interwar democracies Flashcards

1
Q

Robert Gerwarth

A
  1. “European societies followed twisted paths through the age of the two world wars”
  2. European countries experienced many common processes
  3. however the ways in which these processes were refracted through Europe’s diverse political cultures differed markedly
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2
Q

Gregory Leubbert

A
  1. successful liberal movements in societies prior to 1914 had their appeal reinforced after the war
  2. however liberal movements that had failed to achieve political hegemony in societies prior to 1914 struggled to establish successful democracy after war
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3
Q

two major groupings of political alliances in Fr

A
  1. Bloc National
    led by Clemenceau, Poincare, Briand
    supported by business and finance, friendly towards army and Church
    desired revenge against Germany, economic prosperity for Fr business, and stability in domestic affairs
  2. Cartel des Gauches
    led by Édouard Herriot of the Radical Party (historic roots)
    represented interests of small business and lower middle class
    anti-clerical and resisted Church
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4
Q

Significance of presidential powers in Weimar Constitution

A
  1. popular election of Reich president with power to appoint and dismiss chancellor and supreme commander of Reichswehr, and to dissolve parliament
  2. alien to basic tents of classical liberal parliamentarianism
  3. Constitution described as “product of an authoritarian mind”
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5
Q

Hans Mommsen on Weimar presidential powers

A
  1. justification for special presidential powers rooted in traditional distrust of political parties
  2. provided important stabilising force
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6
Q

Significance of election of Hidenburg

A
  1. elected in 1925 and against in 1932
  2. owed his reputation to Wilhelmine past
  3. exploited weakness of coalition to build up office of Reich President and strengthen authoritarian features of government
  4. created conditions for essential reworking of Constitution
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7
Q

1920 Kapp-Luttwitz Putsch

A
  1. unsuccessful attempt to depose of liberal democracy in Germany
  2. Freikorps influential in repression of leftist uprisings, purpose of unit become obsolete, ordered to be disbanded, Luttwitz refused
  3. political right supported by military and old elites, and parts of military and nationalist and monarchist factions
  4. failed to attain popular support, workers of Berlin called General Strike
  5. major success for Republic; however illuminated presence of nationalistic and militaristic factions against Weimar
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8
Q

Volker R Berghahn

A
  1. “direct connection between economic condition and political behaviour, between prosperity and a functioning parliamentary system”
  2. persistence of large agricultural sector prevented France from being as badly affected as those with large urban and industrial populations
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9
Q

impact of GD in France: unemployment

A

1931: 190,000
1933: 300,000

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10
Q

Feb 6 1934 Crisis

A
  1. 40,000 demonstrators supported by “fascist” leagues protested corruption in government, 15 demonstrators killed, Deladier forced to resign
  2. 1936 election of Popular Front (alliance of left-wing movements including Communist Party), reaction right political action
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11
Q

Robert Paxton

A

Fascism failed in both urban and rural France because conservatives were not frightened enough to use it to protect their interests, and thus French democracy triumphed

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12
Q

impact of GD on Ger: unemployment

A

by 1932 6.1m lost their jobs, 30% of population

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13
Q

Nazi Party Vote

A

1928 2.8%

1932 largest party in Reichstag without majority

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14
Q

Bernd Weisbrod

A
  1. “The Crisis of Bourgeois Society”
  2. political formation of bourgeois society came under threat during Weimar period as advent of new youthful political style of mass mobilisation replaced bourgeois party politics
  3. unemployment and hyperinflation undermined the bourgeois value system
  4. triggered political and legal wrangling about revaluation of debts, pitted different kinds of property owners against one another in fierce conflict
  5. working class experience of irregular income and intermittent employment shared by bourgeois society undermined bourgeois value of security
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15
Q

“stab-in-the-back” myth

A

German Army was undefeated, however was betrayed by republican politicians that signed the Armistice described as the “November Criminals”

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16
Q

Significant terms of ToV

A
  1. Article 231, “War Guilt” clause
  2. accept full responsibility for causing war
  3. served as a legal basis to compel Germany to pay reparations for the war
  4. viewed as national humiliation
  5. resistance to war guilt and peace treaty dominated German political life and made it impossible for German people to achieve the necessary political and moral distance from past
17
Q

impact of WW1 on Fr

A
  1. over-exploited soil, broken transport infrastructure, demolished buildings industrial heartlands, reconstruction not fully complete until 1931
  2. 80% of all men of military age mobilised
  3. 1.3m men killed
  4. 42% of men veterans, many suffering tremendous mental trauma
  5. more than 1m soldiers returned as invalids
  6. 600,000 women widowed
  7. 760,000 children orphaned
18
Q

Interwar Democracies

A

relatively brief period of stabilisation and recivilisation was achieved in most of Europe including Germany, until even more violent era set in with collapse of world economy in 1929

19
Q

Nazi Regime

A
  1. many Germans fared very well under the Nazis until 1939

2. provided full employment, Autobahn, and some notion of consumer society

20
Q

veterans in Weimar

A
  1. over 2m veterans joined veterans associations
  2. tried to pressure politicians into grating their claims for veteran pensions and welfare benefits
  3. sought to form common front of opposition against Allied demands for reparations
  4. greatly contributed to renewed escalation of violence and militarisation of entire societies
21
Q

legacy of Great War in terms of mortality and mobilised

A
  1. 8 million casualties

2. 65 million mobilised soldiers

22
Q

impact of Great Depression on France

A
  1. Berghagn: persistence of large agricultural industry prevented France from being as badly affected by the Great Depression as those with large urban and industrial populations
  2. unemployment reached 300,000 in 1933
  3. however affected local economies and triggered some political instability (1934 Crisis and election of Popular Front 1936)
23
Q

Dawes Plan

A
  1. 1923/4
  2. US-mediated negotiated settlement between France and Germany
  3. unemployment levels reduced to below prewar levels
24
Q

impact of GD on Germany

A
  1. Henrich Bruning enacted draconian policy of deflation and drastically cut state expenditure, further exacerbated crisis
  2. mobilised sentiments of misery and uncertainty
  3. by 1932 6.1m lost their jobs (30% of population)
  4. Nazi party vote increased from 2.8% in 1928 to the largest party in Reichstag by 1932
25
Q

reasons for payments to veterans, widows, and orphans, and need for medical provisions to treat war-related illnesses and effects of malnutrition

A
  1. humanitarian reasons, prevent people from failing into abstract poverty
  2. economic stabilisation helped contain political radicalisation that could drive embittered voters towards political extremists of the left and right
26
Q

Weimar Constitution

A
  1. represented important example of political modernity
  2. countered by mobilisation of archaic social and cultural sentiments
  3. taken shape in an essentially preparliamentary environment
27
Q

welfare state in Weimar

A
  1. principle of welfare state established in Constitution
  2. however often unable to deliver on promises
  3. blamed for failing veterans causing them to turn rightwards
28
Q

Robert Gerwarth on legacy of WW1 in France

A
  1. resonance of Great War protruded prominently into interwar France
  2. however extent to which it transformed French society can be exaggerated