changing living standards, 1918-32

Question 1

how did the First World War affect living standards in Germany?

Answer 1

• there were severe shortages
• it was hard to farm productively when all the horses had been requisitioned for the fronts
• most of the food produced also went to the fronts.
• allied blockades of ports stopped supplies getting into Germany.
• infant mortality and stillbirths were high.
• malnutrition was common.

Question 2

how did the Weimar government help Germans after the war?

Answer 2

• the government provided benefits for the poorest, it regulated pensions.
• after the War these helped improve living standards, more people were employed and wages rose.

Question 3

what effect did inflation have on living standards?

Answer 3

as inflation rose it was impossible for living standards to do anything but drop sharply.

• unemployment rose, people were doing badly paid jobs with long hours.
• in factories, the 8 hour working day disappeared by 1924 even though it was still the law, workers could not press for it

Question 4

how many people lived in lodges in Berlin in 1925?

Answer 4

130,500 and 44,600 who just paid to sleep in a bed.

Question 5

why did men in the clerical sector end up loosing their jobs?

Answer 5

men lost their jobs in this sector as many businesses preferred to employ women who were paid significantly less.

Question 6

which groups were affected by hyperinflation?

Answer 6

all groups suffered from hyperinflation, even the very rich, except those who exploited the situation, such as black marketers: people who bought property and crammed tenants with no amenities.