Saturday, 3 October 2020

History test 1

Germany after WW1

- Germany was ruled by an emperor known as the Kaiser

- He was forced to abdicate after Germany had lost WW1

Impact of Germany’s defeat in WW1 by 1928

On society On economy On politics

Many soldiers died

Germany= bankrupt war costs Condition by allies: Kaiser had
Families without men
& war pensions for crippled to abdicate.

Widows and orphans

soldiers, widows Democratic system was
Big differences between rich established

and poor Ex soldiers despised new

democratic leaders- the stab in
the back myth

After Kaisers abdication

Friedrich Ebert = new political leader (president)

Had to face serious challenges

1. New Democratic constitution to be drawn up

2. Former Kaiser’s official remained in positions -> believed stab in the back
myth -> no support for the new republic

3. People reluctant to accept new democratic system

The new government met at Weimar to write a new constitution for Germany as
democracy

Germany from 1918-1933 was named Weimar Republic

The new Weimar constitution

Strengths Weaknesses

1. Most democratic in world

1.proportional representation allowed splinter
2. Universal suffrage
groups in parliament

3. proportional representation
2. Unstable governments because coalitions
4. Power was shared - no individual could difficult to form - different parties different aims

become too powerful 3.president very powerful - could use article 48

to dismiss parliament(reichstag)and rule by
degree

4. Extremists didn’t support the new constitution

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 Saturday, 3 October 2020
The treaty of Versailles and its impact on the weimar republic

Victorious allies didactic the conditions for peace

1. Armistice 1918 to stop fighting

2. Treaty of Versailles 1919 - peace treaty

Conditions Of Treaty Of Impact on the German people Overall consequences

Versailles

1. War guilt blamed on 1. Hated war guilt clause

1. People now more open to
Germany
2. Angry because not extremists groups & their
2. Not invited to join represented in negotiations views

negotiations-could only Tov as simply imposed on 2. New democratic became

accept result and sign them
unpopular
treaty of Versailles
3. Did not even feel they lost
3. Had to pay reparations for war

caused war damages

4. Due to lost territories - less
4. Anschluss with Austria industries and agriculture
forbidden
->feared economic
5. Reduction of armed forces problems

(no navy, no air force 5. Army restrictions = loss of

100,000 soldiers only)
pride

6. Demilitarisation of the 6. Perceived as unfair

Rhineland - major because no other country
industrial area
had to demilitarise

7. Not a member of the 7. Reparations scared

league of nations population because they
8. Loss territory in east and feared Ger. would crippled

west & all colonies ->less 8. Insulted by not having

population and less been invited to LoN

industry 9. Believed it was unfair that

German speaking
population was now ruled
by non germans (cz ,
french)

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 Saturday, 3 October 2020

Hyperinflation 1923

Causes

1. Economic chaos after ww1 (war debts & reparation payments)

2. French entered Ruhr area and took good material by force because germany
was behind with reparation payment

3. Government called for general strike ( passive resistance against france)

4. No production - > no goods for French but also no money for germans

5. Government just printed more money -> money lost its value

Effects

1. Due to decreased value of money wages paid daily - not weekly

2. Rising cost of living -> poor people suffered

3. Middle class and wealthy people lost savings and debts

4. Money that Germany owed for reparations now more problematic

5. Increasingly fuelled resentment against allies

6. Political damage -> I. Right wing had another problem to blame them for (Hitler
putsch 1923)

II. Government lost middle class support

How hyperinflation ended

1. A new government under Gustav Streseman ended passive resistance in Ruhr

2. Introduction of new currency -> end of hyperinflation (deflation)

3. New treaties with allies were negotiated to lower lawns of reparation

Eg 1924 Dawes plan with USA ->lower instalments over a longer period of time

4. French troops left Ruhr

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 Saturday, 3 October 2020

Threats for the new republic from left to right

From the left From the right

1. Spartacist uprising 1919- Rosa 1. Belief that German army had been stabbed
Luxembourg & Karl Liebknecht -> aimed at in the back by gov. (Socialists and
Russian style gov. Of workers soviets liberals)who signed ToV

Ebert used right-wing Freikorps to crush 2. Many preferred Kaiser and authoritarian
rebellion (L & L were murdered)
system with strong military & empire

2. Communist declared Bavaria a soviet 3. Kapp putsch 1920 Freikorps under Dr

republic 1919 Ebert used feirkorps again to
crush revolt (600 communists killed)
crush coup (putsch) but army
3. Communist agitation in Ruhr area -> police
& freikorps crashed 2000 casualties
Wolfgang Kapp - Ebert ordered army to
refused(soldiers did not want to fight against
other soldiers) -> ebert called for general
strike ->no transport/power/water-> Kapp
putsch failed

4. Munich putsch 1923

5. Various assassinations of politicians eg
foreign minister Walther Rathenau 1922

Effects Effects

1. Ebert feared development like in Russia -> 1. Kapp died in custody

shared by many Germans

2. Hitler and assassins of politicians received
2. Cp remained serious oppositional force
mild prison sentences

3. Ebert’s approach caused lasting bitterness 3. Judges and army still supporting old system
between his social democratic and the and sympathised with attackers

communist party->no coalition later to fight 4. Eberts government had no military control
nazis but seemingly support of people against
attempted coup.

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 Monday, 28 February 2022

The Munich putsch 1923

Participants

1. Adolf Hitler

2. General Ludendorff

3. SA

Aims of Putsch

1. Wanted to overthrow the Weimar government

2. Rebellion in Munich

3. March to Berlin later on

Messures

1. Hitler hijacked local government meetings in Munich & announced takeover of

Bavarian government

2. SA took over official building

Effects of the Munich putsch

1. Nazis taking over official buildings

2. Rebellion broke up -> Chaos -> hitler escaped with car -> others faced police

3. People did not rise ip to support Hitler

4. During trial Hitler promoted his views

5. No prison sentenced for Ludendorff

6. Hitler wrote “ Mein Kampf”

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 Saturday, 3 October 2020

The golden years of weimar republic under Gustav

Stresemann 1924-1929

Area Achievements Remaining problems

Culture Rural population did not accept

new liberal artisan lifestyle of
Art New style more experimental the cities

critical of gov and society (Otto Resented involvement of

dix) foreign and jewish artists

Felt that their traditional

Design Bauhaus = new style in
lifestyle was threatened
architecture of design, modern,
minimalistic, functional

Cinema Golden age for German film -

>ground breaking movies
metropolis Frits longs and
famous film star Marlene
Dietrich

Music Berlin= centre of very liberal &

daring nightlife- 900 dance
bands, many cabarets and
clubs

Area Achievements Remaining problems

Economy End of hyperinflation -USA loans could be called in

->recovery period
anytime insecurity, danger for
Reparation payments had been bankruptcy

re arranged through Dawes -division in society

plan 1924 less of burden now

-main winners=big
Money available was spent on businesses ,big land Owners ,
public facilities(stadiums, workers in industries.

housing etc)
-trade unions -> better wages
New equipment for industry -> and conditions

new jobs
-main losers - > peasants
Industry recovered & reached
pre-war strength by 1928 and
largest economy in the world
farmers overproduction after
war -> little wages only but a
lot loans to pay

-middle class lost: small

shopkeepers threatened by big
stores

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 Saturday, 3 October 2020

Area Achievements Remaining problems

Acceptance of democracy -no more attempts of revolution

-Nazis and communists were
-moderate parties-> supporting building their parties

democracy
-1/3 votes went to parties that
-radical parties- only minorities
opposed WR

-nazis collaborated closely with

other nationalist right wing and
gain acceptance

-Hindeburg elected as Reich

president 1926 - opposed to
democracy -believed in old
system

Area Achievements Remaining problems

Foreign policy -1925 Locarno treaties Radicists attacked gov for

Germany accepted western joining LoN and Locarno they
boarders with France and claimed it proved the
Belgium
acceptance of TOV
-accepted in the league of
nations 1926

-reversing some terms of TOV

(concerning reparations and
easter frontiers)

-1929 the young plan where he

lightened the reparations &
removed brush , French and
Belgian troops from Rhineland

-1928 kellog briand pact :ger

and other country abolowed

Was as measures of solving

disputes

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 Monday, 28 February 2022

The Nazis in the wilderness 1924-1929

Groups targeted by the Nazis

1. Peasants - middle class - small business

2. Created scapegoats

3. Tried attract German workers

4. Soldiers - needed for war

5. Conservatives - despised WR

6. Targeted everybody - wanted wide support

Who helped nazis to gain support

1. Joseph Goebbels — appointed - in charge of propaganda

2. Published Mein Kampf

3. Party rallies in public to impress

4. Posters, leaflets, newspapers, magazines

5. New effective ways -> radios- cinema

6. Organisations like SS and SA offered a sense of belonging

7. Wealthy businessmen provided funds for NSDAP

8. Hitlers conclusion -> instead of using force, Better try to succeed within the
democracy

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 Monday, 28 February 2022

Hitler becoming a dictator

30 January 1933:

1. Hitler legally appointed chancellor of Germany

2. Entered the government - could influence legislation

25 February 1933:

1. Reichstag fire -> hitler blamed communists

2. One look communist put the fire in reichstag

28 February 1933:

1. Hitler used emergency powers to arrest 4000 communists

2. Communists now no longer political party

5 March 1933:

1. New elections in reichstag

2. Nazis got even more support ( 44.5% of votes )

3. Hitler wanted more than 50% -> biggest party ( still not majority)

24 March 1933

1. Enabling act -> did not any permission to pass any law

2. All parties voted for this except social democratic party

3. Nazis could whatever they wanted

7 April :

1. Only loyal people to nazi would work on administration

2. Purge of the civil service

14 July :

1. No new parties would form -> Germany = one state party

30 June ( Night of the long knives) :

1. Rohm was killed ( was homosexual, did not fit with nazis ideas and beliefs)

2. Schleicher killed -> Hitler killed leaders = show no one could go against him

August 1934

1. Hindenburg dies -> hitler = Fuhrer

2. German army swore to Hitler -> Loyalty

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 Saturday, 14 November 2020

History notes test 2 semester

Hitlers background
-Was a carrier in ww1

- choir

- Wanted to be an Artist -> failed

- Liked opera

Hitlers beliefs
- nationalism

- Jews fault for everything

- Hated armistice and TOV

25 point programme

- Abolition of TOV

- Anchluss

- Germany for germans only

- Anti- semitism

- Nationalisation of large industries

- Generous pensions for older people

- Strong government under Fuhrer

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 Saturday, 14 November 2020

Hitlers qualities
- great speaker

- Committed to his beliefs

- Could manipulate his audience

- Charge of political ideas in the party

- Strong personality -> persuasive

- Stirred nationalist passions in his audience -> gave scapegoats -> people to
blame for everything

- Seted up SA ( brown shirts)-> string troops

- gave to people what they wanted to hear -> increasing support

The great depression and the rise of the nazi party

Economic impact on Germany

-Wall Street crash 1929 -> economic depression

-Affected the most from other countries

-1920 -> us loans,Dawns plans - > good economy :)

-Wall Street crash 1929 -> US want their money back

-bankruptcies

-unemployment (1932 = 1/3 unemployed population)

-less demand of products

- on top of that Germany still paying reparations to the allies

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 Saturday, 14 November 2020
Political impact
-Heinrich Brüning -> chancellor -> coalition government -> failed to deal with
depression

-Less employment -> less taxes -> decreasing government income -> increasing
welfare demand

-welfare cuts necessary -> coalition government could not compromise on action ->
social democratic -> left coalition in protest

-minority government -> did no have enough support in reichstag

-Brunning had to rely on Hyndenburgs emergency powers (article 48) to pass bill on
welfare cute (unpopular amongst suffering population)

- minority government relying on presidential powers = presidential cabinet

- Weaknesses of Weimar constitution were revealed

- Germany increasingly turned to the parties calling for an end of the Weimar

- In 1932 Nazi party became the biggest party

Communist threat
- communist support war rising too

- Communist red fighting league broke up opposite party meetings

- Street battles combined the violence of SA and communists

- Communists discriminated middle class business owners

- Big industries feared the communists because of their plans to introduce state
control

- Industrialised believed Nazis with combat com threats so put into nazis funds

- Farmers alarmed by communists because at farming policies when soviet

government took all of the land -> growing strength of trade unions

- Millions peasant killed or prisoned

- On the other hand Nazis promised to help small farmers

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 Saturday, 14 November 2020
Nazis campaign
- kick out tov

- Unemployed to join the army, built germanys armaments and be used for public
workers

- Nazis were attracting to people that were suffering from the depression like
unemployed, elderly, middle class.

- Bare the people to blame for their suffering like Jews, allies

- In 1932 nazi party was the biggest arty in the parliament

- Nazis used a lot of propaganda ( leader of propaganda -> goebels )

- Used modern and effective methods of growth yelled on slogans, talked about
union and traditional values

- When something made people negative they just stopped the policy

- Believed that the WR was not good enough to solve economic difficulties and it
was WR together with jews

- Provided shelter to homeless and unemployed

- Soup kitchens

- Posters & pamphlets everywhere

- SS & SA = discipline + order

Negative cohesion
- people supporting NSDAP not because sharing their own views (poss. Cohesion)

- Support because they shared the nazis fears & dislikes

- They cohered over negatives

- Not everyone supported nazis methods

Weimer decadence
- the nazis talked about restoring old fashioned values due to progressive culture
changes -> counted to people that felt that traditional values were under threat

- Jazz music modern arts & architecture emancipation encouraged women to

smoke, wear trousers or short dresses

- Cabarets and modern nightlife

- Removed censorship allowed criticising of political performing songs about sex

and moe .

- NSDAP underestimated the anger of people towards WR

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 Saturday, 14 November 2020
Development of 1932 election results:
- July to November 1932 nazis last 2 million votes ( 37% -> 33% )

- Less seat in parliament

- Disaster, date to loss of support & decreasing funds ( party on the verge of
bankruptcy)

- If hitler was not made chancellor now party would lose opportunity to gain power
( finances and support)

Paul von Hindenburg

- NSDAP = strongest party in reichstag, but Hindenburg refused to appoint hitler as
chancellor

- Appointed von Papen instead —> followed by his rival von Schleicher both led
minority governments -> article 48 to deal with depression= not successful->
both lasted only few months

Franz von Papen

- Papen and schleicher schemed against each other

- Papen organised behind the scenes deal (industrialists, army, leaders,

Hindenburg and Adolf hitler)

- Needed hitlers popularity and nazi party’s strength in parliament to change

politics in their own interests ( in order to create more authoritarian system)

- Hoped to control him -> cabinet consisting of conservatives + von papen as Vice
chancellor.

Von Schleicher
- 1932-> new chancellor and advisor of Hindenburg and bitter viral of von papen

Did hitler come to power legally ?

- yes process of how he was appointed corresponded to constitutional law :

- His party was the biggest in the rt

- He was appointed by the president

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 Saturday, 14 November 2020
How did they believe to be able to use hitler for their use?
Their purposes

- hitler would be there to get support in the reichstag & control the communists and
not for his extremists demands

- Needed his popularity & nazis strength in parliament to change politics in their
own interest (to create a more ambition system)

- Hoped to control him -> cabinet gov consisting half of nazis and half of
conservatives and von papen as vice president

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 Monday, 28 February 2022

Nazi control over Germany - a terror state 1933-1945

SS protection squad

Headed by: Duties and methods of control: How helped hitler secure
position:

Heinrich Himmler 1. Destroy opposition to nazism 1. Oppositions were eliminated

and carry out racial policies

2. Idea of racial purity spread

2. Deaths head unit: responsible 3. Jewish business -> “aryanised”

for concentration camps

3. Waffen - SS were special SS

armoured to fight regular army

Gestapo

Headed by: Duties and methods of control: How helped hitler secure
position:

Heinrich Himmler 1. Destroy opposition to nazism 1. Oppositions eliminated or

and carry out racial policies
prevented

2. Deaths head unit: responsible 2. Afraid to go against nazis

for concentration camps

3. Waffen - SS were special SS

armoured to fight regular army

Police & courts

Headed by: Duties and methods of How helped hitler secure

control: position:

Heinrich Himmler 1. Strict instructions omit 1. Oppositions = eliminated

crimes from nazis

2. Secured legal support for
2. Controlled judges -> nazis

opponents of nazism = no 3. Judges swore oath to

fair trial hitler= very loyal

Concentration camps

Headed by: Duties and methods of How helped hitler secure

control: position:

SS deaths head & Himmler 1. Prisoners = hard labour

1. Opposition= eliminated

2. Food limited, random 2. scared to act

executions, beatings
3. Helped maintain racial
3. Deaths = increasingly purity
common

4. Criticised nazis end up

there & opponents & non
aryans

5. Later = eliminate jews =

mass murder

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 Monday, 28 February 2022

Nazi opposition

Nazi control was not perfect

1. AH disliked paperwork -> unorganised

2. Reluctant to take decisions ->let others in government decide

3. Constant competition between various gov. departments -> same or similar

jobs = overlapping duties

4. Despite terror = considerable amount of opponents

Passive opposition Active opposition

1. Quietly think the opposite

1. Actively organising strikes & demonstrations

2. Work with less effort to slow down 2. Plan an assassination or attack

production of arms
3. Trying to convince others to participate
3. Refuse to attend public rallies/ parades

Why the opposition was so little :

1. Already eliminated (concentration camps, gestapo nigh of long knives, fear lose
jobs etc)

2. Preferred Hitler instead of communism

3. Propaganda promoting nazis strengths

4. Population adopted “us versus them” attitude ( for jews )

Examples of opposition

The white rose

1. Sophie & Hans Schols -> printed leaflets about the horrors in Germany

2. Took a bag full of leaflets in uni of Munich -> arrested questioned by gestapo ->
found guilty upon trial -> death sentenced (beheaded)

July bomb plot 1944 (20 July)

1. Von Stauffenberg -> put bomb AH’s office under table -> AH survived

2. Executed by firing the next day -> others hanged (59 people)

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 Monday, 28 February 2022

Nazi and churches

Nazis attempts to control the churches

1. AH agreed with Von Papen -> leave Catholic Church ->control schools,
church agreed to stay out of politics

2. Hitler tried to take over Protestant churches -> make one Reich church

3. Encouraged an alternative religion pagan German faith movement->

worship sun

4. Opponents from churches -> sent concentration camps

Reactions of the churches

1. Most churchgoers support nazis or shows little opposition

2. Catholic Bishop criticised nazis -> protest against killing mentally ill &
disabled (Nazis temporarily stopped -> bishop had great support could
not afford lose)

3. Protestants resisted to the nazis

4. Bonhoeffer -> member of the army’s intelligence -> secretly opposed

hitler -> helped jews to escape -> captured = executed

5. Some church leaders remained silent - others preferred nazis

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 Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Propaganda, culture, mass destruction in nazi

Germany

Propaganda -> Joseph Gobbles responsible

The Nuremberg rallies

1. Goebbels organised huge rallies, marches, torchlit processions and meetings.

2. Nuremberg rally which took place in the summer each year.

3. There were bands, marches, flying displays and Hitler' brilliant speeches.

4. The rallies brought some colour and excitement into people's lives.

5. They gave them a sense of belonging to a great movement.

6. The rallies also showed the German people the power of the state and
convinced them that every other German fully supported the Nazis.

The 1936 Olympics

1. Other Nazis were opposed to holding the Games in Berlin, but Goebbels cv
convinced Hitler that this was a great propaganda opportunity both within
Germany and internationally.

2. Goebbels and Hitler also thought that the Olympics could be a showcase for
their doctrine that the Aryan race was superior to all other races.

3. However, there was international pressure for nations such as the USA to
boycott the Games in protest against the Nazis' repressive regime and anti-
Jewish politics.

4. In response the Nazis included one token Jew in their team!

5. Goebbels built a brand new stadium to hold 100,000 people (with new tech)

The media

1. No books could be published without Goebbels permission Mein Kampf = best

Seller

2. Artists suffered the same kinds of restriction as writers. Only Nazi-approved

painters could show their works.

3. Goebbels also controlled the newspapers closely. -> Within months of the Nazi
takeover, Jewish editors and journalists found themselves out

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 Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Nazis and the young people

:0

1. The Nazis had reorganised every aspect of the school curriculum to make
children loyal to them.

2. At school earned about the history of Germany, the German army was 'stabbed
in the back by the weak politicians who had made peace.

3. Told the hardships of the 1920s were caused by Jews squeezing profits out of
honest Germans.

4. Biology lessons would have informed you that you were special, as one of the
Aryan race which was so superior in intelligence and strength to the sub-human
Jews and Slavs of eastern Europe.

5. As a member of the Hitler Youth or League of German Maidens= marched in

exciting parades with loud bands = be physically fit.

6. Leisure time would also be devoted to Hitler and the Nazis.

Did all young people support the Nazis?

1. Many young people were attracted to the Nazi youth movements by the leisure
opportunities they offered no other alternatives.

2. In 1939 membership of a Nazi youth movement was made compulsory. But by

this time the youth movements were going through a crisis.

3. Many of the experienced leaders had been drafted into the German army.

4. As the war progressed, the activities of the youth movements focused

increasingly on the war effort and military drill.

5. The popularity of the movements decreased and indeed an anti-Hitler Youth

movement appeared.

6. The Nazis identified two distinct groups of young people who they were worried
about: the Swing movement and the Edelweiss Pirates.

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 Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Women in Nazi Germany

:0

1. All the Nazi leaders = men / Nazis = male-dominated organisation.

2. Hitler -> traditional view of the role of the German woman as wife and mother

3. No true German woman wears trousers Marlene Dietrich appeared wearing

trousers in public.

4. Falling birth rate = Hitler offered tempting financial incentives for married
couples to have at least four children ->“Gold Cross” eight children, and were
given a privileged seat at Nazi meetings.

5. Posters, radio broadcasts and newsreels all celebrated the ideas of motherhood
and homebuilding.

6. The German Maidens’ League reinforced these ideas, focusing on a

combination of good physical health and housekeeping skills.

7. Some prominent women in Nazi Germany A) Leni Riefenstahl was a high-

profile film producer. B) Gertrude Scholz-Klink was head of the Nazi Women's
Bureau, although she was excluded from any important discussions

8. Many working-class girls and women gained the chance to travel and meet new
people through the Nazi women's organisation -> opportunities limited.

9. Married professional women were forced to give up their jobs and stay at home
with their families, which many resented as a restriction on their freedom.

10. Discrimination against women applicants for jobs was actually encouraged.

11. In the late 1930s the Nazis had to do an about-turn as they suddenly needed
more women workers because the supply of unemployed men was drying up.

12. Many women had to struggle with both family and work responsibilities

13. women was still torn between their traditional stereotype of the mother, and the
actual needs of the workplace.

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 Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Nazis and the economy

:0

Did Germans gain from Nazi rule?

Economic recovery and rearmament

1. Nazis =promised solve unemployment and crisis in German farming(Ger. probs)

2. Economist Dr Hjalmar Schacht organised Germany's finances to fund a huge

programme of work creation.

3. The National Labour Service sent men on public works projects and
conservation programmes, in particular to build a network of motorways or
autobahns + other

4. One of Hitler's most cherished plans was rearmament-> 1935 he reintroduced

conscription for the German army.

5. In 1936 he announced a Four-Year Plan under the control of Goering to get the
German economy ready for war->reduced unemployment need for weapons etc

6. Engineers and designers gained new opportunities, particularly when Hitler

decreed that Germany would have a world-class air force (t

The Nazis and the workers

1. workers were important to the Nazis: Hitler needed good workers to create the
industries that would help to make Germany great and establish a new German
empire in eastern Europe.

2. He won the loyalty of industrial workers by a variety of initiatives.

• Propaganda praised the workers and tried to associate them with Hitler.

• Schemes such as Strength Through Joy gave them cheap theatre and cinema
tickets, and organised courses and trips and sports events. Workers were offered
cut-price cruises on the latest luxury liners.

• Many thousands of workers saved five marks a week in the state scheme to buy
the

• Another important scheme was the Beauty of Labour movement. This improved
working conditions in factories. It introduced features not seen in many
workplaces before, such as washing facilities and low-cost canteens.

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 Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Bombing of Dresden
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1. It was the bombing of Germany which had the most dramatic effect on the lives
of German civilians.

2. In 1942 the Allies decided on a new policy towards the bombing of Germany.

3. UnderArthur Bomber' Harris the British began an all-out assault on both

industrial and residential areas of all the major German cities.

4. One of the objectives was to cripple German industry, the other was to lower the
morale of civilians and to terrorise them into submission.

5. The bombing escalated through the next three years, culminating in the
bombing of Dresden in February 1945 which killed between 35,000 and 150,000
people in two days.