germany 1918-45

important figures

Prince Max von Baden

Announced the abdication of the Kaiser (without him knowing)

Friedrich Ebert

Leader of the SPD (largest political party)and declared Chancellor by Baden after the Kaiser fled

Elected as Weimar Republic’s first president after the first elections for the Weimar National Assembly

president 1919-25

Rosa Luxemburg

Led the Spartacists rising in 1919, did not trust new government. Captured by Freikorps, she was shot and her body dumped in a canal

Karl Liebknecht

Led the Spartacists rrising in 1919, did not trust new government. captured and murdered/executed

Wolfgang Kapp

led Freikorps units in a right-wing rising called the Kapp Putsch during 1920. Failed to win the support of the workers who went on strike, and was forced to flee after 4 days.

Adolf Hitler

• Joined DAP in 1919 → became leader in 1921

• led the Munich Putsch in 1923, failed → imprisoned

• wrote mein kampf in prison (9 months, released in Dec 1924)

• enabling act (march 1933) → rule by decree, banned other parties and trade unions

• night of long knives (june 1934) → removed opposition

• became Fuhrer (aug 1934)

• established one party state

• remilitarisaiton of Rhineland 1936

• invaded Poland 1939

• died 1945

hitler organised and disciplined the nazi party, and was a powerful speaker who appealed to the public and attracted mass support. used various violent and terrorising tactics to make nazis appear stronger and create fear.

during the great depression hitler’s extremist views gained popularity due to the public’s mass unemployment and anger at government

Paul von Hindenburg 1847-1934

• elected as President of Germany in 1925

• appointed bruning, papen and schleicher as chancellors (1930-32)

• persuaded by papen to appoint Hitler as chancellor (1933)

• died in August 1934

• did not respect Hitler but did not have determination to stand against Nazism

easily influenced by papen and schleicher

Ernst Rohm 1887-1934

• served in WW1 as a captain

• joined freikorps in 1919

• joined the Nazis in 1919

• helped form SA in 1921 and became leader from 1921-23

• participated in Munich Putsch, initially jailed and soon released on probation (1923)

• left for bolivia for 5 years

• returned to Germany at Hitler’s request (1930)

• SA leader 1930-34

• arrested and murdered in the night of the long knives in June 1934 - reason given was his homosexuality

• played a key role in earlier years, especially by introducing hitler to the nazi party in 1919 and was one of Hitlers closest friendsz

controversial character - homosexual and heavy drinker, enjoyed the violence of war. played key role in earliest years, introduced hitler to nazis in 1919.

fundamental differences such as wanting to create a ‘people’s army’ ultimately led to his own death during NOLK

Franz von Papen 1879-1969

• appointed chancellor by hindenburg to head the ‘cabinet of barons’ in may 1932

• displaced by hindenburg in november 1932 but schemed to replace schleicher and recover his power

• organised the nazi-nationalist coalition with the elites in 1933 and approved by hindenburg

• appointed vice chancellor in the coalition

• resigned after night of long knives (july 1934)

was always a monarchist and nationalist. he was under the delusion that he could control hitler as the vice-chancellor, but was quickly outmanoeuvred by him in 1933

hermann goring 1893-1946

• served in WW1 as a pilot officer

• dropped out of university to become a SA commander 1922

• took part in MP and was seriously injured

• elected to the reichstag in may 1928

• appointed to the cabinet of Hitler’s government as Minister without Portfolio in jan 1933

• organised terror the same year to impose dictatorship and uphold coordination

• helped organise NOLK

• named Hitler’s successor at the height of his power 1939

• commited suicide 2hrs before his execution at Nuremberg trials

had a brutal and uncompromising approach. origionally popular bc of his charming conversation but soon became resented for his greed and ambition.

was responsible for:

• played a crucial role in the rise of Nazism and consolidation of power

• organised infiltration of german police 1933-34

• willingly used terror and violence to secure Nazi power

• deeply involved in reichstag fire and NOLK

Heinrich Himmler 1900-45

• joined the Nazis in 1923

• took part in munich putsch

• appointed leader of SS in 1929

• elected as Nazi deputy of the reichstag in 1930

• arranged the SA purge during NOLK (june 1034)

• became chief of all german police in 1936

• appointed minister of interior 1943

• arrested & commited suicide before trial in may 1945

when he was appointed leader of SS he quickly turned the small group of 250 people into an elite force of over 52000

until 1934, the SS and himler still remained in the shadow of Rohm and the SA - his decision to take responsibility for the purge during NOLK that was his turning point

he was mainly responsible for:

• development and control of terror

• extermination of sub-human races such as Jews and Gypsies in concentration camps

• exploitation of all occupied lands for slave labour and arms production

• development of Waffen SS which was on par with the german army by end of the war

Josef Goebbels 1897-1945

• joined Nazi party in 1924, origionally a supporter of radical nazi Strasser

• broke with strasser and sided with hitler in 1926

• created Nazi newspaper Der Angriff in 1927

• appointed member of reichstag 1928

• put in charge of Party Propaganda in 1930

• joined cabinet in 1933 & appointed Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda

• issued for attacks of Kristallnacht 1938 november

• commited suicide after poisoning his children and shooting his wife in 1945 april

he was one of the few intellectuals in the Nazi leadership who suffered from a strong inferiority complex and became a committed anti-Semite

played a crucial role to sell the Nazi image and was a highly skilled orator, though other leading nazis such as goring distrusted him

mainly responsible for:

• cencoring all non-nazi media

• promoting main nazi ideologies

• using all possible methods to advance idea of Nazi totalitarianism

Gustav Stressemann

• chancellor 1923 and then appointed foreign minister 1923-29

• ended hyperinflation by introducing the rentenmark as a temporary currency - restored confidence in economy and stabalised prices

• called off passive resistance in the ruhr - restarted industrial production

• after stabalising the economy, he introduced the reichmark to replace the rentenmark and became germany’s permanent currency

• established the Dawes Plan in 1924 - us loaned 800m to germany to boost economic recovery

• locarno treaties 1925 - germany accepted new western boarders, which improved relations with france and belgium leading to more trust

• germany was accepted as a member of LON by 1926 - shown to be treated as an equal power again

• kellogg briand pact 1928 - 62+ countries signed an agreement to settle disputes peacefully and avoid using war, showed germany as peaceful

• period of 1924-29 known as the ‘golden years' & period leading up to golden years often called Stressemann’s 100 days

played a crucial role in recovering german economy and repairing relations with foreign countries

Rudolf Hess

• joined Nazis 1920

• helped Hitler write Mein kampf 1924 in prison

• responsible for party organisation and internal affairs

• appointed deputy fuhrer in 1933

• in may 1941 he flew solo to scotland in an attempt to negotiate peace - demonstrated poor judgement

• arrested immediately and trialed at nuremberg trials 1945-6

he was a loyal supporter but lacked independence - more of a follower than thinker. he was responsible for administration and ensuring hitler’s decisions were carried out. had authority to sign laws on hitler’s behalf.

appeared in a position of importance in the regime but in practice had limited influence due to other leading Nazis controlling key areas

his attempt at negotiation showed his poor judgement and that he was not a central figure and damaged his reputation

important in early development of nazis but lacked real power

Albert Speer

• joined nazis in 1931

• in 1932 he was commissioned to renovate the berlin nazi headquarters - as he was an architect

• appointed hitlers personal architect in 1933

• appointed minister of armaments and war production following death of fritz todt

• introduced series of reforms to increase efficiency - inc centralising control of production, reducing waste and prioritising key industries such as aircraft and weapon manufacturing

• tried at nuremberg trials 1945-6

he played a crucial role in increasing german war production from 1942-44 despite worsening conditions of war - prolonged the war effort

however his successes heavily depended on forced labour of concentration camp inmates and prisoners subjected to harsh and inhumane conditions

in final stages of war 1945 he disobeyed hitler’s scorched earth policy - suggests he may have acted pragmatically rather than blindly

Reinhard Heydrich

• joined SS in 1931 - quickly promoted due to good organisational skills, and became head of SD (intelligence service of SS)

• played key role in NOLK 1934

• became head of Security Police in 1936 - inc gestapo and criminal police

• appointed head of Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) in sept 1939

• chared Wannsee Conference 1942 jan

• following WC he was directly involved in organising deportations of jews to conc & exterm camps

• appointed Dept reich protector of bohemia and moravia - ruled harshly and used brutal repression to crush resistance and attempt to increase industrial productivity

• seriously injured in assisination attempt in prague may 1942

• died of injuries june 1942

overall played central role in consolidating hitlers power and organising the holocaust & controlling security apparatus