Germany post WW1/Nazi rise to power
Vocab:
Spartacists
Marsixt revolutionaries in post-World War I Germany during
the weimar republic. Were dedicated to bringing a socialist
revolution to Germany through a general strike called the
spartican uprising.
‘Stab in the back’ myth
An antisemitic conspiracy theory, widely believed in right-wing
circles in germany. It was the belief that germany did not lose
the war in the battlefield, but rather were betrayed by the
communists, socialists and Jews on the home front, who had
worked to ensure Germany’s defeat
November Criminals
Term coined by the likes of Hitler to identify those associated
with signing the Versailles Treaty. They were known as
criminals because the population believed that they had been
betrayed by them.
Diktat (Dictated Peace)
nickname given by many Germans to the hated Treaty of
Versailles, because there was no negotiation, they were just
forced to sign.
Weimar Constitution
In 1919 Friedrich Ebert, a member of the Social Democratic
Party signed a new constitution, known as the Weimar
Constitution, into law, officially creating the first
parliamentary democracy in Germany. Set up Germany's first
modern democracy by providing for a directly elected
president and parliament (the Reichstag), setting up a senate
(Reichsrat), and providing a chancellor (prime minister).
Proportional an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion
Representation to the number of votes cast for them.
Article 48
The Article of the Weimar Republic's constitution that
, allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take
emergency measures without the prior consent of the
Reichstag. allowed Hitler to seize control of the government
after the Reichstag fire on Feb. 27, 1933.
Kapp Putsch
An attempted right wing revolution in Germany led by Kapp
that attempted to overthrow the fledgling Weimar Republic.
The Freikorps managed to take over Berlin and declare a new
government headed up by Wolfgang Kapp who then invited
the Kaiser to return from the Netherlands to retake his post as
Emperor.
Munich Putsch (Beer Hall
Putsch) 9 November 1923. Inspired by Mussolini's March on Rome.
The putsch failed because Hitler was captured and
imprisoned. The putsch was a success because it showed the
weakness of the government and put Nazi party on the grid. It
also showed the power of the Nazi party.
Freikorps (Free Corps)
An organisation made up of ex soldiers who fought as private
armies to combat political forces of the KPD. formed by
unemployed young officers from the military and financed by
the German army. Became a symbol of nationalism and anti -
communism.
Dawes Plan
A plan to revive the German economy, where the United
States loans Germany money which then can pay reparations
to England and France, who can then pay back their loans
from the U.S. This circular flow of money was a success.
Young Plan
(1929) a program for settling Germany's World War I
reparations. The deepening depression had made it
impossible for Germany to resume its reparations payments,
so it was agreed to cut Germany's total reparations from
£6.6billion to £2 billion. It also gave Germany 59 years to pay
it.
Occupation of the Ruhr ● In November 1922 Germany defaulted on its
reparations payment as scheduled. The first
, reparations payment had taken all she could
afford to pay. The French believed Germany
could make the repayment but were choosing
not to, however the German government
argued they could not afford to pay.
● In response, France and Belgium sent troops
into Germany’s main industrial area, the Ruhr
Valley. Their aim was to confiscate industrial
goods as reparations payments as they didn’t
believe Germany was unable to pay the second
instalment. They occupied coal mines, railways,
steel works and factories – all things that were
important to Germany’s economy.
● The German government ordered workers to
follow a policy of ‘passive resistance’ – refusing
to work or co-operate with the foreign troops
and in return the government continued to pay
their wages.
● The immediate consequences of the occupation
were not good for the Weimar government – they
decided to print more money to pay the workers in
the region, contributing to hyperinflation. A
general strike (when all the workers in the country
stopped work) was called, and political instability
was rife.
Hyperinflation
Germany was already suffering from high levels of inflation
due to the effects of the war and the increasing government
debt. In order to pay the striking workers the government
simply printed more money. This flood of money led to
hyperinflation as the more money was printed, the more
prices rose.
Gustav Stresemann
Stresemann’s single greatest achievement as Chancellor was
to end hyperinflation. He did this in just three months by:
-Calling off the ‘passive resistance’ of German workers in the
Ruhr. This helped Germany’s economy because goods were
back in production and the Government could stop printing
money to pay striking workers.
-Promising to begin reparations payments again. This
persuaded France and Belgium to end the occupation of the
Vocab:
Spartacists
Marsixt revolutionaries in post-World War I Germany during
the weimar republic. Were dedicated to bringing a socialist
revolution to Germany through a general strike called the
spartican uprising.
‘Stab in the back’ myth
An antisemitic conspiracy theory, widely believed in right-wing
circles in germany. It was the belief that germany did not lose
the war in the battlefield, but rather were betrayed by the
communists, socialists and Jews on the home front, who had
worked to ensure Germany’s defeat
November Criminals
Term coined by the likes of Hitler to identify those associated
with signing the Versailles Treaty. They were known as
criminals because the population believed that they had been
betrayed by them.
Diktat (Dictated Peace)
nickname given by many Germans to the hated Treaty of
Versailles, because there was no negotiation, they were just
forced to sign.
Weimar Constitution
In 1919 Friedrich Ebert, a member of the Social Democratic
Party signed a new constitution, known as the Weimar
Constitution, into law, officially creating the first
parliamentary democracy in Germany. Set up Germany's first
modern democracy by providing for a directly elected
president and parliament (the Reichstag), setting up a senate
(Reichsrat), and providing a chancellor (prime minister).
Proportional an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion
Representation to the number of votes cast for them.
Article 48
The Article of the Weimar Republic's constitution that
, allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take
emergency measures without the prior consent of the
Reichstag. allowed Hitler to seize control of the government
after the Reichstag fire on Feb. 27, 1933.
Kapp Putsch
An attempted right wing revolution in Germany led by Kapp
that attempted to overthrow the fledgling Weimar Republic.
The Freikorps managed to take over Berlin and declare a new
government headed up by Wolfgang Kapp who then invited
the Kaiser to return from the Netherlands to retake his post as
Emperor.
Munich Putsch (Beer Hall
Putsch) 9 November 1923. Inspired by Mussolini's March on Rome.
The putsch failed because Hitler was captured and
imprisoned. The putsch was a success because it showed the
weakness of the government and put Nazi party on the grid. It
also showed the power of the Nazi party.
Freikorps (Free Corps)
An organisation made up of ex soldiers who fought as private
armies to combat political forces of the KPD. formed by
unemployed young officers from the military and financed by
the German army. Became a symbol of nationalism and anti -
communism.
Dawes Plan
A plan to revive the German economy, where the United
States loans Germany money which then can pay reparations
to England and France, who can then pay back their loans
from the U.S. This circular flow of money was a success.
Young Plan
(1929) a program for settling Germany's World War I
reparations. The deepening depression had made it
impossible for Germany to resume its reparations payments,
so it was agreed to cut Germany's total reparations from
£6.6billion to £2 billion. It also gave Germany 59 years to pay
it.
Occupation of the Ruhr ● In November 1922 Germany defaulted on its
reparations payment as scheduled. The first
, reparations payment had taken all she could
afford to pay. The French believed Germany
could make the repayment but were choosing
not to, however the German government
argued they could not afford to pay.
● In response, France and Belgium sent troops
into Germany’s main industrial area, the Ruhr
Valley. Their aim was to confiscate industrial
goods as reparations payments as they didn’t
believe Germany was unable to pay the second
instalment. They occupied coal mines, railways,
steel works and factories – all things that were
important to Germany’s economy.
● The German government ordered workers to
follow a policy of ‘passive resistance’ – refusing
to work or co-operate with the foreign troops
and in return the government continued to pay
their wages.
● The immediate consequences of the occupation
were not good for the Weimar government – they
decided to print more money to pay the workers in
the region, contributing to hyperinflation. A
general strike (when all the workers in the country
stopped work) was called, and political instability
was rife.
Hyperinflation
Germany was already suffering from high levels of inflation
due to the effects of the war and the increasing government
debt. In order to pay the striking workers the government
simply printed more money. This flood of money led to
hyperinflation as the more money was printed, the more
prices rose.
Gustav Stresemann
Stresemann’s single greatest achievement as Chancellor was
to end hyperinflation. He did this in just three months by:
-Calling off the ‘passive resistance’ of German workers in the
Ruhr. This helped Germany’s economy because goods were
back in production and the Government could stop printing
money to pay striking workers.
-Promising to begin reparations payments again. This
persuaded France and Belgium to end the occupation of the
