Germany 1919-33 Revision

If you click on the points in blue, you will reveal all the facts that you ought to remember.     
Try to remember BEFORE you click!

•  THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC
  • November 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated.
  • Jan 1919 elections.
  • Feb 1919: new constitution agreed in the town of Weimar/Ebert President.
  • System of government in the Weimar Republic (5 points)
    • Elected president controlled army, administration and made emergency laws.
    • Chancellor responsible to the Reichstag.
    • Reichstag made laws, controlled the government and foreign policy.
    • Proportional representation.
    • Bill of Rights.
•  THREE PHASES OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC
  • 1919-23 Problems
  • 1923-29 Prosperity
  • 1929-33 Collapse
•  PROBLEMS FACING THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC 1919-1923 [ILRIM]
  • Ineffective Constitution (3 things)
    • Article 48 gives the President vast ‘emergency’ powers
    • Proportional voting means lots of small, powerless parties and frequent changes in government
    • The Army and the Judges were right-wing
  • Left Wing Rebellions (2 years)
    • 1919 (three events)
      • Spartacists led by Rosa Luxemburg & Karl Leibknecht
      • Workers Councils seized power across Germany
      • Communists took power in Bavaria.
    • 1920
      • Red Army rebelled in the Ruhr.
  • Right-wing agitation (2 ways)
    • 1920 Kapp Putsch - rebellion in Berlin
    • Nationalist terrorists murdered politicians (Rathenau 1922)
  • Invasion/Inflation
    • France invaded Ruhr - workers on strike = hyperinflation caused by money printed to pay strikers.
  • Munich Putsch
    • Nazis tried to take control of Bavaria.
•  INSTABILITY OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC 1919-24 [CROAPOP]
  • Communists wanted world revolution/hated the new government.
  • Right-wing politicians hated the ‘November criminals’ who signed Versailles Treaty – wanted the Kaiser back.
  • Officials (esp judges) were disloyal and hated the government.
  • Army led by General von Seeckt was unreliable.
  • Proportional representation prevented one party getting a majority.
  • Occupation of the Ruhr humiliated the Gernans and led to hyperinflation.
  • Printing money to pay strikers.
•  NAZI ORIGINS AND BELIEFS
  • Nazis based on Anton Drexler’s German Workers’ Party
  • Hitler takes over and becomes absolute leader.
  • 25 Point Programme (inc. 6 ideas)
    • abolish Treaty of Versailles
    • expel anyone not ‘true’ German
    • anti-Jew
    • nationalise large industries
    • generous old age pensions
    • strong central govt
  • Mein Kampf (5 ideas)
    • National socialism & loyalty to Germany
    • Racism; all races inferior to Aryans
    • Lebensraum (living space in Poland & Russia)
    • Obedience to Fuhrer
    • Use of armed force.
•  MUNICH PUTSCH
  • Causes (5 reasons)
    • Weaknesses of the Weimar government
    • Nazi Party growing – but needs action if it is to stay unified.
    • Stresemann called off the strike in the Ruhr – seemed like another surrender.
    • Mussolini had seized power in Italy by a ‘march on Rome’ in 1922 – Hitler hoped to copy.
    • Kahr, Lossow and Seisser were planning a coup, with Hitler’s support. When they called it off, Hitler went ahead to try to force them to do it.
  • Events (2 days)
    • 8 Nov 1923 (3 things)
      • Hitler stormed a political meeting & said he was taking over govt of Bavaria.
      • Used stormtroopers to take over official buildings.
      • Government didn’t collapse
    • 9 Nov 1923 (4 things)
      • Nazis marched on the town
      • Police shot at and rounded up stormtroopers
      • 16 Nazis killed.
      • Hitler was arrested and imprisoned.
  • Results (2 alternatives)
    • Failure?
      • Hitler arrested, imprisoned and forbidden from speaking
    • Success? (3 things)
      • trial a propaganda coup
      • Mein Kampf sells millions
      • Hitler starts to seek election strategy
•  SURVIVAL OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC 1919-24 [FASS]
  • Freikorps put down Communist revolts (2 egs.)
    • Spartacists 1919
    • Red Army 1920.
  • Army put down Communist revolts (2 egs.)
    • Bavaria (1919)
    • Rhineland (1923)
  • Strikes by workers caused the Kapp Putsch to collapse.
  • Stresemann - a brilliant politician became Chancellor 1923 who: [DIFFER]
    • negotiated the Dawes Plan
    • controlled Inflation
    • persuaded the French to leave the Ruhr
    • Improved Foreign affairs (2 egs.)
      • Locarno Pact 1925
      • entry into League of Nations 1926
    • Encouraged Economic growth
    • Introduced Reforms to help ordinary people
•  NAZIS IN THE WILDERNESS 1924-28
  • New plan by Hitler to take power by democratic means.
  • Reorganisation of Nazi party (5 bases)
    • sets up SS
    • takes over other extreme right parties
    • Hitler Youth
    • Josef Goebbels takes over propaganda (5 strategies)
      • posters
      • leaflets
      • radio
      • films
      • rallies
    • businessmen finance Hitler (fearing Communism)
  • Poor performance in elections 1924-1929 - still only 12 seats in 1928
  • Less support because of improved conditions in Germany.
•  FACTORS HELPING HITLER COME TO POWER [LIMP PAPER]
  • Long-term bitterness about the Treaty of Versailles
  • Ineffective Constitution of Republic
  • Money from backers inc (6 contributors):
    • Thyssen
    • Krupp
    • IG Faben
    • Skoda
    • Henry Ford
    • Irenee du Pont
  • Propaganda – blames the Jews and the Communists
  • Programme appeals to many people in some way
  • Attacks on other parties and Jews by the SA
  • Personal qualities (4 things):
    • brilliant speaker
    • powerful eyes
    • good organizer
    • driven determination
  • Economic Depression – makes Germans desperate
  • Recruited as chancellor Jan 1933 by Hindenburg (thought he could control Hitler).