germany 1920s
Cards (48)
- Kapp Putsch1920
- Kapp Putsch details*In crushing the communists the Freikorps had saved the government, but the terms of the Treaty of Versailles meant Germany's army had to be significantly reduced and the Freikorps had to be disbanded.*During 13 - 17 March 1920, as a reaction to this, the right-wing nationalist, Dr Wolfgang Kapp led a Freikorps takeover in Berlin.*The regular army refused to attack the Freikorps; Kapp was only defeated when the workers of Berlin went on strike and refused to cooperate with him.
- The Greater Berlin Act1920
- The Greater Berlin Act details*This made Berlin the third largest city in the world and established it as the centre of German cultural and intellectual life*Many of Germany's most prominent artists, writers, academics and performers were based in the city
- Treaty of Rapallo1922
- Treaty of Rapallo details*Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty Rapallo on 16th April 1922*The two nations agreed to cancel all financial claims against each other and strengthened their economic and military ties
- Munich Putsch1923
- Munich Putsch details*A newly-formed fascist group called the Nazis attempted a putsch in Munich in November*This event brought Hitler to national prominence after he was jailed for nine months for his part in the attempted coup
- French occupation of the Ruhr1923 - 1925
- French occupation of the Ruhr details*In 1922 the government stated that it would not be able to pay the reparations in time, however the French believed they could and Germany was just testing international patience*60000 French and Belgian troops were sent into the Ruhr region of Germany where they aimed to extract unpaid reparations and took control of key industries and natural resources*In response, the government instructed Ruhr workers to go on strike, resulting in a worsened economic state and hyperinflation
- Hyperinflation1923
- Hyperinflation details*German money goes up 824,000,000,000% in worth leading to money becoming worthless*Caused by the government printing money to pay German citizens on strike*Those with fixed income and savings were negatively affected*Those who could negotiate their pay and with loans benefitted
- Gustav Stresemann appointed as chancellor1923
- Gustav Stresemann appointed as chancellor details*He was able to end hyperinflation in just three months. He did this 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 Ruhr by 1925.*Introducing a new currency called the Rentenmark. This stabilised prices as only a limited number were printed meaning money rose in value. This helped to restore confidence in the German economy.*Reducing the amount of money the government spent (700,000 government employees lost their jobs) so that its budget deficit reduced.
- Music in Berlin1920s
- Music in Berlin details*Music in Weimar was dominated by three themes...*Modern classical. Composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Kurt Weill and Alan Berg composed classical pieces and operas.*Jazz. The increasing influence of American culture brought jazz music to Berlin and Munich, with classical composers often crossing over into what was known as 'atonal' music, or jazz.*Cabaret. This became popular in Berlin, where young people could sit around in clubs, drinking and watching musical performances.
- Cinema in Berlin1920s
- Cinema in Berlin details*The German film and cinema industry boomed during the 1920s. The main features of the industry were as follows...*The economic disruption of the Weimar period produced an expressionist style in German film-making, with films often having unrealistic sets and featuring exaggerated acting techniques.*The shortage of funding gave rise to the Kammerspielfilm movement, with atmospheric films made on small sets with low budgets.*Expressionist film-makers favoured darker storylines and themes, including horror and crime.*The most prominent film directors of the time were Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau.*The most famous films of the period were The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922 - based on the Dracula story), Phantom (1922), The Last Laugh (1924) and Metropolis (1927).
- Rise of science in Berlin1920s
- Rise of science in Berlin details*Towering figures like Max Plank and Albert Einstein worked in Germany in the 1920s, and Einstein received his Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.
- Rise of philosophy in Berlin1920s
- Rise of philosophy in Berlin details*One of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, Martin Heidegger, published his major work Being and Time in 1927.*The political philosophers Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss received their university education in Germany during the Weimar period.
- Reputation for decadence in Berlin1920s
- Reputation for decadence in Berlin details*After World War One, Berlin became a place where behaviour previously thought of as immoral flourished...*Cabarets became known as places where transvestites and openly gay men and women could visit, despite homosexuality being illegal at the time*Prostitution, which had grown during World War One, flourished*The city acquired a reputation for drug dealingorganised crime, and gangs called Ringvereine, grew
- Dawes Plan1924
- The Dawes Plan details*Instalment plan for Germany, a way to help them pay reparations*Germany only had to pay one billion Marks per year for the first five years and 2.5 billion per year after that*Germany was loaned 800 million Marks from the USA
- Hourly wages increasing1924 - 1929
- Hourly wages increasing details*Hourly wages rose every year from 1924 to 1929 and by 10 per cent in 1928 alone*But unemployment did not fall below 1.3 million and in 1929 increased to 1.9 million
- Locarno Treaties1925
- Locarno Treaties details*A series of treaties that settled Germany's disputed borders with France, Belgium, Czech, and Poland*France also had to respect their frontier with Germany, which meant no more 'invasions of the Ruhr' like the one in 1923.
- Hindenburg becomes president1925
- Hindenburg becomes president details*He was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I*He became president of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934*While some historians view Hindenburg as a World War I hero who stabilized the Weimar Republic in the years that followed, others cite him as a key contributor to the rise of Nazi Germany and the death of the nation's democracy
- Exports increasing1925 - 1929
- Exports increasing details*Between 1925 and 1929 exports (sending goods or services abroad) rose by 40 percent*But it spent more on imports than it earned from exports, so Germany was losing money every year
- Germany joining the League of Nations1926
- Treaty of Berlin details*Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty of Berlin on 24th April 1926*Each promised to stay neutral if another country attacked them for the next five years*This Soviet-German agreement renewed the Treaty of Rapallo that they had signed back in 1922
- Treaty of Berlin1926
- Germany joining the League of Nations details*When the League of Nations was set up as part of the Versailles agreement Germany was initially excluded*By signing the Locarno Treaties, Germany showed that it was accepting the Versailles settlement*A year later was accepted as a permanent member of the Council of League, making it one of the most powerful countries in the League.
- Pension, health and unemployment insurance schemes introduced1927
- Pension, health and unemployment insurance schemes introduced details*Generous pension, health and unemployment insurance schemes were introduced from 1927*But the government ended up spending more than it received in taxes and so continued to run deficits from 1925 onwards