Group
- Formed due to their opposition to the war, especially after the attack on the USSR stalled in 1942.
- Many students served in the German army and hated the atrocities they saw.