Weimar Republic and Hitler's Rise to Power

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, entities, policies, and events regarding the Weimar Republic and Hitler's rise to power in Germany.

NSDAP Peak Election Result (July 1932)

The highest result the Nazi Party ever won in a free national election, reaching 37.3% of the vote.

Franz von Papen

A conservative elite and Chancellor (June–December 1932) who carried out the Preußenschlag and persuaded President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933, believing he could control him.

November Revolution of 1918

The revolution that ended the German monarchy following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II on 9 November 1918 and led to the establishment of the Weimar Republic.

Weimar Constitution

The democratic constitution created by the National Assembly in Weimar that came into effect on 11 August 1919, introducing democratic elections, proportional representation, and a directly elected president.

Dolchstoßlegende

The stab-in-the-back myth promoted by General Erich Ludendorff and other military leaders, falsely claiming that socialists, communists, and civilians betrayed the army and caused Germany's defeat in WWI.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919 that imposed severe terms on Germany, including war guilt under Article 231, reparations, territorial surrender, and military reduction to 100,000 men.

Article 231

The War Guilt Clause of the Treaty of Versailles, which forced Germany to accept responsibility for causing the First World War.

Diktat

A term used by Germans to describe the Treaty of Versailles as a dictated peace because Germany had little influence over its terms.

November Criminals

A derogatory term used by right-wing nationalists to attack the Weimar government supporters who signed the 1918 armistice and the Treaty of Versailles.

Spartacist Uprising

A communist attempt to overthrow the German government in Berlin from 5–12 January 1919, led by the Spartacus League and crushed with the help of the Freikorps.

Freikorps

Right-wing paramilitary groups composed of ex-soldiers used by the Weimar government to crush left-wing revolutionary uprisings.

Kapp Putsch

A right-wing coup attempt on 13 March 1920 that forced the government to flee Berlin until it collapsed due to a general strike.

Beer Hall Putsch

A failed Nazi coup led by Hitler on 8–9 November 1923 in Munich to overthrow the Bavarian government and launch a national revolution.

Article 48

A provision of the Weimar Constitution that allowed the Reich President to issue emergency decrees and bypass parliament in exceptional circumstances.

Occupation of the Ruhr

The January 1923 military invasion of Germany's primary industrial region by French and Belgian troops after Germany defaulted on reparations deliveries.

Passive Resistance

The German government's policy encouraging Ruhr workers to strike and refuse cooperation with French and Belgian occupying forces in 1923.

Hyperinflation of 1923

An extreme monetary collapse caused by excessive money printing to pay striking workers, reaching an exchange rate of approximately 4.2 trillion marks to 1 US dollar by November 1923.

Rentenmark

A new currency introduced by the German government in November 1923 to bring hyperinflation under control and stabilize the economy.

25-Point Programme

The political manifesto announced by the NSDAP on 24 February 1920, combining extreme nationalism, anti-Versailles sentiment, antisemitism, and social reform promises.

Golden Age of Weimar

The period from 1924 to 1929 characterized by relative political stability, economic recovery, and improved international relations.

Dawes Plan

An August 1924 agreement that reorganized German reparations payments and provided American loans to help stabilize the German economy.

Gustav Stresemann

German statesman under whose leadership political stability improved and diplomatic breakthroughs like the Locarno Treaties were achieved.

Locarno Treaties

Agreements signed in October 1925 in which Germany accepted its western borders, reducing political tensions with France and Belgium.

Kellogg–Briand Pact

An August 1928 international agreement signed by Germany and other nations renouncing war as an instrument of national policy.

Heinrich Brüning

German Chancellor (March 1930–May 1932) whose deflationary austerity policies during the Great Depression worsened economic hardship and increased reliance on Article 48.

Preußenschlag

The coup on 20 July 1932 in which Chancellor Franz von Papen removed the elected Prussian government and placed Prussia under direct central control.

Paul von Hindenburg

Reich President of Germany who appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933 following elite political negotiations.

SPD

The Social Democratic Party of Germany, a major left-wing party that supported democracy and viewed the KPD as a revolutionary threat.

KPD

The Communist Party of Germany, which refused to collaborate with the SPD against the Nazis, viewing the SPD as 'social fascists'.

Social Fascists

A derogatory term used by the KPD to describe the SPD, accusing them of protecting capitalism and betraying the working class.

SA (Stormtroopers)

The paramilitary force of the Nazi Party used to protect meetings, intimidate political opponents, and disrupt rival groups.

SS

An elite Nazi organization established in 1925 as Hitler's personal bodyguard, which later grew into a key instrument of Nazi state control.

Fritz Thyssen

A prominent wealthy industrialist who provided financial contributions to help fund the NSDAP's election campaigns and organization.

Alfred Hugenberg

A nationalist politician and media mogul whose vast press and film network circulated anti-Weimar ideas and connected Hitler to conservative elites.

Harzburg Front

A 1931 political alliance of right-wing groups organized by Alfred Hugenberg that demonstrated growing cooperation between conservative nationalists and the NSDAP.