Germany
between the wars
Political
Social
Military
Economic
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“Germany had to accept that it had caused the war” (P.14)
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the November criminals POLITICAL (politicians including Ebert of the Social Democratic
Party, who formed a coalition with the Independent Socialists, believed that
major industries should be owned and run by the nation)
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November criminals had “robbed the nation of victory”
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Initially there were 25 political parties represented in
the Reichstag
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The Chancellors “most important task was to get a number
of parties to work together to form a government” this was ultimately a large
amount of opposing views, no party had an overall majority
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18 coalition governments had come to power in the 1920s,
making the Weimar republic extremely unstable
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Adlon Hotel incident, 7 March 1920, Prussian prince Joachim
Albretch ordered the orchestra to play ‘Deutschland über alles” French officers
did not stand, making it clear there was still a clear divide between the
Allies and Germans
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Nazi Manifesto
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Formation of the SA, many people were ex-militants, and
the organization had military rankings
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January 10, 1923, French took occupation of the Ruhr (lots
of coal) with engineers “sent to determine capacity of mines”, also with aims
of exerting pressure on German industrialists
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Germans in the Ruhr went on strike, carrying out acts of
sabotage
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Shut down of factories in the Ruhr began to dramatically
impact the German economy, and despite the withdrawal of French forces, the
economy was “in total chaos”
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Printed too many bank notes, did not have the money they
were using, thus the mark’s value plummeted
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Germans began to accept other items instead of cash
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Wages rose, but not as much as prices
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Kampfbund- linked SA and other illegal armed groups
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Hitler wanted them to overthrow the central government
with a new one being founded in Munich
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Hitler wanted to be rash in his decisions, as he knew
the Germans “panic and despair” would diminish eventually
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Bavaria- run by Kahr who sympathized with Hitler
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Stressman- chancellor who believed that german needed
better relations with other countries
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1926- Germany joined the League of Nations
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Young Plan 1929- loans from American banks were
increasedand arrangements to pay reparations were made easier, ensuring that
Germany had money to pay
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1929- foreign troops were withdrawn from the Rhineland
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1929- Great depression trade between nations was in ruins,
people were homeless/unemployed/starving
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Hitler was pleased with the international depression, as he
began to regain power
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1931- Hindenburg and Bruning took down the Reichstag,
making a dictatorship a great possibility
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30 January 1933- Hitler came to power
Germany 1918-1945
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In the treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) Russia handed over
many resources to Germany, including 89% of the coal mines
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Treaty of Versailles- Germany lost 100% of pre war
colonies, 48% iron productions, 16% coal production, 13% territory and 12%
population
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The German government “did nothing in the early months of
1919 to prepare the German people for the shock of the Versailles Treaty” (P.9)
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Woodrow Wilson wanted the Reichstag to have more power
and the Kaiser less (democratic)
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70% of the costs of WW1 were met by loans
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various instances of individuals and groups trying to
take power (eg Spartacist revolt 1919, Kapp Putsch 1920, Munich Putsch 1923
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1923- New currency introduced : Rentenmark
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Dawes Plan 1924, 40 million pound loan
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Locarno treaty (1929)- france, belguim and Germany
recoginse as permanent fronteirs agreed at Versailles, including not sending
German troops into the Rhineland/Alsace Lorraine belonged to France[1]
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Industrial production between 1926-29 was only 11.6% of the
worlds share, compared to 14.3% pre ww1
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Hitler was convinced that violence was the only way to
gain support of the Nazi party
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Nazi party banned in 1924, lifted in 1925
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Literature began changing after the war, with authors
writing about topical themes, including misery of urban life and desperation
felt by the unemployed
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By 1931 3.7 million people listened to the radio
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Article 48 of the Weimar constitution outlined that
Hindenburg had the power to destroy democracy
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All males over 25 were allowed to vote
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“Germany relied heavily on the United States” thus, when
the stock market crashed in 1929 unemployment rose and Germany was in a state
of economic depression
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unemployment reached 6 million by 1933
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Hindenburg was put under great pressure to appoint
Hitler
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Under Stresemann, Germany became more stable, decreasing
the attraction of the Nazi party and their ideals
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Nazi propaganda enforcing the ideology of “racial
purity” (p.44)
Germany
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Blame of the hyperinflation and currency value was traced
back to the new German Democratic party, and the democratic system
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Hitler tried for treason after the Munich Putsch
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Greggor Strasser assisted in helping the party expand in
the late 1920s
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Introduction of more efficient machinery eradicated the
need for labour during the 1920s
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1927- rural farmers were affected by the agricultural
depression, with their debts rapidly rising, the nazi party saw this as an
opportunity and offered promises of
“reduced taxes, cheaper electricity and revision of laws” (p.13)
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polarization in the Reichstag
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social democrats were the most popular
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23 million people were
affected by the depression
The
face of the third Reich
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Hitler was “widely regarded as
the savior who promised to give a new and happy turn to German history” (P.3)
BBC
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1930 brüning cut government expenditure, wages and
unemployment pay, assisting in gaining more Nazi support
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1928- 12 seats, 1932- 230
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hitler was charismatic and passionate, with the
additional strength of having enough power to make people that didn’t want to
support him, do so
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people lost confidence in the democratic system after
the great depression
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Hindenburg and papen believed they could control Hitler
Britannica
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Hitler rewarded with the Iron
cross (second class then first class) in December 1914 and again in 1918
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Never graduated high school
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He “found discipline and
comradeship satisfying”
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In 1920 “conditions were ripe for the development of
such a party”
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SA were employed to protect party meetings and eradicate
socialists and communists, exploiting violence
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Hitler realized after the Munich Putsch that it would be
legal power that would be vital in taking control
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Hitler campaigned against the Young Plan
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Newspapaers allowed him to reach a nationwide audience
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Industrialists paid him, enabling him to gain ground
with the lower middle class and unemployed
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Hitler had an astounding
following of people who trusted and believed in him, as well as making Germany
the “most powerful and feared country” by 1938
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1926- Hitler Youth was established
