Weimar and Nazi Germany 1919-1945

• What 6 keywords would sum up early Weimar ?

  1. WW1
  2. Proportional representation
  3. Treaty of Versailles
  4. Spartacist uprising
  5. Kapp Putsch
  6. Ruhr
• WW1

  • Germany was losing the war
  • the allies (America, Britain, France) forces the abdication of the kaiser
  • Friedrich Ebert from the social democrats party demanded setting up of new republic
  • Weimar Republic set up
  • problems? food shortages, widow and orphans, Germany blamed for war
• Proportional Representation

  • 1919
  • New constitution (set of rules by which a country is organised)
  • voting system - every German can vote , everyone represented
  • lead to small parties, forming coalitions - not stable government no decisions made
  • In 14 years, 25 elections made
  • Problem? Article 48 - president can make decision when there’s an emergency
• Treaty of Versailles

  • A diktat ( a regulation or rule imposed on a country that's lost a war by the country that defeated it)
  • Germany was expecting less harsh treaty because they abdicated the kaiser, became a democratic country, supported by US president Wilson and was not entirely responsible for the war
  • Problems? Financial burden and Germans felt betrayed
• what were the terms in the Treaty of Versailles ?

  Land - lost 13% of land and 10% population

  Army - army restricted to 100000 men, no airforce, only 6 battleships

  Money - reparations of £6.6 billion

  Blame- Article 231-accept war guilt clause
• Spartacist Uprising

  • January 1919
  • from a workers demonstration to a revolution
  • wanted a communist government ( left wing revolution)
  • Weimar republic called in the Freikorps (ex-soldiers)
  • Uprising brutally crushed, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht executed
  • Problems? Weimar Republic not popular with many, Weimar had to call in ex-soldiers, destroyed trust of working people in the new government
• Kapp Putsch

  • 1920
  • cause: Freikorps were to be disbanded because of the 100000 men limit
  • Putsch led by Wolfgang Kapp, manages to seize Berlin and Army refuse to help Weimar
  • Weimar calls for general strike
  • 12 million people joined the strike in 2 days
  • water, gas, power shut off , Wolfgang and freikorps forced to give in
  • Problems? Weimar can’t survive on their own ( weak), lost trust of army - not much support
• Ruhr

  • 1923
  • causes: Germany didn’t pay France its reparations
  • French and Belgians invade industrial part of Germany- the Ruhr
  • Weimar called for passive resistance- workers stop working
  • Weimar printed more money to pay the workers on resistance in Ruhr
  • Hyper-inflation, money losts its value
  • Problem? Weimar blamed for the economic crisis in Germany and for letting French invade Germany
• What were the consequences of the rebellions (Kapp Putsch and Spartacist uprising)?

  Weimar government showed it can’t keep control on it own

  Have to rely and use on other things like the freikorps and workers to defeat challenges
• How much was a loaf of bread in Germany 1923?

  200,000 million marks
• What was the golden age?

  A period of stability and success, where economy was rebuilt and cultural life flourished
• When was the golden age?

  1923-1929
• what was different in golden age for Germans?

  more freedom of speech and expression; new styles of art, architecture and entertainment.
• what was the Bauhaus movement?


  pieces of architecture would be available for everyone not just the rich and more simple designs .
• how did lives of women change and stay the same?

  women had freedom , able to go to work and vote

  became famous for erotic dancing and performance in the theatre .
• How did lives of Jewish people change and stay the same?

  Jewish people accepted and free to take part in society, but still face anti-semitism
• What was the cabaret club?

  An entertainment venue enjoyed by men and women; has dancing, jazz, smoking and drinking.
• who did not enjoy the changes in the golden age?

  more traditional Germans, older generation found culture confusing and upsetting.

  They saw the new culture as going against their views on hard work and marriage
• Who was Gustav stresmann?

  German chancellor in 1923
• what did Gustav stresmann do?

  Stresemann helped stabilize the Weimar Republic
• how did stresmann help stabilise Weimar government?

  • he called of passive resistance
  • brought in new currency - the Rentenmark- food prices went back down and money turned to normal- money lost was not compensated
  • 1924 - Dawes plan- USA loaned Germany money
  • 1926- Germany joined the League of Nations
• How ‘golden’ was the ‘ golden age’?

  • new currency solved hyper-inflation
  • economy recovered
  • Germany joined League of Nations
  • 1924-1929 no attempted coups
  • Cultural achievements
  • more freedom to speech
• Why was the golden age ‘not golden’?

  • middle class and elderly never forgave Weimar for hyper-inflation
  • Germany recovery depended on american loans
  • Weimar Republic still blamed for the Treaty of Versailles
  • Coalition governments didn’t last long
• Who was Ebert in 1919 Germany?

  German president
• Who benefitted from hyperinflation?

  People with debt and farmers
• When did Germany join the league of nations

  1926
• What does Putsch mean

  Violent takeover
• What was the consequence of the Ruhr invasion?

  Hyperinflation
• when was the Spartacist uprising?

  January 1919
• when was the Kapp Putsch?

  march 1920
• when was the invasion of the Ruhr?

  1923
• when did the Dawes plan announced?

  April 1924
• When did Gustav stresmann become chancellor?

  august 1923
• when did Paul von Hindenburg become preisdent?

  1925
• When was the lacarno treaties?

  1925
• When was the young plan?

  1929
• When was the treaty of Versailles put out.?

  June 1919
• What was the Young Plan of 1929?

  • Plan put forward by a committee and headed by Owen Young
  • Reparation debt reduced from £6.6 billion to £2 billion and Germany were given another 59 years to pay.
  • Lowered debts meant they could lower taxes, however extremists were still angered that it would mean they were paying it until 1988, so future generations would have to also be punished.
• What was the Dawes plan?

  • American banker Charles G. Dawes stepped in to solve Germany's reparations.
  • He reduced reparations to £50 million per year and gave loans of $25 billion between 1924 and 1930
  • Industrial output doubled and employment increased but extremists were still angered about paying reparations at all.
• What was the Locarno Pact of 1925?

  • A treaty signed by Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium.
  • Germany was seen as an equal this was NOT a Diktat.

  Germany was treated as an equal.