golden years

    Cards (47)

    • what happened to politics after 1923?
      politics became peaceful
      no attempted coups or putsch
      no major political assassinations
      not all violence disappeared, extremist parties around e.g nazis and kpd red fighting league
      over 50 killed and many injured
    • what were election results like for democratic parties
      may 1924- 52%
      may 1928- 72.8%
      more people voting for main democratic parties
    • who were the main democratic parties
      spd, ddp, z, dvp, bvp
    • what did peukert say about politics at the time
      the electoral decline of the liberals was the decisive event of weimar politics because it undermined the pro-republican centre from within
    • how stable was government from 1924-29
      6 governments
      short lived coalitions
      no majority die to proportional representation
      stuck to political principles rather than cooperating for democracy
      moderate parties inconsistent in attitudes, if there was an issue or policy within moderate left or right they needed majority
      opposing group may join radical left or right to defeat issue
      reichstag=divided
    • what happened in november 1928
      spd party voted against its own party about proposal of funds for new battleship - no support for own party
      breaks tofv before hitler
    • what was the voting system like
      voted for person not party
      party would choose representative not the people
      no ties with chosen deputy
    • what other issues surrounded politics at the time
      lack of charismatic leader
      stab in the back myth still around
      new flag led to controversy- colours used from 1848 revolution
      constitution day 1928 was uninspiring
      death of ebert meant new president was needed
    • what happened at the presidental election of 1925
      second round was 25 april
      crucial to w.r development
      president- had power to appoint chancellor- article 48
    • who was running for president
      hindenburg (dnvp) (right wing) - 14.7m votes - 48%
      marx (z) - 13.8m votes- 45%
    • who was hindenburg
      war hero
      positive for w.r- german people like him
      threat to democracy
      became focus of powerful groups who wanted authoritarian system
    • who was gustav stresemann
      chancellor 1923, foriegn secretary 1924-29
      right wing
      more able than ebert- credited with recovery of governmnet after 1923
    • what currencies were there
      pre 1923- 'mark'
      november 1923- 'rentenmark'
      stresemann and schacht introduce temporary currency based off a mortgage of germanys entire industrial and agricultural resources
      1924- reichsmark (RM) - gold standard
    • outline of economy 1924-29
      economy may have secured future of weimar republic if not for wall street crash
    • what was stresemanns role
      foriegn assistance
      restored stability of currency
      restored public confidence
    • how did the allies and USA impact the economy
      Allies- wanted german economy to recover so they could pay war reperations
      USA- leant millions, help with economic recovery therefore could retrieve war loans
    • what was germany's economic performance
      effects of inflation = longlasting
      pressure groups set up demanding old loans and compensation for those who lost money
      government accepted principles but unable to pay fully so offered schemes
    • what schemes did the government offer
      lottery- decide which orderto pay compensation
      creditor- without ruining government finances
    • what debts were there
      reassessed at 15% of original value
      creditors- only had part of money
      debtors- still had to find money to pay debt
    • what happened to economy after 1923
      improved but rate of growth erratic / unpredicated
      1926- sudden unemployment and worldwide downturn
      overall rate of industrial growth = low
      spending no longer financed by printing money
      circulation and expenditure now controlled
    • what changes were made to the industry
      1923- 8h day increased to 10h
      1924 onwards - employers against trade unions who want higher wages for longer days
    • who was charles dawes
      US budget director
      1923 - sent to europe to sort germany's economy
      under his advice, germans reichsbank was reformed , ended hyperinflation
      arranged dawes plan with stresemann , gives germany longer to pay reperations
      agreed to USA lending germany 800 million gold marks, kick starts economy
    • what was the dawes plan
      1924
      the sum of 132,000 million marks fixed in 1921 was confirmed
      over 5 years annual payments would rise from 1,000 million to 2,500 million, then at varying levels according to economic performance
      allies maintained control of the railways, reichsbank and customs duties, sanctions for non payment must be agreed by all allies not france alone as in 1923
      seen as temporary arrangement, germany given 800 million mark loan to help stabilise currency
    • impact of dawes plan
      helped economic recovery, led to reperations being paid as scheduled
    • what was the young plan
      1929 - total sum to be paid was reduced to 37,000 million marks
      annual payments, lower than under the dawes plan to be made over 58 years
      allied supervision discontinued
      intended as final settlement, germany participated in these reprations negotiations negotiations for the 1st time
    • impact of young plan
      allied troops were withdrawn in june 1930, major internal opposition, referendum campaign
    • stresemanns aims for germany's position
      restore germany's power and prosperity BUT accepted germany was in no position to challenge the allies military and revise the TofV.
      rejected arguments of those such as general seeckt who was the future in germany in terms of building up military
    • what were stresemanns aims
      pursued pragmatic policy
      cooperation with west
      mild pressure onto other powers - economic potential
      hoped to provide revision of the treaty and restore germany's great power status
      stresemann knew countries would or could not let german economy collapse
      used interdependence of economic and foriegn policy
    • what pressure did stresemann put onto foriegn powers

      supplier of coal to france
      purchased other countries food
      opportunity for investment - usa
      possible market for britain
    • What was Erfullungspolitik?

      fulfilment - means complying with to fulfilling the terms of versailles to improve relations with britain and france - thus encourages to revise treaty
    • what did the fulfilment policy entail
      satisfying the french demand for security
      building links with ussr and so putting pressure on he west to improve relations through fear of germany becoming communist
    • what did stresemann hope to get as a result
      reperation problems to be solved
      1923 - ruhr and rhineland occupation ends
      military control of germany would end
    • what was the agricultural economy like
      far worse
      there was a world surplus of grain - prices fell dramatically and affects large and small farms
      increase of debt and bankruptcies
      outbreak of peasant violence against evicitons
      hitler targets farmers for support early on
    • what is the urban mittlestand
      middle class - state employers, savers, tradesmen
      did not benefit from prosperity
      organised workers making gains
      diminishing gap between middle and working class
      soon express political resentment
    • what is stresemanns quote
      germany is dancing on a volcano. if the short term credits are called in, a large section of our economy would collapse
      (1928)
    • what was the locarno pact
      1925
      featured many world leaders signing various deals with eachother to solidify borders and defence pacts. Many treaties were signed and it was a very positive deal. It showed europe uniting and taking steps to prevent warfare. It also allowed germany entry to the league of nations
    • germany and the league of nations
      entry required in order for lorcano pact to happen
      stresemann insists germany to be permanent member
      germany becomes great power once more
      used germany's position to weaken security and raise issue of german minorities living in other states
    • the treaty of berlin
      1926
      deal between ussr and germany, each promising to remain neutral in the event of an attack from a 3rd party over the next 5 years. Germany was showing itself to be a peace focused nation. Stresemann got nobel peace prize for new atmosphere
    • the kellogg-briand pact
      1928 international agreement to eliminate war.
    • what are the 2 interpretations for stresemann
      good german or good european
      (opi is both)
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