History Germany Golden Years

• What Gustav Stresemann was appointed in 1923


  Chancellor & Foreign Secretary
• When Stresemann resigned as chancellor


  November 1923
• What Stresemann hoped to achieve by stabilising the economy and regaining respect for Germany in foreign affairs


  Increased support for moderate parties, whilst reducing support for extremists
• What Stresemann set up in November 1923


  A new state-owned bank, called the Rentenbank
• The name of the currency issued by the Rentenbank


  The Rentenmark
• Why the Rentenmark had real value


  The supply of Rentenmark notes was strictly limited and their value was tied to the price of gold. It was backed by German industrial plants and agricultural land.
• What happened to the control of the Rentenbank in August 1924


  The control of the new currency was given to the Reichsbank, a newly-independent, national bank. The currency was renamed the Reichsmark and was backed by Germany's gold reserves.
• When hyperinflation was brought to an end by Stresemann


  1924
• How the Dawes Plan came about?


  An American Banker, Charles G Dawes, was asked by the allies to resolve Germany's non-payment of reparations.
• When Stresemann agreed to the Dawes Plan


  April 1924
• The terms of the Dawes Plan


  - Reparations were temporarily reduced to £50 million per year

  - US banks gave loans to German industry

  - US banks gave loans of $25 billion between 1924 and 1930

  - Stresemann had called off passive resistance to the French occupation of the Ruhr, resultantly, the French agreed to leave
• What happened as a result of the Dawes Plan


  The German economy began to recover and employment, trade and income from taxation increased
• What happened to industrial output between 1923 and 1928


  It doubled
• Why extremists were furious at Germany agreeing to the Dawes Plan


  Germany had agreed to pay reparations again and economic recovery of Germany now depended upon American loans
• When was the Young Plan agreed to


  1929
• Who put forward the Young Plan


  A committee, headed by American Banker, Owen Young
• The terms of the Young Plan


  - The reparations debt was reduced from £6.6 billion to £2 billion

  - Germany was given a further 59 years to pay off the debt

  - Annual payments were still £50 million a year
• When the reparations debt stretched out until as a result of the Young Plan


  1988
• How the Young Plan helped the German economic recovery


  Lower reparations meant lower taxes for the German people. This meant public spending power was released, boosting the economy and therefore employment.
• When the French agreed to leave the Rhineland


  1930
• The number of Germans who voted in favour of the Young Plan in 1929

  35 million (around 85% of voters)
• When the Locarno Pact was signed


  1st December 1925
• The nations who signed the Locarno Pact


  Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium
• Why the Locarno Pact was significant for Germany's world standing


  It was agreed on equal terms with Germany, rather than imposed
• The terms of the Locarno Pact


  - Germany accepted its new, 1919, border with France and France promised peace with Germany

  - The Rhineland was to be permanently demilitarised

  - The five powers agreed to open talks with Germany about joining the league of nations
• Why Stresemann won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926


  The Locarno Pact made war in Europe much less likely
• When the League of Nations was founded


  At the end of WWI
• What the League of Nations did


  The League were a body who discussed ways to solve the world's problems without resorting to war
• When Stresemann successfully persuaded the other powers to accept Germany as a member of the League of Nations


  September 1926
• The name of the body, who took the most important decisions of the League of Nations, was given a place on


  The League of Nations Council
• When the Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed


  August 1928
• The number of other countries who signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, alongside Germany


  61
• What the Kellogg-Briand Pact was


  A promise not to use war to achieve foreign policy aims
• The percentage of seats in the Reichstag held by extremists and moderates in May 1924 compared to May 1928


  May 1924: extremists held 40% of seats and moderates, 50%

  May 1928: extremists held 28% and moderates 58%
• When President Ebert died

  1929
• Who replaced President Ebert as the German President


  Paul von Hindenburg - a former field marshal of the Kaiser's army
• How Hindenburg's presidency strengthened the Republic


  He reassured the middle classes and gave the Republic a strong figurehead
• What happened to Stresemann on the 3rd of October in 1929


  He died of a heart attack
• Why the timing of Stresemann's death was particularly devastating of the Weimar Republic


  Within a month, the Wall Street Crash occurred, kickstarting the Great Depression
• The Weimar Republic was established on August 11, 1919.