GCSE History: Germany in Transition 1919-1939

Name the German leader who abdicated on 9th November 1918.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

How often were new presidents elected?

Every 7 years

What power did Article 48 give to the president?

Rule by decree - passing laws without support of Reichstag.

Name the voting system that was introduced that meant that extreme parties were always represented; it was difficult to create stability and caused many coalitions.

Proportional Representation

How many separation coalitions were there throughout the fourteen years of the Weimar Republic?

20

How long did the longest government last?

2 years

When was the Treaty of Versailles signed (month and year)?

(28th) June 1919

What percentage of her territory did Germany lose after the Treaty of Versailles?

13%

What was the War Guilt Clause? (Article no?)

Article 231 - Germany had to accept blame for starting the war and agree to pay reparations.

According to the Treaty of Versailles the Germany army could not exceed what size?

100 000

How much was Germany forced to pay in reparations?

£6,600 million

Many Germans felt that the Weimar politicians ('November Criminals') had stabbed the army in the back. What is the German word for this?

Dolchstoss

In 1919 who led the Spartacist League which eventually became the Communist Party?

Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemborg

What measures did the Weimar government announce in March 1920 leading to the Kapp Putsch?

Plans to reduce the size of the army and disband the Freikorps.

How many murders were carried out during uprisings between 1919-1922?

376 (354 by the right).

How many right-wingers were sentenced to death as a result of political uprisings?

0 - but 10 left-wingers were

Where did France send troops in 1921 and again in 1923, after Germany failed to pay reparations?

The Ruhr (in the Rhineland)

Why did the French and Belgians decide to take the goods they needed in the Ruhr? The violence in 1923 between the occupiers and the German population led to approximately 130 German deaths.

They needed the money to pay off their war debts to the USA.

What was the main economic impact of the occupation of the Ruhr in 1923?

Hyperinflation

Who became German Chancellor in the summer of 1923?

Gustav Stresemann

In 1924 a plan was introduced that changed reparations to 1 billion marks for the first year that increased to 2.5 billion marks per year over 4 years. Name this plan.

Dawes Plan

Between 1924-1930, how much money did US companies and banks give in loans to Germany?

$3,000 million

Name the new currency Stresemann introduced in November 1923.

Rentenmark

To what figure were the reparations reduced to as a result of the Young Plan?

£1,850 million over 59 years

In 1929, when industrial production had returned to pre-war levels, what percentage was agricultural production compared to pre-war levels?

74%

Name the pact agreed in 1925 that saw a period of co-operation with France and Britain.

Locarno Pact

In what year was Germany given a permanent seat on the Council of the League of Nations?

1926 (September)

What was signed in 1928, agreeing armies were to be kept for self-defence, and disputes should be solved peacefully?

The Kellogg-Briand Pact (Germany and 64 other nations)

How many members did the Nazi Party have in the Reichstag in May 1928?

12

By 1928, real wages had increased by what percentage?

Over 10%

How many middle class workers (lawyers, civil servants and teachers) were still seeking employment in April 1928?

184 000

By what percentage had homelessness been reduced by, in 1928? (\>2 million homes built 1924-1931)

Over 60%

In what year was the Unemployment Insurance Law passed? It required workers and employers to make contributions to a national scheme for unemployment welfare.

1927

Women enjoyed more social and political freedom than before the Weimar government. For example they could go out unescorted; drink and smoke in public and wear short skirts. At what age were they given the vote in 1919?

20

What percentage of women were in employment in 1929? It was 31.2% in 1907.

35.6

What was the Neue Sachlichkeit approach to art? It was associated with painters such as George Grosz and Otto Dix.

'New Objectivity' - Weimar artists trying to depict everyday life.

Name one of the following: (a) Popular style of architecture which meant 'School of building', (b) Science fiction film released in 1927 by Fritz Lang, (c) Anti-war novel written by Erich Remarque

(a) Bauhaus, (b) Metropolis, (c) All Quiet on the Western Front

Who founded the German Workers' Party (DAP) in Munich, Bavaria?

Anton Drexler

What was the name of the political manifesto Hitler and Drexler wrote in February 1920?

25 Point Programme

What did Hitler change the Nazi Party's name to?

National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)

When did Hitler become the leader (Fuhrer) of the Nazi Party? (month and year)

July 1921

When the SA (Stormtroopers or Brownshirts) was introduced in 1921, who was their leader?

Ernst Röhm

What was Nazi Party membership in November 1923? (In June 1920 it was about 1100)

55,000

Other than his usual anti-Weimar criticisms, what references did Hitler's speeches commonly contain?

References to German Purity (Aryan race) and vitriolic comments about Jews.

In what year did Hitler believe von Kahr (head of Bavarian government), von Lossow (army chief) and von Seisser (police chief) would support him in an attack on Berlin?

1923

During which month in 1923 did Hitler and 600 Nazis seize the Burgerbräukeller, as part of the Munich Putsch?

November (8th)

How many Nazis and policemen were killed when the two opposing forces met?

16 Nazis and 4 Policemen

Once Hitler's trial for treason had begun in February 1924, how long did it last?

1 month

How long was Hitler's prison sentence, given on 1st April?

5 years (the minimum)

What book did Hitler write during his 9 months at Landsberg prison?

Mein Kampf ('My Struggle')

In what year did the Bamberg Conference take place? At this conference he was able to win over rivals Gregor Strasser and Joseph Goebbels

1926

What was Hitler's bodyguard unit called? It was formed in 1925.

SS (Schutzstaffel)

Afraid the SA would continue being violent, what action did Hitler take following his release from prison?

Forcing Röhm to resign

What was Nazi Party membership by the end of 1928?

Over 100,000

Who replaced Strasser as Party Propaganda Leader in the late 1920s?

Joseph Goebbels

What event abroad shocked the German economy in 1929? The death of Stresemann also added to the crisis.

Wall Street Crash

What figure did unemployment exceed by early 1932?

6 million

How did the Great Depression benefit the Nazi Party? The German words 'Arbeit und Brot' mean work and bread.

The unemployed and hungry desperately wanted solutions, turning to extremist parties for help.

During 1930, there were 5 presidential decrees. How many were there in 1932? (Reichstag laws: 98 → 5)

66 - no majority in Reichstag and could not guarantee acceptance of policies

Name the new Chancellor in March 1930, nicknamed the 'hunger chancellor' for his reductions in government spending.

Heinrich Brüning

Why did the Nazis gain middle-class support in the early 1930s?

Fear of a communist takeover

Who was the leader of the German Communist Party (KPD) from 1924 to 1933?

Ernst Thalmann

By the early 1930s, how many daily/weekly newspapers did the Nazis own?

120

How many seats did the Nazi Party win in September 1930, making them the second largest party?

107

Give one tactic the Nazi party used during the 1932 presidential election.

Using planes to talk to 5 cities in a day; Mass rallies; Use of films, radios and records; Playing on fears of communism

Name two of the leading industrialists that funded the Nazi Party in the 1930s. They were concerned about the growth of trade union's power.

Thyssen; Krupp; Bosch

Which party led by Alfred Hugenberg had the Nazis begun to develop close links with, by 1932?

The National Party (DNVP)

After Röhm was reappointed in January 1931, by how much did SA membership increase within a year?

70,000 (100,000 → 170,000)

What was the name of the communists' private army?

Die Rotfrontkämpfer (Red Front Fighters)

How many people were killed and wounded in clashes between political parties, before July 1932 elections?

100 killed and 1,125 wounded

How many seats did the Nazis win in the July 1932 election, making them the largest party in the Reichstag?

230

After von Papen dissolved the Reichstag, how many seats did the Nazis win in the November 1932 elections?

196

Who became chancellor, after von Papen's resignation?

von Schleicher

Who was able to convince Hindenburg that a coalition government should be formed with Hitler as chancellor as this would bring stability, and that he would be able to control Hitler as his vice-Chancellor?

von Papen - 'he would make Hitler squeak'

When did Hitler become chancellor of Germany?

30th January 1933

Of 12 cabinet members, how many were Nazis when Hitler became chancellor?

3 (Hitler, Frick and Goering)

How many deaths were there during violence leading up to the March 1933 general election?

70

What day was the Reichstag fire?

27th February 1933

Name the Dutch communist the Nazis arrested for starting the Reichstag fire.

Marinus van der Lubbe

What did Hitler persuade Hindenburg to sign after the Reichstag fire, suspending basic civil rights and empowering the Nazis?

Decree for the Protection of People and State

How many seats did the Nazis win in the March 1933 election?

288 (43.9%)

What proportion of the Reichstag needed to be controlled to enable a change to the constitution?

Two-thirds

Name the act passed on 23rd March 1933 that gave the Nazis full power for four years, ended the Weimar Constitution and created a dictatorship?

Enabling Bill / Act

Name the policy that was designed to bring German society in line with Nazi philosophy.

Gleichschaltung

What were banned on 2nd May 1933 and replaced with the DAF.

All trade unions

Where was the first concentration camp opened in March 1933?

Dachau

Which party did Hitler ban after forming a dictatorship?

Communist Party (KPD)

Name the law passed in July 1933 which meant that the Nazi Party was now the sole legal political party in Germany.

Law Against the Formation of Parties

In the November 1933 general election, what percentage of the vote did the Nazis win?

39,638,000 votes or 95.2% (one-party state)

When did Hitler centralise Germany, for the first time since its creation in 1871 (month & year), by abolishing the Lander and replacing it with Reich governors?

January 1934

Give another name for the Night of the Long Knives, when Hitler purged political and military rivals in the SA.

The Blood Purge; Operation Hummingbird

When did Hitler take action, following information from Himmler that Röhm was about to seize power? (Day month year)

30th June 1934

Name three key figures that were killed during the Night of the Long Knives.

Ernst Röhm; von Schleicher; Gregor Strasser;

Approximately how many people were killed during the Night of the Long Knives?

400

After what event in August 1934 did Hitler merge the roles of Chancellor and President, becoming Führer?

Death of Hindenburg

What military title did Hitler gain after the army swore allegiance to him?

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

What percentage of voters agreed with Hitler's action during the 19th August 1934 referendum?

Over 90%

How long were men (aged 18-25) required to work in the National Labour Service Corps (RAD)?

6 months

Provide the German word for the motorways that Hitler's programme intended to build 7000km of.

Autobahns

Give two examples of groups that were not counted as part of Nazi unemployment figures.

Jews; Unmarried men