germany; 1890-1945 Flashcards
(74 cards)
1
Q
what years did kaiser wilhelm ii reign?
A
1888 to 1918
2
Q
who did kaiser wilhelm ii dismiss?
A
otto von bismarck
3
Q
what was kaiser wilhelm ii’s aim?
A
to make germany an important world power
4
Q
what did kaiser wilhelm ii wish for?
A
to rule germany alone and unchecked
5
Q
what relation did kaiser wilhelm ii have to great britain?
A
grandchild of queen victoria
6
Q
what was the german empire composed of?
A
many smaller states
7
Q
what was the most dominant state of germany?
A
prussia
8
Q
what two counties did germany cover?
A
poland and denmark
9
Q
what was germany technically?
A
a monarchy
10
Q
what was the reality of germany?
A
democracy, where much of the power was concentrated in kaiser wilhelm ii
11
Q
what is the reichstag?
A
the government elected by universal male suffrage
12
Q
what is the bundesrat comprised of?
A
higher government, representatives from each state
13
Q
what was the chancellor?
A
head of government
14
Q
who appointed the chancellor?
A
the kaiser
15
Q
what year prior to was germany an agricultural economy?
A
1880
16
Q
from 1880 what happened to the german economy?
A
industrialisation
17
Q
what did this greater industrialisation lead to?
A
greater urbanisation
18
Q
what were some prominent german industries?
A
coal, steel, chemicals, elecronics
19
Q
who had power in germany?
A
catholic church, junkers and the conservative elite
20
Q
what did kaiser wilhelm ii focus on when faced with socialism?
A
opposing socialism and focused on the aristocracy and the military
21
Q
what were the navy laws? and what years?
A
a succession of laws from 1889 to 1912 to build up german naval strength
22
Q
who supported the navy laws?
A
kaiser wilhelm ii and grand admiral von tirpitz leader of the navy
23
Q
what were advantages of the navy laws?
A
jobs, challenging british naval dominance, consolidating german military power
24
Q
disadvantages of the navy laws?
A
expensive, risk of provoking britain, danger of other countries reinforcing naval strength
25
how did the navy laws prove kaiser wilhelm ii's power?
he forced these laws without the explicit approval of the reichstag
26
what was the effect of the treaty of versailles on germany?
- significant transfer of territory to other countries (france and poland)
- removal of german colonies
- maximum limit of 100,000 men in the german army
- significant naval and air disarmament
- huge reperations to be paid by germany (132 billion gold marks)
27
german problems in 1918
military, economic, social and political
military: germany left with a shattered, disillusioned military not loyal to the weimar republic
economic: massive reperations need to be paid (132 billion gold marks)
social: population feel angry and betrayed. a significant proportion of generation killed
political: weimar republic is shaky, not accepted by everyone and been through revolution
28
what is the weimar constitution?
more democratic: with an elected president, chancellor and reichstag
29
what was proportional representation? what did it lead to?
lead to a large number of small parties. coalitions are inevitable and the government is now unstable
30
what was the weimar constitution dependant on to be stable?
a president to be fair and democratic, presidential powers are extensive
31
what were some german problems? 1918 to 1923
- occupation of the rhineland
- hyperinflation
- political turmoil
- the kapp putsch and the general strike
32
how did the weimar republic survive?
- introduction of the rentenmark to combat inflation
- stable presidential leadership under friedrich eberet
- reduction in reparation payments through the dawes plan
33
what years were the weimar golden years?
1924- 1929
34
what were some features of the golden weimar era?
- under chancellor gustav stressemann
- promotion of social, political and economic stability
- agreements with american banks to reduce the reparation payments
- diplomatic agreements with the ussr, league of nations and others
- able to win back the rhur through diplomacy
- focused on exports and international trade
35
what were the ideals of the nazi party?
- german nationalism
- aryan superiority (blond hair, blue eyes)
- disdain for liberalism and democracy
- authoratarian system
- german expansion
- a need for "libensraum" (living space)
- belief in the prominence of the military
36
nazi attitudes to the weimar republic?
hated democracy
37
what "myth" did the nazis believe in?
the "stab back myth"
38
what did the nazis believe about the social democratic leadership?
that they were globalist and jewish
39
what party thought that democracy and weimar republic would fail?
nazis
40
name some early nazi tactics
- fear and intimidation (the SA)
- propaganda to fuel hatred and disillusionment
- large and loud public rallies to spark debate and controversy
41
what was the growing appeal of the nazi party to:
working classes?
promise of renewing german pride, national identity, reversing the shame of versailles
42
what was the growing appeal of the nazi party to:
military?
bringing back military prominence, conscription and rearmament
43
what was the growing appeal of the nazi party to:
businesses?
promoting to slash workers rights, eliminate trade unions and get rid of regulation
44
what was the growing appeal of the nazi party to:
aristocracy?
promising an end to democracy, power back in their hands and the supression of individual rights
45
how did hitler become chancellor?
- unstable government from 1928 onwards made him appealing
- chancellors forced to rule by presidential decree
- large numbers of elections leading to large numbers of nazi disputes in the reichstag
- control of the reichstag through hermann goerring being made speaker
46
who was hindenburg?
- early war hero as president
- declining mental faculties
- dismissive of democracy
- wishing to restore german pride
47
who was von papen?
- weak, ineffectual chancellor
- unable to bring stability or strong government
- used an appointed cabinet of the aristocracy
48
who was schliecher?
- military general
- attempted to use cunning, trickery, and political tricks to govern and restore military promemance
49
when was the reichstag fire?
- 4 weeks after hitler became chancellor
- started by a supposed dutch communist
- led to the enabling act of 1933
- accounts are unreliable, confused and presented by the nazis
50
who did historians think started the fire?
nazis
51
what did the enabling act do? (1933)
removed most civil liberties from germans
marked the end of the constitutional democratic government
52
what helped pass the enabling act?
arresting communist deputies and some social democrats to gain a majority in the reichstag
53
what was hindeburg after the enabling act?
the only check on hitler, and died in 1934, leaving hitler unopposed
54
how did hitler consolidate power? 5 choices
- elimiated all other political parties
- elimation of the office of chancellor after the death of hindenburg in 1934
- gained approval of military by eliminating the sa
- extracted a personal oath of loyalty from the military
- removed non-nazi civil servants and officials
55
when was the night of the long knives?
1934
56
why was the sa important?
the backbone of nazi scare/fear tactics
57
what happened during the night of the long knives?
hitler chose to back the german army and cut out the sa
sa leaders assasinated
much of pervious opposition to hitler, such as schliecher and communist deputies eliminated
58
what were aims of nazi propaganda?
- to cement hitler's cult of personality
- to prepare citizens for war and conquest
- to condition citizens into believing the nazis
- to influence the opinions of the public
59
methods of nazi propaganda
- government controlled radio (modern)
- police surveillance of individuals and post
- mass distrbution of hitler's book mien kampf
60
examples of public programmes under the nazis?
autobahn construction, civic development and rearmament
61
advantages of public programmes under the nazis?
increased employment, economic growth, war preperation
62
disadvantages of public programmes under the nazis?
increasing government debt and reduction of employment in some areas
63
women in nazi society:
expected to fufill a traditional role rather than focusing on careers
64
churches in nazi society:
expected to comply with nazi goals and ideology
65
military and judiciary in nazi society:
expected to follow nazi ideology and values
66
children in nazi society:
indoctrinated from an early age in the education system and hitler youth
67
causes of nazi policy towards children:
- desire to build up military
- desire for a generation of unquestioning citizens
- wish to control parents
- use children as informers for descent
68
consequences of nazi policy towards children:
- indoctrinated generation
- idealisation of hitler
- ready group of men for armed forces
- quiet and obedient parents
69
what was the final solution?
the systematic nazi plan to physically eliminate jews from europe
70
what were concentration camps?
locations where jews, minorities and dissidents were detained, interrogated and executed
71
who were the white rose group?
- nonviolent student resistence
- conducted an anonymous leaflet campaign
- rounded up and eecuted by the people's court
72
who were the swing youth?
1930s musicians
- admired the american way of life
- resisted the hitler youth
- arrested 1941
73
what was the 1944 bomb plot?
a plot by senior military officers to assassinate hitler
failed by chance and officers were arrested and executed
74
how serious was opposition to the nazis?
- sporadic and never organised
- opposition from the military based on hitler's military incompetence, rather than ideological change
- opposition was always there, low level
- intensive police meant opposition was quickly and suddenly clamped down on
