Golden Age

• what period is this 'golden age'

  1924-1929
• what 3 major events happened in 1923

  invasion of Ruhr, hyperinflation, Munich Putsch
• what categories would you use to assess whether a country was in a golden age or not

  economy, foreign relations, standard of living, stability of politics, gender equality
• details of the Dawes Plan

  $25 billion US loan to Germany 1924-30.
• was the Dawes plan good for the weimar republic?

  yes- solved issue of reparations + hyperinflation. no- fully dependant on US loans + must pay back eventually, as soon as US requests for money back, it must be paid
• details of the Locarno Treaties

  treaty between britain, france, belgium, italy, germany, germany accepted its 1919 western border + agreed to permanent demilitirisation of Rhineland. france promised peace with germany. Stresemann given Nobel Peace Prize in 1926
• were the Locarno Treaties good for the weimar republic

  yes- partially restores Germany's positive reputation as peaceful and trsutworthy. no- right wing disagree with demilitirisation/ anything building on ToV although treaties were negotiated rather than imposed like ToV
• detail of the League of Nations

  germany banned from joining when set up in 1919. international organisation sustaining world peace by punishing aggressors with collective action. germany given permanent seat on the council in 1926
• good for weimar?


  yes- gains trust of other countries, strengthens foreign relations
• details of Kellogg-Briand Pact

  signed by 64 nations (inc. germany) in 1928. agreement to use armies only for self-defence + to solve international disputes peacefully.
• good for weimar republic?

  yes- germany is not at risk of conlict (especially while weak with reduced army etc.) no- can be easily broken???
• details of the Young Plan

  put forward in 1929 by the Allied Reparations Committee. total figure of reparations reduced from £6.6 bill to £2 bill and length germany had to pay extended to 59 years. (annual payments = 2 bill Marks until 1988)
• good for Weimar Republic?

  yes- germany able to pay off reparations. other countries clearly feel less hostile towards germany if comfortable to lower reparations. no?- goes on for longer
• what did the French decide to do in 1930

  leave the Rhineland
• was Germany of the road to international acceptance in the 1920s?

  yes! establishing much more positive relations with former enemies. involved in world affairs
• what did the the dawes plan and the young plan contribute to

  reduced reparations meaning taxes could be lowered for ordinary people
• explain the virtuous cycle of economic growth

  lower taxes meant increase in spending power which boosted german industry and employment further
• how did industrial production change

  reached pre-war levels by 1929.
• how did economic growth change in comparison to other countries

  after 1923 economic growth exceeded france and britain
• how did the agricultural industry change during the 'golden age'

  farmers faced competition from cheap imports and many borrowd heavily to mechanise but couldn't afford the repayments so farm closures increased hugely. by 1929, agricultural production was less than 3/4s of pre-war levels
• how did unemployment change

  rose to a peak of 2 million in 1926. employment rates not keeping up with birthrate
• how did the wages of workers change

  increased by 10%- some of the best paid workers in europe
• was germany's economy weak or strong?

  weak. economy itself was becoming more stable but some weaknesses like millions unemployed and decline of agriculture. main issue = too reliant on US economy doing well. as soon as US suffers so does germany. need time to get back on own feet but never know when US will want money back
• what did the unemployment insurance act introduce and when

  1927. unemployment and sickness weekly benefit if workers lost job or became ill
• how many middle class workers were seeking employment in 1928

  180,000+
• how many did not qualify for unemployment relief from the state

  almost half
• how did the gov battle the housing crisis

  introduced 15% rent tax to fund building asssociations. second half of 1920s 2 mill+ homes built. 1929- gov spending 33 times more on housing than pre WW1.
• how did this impact the amount of homeless ppl

  reduced homelessness by 60% by 1928
• name the act that improved the standards of living for children

  the 1922 youth welfare law
• what did it state and how did gov respond

  that every German child had the right to 'education, spiritual, physical and social fitness.' gov created institutions and social workers to accommodate children in need of support e.g homeless
• describe the inequalities of wealth


  big businesses and urban areas flourished. middle class did not fully recover from hyperinflation (few to no benefits from the welfare state or wage rises) still bankrupt by late 1920s
• did standards of living improve overall?

  started badly, improved across period. increasing support and benefits for working class. middle class suffered and had little support but upper class prospered and working class improved
• how did the percentage of the vote of extreme parties change

  1924 parties commited to destroying weimar republic received 40% of vote. 1928- 28%
• how did the percentage of the vote for moderate parties change

  parties supporting democracy increased from 50% to 58%
• how much of the vote did the nazis get in the 1928 election

  3%
• is this linked to Stresseman's foreign policy achievements

  yes. economy improved so ppl satisified/dont require drastic change. improved status in world so humiliation being forgotten
• was the weimar republic politically safe and stable during this period

  yes, extreme parties received fewer votes while moderate parties were more popular. parties worked together successfully
• what did the Weimar Constitution give women

  the right to vote in 1918 on the same basis as men at 20 yrs old (30+ in GB for women!) they could also stand for election
• how many female MPs in germany compared to GB

  1927- 35 by 1932- 112. GB still had only 24
• give examples of rights protected by article 109


  marriage is an equal partnership on both sides. women should be able to enter all professions on an equal basis with men. equality in education and in pay