Unit 2 essay (re written) Flashcards
evidence that the economic problems of 1919-1923 were solved by 1928?
✅
- Nov 1923 Schacht introduced the new currency the rentenmark, (backed by German gold reserve at 30%) ➡️hyperinflation solved
- Dawes plan (1924) made payments more manageable by cutting annual reparation payments until 1929 and an 800 million mark loan from USA + French left the Ruhr
- govt compensated those who lost savings at 15% of og value
- balancing the budget strategy, cutting govt expenditure (passive resistance in the ruhr sept 1923 + 300,000 civil servants lost their jobs)
➡️The German economy seemed to be in a much more stable and prosperous state due to the new currency, the Dawes Plan and Schacht’s work. Thus whilst all the economic problems of the depression were not completely solved by 1928 the most important and detrimental issues had been.
evidence that the economic problems of 1919-1923 were not solved by 1928?
❌
- reliant on foreign loans (vulnerable if loans stopped)
- attacked by RW groups that believed this was accepting defeat
- middle class resentment (gained very little) creditors annoyed that only receiving 15% of original value ➡️bitter resentment which would have long lasting impact for democracy
➡️Whilst on the outside it seemed like the issues of the depression had been fixed there realistically lay a variety of smaller problems within the economic system which could have extreme impacts if not sorted
which group saw the most change (social)?
the youth (although not all positive)
✅
- Youth groups such as wandervogel becoming more popular in which boys would hike in forest and swim in lakes, - rejecting middle class social conventions rather, nationalistic views
❌
- 17-21 y.o unemployed 17% in 1925 ➡️ increase in gangs (belonging)
- education selective of upper classes, be able to attend further education such as gymnasium schools were rest would be expected to get apprenticeships
➡️poorer still being subject to hardships and the cycle of poverty being unable to escape the youth were seemingly more stuck than ever. Although the middle and upper classes seemed to experience considerable continuity to their parents’ upbringings with many traditional practices still being in play.
which other group experienced significant change?
women (upper-class, living in urban areas)
✅
- new woman ideology, free, independent and sexually liberated
- supported constitutionally through the right to vote and access to education
- supported socially by accessibility of birth control, decreasing birth rate and increase in the workforce
❌
- women were paid less
- conservative price called it a ‘birth strike’
- no female representatives in the Reichstag
➡️Whilst the new woman paved the way for the social acceptance of women to be challenged it ultimately seemed to be more of a cultivated myth than a social reality for the majority of German women.With the new women increasingly being used as scapegoats for Germany’s social and economic ills.
Jews?
✅
-Influential in press, politics, culture, banking, business and universities
- 500,000 jews living in germany (1% of population), 80% in cities well educated, many assimilated and were intensely patriotic to germany
- Politics and press: jewish publishing firms promoted liberal values, jews prominent in SPD + KPD (Rosa Luxemburg)
- Industry and profession: influence overexaggerated by RW propaganda. The Rathenau family controlled the huge electrical firm AEG. Jewish firms dominated coal-mining , steel works and chemical industries, jewish families owned 18% of banking sector
16% of lawyers Jewish, 11% of doctors jewish
golden social era?
✅
- new welfare state;
- 1924, public assistance system modernised to help poor
- 1925, state accident insurance covered those hurt at work
- 1927, national unemployment introduced
- living standard increased significantly
- 1924-1929 real wages started to rise
- welfare system supported the poorest
- business owners benefited from improved currency and trading position
❌
- middle class suffered most significantly by losing savings and never regain their comfortable lifestyle
- Welfare system was expensive and hard to maintain so taxes had to be raised
evidence that the wr was stable by 1928?
✅
extremist votes
- decline in support for extremists, May24 Dec 24 and May 28 showing increasingly steady support for moderate centre parties (SPD/Z) and decline for extremists (eg KPD only gained 10% and NSDAP gained 3%)
- turnouts remained relatively high (wanted to participate in democracy)
- At the end of 1927 the nazi party had only 75000 members (threat massively reduced)
coalition govt
- ’Grand Coalition’ under Muller Jun 28 to Sept 30 (had majority) BUT took over 6 months to agree on govt policies + numerous disputes
- trivial issues were able to wreck a cabinet such as in 1926 when Hindenburg and his government couldn’t decide on a flag
election of Hindenburg
- did not abuse his powers
- old elites who originally viewed the republic as being born out of betrayal of the fatherland views were changed by Hinedburgs appointment due to the belief that he would steer Germany back towards a more authoritarian form of government
- old elites who originally viewed the republic as being born out of betrayal of the fatherland views were changed by Hinedburgs appointment due to the belief that he would steer Germany back towards a more authoritarian form of government
➡️
When viewed in comparison to the early years of the Weimar republic the period of 1924-2028 can indefinitely be interpreted as a time of political stability. Although how much this stability would be able to ‘put up with’ instability caused in the earlier years was mainly due to the threat of extremist parties being able to overthrow the weimar ➡️safer and fairer elections
- the Weimar could only be truly stable if it succeeded in winning the support and loyalty of the majority of its citizens, with the more influential (and thus most important) citizens being the elites
most significant international treaty?
League of nations 1926: germany was allowed to join the league and was given ‘great power’ status on the league council
Significance:
- A major victory in restoring Germany as a ‘great power’ status
- Germany no longer the international outcast
- Stresseman received nobel prize for negotiating locarno and g’s entry into the
- could be helpful in the future to renegotiate TofV further ect
how was Locarno pact significant?
a series of treaties signed with britain, france, belgium and italy
- Importantly Germany negotiated as an equal rather than having the treaty dictated
G accepted the western borders (but not eastern) set by TofV. This gave France security as their border with Germany was now agreed and G could be confident that the French wouldn’t repeat the Ruhr invasion
- G agreed to keep troops out of the rhineland
- France was reassured by guaranteed borders and Britain had agreed to intervene if germany attacked
- However, G only agreed to not alter her eastern borders by force (effectively leaving a door open to negotiate those borders via diplomacy)
how was the treaty of Berlin significant?
- 1922, treaty of Rapollo, Germany and Russia resumed trade and economic cooperation + G started to developed weapons and trained pilots in Russia
- Treaty of Berlin (April 1926) continued economic and military exchanges, Germany agrees to be neutral in war involving russia
Significance: - The treaty of berlin added to the R+G relationship
- G promised to remain neutral if russia was involved in a war (as long as R was not the aggressor)
- This hinted that G wouldn’t resist revisions to polish borders (still looking to revise own eastern borders)
foreign policy conclusion?
- Long-term aim revision of treaty, desperately wanting to make Germany a great (dominant?) power once more
- Foreign policy gave Germany much more than they had given up, American money and protection from a French invasion together with the hopes of revisions to the Eastern borders. Whilst also maintaining a secret military reassignment with the USSR and so laid the basis for Hitler’s foreign policy
extent to change of treaty of Versailles? (1)
reparations
Dawes Plan: amount owed would be reduced each year (economic armistice), first time allies ever budged and loans allowed Germany to rebuild its industrial stations, homes and jobs
Young Plan 1929: Germany would keep paying reparations until 1988 which were reduced to £1.8 million and F would remove troops from the Ruhr (zone 2 by in 1929 and zone 3 in 1930) and Germany given full responsibility to pay back reparations (trusted)
Whilst these plans only offered temporary solutions they were significant in exposing the situation to the allies, the fact they were even willing to offer help and compromisation to Germany should be viewed as a major success of Stresemans.
extent to change of treaty of versailles? (2)
joining League of Nations
- in 1926 germany was allowed to join the league and was given ‘great power’ status on the league council
- major victory of restoring Germany as a ‘great power’
- G no longer international outcast
- streseman won noble prize
- could be helpful in the future to renegotiate TofV further ect
extent to change of treaty of versailles ? (3)
disarmament
- the treaty still existed and germany was still unable to have an army which shows they were still not fully trusted (fairly) and the policy of fulfilment showed Germany as being responsible for the start of the war (upset many right-wing)
- Streseman pushed for widespread disarmament (so other countries would reduce to closer germany’s level) ❌ little agreement
were the changes made to the treaty overall successful?
Streseman couldn’t have been able to make any further or more significant changes to the treaty and the fact he was able to make any should be acknowledged. If he hadn’t taken the approach the right wanted Germany would have been left stranded in Europe with no allies which would only worsen the country’s social and economic situation, by secretly rearming Streseman was able to create a positive perception from Europe whilst also ensuring Germany’s safety.
