German History: Topic 2 Flashcards
(143 cards)
1
Q
Schlieffen Plan
A
Aims to ensure Germany doesn’t fight a war on two fronts, they had six weeks to go through Belgium to Paris before Russia could mobilise in the east.
2
Q
Siegfried
A
‘blessed peace of victory’ this essentially means a victory with the spoils of war. For example they wanted to see further annexations and an expansion of the Second Reich.
3
Q
Peace without victory
A
As the war progresses people call for an end to it without thinking about what they can gain.
4
Q
How many did German army have
A
3.5 million
5
Q
Attrition War
A
Trying to win through wearing down your opponent.
6
Q
When does the WWI being
A
August 1914
7
Q
When does Germany begin unrestricted submarine warfare
A
Feb 1915
8
Q
When is Luisitania sunk and how many die
A
September 1915
1098 die
9
Q
When are battle of Verdun and Somme
A
mid 1916
10
Q
How many die in battles of Verdun and Somme
A
1 million
11
Q
When do Ludendorff and Hindenburg come in
A
August 1918
12
Q
When do the US join the war
A
April 1917
13
Q
When and by how many votes is the peace resolution passed in the Reichstag
A
July 1917
212 votes to 126
14
Q
When was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
A
March 1918
15
Q
When does the Kaiser abdicate
A
November 1918
16
Q
When is the armistice signed
A
November 1918
17
Q
How many German’s die in the war
A
2 million
18
Q
When did anti-war movements begin
A
1916
19
Q
When did the SPD split and what was minority faction that broke away
A
April 1917
Split into Independant Social Democratic Party (USPD)
20
Q
By the end of the war how much of the industrial workforce was female
A
1/3
21
Q
When was Auxiliary service law and what did it do
A
1916
meant all men 17-60 were liable for service of some form
22
Q
When was War Raw materials department set up
A
1914
23
Q
When was Imperial grain corporation set up
A
jan 1915
administered rationing and grain distribution
24
Q
How many other imperial corporations were set up to manage grain distribution
A
over 40
25
When was War food office established
1916
26
What type of crops failed due to weather 1916-17
potato
27
What was Reichskriegsschatz
War chest from Franco Prussian war containing gold melted down into coins that was going to be used to pay for war but only contained 150 million marks
28
Daily cost of WW1 for Germany
150 million marks
29
How much did the war cost
$38 billion
30
how many deaths in 1916-18 from hypothermia and starvation
1916 - 121,000
1918 - 293,000
31
How many wounded in war
6.3 million
32
By how much did real wages fall
20-30%
33
between 1914-18 how much did industrial output fall
over 40%
34
What did Ludendorff and Hindenburg manage to establish
silent dictatorship
35
When was fatherland party founded
1917
36
Who replaced Bethann-Hollweg
George Michaelis
37
What were the three strands of the left-wing movement
- SPD
- Spartacists
- USPD
38
Ebert
- head of SPD
- worried about the political situation and threat of an uprising
39
Ebert's socio-economic problems
- inflation
- Spanish flu
- food and fuel shortages
40
Examples of Ebert's left wing opposition
- Strikes from German Communisits
- workers and soldiers councils being created
41
Ebert's right wing opposition
- Freikorps
- army was quite nationalist
- nationalists who supported kaiser did not support democracy
42
Ebert's problems with miliatry
- demobilisation
- naval blockade
- worry over peace agreement
43
Ebert-Groener agreement
General Groener and Supreme Army Command agreed to support government and use troops to maintain stability and in return Ebert promised to oppose revolutionary socialism and maintain authority of army officers.
44
Stinnes-Legien agreement
Liegen the TU leader and Stinnes the leader of Industrial employers agreed that TUs would not interfere with private ownership and the free market, in return for workers committees an eight hour working day and full legal recognition.
45
When were first elections for national constitution held
19th January 1919
46
When was Weimar constitution signed and by who
11th August 1919
by President Ebert
47
Who were the highest polling party opposing democracy
DNVP
10.3%
48
Some roles of President under constitution
Elected directly by the people over 20 years of age every 7 years
Could dissolve and dismiss parliament and call new elections
Article 48
49
Some roles of Chancellor under constitution
Could pass laws but needed support of majority of the Reichstag
Appointed by President
Usually leader of party with the most seats in Reichstag
50
Some roles of Reichstag under constitution
- Members elected every 4 years by universal suffrage (men and women over 20) using secret ballot
- Used Proportional Representation - parties received seats depending on % of votes received
51
Some roles of Reichsrat under constitution
- Members appointed by local government - 18 local/ regional governments in Germany
- Number of members sent from each region depended on its size
- Individuals in Riechsrat had power to delay new laws unless overruled by 2/3 majority in Reichstag
52
Article 48
Meant the President could rule by emergency degree and stated that in the event that public order and security are seriously disturbed or endangered the Reich President may take the measures necessary for restorations, intervening if necessary with aid of armed forces.
53
When was Treaty of Versailles signed
28th June 1919 in Hall of Mirrors
54
How much territory did Germany lose in Treaty of Versailles
13%
55
How much of the population did Germany lose in Treaty of Versailles
12%
6.5 million ethnic Germans
56
What was article 231 in the Treaty of Versailles
It meant Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war
57
By 1921 how many marks was the total amount paid to allies
132,000 million marks
58
who puts down left wing uprisings
friekorps
59
when was spartacist revolt
jan 1919
60
causes of Spartacist revolt
- germany defeated in war and then spanish flu (disconnect between people)
- Inspired by Russia
61
how many workers went on strike in spartacist revolt and where
100,000, centre of Berlin
62
Leaders of spartacist
Liebeknecht and Luxemburg - they died
63
significance of spartacist
- far left alienated by use of friekorps
- use of fource increased counter-revoultion
- showed no support for communism in Germany
- Ebert could begin relationships with right
- growth of right wing in fear of Bolshevik style revolution
- Ebert-Groener agreement used (people see left as being betrayed)
64
when was Red Bavaria uprising
- Feb-May 1919
65
Causes of Red Bavaria
- Eisner shot by right wing nationalists caused power vacuum
- KPD boycotted jan elections and got support from Russia
- Erns Toller and Eugine Levine got invovled
66
What was the Red Bavaria uprising
communist attempt to declare Bavaria a communist state
67
when did communists and anarchist delcare Bavarian Soviet Republic + who was head of government
6th April 1919, Ernst Toller declared head of government (no political experience)
68
What happened after 6 days (RED BAVARIA)
ousted in uprising by KPD
69
Significance of Red Bavaria
- nationwide split between moderate and radical left
- unrest weakened opposition to Nazi rise to power
70
When was Kapp Putsch
March 1920
71
Causes of Kapp Putsch
- Weimar gov reduced size of army
- defence minister disbanded Friekorps
72
Who led Berlin takeover in Kapp Putsch and with how many men
Wolfgang Kapp
6000 soldiers
73
How was Kapp defeated (Kapp Putsch)
workers of Berlin went on strike, refusing to cooperate
74
how does Kapp Putsch end
Kapp signs deal with Weimar republic
75
Significance of Kapp Putsch
- revealed power and influence of trade unions
- didn't get much support shows people still wanted a democratic government
- elements of army disunited and couldn't be trusted
- influentual law makers more rightward leaning - evident as only one person went to prison
76
When was Ruhr uprising
Spring 1920
77
Causes of Ruhr uprising
- Strike called in response to Kapp Putsch
- SPD members of Chancellor Gustav Bauer’s government called for general strike supported by Communist Party of Germany and Independent Social Democrats
- Moderate SPD wanted to establish parliamentary republic
- Many workers fought for council republic based on revolutionary Russian model
78
Name of army in Ruhr uprising and how many was it made up of
- red army
- 50,000-80,000 workers
79
what did Ruhr uprising lack
central leadership and unity
80
Significance of Ruhr uprising
- 3000 workers arrested and held in poor conditions
- SPD lost 62 seats
- left-wing working class lost faith in parliamentary process and stopped voting
- government began restricting civil liberties
81
When was Munich Beer Hall Putsch
November 1923
82
Significance of Munich Beer Hall Putsch
- Nazi party banned
- Hitler imprisoned where he wrote Mein Kampf and was imprisoned but only served 9 months - sentenced to 5 years
- Ended Nazi/ Bavarian hopes of bringing republic down by force
- 15 right wingers died
- Ludendorff arrested by police for involvement in the coup
83
What were reparations set at in 1921
£6.6 billion, 138 billion marks
84
fulfilment
Policy employed by Weimar to show how the terms were unfair by trying to fill them
85
passive resistence
Nonviolent resistance, practice of achieving goals such as social change
86
hyperinflation
When inflation exceeds 50% a month
86
# *
87
Hard currency
Dollars or gold, not inflated marks
88
When does passive resistance begin
1923 Jan french and belgium troops occupy the Ruhr so Germans begin passive resistence
89
By 1919 what was national debt at
144 billion gold marks
90
Between 1914-19 what did the value of the mark vs. dollar fall by
4.20 marks to 14.00 marks
91
By 1920 how many marks was the dollar worth
100
92
Long term causes of hyperinflation
- Germany made no financial provision for a long drawn out First World War
- War economy concentrated on military weapons which did not satisfy requirements of civilian consumers
- High demand for and shortage of consumer goods pushed prices up
- Victory in WWI would have allowed Germany to settle debts by claiming reparations
- Despite increasing costs of WWI Kaiser’s government decided against tax increases and instead sold war bonds, allowing national debt to grow
93
medium term causes of hyperinflation
- July - Germany made request for a break from reparations, in December Reparations Commission declared Germany to be in default and France and Belgium occupied industrial Ruhr region
- Weimar government faced with difficult political situation after WWI and raised taxes on profits, wealth and income but didn’t balance the budget
- Reparations added to financial burden after the war, they had to be paid in hard currency like dollars or gold rather than inflated German marks
94
Short term causes of hyperinflation
- Weimar government chose to print more money and sell them to obtain hard currency needed for reparations
- Weimar government adopted a deficit financing policy after the war to maintain a demand for goods and create work,, provide jobs for millions of returning troops and cover extensive welfare state
- Workers in Ruhr asked to passively resist French occupation, the German government promised to continue paying wages but they could not collect taxes or coal from the area - coal had to be imported
95
political impacts of hyperinflation
- some blamed inflation on Weimar government
- German’s lost confidence in their currency
96
Social impacts of hyperinflation
- Many children suffer, with no milk, warm breakfast or warm clothes
- frequent looting’
- health suffered especially with the elderly
97
Economic impacts of hyperinflation
- Not all suffered, may business men benefited
- middle class and working class suffered the most
- food shortages as farmers refused to sell food
- people in debt could easily pay off loans
98
Who was Gustav Stresemen
- key figure in recovery of Weimar 1920
- DVP member
- Chancellor in 1923
- 1926 won nobel peace prize
- Germany's foreign minister till death 1929
99
Who did Stresemenn replace
Chancellor Cuno
100
what did Stresemenn do in order to stabilise the economy
- called off passive resistance in Ruhr and promised to pay reparations
- cut government expenditure
- introduction of Rentenmark
101
benefits of the Dawes plan
- An acceptance by the allies that Germany's problems with reparations payments were real.
- Loans to the value of 25.5 billion marks between 1924 and 29 mainly from the USA.
- The evacuation of the Ruhr (1924-25) and better relations with France.
- Renewed financial confidence and optimism within Germany.
102
Streseman's aims, to do with Versailles treaty
- Readjust eastern borders such as Danzig, Polish corridors, frontier of Upper Silesia
- Sort out reparations
- Get back people in foreign lands
103
When was Stresemann Chancellor
1923
104
What did Stresemann do after being Chancellor
Foreign minister through 7 governments till 1929 (when he died)
105
Who introduced Rentenmark
Schacht
106
When and what was Lornaco conference
October 1925
- Germany accepted Western Borders
- must keep German troops out of Rhineland
- avoided similar committment with Eastern Borders
- Agreement between European countries not to fight anyone
107
When and what was the Treaty of Berlin
April 1926
- Extends 1922 Rapallo pact
- added pledge of neutrality for 5 years
108
When did Germany join the League of Nations
Sept 1926
- Germany is able to conduct military training in Russia (secret) in return for them sending materials to Russia in their economic crisis
109
When and what was Kellogg-Briand pact
1928
- Condemned recourse to war as a means of solving international dispute
- Stresemann and 64 other states signed this to condemn war as a means for settling European disputes
110
When and what was the Young Plan
1929
- reduced reparations bill by 75%
- Evacuation of Rhineland by occupation troops
- Right wing opposed and called referendum with only 14% success
111
What were the political parties in the Weimar republic
- SPD
- DDP
- DNVP
- NSDAP
- Zentrum
- DVP
- KPD
112
Bavarian peoples party
split from Zentrum in 1918 and represented Catholics in Bavaria
113
Strength of multi party system
- not major coups or political assasination
- mainstream parties still gain ground
- Hindenburg as president doesn't cause issues
114
weaknessess of multi party systems
- extremist parties make impact
- parties didn't often compromise
- parties divided amongst themselves
- narrow sectional parties grew
- street fights involving nazis
- lack of charismatic leader to build support for Weimar
115
Name of the new bank that issued loans to Reichsbank
Rentenbank
116
What could the Government not rely on economically after the hyperinflation crisis
unlimited currency credits like printing money
They instead had to balance expenditure against income
117
Who led to Rentenmark success
- Finance Minister Hans Luther
- Hjalmar Schacht
118
What was the influx of foreign capital between 1924 -29
* 1924-29 monetary stability and influx of foreign capital, 25.5 billion marks
119
1925-29 how much did exports rise by
40%
119
German unemployment in 1929 compared to before
Unemployment never fell below 1.3 million but by 1929 it was 3 million
120
What economic issues/crisis did farmes face in the 1920s
- Farmers faced a crisis in the 1920s as world food prices collapsed.
121
What was the economy increasingly reliant on
foreign investors
122
How much of society were economic elites
5%
123
How much of society were middle class
1/3
124
How much of society were working class
over 50%
125
image of 'new women'
Propogated by media
* Cigarette smoking
* Silk stockinged
* Lip-stick wearing
* short skirted
126
What was it actually like for women
* equal rights under Weimar
* more women in employment
* women working outside of home same in 1920s as in 1914
* 'mens jobs' taken back after 1918
127
Doppelverdiener??
‘second wage earner’ term of abuse aimed at married women with jobs
128
Zeittheater
Theatre of the time
129
Avant Garde
new and experimental
130
Right wing opposition to weimar culture
* Weimar's cultural life was debased by foreign and Jewish influence
* Church campaigned against immortality
* In 1926 a law was passed by the Reichstag to prevent the publications of certain books to people under 18.
131
Left wing opposition to weimar culture
- Left wing intellectuals ore inclined to support artistic modernism
- However many members of the SPDs were more comfortable with traditional culture
- Concerned about effect of pulp fiction on young minds
132
Key themes 25 point progamme
- Bettering the economy
- Very extreme - particularly when it comes to laws on criminals and censorship etc.
- Everyone should be working for the greater Germany
- Very sure on who it considers to be German (those of German blood)
- Ending treaties and restoring territory to Germany
- Middle and lower classes would potentially be among those attracted to this programme
133
In may 1924 what percentage of votes did the Nazi party get in allience with other extreme right parties
and what did it fall to in December
9.5%
3% In December
134
When was first Nuremberg rally held
1927
135
1928 how much % of votes did Nazis win and how many members were there
2.6% vote
100,000 members
136
What did falling food prices in 1928 cause
farmers joined the Nazis
137
Why did DNVP oppose Young Plan
the party rejected concept of reparations
138
By 1928 how much of votes were Nazis winning in state elections across northern Germany
10-20%
139
when and what was rapallo pact
1922 essentially pledge of neutrality between russia and germany
140
1913-29 German economic growth compared to USA
4% Germany
70% in USA
141
What was the electoral turnout in 1928 that demonstrated German people were engaged in politics
1928 has 76% electoral turnout which is high and shows people are engages
