Germany GCSE Dates

• Abdication of the Kaiser and End of World War One


  1918
• • Treaty of Versailles signed
  • Beginning of the Weimar Republic
  • Spartacist Uprising
  • Hitler joins the DAP


  1919
• • Kapp Putsch
  • Introduction of the 25-Point Programme
  • Party renamed NSDAP


  1920
• Hitler takes over the DAP


  1921
• • Occupation of the Ruhr
  • Hyperinflation
  • Introduction of Rentenmark
  • Munich Putsch


  1923
• Implementation of the Dawes Plan

  1924
• • Signing of the Locarno Pact
  • SS (Schutzstaffel) created


  1925
• Germany joins the League of Nations

  1926
• Kellogg-Briand Pact signed


  1928
• Brüning replaced by Von Papen and then Von Schleicher


  1932
• • Hitler becomes Chancellor
  • Reichstag Fire
  • March Elections
  • Enabling Act passed
  • April Boycott of Jewish businesses
  • Concordat signed with the Pope
  • Dachau concentration camp opened
  • DAF (German Labour Front) & RAD (Reich Labour Service) set up


  1933
• • Night of the Long Knives
  • Death of Hindenburg
  • Army Oath of Loyalty


  1934
• Introduction of the Nuremberg Laws


  1935
• Berlin Olympics held


  1936
• Reichskristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)


  1938
• Wannsee Conference held


  1942
• July Bomb Plot against Hitler


  1944
• • Dresden destroyed
  • Hitler's death
  • End of the Third Reich


  1945
• 1918


  - Abdication of the Kaiser

  - End of World War One
• 1919


  - Treaty of Versaillles

  - Beginning of the Weimar Republic

  - Spatacist Uprising

  - Hitler joins DAP
• 1920


  - Kapp Putsch

  - 25-Point Programme

  - Party renamed NSDAP
• 1921


  Hitler takes over the DAP
• 1923


  - Occupation of the Ruhr

  - Hyperinflation

  - Rentenmark

  - Munich Putsch
• 1924


  Dawes Plan
• 1925


  - Locarno Pact

  - SS created
• 1926


  - Germany joins League of Nations
• 1928


  Kellogg-Briand Pact
• 1929


  Wall St Crash
• 1932


  Bruning replaced by Von Papen and then Von Schleicher
• 1933


  - Hitler becomes Chancellor

  - Reichstag Fire

  - March Elections

  - Enabling Act

  - April Boycott of Jewish businesses

  - Concordat signed with the Pope

  - Dachau opened

  - DAF and RAD set up
• 1934


  - Night of the Long Knives, Death of Hindenburg

  - Army Oath of Loyalty
• 1935


  Nuremberg Laws
• 1936


  Berlin Olympics
• 1938


  Reichskristallnacht
• 1942


  Wannsee Conference
• 1944


  July Bomb Plot
• 1945


  - Dresden destroyed

  - Hilter death

  - End of Third Reich
• What happened in the Spartactist Uprising (January 1919)?


  1. Communist attempt to seize power in Berlin

  2. Ebert used the Freikorps to crush the rebellion and leaders Luxemburg and Lienecht were executed

  3. Helpful for Ebert that the Spartacists were no longer a threat, but relied on the Freikorps - made him look weak to the public and it was risky as the Freikorps could turn on him at any point
• What happened in the Weimar Constitution (January 1919) ?

  1. The Social Democrats won the January elections and met in Weimar (because of the unrest in Berlin). 1st job was to write a new constitution!

  2. New rules included: everyone over the age of 20 could vote; people voted for MPs who would sit in the Reichstag and make laws; the Chancellor would be head of the Reichstag and voted for every 4 years; there would be a President who would choose the Chancellor and be voted for every 7 years.

  3. Strengths included: very democratic; wouldn't allow one person to take over; regular voting would ensure a poor Chancellor/President would not be around for long; state governments would address local issues.

  4. Weaknesses included: PR meant that there were lots of different parties in the Reichstag (28 represented in the 1920s!) and led to coalition governments which made it difficult to get them to agree on anything; Article 48 could be abused by the President; state governments could act without Reichstag consent.
• What happened in the Treaty of Versailles (June 1919)?

  1. GLAM! (Guilt, Land, Army, Money) - a 'diktat' (dictated peace).

  2. Article 231 stated that Germany should take full responsibility for the war, which was hugely unpopular.

  3. All overseas colonies lost and 13% of German land taken away, including: Alsace Lorraine, Saar Coalfields and the 'Polish corridor'.

  4. Army limited to 100,000 men; Tanks, armoured cars and heavy artillery were forbidden. No aircraft or submarines were permitted. For a proud militaristic nation this was deeply humiliating and angered many Germans.

  5. Reparations set at £6.6 billion. Led to economic problems as all German profit was to be sent directly to the Allies. Caused outrage.

  6. The treaty undermined the Social Democrats, who were accused of betraying Germany - dolschtoss - and led to the rise of extremist groups determined to wrestle power from the fragile new government.

  7. Caused mistrust and animosity towards the new government from the start.