Empire to Democracy: 11 social developments Flashcards
what effect did the war have on German society?
spirit of unity and patriotism cut across bitter class divides
‘spirit of 1914’ evaporated as the war dragged on and food shortages hit home
conscription at 18 from 1916 made times tough - working class wages generally held up however middle-class professionals increasingly lost out
many women sought jobs to compensate for their husbands at the front - october 1918 - 25% of workforce were women
working and absent parents left children neglected and education interrupted by men at war
lack of coal meant schools could not be heated
nearly 40% of children in Germany suffered rickets during the war years
what happened to food supplies during the war?
supply of milk fell 50%, meat and butter 40%
turnip winter 1916-17
750,000 people died of starvation or malnutrition during winter of 1918-19
many people lived on no more than 1000 calories a day
what resources were limited due to the war?
electricity supplies cut to conserve energy
public transport system did not operate on a reliable schedule
epidemic of Spanish flu spread across Europe making matters worse - 1 million deaths
who suffered the most due to 1923 crisis?
those relying on savings, investments, fixed incomes, pensions and welfare support
these were young people unable to enter the job market, the retired, and the sick
pensioners particularly hit and war widows living on state pensions
those who purchased war bonds lost out as interest rates became worthless
who benefitted from hyperinflation?
those in debt, with mortgages and loans
helped enterprising businesspeople who took out loans and repaid them once the currency devalued
owners of foreign exchange and foreigners living in Germany could also benefit
countryside farmers coped reasonably well as food was important and money less so in rural communities
what was implemented in the Weimar welfare state?
nov 1918 - workers granted an 8 hour day, restrictions on trade unions abolished
1920 - war victims’ benefits were added to the social welfare system
1922 - Youth Welfare Act established to promote physical and social fitness
1923 - unemployment relief, national insurance scheme extended
1924 - public assistance programme replaced older poor relief legislation
1925 - accident insurance programme allowed diseases linked to certain types of work to become insurable risks
1927 - act concerning labour exchanges and unemployment insurance extended protection to 17.25 million workers financed by a levy half by workers and half by employers
who was Ernst May?
architect who developed a large-scale housing programme in Frankfurt
he designed a city of small, functional, semi-independent, well equipped working class family homes
what did the government of the Lander improve using foreign loans from 1924?
hospitals, schools, roads, municipal buildings, electricity supplies
initiatives to provide affordable housing - 178,930 dwellings built in 1925 (70,000 more than the year before)
what issues arose from the welfare state?
heavy burden for the state
many unemployed in 1923 (passive resistance) led to the system almost collapsing
high tax created friction amongst elite who saw it as an attack on their wealth and workers who developed raised expectations that could no longer be met
some employers tried to resist concessions and cartels formed were used to monopolise production, stifle competition and keep state prices high
smaller shopkeepers and artisans resented the help the state gave to unskilled and urban workers who they regarded as social inferiors - didn’t want their hard-earned profits to prop up ‘no goods’ when they already faced competition from large department stores
how did women’s lives change post 1924?
formal equality in the republic
had the vote and 111 women were elected to the Reichstag in 1920
number of women in employment rose from 31.2% in 1907 to 35.6% in 1925
political parties on both sides still believed the woman’s role was at home
BDF (League of German Women’s Associations, with over 900,000 workers) was quite moderate and encouraged women to undertake social work fitting to their ‘natural qualities’
active resistance to women in the workplace
families became smaller as cheaper methods of contraception became more widely available (could only advertise contraceptives after 1927)
some debate about ‘racial hygiene’ to improve the quality of the population
how did youth’ lives change post 1924?
easier upbringing as fewer children to compete for parents’ attention with
youth clubs, spread of cinema, gramophones and radios creating an independent ‘youth culture’
young people often sought to imitate young Americans in their dress, behaviour and lifestyles
‘Wilde Cliquen’ of mainly working class, rebellious young men were the exception
how were minorities treated?
rights of minorities respected as laid down in the Weimar constitution
except Roma and Sinti groups who were regarded as beggars and forced into specially created campsites or in some Lander, sent to the workhouse
German Jews (made up less than 1% of population) became increasingly assimilated with most seeing themselves as German first and Jewish second - around 11% of Germany’s doctors and 16% of lawyers were Jewish
right wing nationalists (e.g. Pan German League) blamed Jews for Germany’s defeat in the First World War
prejudice strong in universities and among members of the DNVP and Zentrum
how did the aristocracy change post war?
end of the monarchy and the new Weimar constitution changed the status of aristocracy - titles and legal privileges removed Prussian Junker military aristocracy was undermined by demilitarisation
aristocracy preserved itself as an ‘exclusive class’
held onto land
behavioural patterns continued to be shaped by elitist education
aristocracy were fiercely anti-modernist opposing big cities
some were anti-Semitic
before 1918 unswervingly supported the state
post 1918 favoured the radical right such as DNVP and National Socialism
what was the military like as part of society?
- reached highest point of influence during the war - changes due to treaty of versailles should have downgraded their influence however it didn’t due to Weimar’s need for a strong army to crush left-wing revolts and from the Ebert-Groener Pact
- many supported the German nation but not a democratic state
- General Groener, Seeckt and others cooperated in right wing groups and paramilitary organisations such as the Stahlhelm (steel helmets)
- German military schools trained officers and carried out secret rearmament, perpetuated the influence of the military elites
- General Schleicher supported Hindenburg’s plans for a more authoritarian style of gov
- Groener became defence minister in December 1927 and refused any socialist or pacifist criticism of the army - wouldn’t allow the army to limit its activities
- military budget increased by 75% between 1924 and 1928
- army didn’t change much however officer corps was overwhelmingly anti-republican and recruitment was largely restricted to those of nationalist and elitist backgrounds
what were the years of ‘apparent stability’ like (1924-29)?
- greater domestic social stability as unrest and violence of early years faded
- living standards rose
- mass consumerism spread
- city culture but with a proliferation of suburbs and municipal developments, more working and middle-class Germans could reap the benefits of more comfortable lives with greater leisure and state welfare
- ownership of radios, telephones and cars increased (radio broadcasts controlled by the state)
- dress and social behaviour reflected the spread of modernism (Americanism)
- rural areas - old ways persisted, traditional forms of entertainment such as the beer halls, folk festivals etc
- farmers did face acute problems during the period due to lack of land reform - left too many farms too small to be profitable
- by 1929 income per head in farming communities was 44% below the national average
