History Germany

• Germany unifies


  1871
• Kaiser Wilhelm II


  Takes over in 1890, wants Germany to have its 'place in the sun', Empire to compete with Britain, Anglo-German Naval Race (German Naval Laws)
• Weltpolitik


  World Policy
• Problems the Kaiser's government had

  • Workers unhappy with working conditions - looked to Trade Unions
  • SDP (Socialists) got more support
• 1914-1918: World War One – Germany loses
• Kaiser Wilhelm II – abdicates
• Government was in chaos
• 1919 – Spartacists Revolt


  Unsuccessful but showed chaos in Germany
• 1920 – Kapp Putsch


  More successful because the army refused to fight against them – however the government asked the workers to go on strike – this ended it. Significant because the government could not meet in Berlin – too dangerous
• So they met in Weimar – Weimar Republic
• 1923 – Munich Putsch


  Very unsuccessful Nazi attempt to take over Munch and then march on Berlin

  
• In the long term significant because the subsequent trial gave Hitler lots of publicity
• 1918 – Government signs the Armistice – called the November criminals due to this
• 1919 – Treaty of Versailles signed – people feel 'stabbed in the back'
• Jan 1923 – Germany fell behind on reparations so the French occupied the industrial Ruhr area
• The govt told the workers to go on strike – they did but the government had to pay them so they printed more money – this led to hyperinflation
• Weimar Constitution


  • Proportion representation – means the Reichstag is made up of lots of parties, hard to get any laws passed
  • Article 48 – in an emergency gave the Chancellor the power to rule without the Reichstag
• Gustav Stresemann


  Became Chancellor in August 1923 and introduced a new currency, the Rentenmark
• 1924 – He signed the Dawes Plan


  Agreed US loans to Germany
• 1929 – Singed the Young Plan


  Agreed more loans from the US and lower reparations
• Weimar Germany started to recover – some saw they were just papering over the cracks
• Employment improved, Germany started to gain more confidence
• Wall St Crash happened in October 1929
• Economic crash in US but ripples felt around the world – especially in Germany as they were reliant on US loans
• Groups most affected by the Great Depression

  • Young people were the first to lose jobs
  • Working class and middle class most affected
  • Farmers fell into more debt
• There was mass poverty and people queuing for jobs are food were common sights
• By 1932 unemployment reached 6 million
• People increasingly looked towards the extreme in politics – Nazis or communists
• In 1928 the Nazis has just 12 seats in the Reichstag, by 1932 this was 230

  
• Nazi Election Results


  • 1928 – 12 seats
  • 1930 – 107 seats
  • July 1932 – 230 seats
  • Nov 1932 – 196 seats
• Reasons for Nazi support

  • Propaganda helped and they exploited hatred for ToV and of the communists
  • The rich and middle class supported them because they believed they could deal with the communist threat
  • Farmers feared the communists would take over their land
• Hindenburg was reluctant to make Hitler Chancellor even though the Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag

  
• Hindenburg reluctantly agrees if only 3 out of the 12 members of the cabinet are Nazis – this way they believe they can control Hitler

  
• He later said of this event he was 'judge, jury and executioner.'
• 2 Aug 1934 – Hindenburg dies. Hitler assumes the title of Fuhrer – which means leader

  
• The army swear an oath of loyalty to him
• Methods of Nazi control

  • Fear and intimidation through the Gestapo and SS
  • Propaganda used by Joseph Goebbels
  • Women taken off the employment register and encouraged to have children and stay at home
  • Textbooks taught Nazi beliefs and indoctrinated children, teachers had to be part of the Nazi party
  • Hitler Youth taught boys how to fight and be a good solider, League of German Maidens taught girls how to be good mothers and look after the home
  • The bible was replaced by Mein Kampf in the Reich Church
• In 1933 the Nazis signed the Concordat with the Catholic Church- they agreed to keep out of each other's affairs
• RAD (National Labour Service)


  Made all men between the ages of 18-25 work for 6 months (building autobahns, hospitals, schools, etc.) – but wages and conditions were poor
• By January 1939 unemployment at 302,000 – but Jews and women not on the employment register