Germany's Democracy & Dictatorship Flashcards
Who was the Kaiser Wilheilm II?
- Head of the armed forces
- Controlled foreign policy
- Appointed the Chancellor.
Who was the chancellor?
- In charge of the government
- Had authority over the Bundesrat.
Who was the Bundesrat?
- Federal Council made up of 58 representatives from the 25 states
- Introduced laws to the Bundestag and power to approve them.
Who was the Bundestag?
- Federal parliament made up of 397 deputies.
- Voted on laws introduced by the Bundesrat.
What were the weaknesses of the Kaiser system?
- The Chancellor had to stay in the Kaiser’s good books, or he could be dismissed.
- The 25 individual states controlled income tax, which meant the central government, struggled to raise enough tax to cover its spending.
- Poor working and living conditions were largely ignored by the unelected Chancellor and the Kaiser who held the greatest power in Germany.
What was the Prussian influence in Germany?
- The army was led by Prussian officers, who reported directly to the Emperor (who was of course also the King of Prussia)
- Prussia provided 17 out of 58 representatives in the Bundesrat.
- Only 14 votes were needed to veto (block) any laws passed by the Bundestag.
- Germany’s legal system, civil service and diplomatic corps were dominated by powerful Prussian noble landholders, known as the Junkers.
Who were the Junkers?
- The Junkers were wealthy conservative landowners from Prussia.
- They controlled the Prussian Army, which had enormous influence over German foreign and domestic affairs.
- The Junkers were also strong supporters of the German ruling family.
- This state of affairs meant that the most influential force in Germany represented the interests of relatively few people.
- Catholics, Jews and urban workers were treated with suspicion and had little say in how Germany was governed.
Why was there an increase in industrialisation (1871 - 1910)?
- Agricultural production and heavy industries were replaced by modern industries such as manufacturing chemicals and motor construction (Karl Benz) as the most important sectors of the German economy.
- Unification in 1871 accelerated the process of industrialisation and by 1900 Germany had the largest industrial economy in Europe.
What were the demographic changes (1871-1910)?
- By 1910, 60% of Germans lived in towns and cities.
- The population of Berlin doubled between 1875 and 1910.
- Other cities like Munich grew rapidly.
- By 1910 there were 48 German towns while in 1871 there had only been 8.
What was Kaiser Wilhelm like as a ruler?
- Kaiser Wilhelm II takes over in 1888.
- Wilhelm was determined to turn his nation into a world power.
- Germany built an empire, became active in world affairs and took part in an arms race with other European nations that would eventually lead to war.
- Wants Germany to have its ‘place in the sun’
What problems did Kaiser Wilhelm face?
- The Social Democratic Party (SPD) becoming the largest party in the Reichstag.
- Wanted the Kaiser to share his power.
- Workers unhappy with working conditions.
- Looked to Trade Unions.
What was the social reform?
- All adult males could vote meant that the workers were able to influence politics through their support for the German Social Democratic Party.
- The party grew rapidly during this period to become the largest party in the Reichstag by 1912.
What was the social reform law in 1891?
The social law banned Sunday working and the employment of children under 13
What was the social reform law in 1900?
The length of time accident insurance could be claimed for was increased.
What was the social reform in 1901?
Industrial arbitration courts were introduced to settle disputes between workers and employers.
What was the social reform in 1903?
Health insurance was extended and further restrictions were placed on child labour.
How did the junkers and industrialists react to the social reform laws?
The Junkers and industrialists weren’t happy but recognised the need to limit the influence of socialists and so supported the introduction of modest reforms in order to keep the workers happy and loyal to the German state.
Who was Admiral Tirpitz?
- Admiral Von Tirpitz was a key person in making the Navy League.
- To win support for his policy he helped to create the Navy League in 1898, which campaigned for his Naval Laws to be passed and which quickly gained one million members.
What was the importance of navy laws’ domestic?
- From 1898 onwards Germany massively expanded its navy.
- This was a key part of the policy known as Weltpolitik, or ‘world politics’, which began in 1897.
- This policy was designed to turn Germany into a world power by building an overseas empire, growing its world trade and increasing its naval power.
What were the consequences of the domestic successes of Weltpolitik and naval expansion?
- It pleased the Kaiser, who was determined that Germany would become a world power.
- It increased support for the Kaiser and his government by appealing to German people’s sense of patriotism.
- It won the government support from a majority of deputies in the Reichstag
What were the domestic problems caused by Weltpolitik and naval expansion?
- The government’s majority in the Reichstag did not last and the government found it difficult to reform the Tariff Law in 1902.
- The German government’s budget went into deficit as it spent more and more money on the army, the navy and its new colonies.
- The national debt grew to 490 billion marks by 1913.
What was a economic/social problem for Germany during WW1?
- A British naval blockade had led to severe food shortages.
- Germans died from starvation and hypothermia.
- The blockade restricted Germany’s ability to trade.
- German workers’ wages were falling despite the extra work they were doing to support the war.
- Germany’s currency was losing its value and inflation was rising rapidly.
- The government was running a huge budget deficit but was unable to raise taxes on the rich.
What was the Kiel Mutiny Uprising (political problem of WW1)?
- On 3 November 1918 at the main German naval base in Kiel.
- German sailors refused to follow orders to attack the British Royal Navy.
- This sparked rebellions all over Germany and in a matter of days led to the collapse of the German government which forced Kaiser Wilhelm II, to abdicate on 9 November 1918.
- Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) became Chancellor and took power over Germany.
How did Germany have to admit fault of the WW1?
Germany was forced to accept all the blame for starting the war under article 231 of the treaty, known as the War Guilt Clause.
How much did losing the WW1 cost Germany?
- Germany was to be made to pay for the damage suffered by Britain and France during the war.
- In 1922 the amount to be paid was set at £6.6 billion.
How did losing WW1 affect Germany’s military?
Germany’s army and navy were significantly reduced in size and its air force abolished:
* it was allowed a maximum of 100,000 troops in the army
conscription was banned
* no tanks were allowed
* its navy was reduced to 15,000 personnel
* it was allowed only 6 battleships, and no submarines
How much land did Germany lose in the treaty of Versailles?
- Germany lost land on all sides of its borders as well as its overseas colonies.
- E.g. Alsace-Lorraine, Polish Corridor, Saar and Rhineland was de-militarised
Why did the French and Belgian occupy the Ruhr?
- In November 1922 Germany defaulted on its reparations payment as scheduled
- The first reparations payment had taken all they could afford to pay.
- The French believed Germany could make the repayment but were choosing not to.
- In response, France and Belgium sent troops into Germany’s main industrial area, the Ruhr Valley.
- Their aim was to confiscate industrial goods as reparations payments.
- The German government ordered workers to follow a policy of ‘passive resistance’ - refusing to work or co-operate with the foreign troops and in return the government continued to pay their wages.
How did invasion is Ruhr affect Germany hyperinflation?
- The Ruhr Valley was Germany’s most productive industrial centre.
- Throughout the French and Belgian occupation production fell drastically as German workers were encouraged to passively resist (refuse to work) whilst the factories were under foreign occupation.
- This loss of productivity hurt the German economy hard as fewer goods were produced.
How did the government deal with strikes from workers after WW1?
- The government had promised to pay the striking workers, despite not having any money.
- The government’s solution was to pay the workers by printing more paper currency.
- Money was being printed without any matching productive economic activity.
- This led to people losing trust in the German paper currency; the Deutsche mark, which meant its value decreased even more and prices for goods began to increase.
Which groups weren’t affected by hyperinflation?
- Borrowers, such as businessmen, landowners and those with mortgages, found they were able to pay back their loans easily with worthless money.
- Farmers coped well, since their products remained in demand and they received more money for them as prices spiralled.
Which groups were affected negatively by hyperinflation?
- People on fixed incomes, like students, pensioners or the sick, found their incomes did not keep up with prices.
- People with savings and those who had lent money, for example to the government, were the most badly hit as their money became worthless.
What the strengths of the new Weimar Republic?
- A genuine democracy - Elections for parliament and the president took place every four years and all Germans over 20 could vote.
- The power of the Reichstag - The Reichstag appointed the government and made all laws. Almost all political power was exercised by politicians in the Reichstag. Before 1918 the Kaiser and the military took most of the important decisions.
- A Bill of Rights - This guaranteed every German citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law.
What were the weaknesses of the new Weimar government?
- Proportional representation - Each party got the same percentage of seats in parliament as the percentage of votes it received in an election.
- This meant there were lots of small parties in parliament making it difficult to pass laws and led to weak and often short-lived governments.
- Article 48 - This gave the president the power to act without parliament’s approval in an emergency.
- However, it did not clearly define what an ‘emergency’ was, so the power was overused, which weakened Germans’ confidence in democracy.
What was the Spartacist Uprising (left wing)?
During 5 - 12 January 1919, The Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
They wanted to:
* overthrow the central government
* establishing soviets (workers’ and soldiers’ councils)
* Newspapers and communication buildings were seized and the demonstrators armed themselves.
* The government employed the Freikorps to put down the rising.
* the Freikorps were ex-army soldiers who hated the communists.
Aftermath:
* By May 1919 the Freikorps had crushed all of these uprisings.
* The communists and many of Germany’s working class developed a hatred of the Social Democrats.
What was the Kapp Putsch (right wing)?
- In 1920, Wolfgang Kapp led a revolt as he wanted to take control of Berlin.
- Freikorps troops marched on Berlin.
- The army refused to fire on the Freikorps.
Aftermath: - Ebert’s government fled from Berlin.
- A new government led by Kapp was announced.
- There was insufficient support for the putsch.
- The left-wing SPD and trade unionists organised a general strike in Berlin and an uprising in the Ruhr.
- So the revolt was unsuccessful.
- Participants in the Putsch were treated leniently.
- However participants of the Ruhr uprising were illegally executed by the Freikorps. The leaders were tried and given death sentences.
What put an end to hyperinflation?
- Calling off the ‘passive resistance’ of German workers in the Ruhr.
- This helped Germany’s economy because goods were back in production and the Government could stop printing money to pay striking workers.
- Promising to begin reparations payments again.
- This persuaded France and Belgium to end the occupation of the Ruhr by 1925.
- Introducing a new currency called the Rentenmark.
- This stabilised prices as only a limited number were printed meaning money rose in value.
- This helped to restore confidence in the German economy.
- Reducing the amount of money the government spent so that its budget deficit reduced.
What was the Dawes Plan?
The Dawes plan was an agreement between the Allies and Germany.
The basic idea behind the plan was to make it easier for Germany to pay reparations and had two key parts.
1. Reparations were reduced in the short term to 50 million pounds per year.
2. The United States gave loans of $25 billion to Germany to help rebuild its industrial capacity (which would make it easier for Germany to generate the tax revenues needed to meet reparations)
* As a result, reparations payments resumed, and the French occupation of the Ruhr ended.
* These measures helped to improve the German economy as German industry thrived with the support of the loans and employment increased. Tax revenues also increased as employment grew.
What was the Youngs plan?
- The Youngs plan was to cut Germany’s total reparations from £6.6billion to £2 billion.
- In addition, the Young Plan also gave 59 years to pay reparations meaning Germany would be paying reparations until 1988.
- Whilst this agreement made it easier for Germany to pay reparations, the deal did not please everyone, especially those who resented the Treaty of Versailles such as the National Socialists.
What was the importance of Berlin?
- The Greater Berlin Act of 1920 made Berlin the third largest city in the world and established it as the centre of German cultural and intellectual life.
- Many of Germany’s most prominent artists, writers, academics and performers were based in the city.
What and when was the wall street crash?
- The Wall street Crash happened on October 1929
- The economic downturn on the American stock market in 1929
What was the impact of the Wall street Crash on Germany?
- Germany was worst affected because American banks called in all of their foreign loans at very short notice.
- These loans, agreed under the Dawes Plan in 1924, had been the basis for Weimar’s economic recovery from the disaster of hyperinflation.
- The loans funded German industry and helped to pay reparations.
- Without these loans German industry collapsed and depression began.
What was the biggest consequence of the Wall Street Crash?
- There was a huge rise in unemployment.
- The rise in unemployment significantly raised government expenditure on unemployment insurance and other benefits.
- Germans began to lose faith in democracy and looked to extreme parties on the both the Left (the communists) and the Right (the Nazis) for quick and simple solutions.
Why did Hermann Müller resign and what happened afterwards?
- In March 1930 the German Chancellor, Hermann Müller, resigned when his government could not agree on how to tackle the rise in government spending caused by the rise in unemployment.
- He was replaced by Heinrich Brüning.
- His policies were ineffective in dealing with the unemployment crisis and further undermined Germans’ faith in democracy.
