chp 2

• Germany Political System before WW1

  Germany has great power. Power and authority lay with the Kaiser, his ministers and the German army.
• Impact of WW1 on Germany

  • 300000 Germans died from manipulation in 1918
  • its economy was in ruins as it spent too much money on the war that has massive debt
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic (political challenges)

  Weimar constitution

  • Although, the new constituent was approved by a majority in Reichstag in July 1919, some opposed it.
  • the constituent made significant changes (German over the age of 20 could vote, women could also vote)
• Weimar Government Strengths

  Proportional representation

  • any party taking part would gain seats in the Reichstag equal to the number of votes

  Laws

  • laws had to be approved by Reichstag
  • the chancellor could not just push them through, which prevented the abuse of power
• Weimar Government Weaknesses

  Proportional representation

  • it was hard for one party to gain majority
  • parties that opposed democracy (german communists party), could gain seats
  • government ended up as coalitions(formed by several political parties working together)
  • this made it challenging for the Reichstag to pass law, resulting in the government being weak and short-lived

  Article 48

  • it was a double-edged sword
• Forming a new government

  • once the constituent was establish, election to the new Reichstag were held in January 1919
  • Ebert's SPD was the largest party, so he became president
  • But he did not have enough Assembly members to form a government
  • this resulted in him forming coalition with Catholic Centre Party and the German Democratic Party,
• An unpopular republic, 1919-1923

  • President Ebert wanted to bring in new measures and reforms which benefitted millions of Germans
• Treaty of Versailles (TOV)

  • The weimar republic faced their first challenge the TOV in May 1919
  • When the treaty (a dikat) was announced the germans were shocked and angry with the terms.
  • Although being reluctant, Ebert had no choice but to sign the treaty on 28 June 1919
  • in the mind of the german, Ebert and the weimar politicians were the one to blame for the treaty, often called the "November Criminals"
  • germans choose to believe that the germany army had been "stab in the back" by the socialists and liberal politicians who agreed to the Armistice in November 1918.
• Threats to the Republic

  
  

  Left-wing

  • were strong supporters of increased government involvement in social welfare and labour unions

  Right-wing

  • were more nationalistic and supported increased militarism in Germany
• Spartacist Uprising, 1919

  1. Left-wing fought for power
  2. Joined by soldiers and sailors who set up soviets in many town
  3. Not all soldiers were sympathetic to left-wing causes
  4. Freikorps, an anti-communists band of WW1 veterans, fought against the Spartacists
  5. Ebert made an agreement with the commanders of the army and the Freikorps to put down the rebellion
  6. Freikorps won after street fighting and several casualties
  7. Ebert used the same tactic to crush other communist uprisings 1919-1920
• Kapp Putsch, 1920

  1. Right-wing groups came from all classes of society (from poor to wealthy)
  2. many members were former soldiers, including the Freikorps
  3. In March 1920, Wolfgang Kapp led 5000 Freikorps into Berlin in a rebellion known as the Kapp Putsch
  4. Kapp plan to overthrow the Weimar Republic and return Germany to a more authoritarian system similar to that in the time of the Kaiser
  5. Weimar government ordered the german army to attack the Freikorps and put down the rebellion.
• Kapp Putsch, 1920

  1. however, the army refused to act against the Freikorps and it looked as if Ebert's government was doomed
  2. Germany's trade unions and their 12 million industrial workers came to the rescue, by declaring a general strike
  3. The country then had no transport, power or water.
  4. all civil servants and government officials showed support for Ebert and refused to cooperate with the Kapp.
  5. After Kapp realised he could not succeed, he fled the country
  6. However, he was hunted down and died while awaiting trail
• weaknesses of the Weimar republic (economic challenges)

  Germany's economy was consistently played by erratic performance and inflation which would have long-lasting effects on the future of Weimar republic
• occupation of the Ruhr and Hyperinflation

  1. Treaty of Versailles(TOV) forced germany to pay 6.6 billions in reparation
  2. Many germans protested that this was unaffordable but their appeal was ignored
  3. when germany failed to make payment in January 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied Ruhr valley (germany's most important and valuable industrial region)
  4. they began to take what was owed to them in form of raw materials and goods, this was consider legal under the TOV
• occupation of the Ruhr and hyperinflation

  1. the german government ordered the worker to go on strike and not to cooperate with the french.
  2. The sudden halt of the industrial production cause germany currency to collapse
  3. however, the government continue to print more banknotes but they were useless.
  4. These action also caused the value of currency to decrease
  5. the flood of money led to hyperinflation, with prices of daily needs increasingly rapidly
  6. workers need wheelbarrow to carry home wages, and they began to get paid daily instead of weekly
• hyperinflation

  1. hyperinflation caused great hardship for Germans
  2. middle class german lost the most
  3. personal savings were wiped out and unemployment was a widespread
  4. prosperous middle class families being able to buy a house in 1921, were not even able to afford bread in 1923
  5. this resulted in the german government losing support from middle class families, who felt that the weimar republic favoured workers, industrialists and politicians instead of them
• hyperinflation

  1. this situation gave government's opponent yet another problem to blame for it
  2. opponents linked the problem to the hated TOV signed by the Weimar politician
  3. resulting in deep resentment towards the Weimar politicians who agreed to the terms in the treaty, particularly the term about reparation
• hyperinflation

  1. in November 1925, new chancellor, Gustav Stressman, replaced german mark with a new currency called rentenmark.
  2. stressman negotiated the reorganisation of reparations through the dawes plan(plan to help germany overcome hyperinflation and restructure reparation payments) in 1924 and the young plan(intended by former war time allies to support germany economy, to ensure germany could pay the reparation- to extend the reparation period and reduce the amount) in 1929
  3. these decision allowed germany to stabilise its finances by reducing the debt
• hyperinflation

  1. the period 1923-1929 was commonly associated with the Golden age of Weimar when the economy recovered and democracy had a chance of taking root
  2. germany had averted back from the worst crisis years and entered the new period of stability and success.
  3. But, some felt that the period of recovery only served to mask majority weaknesses that continue to plague the weimar government
• the appeal of hitler and the nazi party

  1. When the Weimar republic was dealing with uprisings, reparations and hyperinflation, a right-wing movement was building in Bavaria in the south of Germany
  2. One key group is the German Workers' Party (deutsche arbeiterpartei or DAP) founded by Anton Drexler in January 1919
  3. local authorities were suspicious, thus sending army intelligence office, Adolf Hitler, to investigate
  4. Hitler then found that he agreed with their ideas and criticism of the Weimar republic
• Appeal of Hitler and the nazi party

  1. In September 1919, he joined the DAP
  2. Hitler soon rose in the party ranks
  3. being an excellent speaker, he argues that the party would get more support if developed more nationalist policies
  4. In 1920, DAP was changed to Nationalist Socialist German Workers' Party(Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), commonly known at the Nazi-party
  5. At the same time, they set out Nazis' main belief of the 25-point programme
• Nazis' main beliefs in the 25-point programme

  • abolition of the treaty of Versailles
  • Anschluss (union) between Germany and Austria
  • Only "true" Germans to be allowed to live in Germany; Jews in particular were to be excluded
  • Nationalisation of large industries and businesses
  • Generous provision of old-age pensioners
  • Creation of a strong central government in germany
• Hitler, the leader of nazi party

  1. by 1921, hitler was the dominant figure in the nazi party
  2. in July, he overthrew Drexler and made himself the leader
  3. Hitler appointed close allies in the party to key roles
  4. He put Hermann Goering in charge of the stormtroopers (SA or brownshirts), which was mostly ex-soldiers who joined Nazi Party
  5. The SA would fend off Hitler's rival and not only on street but inside the party
  6. By November 1923, they were around 50000 members
  7. Many being impressed by the commitment of the Nazis
  8. hitler also felt he was ready to overthrow the weimar republic
• Munich Putsch

  1. in november 1923, hitler believed that his time had come to take power into his own hands
  2. by then the Weimar republic had experienced years of problems, hitler was popular and fairly well known in the munich
  3. hitler had the support of important figures like, Erich Ludendorff, a senior commander of the army and a national hero
  4. On the evening of 8 november, hitler and his followers marched on munich in an open act of rebellion.
• munich putsch

  1. hitler misjudged the situation, when they marched to the center of munich, they were met by armed police and a battle broke out
  2. Hitler was unharmed as on of his bodyguards threw himself to the firing line
  3. Goering was shot and went into hiding
  4. in total, 16 nazis and 4 police officers were killed
  5. Hitler escaped but was arrested 2 days later and the nazi party was then banned
• Aftermath of the munich putsch


  1. The attempted putsch was a humiliating disaster for the nazi, but it was a key event which help them in the following months
  2. Ludendorff was released and faced no punishment, and he was also elected to the Reichstag in 1924
  3. Hitler faced trail, but it turned into a showcase for him as the judged allowed him to make long speeches criticising the Weimar republic and setting out his ideas
  4. This was because the judge had strong nationalist views and disliked the Weimar republic
• aftermath of munich putsch

  1. the court case was in the newspaper and made hitler a national celebrity
  2. He was sentenced to 5 years in Landsberg prison, but he only served 9 months
  3. He spent his time writing his autobiography, Mein Kampf (my struggle)
  4. it became clear that the views of the nazi party resonated with powerful groups in Germany, particulary the judiciary
• rebuilding of the nazi party

  1. after the failure of the munich putsch, Hitler concluded he could not seize power by force
  2. they would have to work with the democratic system to achieve power
  3. when he was released from prison, Hitler began to rebuild the nazi party
  4. setting out nazi policies simply and clearly, based on his book, Mein Kampf.
  5. He created a new force, the protection squad (SS or the blackshirts)
  6. initially a small force that acted as Hitler's bodyguard, it was expanded under the leadership of hitler's loyalist, Heinrich Himmler
• Mein Kampf (my struggle)

  • loyalty to germany, racial purity, equality and state control of the economy were encouraged
  • Aryans (the race of people nazis believed to be the superior- blond, blue-eyes, tall) were the master race and all other raced, particularly the Jews, were inferior
  • Total loyalty to the leader (the fuehrer) was encouraged
  • war and struggle were an essential part of the development of a healthy Aryan race
  • Germany needed lebesraum (living space) as its people were hemmed in and would achieve this mainly through expansion into Russia and poland
• winning support for the nazi party

  1. hitler is very persuasive and charming
  2. he was a power and confident speaker who prepared and practise his speeches
  3. he was good at gauging his audience mood and appear sincere to them
  4. his speeches addresses people's concern
  5. as a result, he won over many important business owners and industrialists who agreed with his anti-communist and anti-trade union views
  6. they also helped contribute to the party's finances
• winning support of the party

  1. Hitler created a network of local nazi parties
  2. these made nazi candidates stood in the Reichstag elections for the first time in may 1924 and won 32 seats
  3. by 1929, the membership of the party was over 100000
• nazi party's hurdle

  1. nazis were less successful in winning the support in the reichstag
  2. most industrialist worker supported the Socialist SPD or the communist
  3. the nazi had more success with the farming communities in rural areas
  4. hitler targeted propaganda and recruitment efforts at these communities
  5. the nazi praised the farming communities as "true" Aryans germans and attacked the weimar republic for not looking after their interest
• nazi party's hurdle

  1. in the years 1924-1929, the weimar republic was relatively stable and prosperous which was a problem for the nazi
  2. loans and investment from US banks helped stabilise the german economy, so there were plenty of jobs
  3. government provided generous welfare benefits like old-age pensions and housing
  4. in 1928, after all their hard work, the nazi were still a small minority party which had the support of less than 3% of the population
  5. in 1928 elections, the nazis were the smallest party and only gained 12 reichstag seats.
• Joseph Goebbels

  • minister for public enlightenment and engagement (1933-1945)
  • head of propaganda
• Rudolf Hess

  • personal aide to Hitler
  • deputy leader of the nazi party until 1941
• Heinrich Himmler

  • leader of the SS
  • key nazi official responsible for the final solution implementation by the nazi party
• Hermann Goering

  • chief of Luftwaffe (German air force)
  • key nazi official involved in the final solution implemented by the nazi party
• Robert Ley

  • head of the german labour front(Deutsche Arbeitsfront or DAF)
  • helps in managing labour in germany
• Albert Speer

  • minister for armaments and munitions during WW1
  • Responsible for the use of forced labourers to increase Germany's economic production
• Impact of the great depression

  • the stability germany experience came to an end in october 1929, where a disaster struck and US economy crashed
  • US bankers and businessmen asked Germany banks to repay the loans and removed their investment.
  • resulting an economic collapse in germany and businesses going bankrupt and workers getting laid off, making unemployment rocketed