Summary of Germany

Historical Investigations and Interpretations Unit AS 1 Option 5: Germany 1919-1945

Introduction

  • This option guides students through the history of Germany from 1919 to 1945.

  • Focus:
      - Weimar Republic from 1919 to 1933
      - Decline of the Weimar Republic and rise of the Nazis (1929-1933)
      - Political, economic, and social developments in Nazi Germany (1933-1939)
      - Impact of WWII on Nazi Germany and the occupied territories in Eastern Europe (1939-1945)

  • Assessment:
      - Written exam lasting 1.5 hours with two questions:
        - Question 1: Short response (one of two options) targeting Assessment Objective AO1: ability to analyze and evaluate key features.
        - Question 2: Source-based question with two parts:
          - Part 2(a): Assess use of a contemporary source for historical context (AO2).
          - Part 2(b): Evaluate two interpretations of a historical event (AO3).

1. The Weimar Republic 1919-1929

(a) The National Constituent Assembly, the Weimar Constitution, and the Treaty of Versailles

  • National Assembly Elections (January 1919):
      - Held to draft a constitution post-abdication of Kaiser (November 1918).
      - Universal suffrage for adults over 20.
      - Pro-Weimar parties (SPD, DDP, Centre) secured 76% of votes.
      - Philip Scheidemann became Chancellor; Friedrich Ebert, President.

  • Decline:
      - In 1920, support for pro-Weimar parties fell; anti-Weimar (DNVP) gained traction.

Weimar Constitution Features:

  • Federal System: Authority divided between national and state governments.

  • President: Directly elected for seven years; appoints and dismisses Chancellor.
      - Article 48: President can rule by decree in emergencies, dissolve Reichstag.

  • Reichstag (German Parliament): Main legislative body; elections every four years using Proportional Representation (PR).
      - Resulted in numerous parties, unstable coalitions (11 Chancellors, 21 Cabinets in 14 years).

  • Reichsrat: Representative of states; could be overrided by Reichstag.

  • Basic Rights: Freedom of speech, travel, press; social rights guaranteed.

The Treaty of Versailles (June 1919):

  • Main Points:
      - Formation of the League of Nations; Germany excluded initially.
      - Military restrictions: Army limited to 100,000; no tanks, warships, submarines.
      - War Guilt Clause (Article 231): Germany accepts blame for the war.
      - Reparations set at £6.6 billion; further territorial losses, including industrial areas.

  • Public Reception: Seen as a ‘diktat’; opposed by both the government and Germans.
      - Blamed for rising nationalist sentiment; exploited by right-wing nationalists.

(b) Political Threats from the Left and Right (1919-1923)

  • Left-wing threats:
      - Spartacist Uprising (January 1919): Led by USPD and Spartacus League (Luxemburg, Liebknecht); suppressed using Freikorps.
      - Chinese Soviet Republic (Bavaria) in April 1919; violently quashed.
      - Red Rising in the Ruhr (1920): General strike against response to Kapp Putsch; suppressed by army.
      - German October (1923): Communist uprisings suppressed by military; SPD left the government.

  • Right-wing threats:
      - Kapp Putsch (March 1920): Army supports coup against disbanding of Freikorps.
      - Political Assassinations: Notable figures like Matthias Erzberger (1921) and Walther Rathenau (1922) targeted.
      - Munich Beer Hall Putsch (November 1923): Hitler's failed coup; resulted in imprisonment.

(c) Economic Instability (1919-1923)

  • Chronic Issues:
      - Decline in industrial/agricultural output; national income a fraction of pre-war levels.
      - Hyperinflation: By 1922, mark's value plummeted to 1% pre-war value.

  • Occupational Crisis: French occupation of the Ruhr (January 1923); German passive resistance.

  • Stresemann’s Chancellor Role: Currency stabilization (Rentenmark); end to passive resistance.

(d) Economic Recovery (1924-1929)

  • Dawes Plan (1924): Reorganizing reparation schedules; loan of 800 million marks from Allies.

  • Young Plan (1929): Reduced total reparations; established time limits for payments.
      - Improvements in industrial production, employment rates.

  • Neoliberal Critique: Structural issues persisted, particularly for agriculturists and the Mittelstand.

(e) Development of the Nazi Party (1923-1929)

  • Munich Putsch: Catalyst for re-evaluation; shifted towards electoral strategies post-imprisonment.

  • Bamberg Conference (1926): Hitler consolidates power; rejects socialist elements.

  • Party Structure: Creation of 35 Gaue, increased membership from 27,000 (1925) to 72,000 (1927).

  • Electoral Challenges: Poor performance in 1928 elections (12 Reichstag seats; 2.6% of total vote).

2. The Decline of the Weimar Republic (1929-1933) and Rise of the Nazis

(a) Impact of Wall Street Crash

  • Economic Consequences:
      - Germany's dependency on American loans; massive unemployment (3 million by 1931).
      - Heavy industry declines, significant business bankruptcies (50,000).

  • Political Polarization: Emergence of Nazis and Communists gaining electoral support amidst chaos.

(b) Decline of Parliamentary Government

  • After Müller’s resignation (March 1930), reliance on Article 48 increased.
      - Brüning’s unpopular policies deepen economic strife; elevated street violence from Nazis and Communists.

(c) Electoral Breakthrough of the Nazis

  • 1930 Elections: Nazis gain 107 Reichstag seats (18.3% of vote); successful propaganda.

  • July 1932 Elections: Nazi Party peaks with 230 seats; however, subsequent losses in November 1932 (196 seats).

(d) Role of key Individuals

  • Von Papen, von Hindenburg, von Schleicher: Political machinations set conditions for Hitler’s chancellorship January 1933.
      - Power struggled between differing government factions.

3. Developments in Nazi Germany (1933-1939)

(a) Creation of the Nazi Dictatorship (1933-1934)

  • Hitler’s Initial Actions: Targeted political opponents; Reichstag Fire led to emergency powers.

  • Enabling Act (March 1933): Allowed Hitler to legislate without Reichstag consultation; essentially dismantled democracy.

  • Gleichschaltung movement initiated, consolidating Nazi dominion over state power and society.

(b) Anti-Semitism Under Nazi Regime

  • Early Policies: Boycotts on Jewish shops, introduction of discriminatory laws.

  • Nuremberg Laws (1935): Legal definition of Jews; significant enactments tightening restrictions and degrading status.

  • Kristallnacht (November 1938): State-sanctioned violence; massive increases in anti-Jewish legislation followed.

(c) Economic Policies and the Four-Year Plan (1936-1939)

  • Role of Schacht and Göring: Economic strategies aimed at self-sufficiency and military readiness.

  • Successes/Failures: Milestones in armaments production versus ongoing issues in consumer industry and agricultural output.

(d) Propaganda and Cultural Policies

  • Goebbels’ Approach: Control over arts and media to foster Nazi ideology; tight restrictions on public expressions.

  • Mass Media Influence: Shift in public perception via controlled information dissemination and artistic expression.

4. The Impact of War on Nazi Germany and Occupied Territories (1939-1945)

(a) War Economy and Total War

  • Speer’s Economic Management: Shift to total war economy; emphasis on efficiency and coordinated resource management.

  • Labor Mobilization: Compulsory labor enforced to support war effort; massive reliance on forced labor and POWs.

(b) Civilian Life During the War

  • Rationing Implementation: Measures affecting caloric intake, essentials like clothing.

  • Psychological Resilience: Combined with Nazi propaganda efforts to maintain morale despite hardships.

(c) Resistance Movements

  • Youth and Student Opposition: Groups like Schwarze and Edelweiss Pirates promoting counter-culture values against the Nazis.

  • Conservative Resistance: Kreisau Circle and military figures aimed at strategies for post-Nazi governance.

(d) Jewish Policies and the Holocaust

  • Einsatzgruppen & Ghettos: Systemic extermination operations; establishment of ghettos leading to widespread suffering.

  • Final Solution: Planned genocide at the Wannsee Conference solidified extermination objectives across Europe.

(e) Conclusion: Legacy of this Period

  • Long-term Implications: Political, economic, and social structure of post-war Germany reshaped by the experiences of this era.