KQ2

• Locarno Pact - 1st December 1925
• The Rhineland pact - Germany, France and Belgium promised to respect the Western Frontier. Germany agreed to keep troops out it the Rhineland. Britain and Italy promised to aid Germany, France of Belgium if they were attacked by their neighbours.
• Arbitration Treaties - Germany agreed with France, Belgium, Poland and checkslovakia that any dispute should be settled by a conciliation committee to mediate discussions.
• However, the Locarno pact did not apply to Eastern Boarders which led to a possibility of them being revived in the future leaving Germany less secure as they could loose land.
• 1926 - Germany accepted into the League of Nations, improves their reputation and allows them to co operate more efficiently with other countries.
• They had to re arm in secret as the TofV had not been amended to allow more than 100,00 men. They trained soldiers for short periods of time only so they had a constant reserve of trained soldiers if needed.
• End of Allied Occupation:

  Zone 1 = 1926

  Zone 2 = 1929

  Zone 3 = 1930

  Five years ahead of schedule from TofV but was slightly delayed due to Germany's refusal to agree with the disarming terms of the treaty.
• April 1922 - Treaty of Rappollo allowed for Germany to develop new weapons and train pilots in the USSR.

  The Treaty of Berlin 1926 - renewed this and added that Germany would stay neutral in a war aslong as the USSR wasn't the aggressor.

  Positive but original negotiated by Walther Rathenau not Stresemann.
• November 1923 - Rentenmark introduced

  1 trillion old marks = 1 rentenmark

  August 1924 - The rentenmark became the reichsmark, backed by the German gold reserve which was to remain at 30% of the value in circulation - successful
• Stresemann not entirely responsible for economic recovery as the introduction of the new currency happened under Hjalmar Schact.
• 1924 - The Dawes plan

  Reparations were confirmed at £6.6 billion but recommended that the amount paid per year should be reduced.

  Germany would start reparations at 1000 million marks which should be increased annually by 2500 million marks.
• Streseman cannot take all the credit for the Dawes plan because Charles Dawes an American banker acted as the new reparations Committee chairman.

  America also.supplied Germany with a loan of 800 million marks.
• 1929 - The Young plan:

  Reparations bill reduced to £1.8 billion but the annual payment required increased.

  All foreign control over reparations payments would be ended and in return Britian and France would withdraw all their troops from the Rhineland by June 1930.
• However, the Young Plan didn't end up happening because of the Wall Street Crash.
• Economic developments:

  Passive resistance was called off so the gov. could stop paying workers wages.
• Economic developments:

  November 1923 - Rentenmark introduced - 1 rentenmark = 1 trillion old marks backed by the gold reserve to be kept at 30% of the value of Reichsmark in circulation.
• Economic developments:

  August 1924 - Rentenmark becomes Reichsmark.
• Economic Developments:

  Balancing the budget - 300,000 civil servants lost their jobs. Helpful for well manages companies but not for companies that relied heavily on credit
• Dawes Plan - How:

  November 1923 - Stresemann asked the allies reparations committee to drt up a committee of financial experts to afters Germany's repayment concerns. America wanted Germany to pay reparations to France as they wanted the money France owed them from the war.
• Dawes Plan - The Terms:

  Reparations confirmed at £6.6 billion.

  Germany would start repaying at 1000 million marks which would be increase annually by 2500 million marks per year (much less than before).

  Germany would receive a loan of 800 million marks off America.
• Dawes Plan - Benefits:

  Allies accepted Germany's problems with paying reparations were real.

  Loans were granted so new machinery, factories, houses etc could be built.

  The French gradually left the Ruhr once it was clear Germany was going to start paying reparations.
• Extent of economic recovery - industry:

  Rationalisation - Big industrialists began to buy out smaller firms to form cartels.

  By 1925 - Around 3000 cartel arrangements including 90% of Germany's coal and steel production.
• The Extent of Economic Recovery - Industry:

  After 1925, Germany was allowed to place tariffs on imported foreign goods.

  Car industry developed but was still too expensive for the average German

  Loans helped finance building of houses and schools (1925 = 178930 dwellings were built over 70000 more than the previous year),
• The Extent of Economic Recovery - Industry:

  New system of compulsory arbitration (both sides allow an independent figure to agree on a solution) for settling industrial disputes.

  1927 = real wages increased by 9% and a further 12% in 1928.
• The Extent of Economic Recovery - Limits:

  Dawes Plan was only ever going to be short term.

  By the end of 1925, unemployment had reached 1 million.

  By March 1926, it was over 3 million.

  Mining companies reduced their workforces by 136,000 between 1922 and 1925.

  The Mittlestand gained very little in the golden age because of wage issues.
• The Extent of Economic recovery - Agriculture:

  Worldwide agricultural depression kept food prices low and few farmers were able to make profits.

  After 1923 it was easier for farmers to borrow money but this resulted in them having large debts.

  Higher taxes were seen as unfair so the government introduced high import tariffs and subsidies in an attempt to relieve pressure on farmers but it wasn’t enough.
• The Extent of Economic Recovery - Agriculture:

  1928. - “farmers revenge “ - small scale riots in protest of foreclosure and law market.

  1929 - German agricultural production was less than 3/4 of its pre war levels.
• The Young Plan:

  Reparations reduced to £1.8 billion.

  Annual payment increased.

  All foreign control over reparations was ended and the responsibility of paying reparations was placed solely on the German government.

  In return, Britain and France agreed to withdraw all troops from the Rhineland in 193p.
• The Young Plan - opposition:

  Alfred Hugenburg - launched a nationwide campaign against the plan, the “freedom law” which they demanded should be submitted to a national referendum.

  Required the government to repudiate the war guilt clause of TofV and demanded all areas to be immediately evacuated etc.

  Attracted 4135000 signature.

  Didn’t stop the plan

  The plan was however stopped by the Wall Street crash.
• Social Welfare Reform:

  1924 - The Public Assistance System, which provided help to the poor and destitute was modernised.
• Social Welfare Reform:

  1925 - The state accident insurance system which helped those injured at work was extended to cover those suffering from occupational diseases.
• Social Welfare Reform:

  1927 - A national unemployment insurance system was introduced to provide benefits for the unemployed.
• Social Welfare Reform:

  1926 - The state was supporting 800,000 disabled war veterans, 3600 war widows and over 900,000 war orphans.
• Social Welfare Reform:

  Increased taxes and means tests and tightened up with snoopers which made it harder to access benefits.
• Women - Myths:

  By 1925 - 36% of the workforce were women.

  By 1933 - 100,000 women teachers and 3000 women doctors.

  rise in abortions - 1930 - 1 million a year.

  1919 - 41 women elected to the Reichstag.
• Women - Reality:

  Civil code of 1896 was still in force - laid down that in marriage the husband had the right to decide all matters concerning family life.

  League of German Women (BDF) - 900,000 members, promoted traditional family values.

  Demobilisation laws after war required women to leave their jobs for men.

  ”double earners”

  1930 - 10-12,000 deaths a year from abortions.

  No female representatives in the Reichstag.

  Only KPD had female equality as a key element in their programme but was unappealing for the female electorate.
• Young People - Education:

  Gymnasiums For those going to Uni - middle and upper class.

  Realschule - 6 years before an apprenticeships.

  Schools split along class and religious lines.
• Young People - Youth Groups:

  Wandervogel - Rejected middle class social conventions, practiced nudism and veganism .

  Church youth groups - Catholic e.g New Germany, Protestants put less emphasis on youth groups.

  Political Youth groups - SPD Youth Movement, Young Communist league , Hitler Youth. (13,000 members by 1920).
• Jews:

  80% of Jews in Germany lived in cities and and were well educated.

  There were many Jewish run newspaper.

  Owned 50% of private banks.

  18% of the banking sector.

  16% of lawyers.

  11% of doctors.

  24% of 38 Nobel Prizes awarded to Jews in Germany.

  Growing anti- semitism - blamed for a lot of Germany’s problems.
• Arts and Culture:

  Berlins Nightclubs - created freedom for young people but not liked by more traditionally minded Germans.

  Art - Expressionism- abstract in colour and idea.

  Music. - Expressionism. - Arnold Schoenberg.

  Literature. - Expressionism. - revolt against authority.