Rhur and hyperinflation

• What did workers carry as they streamed out of the factory?

  Pay packets, often in old cigar boxes
• What did the wives do with the money they grabbed from their husbands?

  They rushed to the nearest shops to buy food before prices went up
• How did the payment schedule affect workers on monthly pay compared to those on weekly pay?

  Employees on monthly pay were worse off than workers on weekly pay
• What happened to people living on fixed incomes during this time?

  They sank into deeper and deeper poverty
• What was a common sight in the streets during hyperinflation?

  Handcarts and laundry baskets full of paper money
• What did thieves do when they stole baskets of money?


  They tipped out the money and left it on the spot
• What was the dry joke that spread through Germany during hyperinflation?

  Papering one's WC with banknotes
• What did some people make for their kids out of banknotes?

  Kites
• What was the amount Germany was ordered to pay in reparations according to the Treaty of Versailles?

  132 billion gold marks or £6.6 billion
• What year is referred to as the "Year of Crisis" in Germany?

  1923
• What was the payment schedule for the reparations?

  Yearly instalments for the next 66 years
• What does the term hyperinflation refer to?

  Hyperinflation is an extremely high and typically accelerating inflation rate.
• What did the Weimar Government state in 1922 regarding reparations?

  They would not be able to pay the next three years' instalments due to economic hardship
• What were the impacts of hyperinflation in Germany?

  Normal living became impossible, leading to shortages and suffering among the population.
• How did the French and Belgians react to the Weimar Government's inability to pay reparations?

  They were very angry and marched into the Ruhr
• How was hyperinflation in Germany resolved?

  The study material does not specify the resolution of hyperinflation.
• What did the French aim to take control of in the Ruhr?

  Factories, mines, railways, and natural resources
• What does the term "putsch" mean?

  A putsch refers to a violent attempt to overthrow a government.
• What did the French do to Germans who questioned their actions during the occupation?

  They arrested them
• Who were the Spartacists?

  The Spartacists were a revolutionary socialist group in Germany.
• What was the initial response of the German people to the French occupation of the Ruhr?

  It was met with passive resistance
• Who were the Freikorps?

  The Freikorps were paramilitary groups composed of World War I veterans in Germany.
• What did the Weimar Government instruct Ruhr workers to do in response to the occupation?

  To go on strike
• Why did the Kapp Putsch happen?

  The Kapp Putsch occurred due to opposition to the Weimar government and its policies.
• What was one of the consequences of the French reaction to the strike in the Ruhr?

  Over 100 strikers were killed
• Why did the Kapp Putsch fail?

  The Kapp Putsch failed due to a general strike that paralyzed the country.
• What happened to the homes of people involved in the strike?

  15,000 people were thrown out of their homes as punishment
• How much did Germany owe in reparations after World War I?

  The study material does not specify the exact amount of reparations owed by Germany.
• What was one of the most important results of the Occupation of the Ruhr?

  It caused a shortage of goods, leading to rising prices
• What significant event occurred in October 1918 in Germany?


  A new German government was formed.
• What is inflation?


  It means that people had to pay more money to get what they needed
• What happened in November 1918 in Germany?

  The Armistice was signed.
• How did the government respond to the strike in the Ruhr?

  They decided to pay the workers for not working
• What was the first Weimar Election date?

  January 1919
• What caused hyperinflation in Germany?

  The government printed large amounts of money to pay striking workers
• What event occurred on January 6, 1919?

  The Spartacist Uprising took place.
• What was the cost of a loaf of bread by the end of 1923?

  201 billion marks
• When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

  June 1919
• What were the key events leading to hyperinflation in Germany?

  • Treaty of Versailles imposed reparations on Germany.
  • Weimar Government declared inability to pay reparations.
  • French and Belgian occupation of the Ruhr.
  • Passive resistance turned into strikes.
  • Government printed money to pay striking workers, leading to hyperinflation.
• What significant event occurred in March 1920?

  The Kapp Putsch occurred.