History- Weimar and nazi germany

• The First World War ended in 1918 and left Germany scared and crumbling, having been defeated by the combined force of Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the USA
• Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party, became the first German president and declared Germany a republic
• The devastating effects of the war left many people with no option other than to revolt by striking and rioting
• The Berlin streets were crowded, some people were armed, hoping to take over parts of the city
• Philipp Scheidemann, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the largest party in the German government Reichstag, declared the new Republic to the crowd, fearing that communists and rioters were preparing to declare a communist government in Berlin, and keen to prevent this, so promoted a peaceful transition
• The revolutionary period continued until August 1919, when the Weimar Republic was finally established
• The armistice - the peace agreement between Germany and the Allies - was signed on 11 November 1918. It was the first major decision of Ebert's new Republic. The terms of the peace, the Treaty of Versailles, became a very big burden for the country.
• Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional representation made sure small parties had a fair share of seats
  • Women able to vote as well as men
  • Voting age reduced from 25 to 21
  • No one group or person could have too much power
  • Central government was more powerful than before, but local government still retained power in the regions
  • The Reichsrat could regulate the power of the Reichstag by delaying new laws
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional representation led to coalition governments that were unstable, or found it difficult to have strong policies and often fell apart
  • Lack of strong government led to weakness in a crisis that ended up with the president passing laws without the prior consent of the Reichstag
  • Article 40 of the constitution enabled the president to do this, which was not the choice of the people so was not that popular
• The Treaty of Versailles damaged Germany's economy making the Weimar Republic weak from the start. People blamed the leaders of the new German republic for signing it. They were labeled the 'November Criminals' because they surrendered in November 1918 and were seen as traitors to their country.
• Territorial losses for Germany under the Treaty of Versailles

  • Northern Schleswig voted to become part of Denmark
  • Alsace and Lorraine were lost to France
  • Germany lost 13% of its European territory
  • Poland corridor and West Prussia were lost to Poland
  • Upper Silesia voted to become part of Poland
  • Germany also lost all of its colonies
• Military restrictions on Germany under the Treaty of Versailles

  • Army limited to 100,000
  • Navy limited to six battleships, six cruisers, 12 destroyers and 12 torpedo boats (and no submarines)
  • All planes were destroyed and no air force was allowed
  • No military was allowed in the land bordering France (the Rhineland)
• The 'stab in the back' theory - many German people never believed their army had been defeated in the war. Those who criticised the treaty said that the army had been betrayed by politicians - that they were 'stabbed in the back' and forced to surrender when they could have won.
• In November 1923, Stresemann set up the Rentenbank and issued the new currency called the Rentenmark. Its supply was tightly controlled and its value was tied to the price of gold, so it had real value. This encouraged more public confidence.
• In August 1924 the Reichsbank was given control of this new currency. It was renamed the Reichsmark. Hyperinflation was over.
• In 1924, the Dawes Plan was designed so Germany could pay its reparations. Instalments were temporarily reduced to £50 million a year. US banks agreed to make loans to German industry. The Allies felt more confident that they would get their reparations payments.
• In August 1929, the Young Plan reduced the total reparations debt from £6.6 billion to £2 billion. The payments could be made over a longer time, up until 1966. Lower reparations meant lower taxes for German people.
• There was a lot of opposition to the Young Plan, especially from the extreme political parties, like the Nazis, who felt it was extending the burden for future generations.
• The Weimar Republic's economy improved because industrial output doubled by 1928 and finally passed pre-First World War levels, and employment and trade increased. However, there were still problems, as the extreme political parties were completely against Germany paying the reparations at all, and the economic recovery depended on American loans, so it remained fragile.
• Stresemann resigned the chancellorship in November 1923, but stayed as foreign secretary until 1929. His work in foreign affairs strengthened the confidence of the German people in the Weimar Republic, reduced the support for extremist political parties like the Nazis and the communists, increased support for moderate parties, and reduced the economic hardships of the German people.
• Stresemann was instrumental in making sure Germany was a member of three important international pacts or agreements: The Locarno Pact, the League of Nations and the Kellogg-Briand Pact.
• The League of Nations membership showed that Germany's views counted, boosted the confidence held by most Germans in the Weimar government, but there were still some areas of discontent as the hated terms of the Treaty of Versailles were still in place.
• The Locarno Pact improved relations with France, the Allies and Germany agreed to the permanent demilitarisation of the Rhineland, and German membership of the League of Nations was up for discussion.
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact showed that Germany was once again a major power, and that moderate political parties could build Germany's strength internationally, increasing public confidence in how Germany was being led.
• Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889. He moved to Munich in 1913 and became obsessed with all things German. He fought in the First World War and his experience confirmed his views that Germany had a special destiny. He was shocked by Germany's defeat and the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles.
• The Nazi programme, written by Hitler and Drexler in 1920, included policies such as increasing pensions for the elderly, nationalising industries, getting rid of the Treaty of Versailles, ensuring everybody had a job, building up Germany's armed forces, excluding non-German races from citizenship, and expanding Germany across new territory to feed the people and settle surplus population (known as Lebensraum).
• The Nazi programme opposed the Weimar politicians who agreed to the Treaty of Versailles, democracy, which they thought was weak, and Jews, who they felt undermined the German economy.
• Drexler


  Took over control of the Nazi Party from
• Drexler joined the DAP


  1919
• The DAP changed name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) or Nazi Party


  1920 August
• Points included in the Nazi programme written by Hitler and Drexler in 1920


  • Increase pensions for the elderly
  • Nationalise industries
  • Get rid of the Treaty of Versailles
  • Everybody should have a job
  • Build up Germany's armed forces
  • Only German races may be members of the nation, no Jew may be a citizen
  • Expand Germany across new territory to feed the people and to settle surplus population (known as Lebensraum)
  • All citizens should have equal rights and duties
  • Every hard-working German to have the chance of higher education
  • State must protect mothers and infants, stop children working; make laws for compulsory sports
  • The programme opposed the Weimar Republic, democracy, and Jews
• German Worker's Party (DAP)


  Set up by Anton Drexler in February 1919 in Munich, Hitler joined in September 1919
• Hitler


  Became second in command of the DAP, suggested the new name NSDAP or Nazi Party, became leader of the Nazi Party in July 1921
• Some of Hitler's early party supporters

  • Hess
  • Goering
  • Streicher
  • Röhm
• Hitler attempted to overthrow the Weimar government in November 1923 in the Munich Putsch
• Reasons for the Munich Putsch


  • Stab in the back
  • Reparations
  • Loss of Germany's colonies
  • Resentment of Weimar government, particularly by the Bavarian government
• Events of the Munich Putsch


  1. 9 November 1923: Hitler gathered 1000 SA and 2000 volunteer supporters and marched on Munich town centre to declare himself President of Germany, met by state police and chaos ensued

  2. 8 November 1923: Hitler with 600 SA entered a beer hall where the Bavarian government were meeting, forced government leaders to support him, Röhm took over local police and army headquarters

  3. 11 November 1923: Hitler was found hiding at a friend's house and was arrested
• Consequences of the Munich Putsch


  • In the short term, the Putsch was not good for Hitler as the NSDAP was banned and it had failed due to lack of support
  • In the long term, the consequences were more positive as Hitler used his trial to publicise his views, wrote Mein Kampf, and realised the party needed to be more organised to win support nationally
• Hitler was released from prison after only nine months and the ban on the NSDAP was lifted by 1925
• At the Bamberg Conference in 1926, Hitler organised this to address splits between the socialist and nationalist wings of the Nazi movement, securing his power as leader