Germany 1918-89 political change Flashcards
(242 cards)
1
Q
Which parties influenced heavily the government of Prince Max of Baden in 1918 as Germany’s defeat in the war became inevitable?
A
SPD and ZP.
2
Q
Why was a new democratic constitution implemented at the end of the First World War in Germany?
A
To achieve favourable peace terms from the Allies.
3
Q
Why did Ludendorff and Hindenburg back the new constitution?
A
To allow the democratic government to bear responsibility for Germany’s defeat.
4
Q
Why were economic conditions in Germany poor in 1918-1919?
A
Germany had taken out large domestic loans to fund the war effort
5
Q
What event led to the ‘Revolution from below’ of 1918-19?
A
Naval mutiny in Kiel on 30th October 1918.
6
Q
When did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate?
A
November 1918.
7
Q
What were the consequences of the Kiel mutiny?
A
Workers’ councils and soviets being established across Germany.
8
Q
Who headed the provisional German government after the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II?
A
Friedrich Ebert
9
Q
Which parties won the most seats in the 1919 elections for the NCA?
A
SPD and ZP.
10
Q
When did work on the ‘Weimar Constitution’ begin and end?
A
February 1919 - August 1919.
11
Q
Who was mainly responsible for the drafting of the Weimar Constitution?
A
Hugo Preuss.
12
Q
What was significant about Hugo Preuss which would help delegitimise the Weimar Republic in later years?
A
He was Jewish.
13
Q
Which franchise system did the Weimar Constitution use?
A
Universal suffrage for all over 20
14
Q
How often was the President elected in the Weimar Constitution?
A
Every 7 years.
15
Q
Who was the Chancellor supposed to be responsible to in the Weimar Constitution?
A
The Reichstag.
16
Q
How were seats allocated in the Reichstag in the Weimar Constitution?
A
Proportional representation.
17
Q
What did the Weimar Constitution guarantee for citizens?
A
- The right to assemble
- The right to expression
- The right to work
- The right to welfare.
18
Q
Which clause of the Weimar Constitution would be used to undermine the Weimar Republic often?
A
Article 48.
19
Q
What was significant about Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution?
A
It allowed the President to suspend the constitution and rule by decree.
20
Q
Why did many Germans not support the Weimar Republic?
A
They were conservative and undemocratic.
21
Q
Why was democracy opposed by many of the German middle/upper classes?
A
It was viewed as weak and giving power to the uneducated in society.
22
Q
Why was the military important in German society?
A
It had high prestige after military victories in 19th century. Winning Alsace Loraine
23
Q
How many members did the Navy League have in 1900?
A
330,000
24
Q
What feature of the civil service undermined the Weimar Republic?
A
Undemocratic and was militaristic in structure.
25
Who were the 'front generation'?
Soldiers returning from the war who had been 'stabbed in the back'.
26
Why was the 'stab in the back' myth so prevalent in Weimar Germany?
Germany's militaristic culture and effective war propaganda.
27
What effect did the Treaty of Versailles have on Germany's politicians?
Politicians were viewed as weak and traitors to Germany.
28
Which forms of discrimination were prevalent in German society in the Weimar years?
Racism and antisemitism.
29
Why were many Germans horrified by black French soldiers in the 1923 occupation of the Ruhr?
No black soldiers fought for Germany in WW1.
30
How did the Jews corrupt German culture according to the political right?
Jewish art, literature, theatre and cinema.
31
In which areas of society was Social Darwinism popular in the Weimar Republic?
The upper classes and the medical community.
32
Which society lobbied for Social Darwinism and racist policy in Germany in the early 20th Century?
Racial Hygiene Society.
33
Which city was the racist Karl Lueger elected mayor in?
Vienna.
34
Which two prominent pro-democracy politicians were assassinated in Germany in the the early years of the Weimar Republic?
Hugo Haase and Walter Rathenau.
35
Why did the 'bourgeois' parties refuse to cooperate with the SPD in the Weimar Republic?
They feared the threat of socialism and blamed the SPD for the Treaty of Versailles.
36
Why did the KPD refuse to work with the SPD in the Weimar Republic?
The Ebert-Groener Pact of 1919.
37
What about German political culture meant majority government was impossible in the Weimar years?
People lived entirely loyal to a single party. Pubs, bars, sports clubs all had a political allegiance.
38
What aspect of the constitution supposedly meant that stable government not possible in the Weimar years?
Proportional representation.
39
Which racial groups were large minorities in Weimar Germany?
Danes, Poles, Slavs and Jews.
40
What did Jews become heavily associated with in the Weimar Republic?
Urban culture, socialism, and industry.
41
When and where was the Spartacist Uprising?
January 1919, Berlin.
42
When and where was the Kapp Putsch?
January 1920, Berlin.
43
When was the Ruhr Uprising?
March 1920.
44
When was the Munich Beer Hall Putsch?
November 1923.
45
Which period was the Weimar Republic very unstable in?
1919-1923.
46
Which period was the Weimar Republic more stable in?
1924-1929.
47
Why was Ebert heavily disliked by the political right?
He was not a 'strongman' politician.
48
Why was Ebert considered to be pragmatic?
He worked with the army and the judicary.
49
How many times did Ebert enact Article 48 in his time as President?
136
50
Who was Article 48 used largely against by Ebert?
The extreme left.
51
Up until when did Hindenburg largely use his power constitutionally?
1928
52
Which politician was responsible for ending the German hyperinflation of 1919-1923?
Gustav Stresemann.
53
What was the 1924 Dawes Plan?
Short term American loans to Germany to allow payment of reparations.
54
Why did the French withdraw from the Ruhr in 1924?
Stresemann agreed to pay reparations and end passive resistance.
55
What was agreed in the 1925 Locarno Pact?
Germany accepted its western borders.
56
Which year did Germany join the League of Nations?
1926
57
What was the 1929 Young Plan?
A plan to restructure Germany's reparations.
58
Which three parties backed Weimar democracy?
SPD, ZP, DDP.
59
What % of the vote did the three democratic parties receive in January 1919?
0.76
60
What was the Ebert-Groener pact?
An agreement between the government and army to counter the extreme left.
61
What was the long term effect of the Freicorps putting down extreme left uprisings in the Weimar Republic?
Legitimisation of political violence.
62
Why global event catalysed the downfall of the Weimar Republic?
The Great Depression.
63
What did Conservative politicians do which helped the downfall of the Weimar republic?
Work with the Nazi Party.
64
Why was the political right prepared to support the Weimar Republic in the early years?
To prevent the threat of communist revolution.
65
What display of support for Hindeburg following his 1925 election was significant in showing the weakness of Weimar democracy?
The waving of old Imperial Germany flags.
66
Which two parties were explicitly opposed to the Weimar Constitution?
DNVP and DVP.
67
Which Weimar political party/parties supported the restoration of the Wilhelmine monarchy, remilitarisation and overturning the Treaty of Versailles?
DNVP and DVP.
68
Which political party explicitly approved of the use of the Free Corps in Germany politics.
DNVP.
69
Why was the Ebert-Groener pact particularly unpopular among high ranking army officers?
They did not wish to support the Weimar Republic in any way.
70
How did the Kapp Putsch end?
General strike called in Berlin.
71
What is crucial about the Kapp Putsch which shows the anti-Weimar nature of the army?
The army refused to put down the Kapp Putsch.
72
Why did the ZP become more authoritarian in the late 1920s/early 1930s?
The influence of Pope Pius XI.
73
Who was the last Chancellor to try and rule democratically in the Weimar Republic?
Hermann Mueller.
74
Who became chancellor in 1930?
Heinrich Bruening.
75
What authoritarian measures did Bruening implement?
Restriction of civil liberties and suppression of communist newspaprers.
76
Which policy of Bruening meant the Great Depression's effects were worsened?
Welfare cuts.
77
Nazi voting % 1928?
0.026000000000000002
78
Nazi voting % 1930?
0.183
79
Nazi voting % July 1932?
0.37
80
Nazi voting % November 1932?
0.33
81
Who did the Nazis tailor their political message to?
All levels of society.
82
What did the Nazis promise the lower middle classes?
'Work and Bread'.
83
What did the Nazis promise the working classes?
The destruction of Jewish capitalism.
84
What did the Nazis promise women?
A more traditional role in society.
85
How did the Nazis appeal to traditional Protestant voters?
By promising to end the threat of the extreme left.
86
Which groups tended to never vote Nazi in large numbers?
Catholics and the working classes.
87
What two influences created Nazi ideology?
Traditional German values and the spirit of the 'front generation'.
88
What two forms of discrimination did Hitler particularly push?
Social Darwinsim and antisemitism.
89
Who did Hitler blame for Germany's woes?
Communists, Jews, politicians and the ruling elite.
90
What was significant about the structure of the Nazi party?
It was organised in a highly militaristic manner.
91
What was the main inspiration for the 1923 Munich Beer Hall Putsch?
Mussolini's 1923 March on Rome.
92
Why was Hitler able to present himself as an ordinary German citizen?
He had fought in WW1 and was lower middle class.
93
Which two groups caused much political violence from 1929-1933?
The SA and the Red Front.
94
Why did the SA-RF violence undermine the Weimar Republic?
Showed the Weimar Republic could not keep law and order; pushed the right wing to support the SA in response to the communist threat.
95
How did Hindenburg initially view Hitler?
As an extremist unfit for office.
96
Which two conservative politicians supported working with Hitler in the early 1930s?
Franz von Papen and Kurt von Schleicher
97
Why was Nazi support so crucial for the Weimar Governments in the early 1930s?
The Nazis had a large presence in the Reichstag.
98
Why did the governments of Bruening, von Papen, and von Schleicher fail?
Lack of support in the Reichstag.
99
What act from von Papen won him Hitler's support in 1932?
The removal of the ban on the SA.
100
Which role was Hitler offered in government by Kurt von Schleicher in 1932?
Vice Chancellor.
101
When was Hitler appointed Chancellor?
January 1933
102
Why did senior army officers want the support of Hitler?
To gain the support of the SA in suppressing the communist threat.
103
Why did bankers and industrialists back Hitler?
To maintain the wealth of the middle classes and business.
104
How many Nazis were in the original cabinet of Hitler?
2
105
Name the three periods of Hitler's rule in Germany.
Machtergreifung, gleichschaltung, legal revolution.
106
What was the role of Goering in Hitler's first cabinet?
Minister of the Interior in Prussia.
107
Following Hitler's appointment as Chancellor, what changes did Goering make in Prussia?
Hired 50,000 SA men as police officers to target the left wing and Jews.
108
How was the Reichstag fire exploited by the Nazis?
To crush the KPD through inspiring fear of communist revolution.
109
What were the main features of the Reichstag Fire Decree?
Suspended freedom of the press, suspended civil rights, dismantling of the federal system.
110
Why did the SPD not oppose the Reichstag Fire Decree?
They respected the legal rights of Hitler as appointed Chancellor.
111
Why could the unions not oppose Hitler's appointment as Chancellor?
Unions weak due to 6 million unemployed in 1932.
112
How many communists were arrested following the Reichstag fire?
4000
113
What % vote did the Nazi/DNVP coalition possess in January 1933?
0.4
114
What % vote did the Nazi/DNVP coalition achieve in March 1933?
0.52
115
How many died during the election campaigning of March 1933?
69
116
How much money did the Nazis receive from business for the March 1933 campaign?
3 million Reichmarks.
117
What worried Hindenburg about Hitler and the Nazis' campaign?
The increasing Nazi violence.
118
What did Hitler do on March 10th to appease Hindenburg?
Called for an end to SA violence.
119
What event gave Hitler the appearance as a legitimate ruler of Germany in March 1933?
Day of Potsdam.
120
What was the significance of the Enabling Act?
Gave Hitler independence from the Reichstag.
121
How many KPD deputies were banned from voting over Enabling Act?
81
122
How many SPD deputies were banned from voting over Enabling Act?
26
123
Why did the ZP vote for the Enabling Act?
Hitler promised the independence of the Catholic Church.
124
Why did Hitler not abolish the Reichstag after the passing of the Enabling Act?
To use the Reichstag ceremonially and to give legitimacy to his regime.
125
What opponents of Hitler was the Enabling Act not able to destroy?
Internal party and civil service opposition.
126
When did Hitler abolish regional parliaments?
January 1934.
127
What were regional parliaments replaced with?
Reich Governors who were Nazi agents.
128
When was the Civil Service Act passed by Hitler?
April 1934.
129
What did the April 1934 Civil Service Act do?
Allowed anybody opposing Hitler to be dismissed from office.
130
When were political party opponents banned by Hitler?
March-July 1933.
131
What did Ernst Rohm want which Hitler disagreed with?
A second revolution against the army and upper classes.
132
What did Rohm want to do with the army?
Replace its generals with SA men from the 'front generation'.
133
How many members did the SA have in 1933?
2 million.
134
When did tensions peak between the army and the SA?
Just before Hindenburg's death.
135
Why did Himmler and Goering want Rohm dead?
To grow the SS and reform the army.
136
What were von Papen and the army plotting before Hindeburg's death?
To form a new government based on traditional German power.
137
Why did the army agree to back Hitler upon Hindeburg's death?
Hitler agreed to purge the SA.
138
Who drew up the 80 name list the Night of the Long Knives targeted?
Himmler and Goering.
139
Who carried out the Night of the Long Knives?
The SS and the army.
140
Who was killed in the Night of the Long Knives?
SA leaders such as Rohm and top conservatives such as von Schleicher.
141
Which leading Nazi was killed in the Night of the Long Knives?
Gregor Strasser.
142
How many were killed in the Night of the Long Knvies?
85
143
When did the Night of the Long Knives take place?
June 30th-July 2nd 1934.
144
When did the army introduce the personal oath of loyalty to Hitler?
August 1934.
145
What had the SA membership dropped to by 1938?
1.2 million.
146
Which three institutions was power split between in Nazi government?
Ministries, Nazi Party departments, Special Reich Authorities.
147
What did the Ministry of Economics and the Four Year Plan Organisation disagree on?
Trade policy. MoE wanted increased trade, FYPO wanted autarky.
148
What did the OT achieve by 1936 which showed the effective nature of the SRAs?
1000km of autobahn built.
149
Which principle defined Hitler's leadership.
Fuhrerprinzip.
150
Why did authority flow from Hitler in the Nazi regime?
He embodied the 'will of the people'.
151
Why did Hitler never replace the Weimar Constitution?
Many Germans held rule by law in high regard.
152
Which Nazis fought for control of the Gestapo?
Himmler and Goering.
153
When was Himmler given full control of the Gestapo?
1936
154
What is the term used to describe Nazi governmental style?
Polycratic.
155
Why did Nazi racial policy increase in severity over time?
Nazi ministers created increasingly severe plans to 'work towards the Fuhrer'.
156
When were Jews stripped of property rights in Germany?
1937
157
When did the SD begin forced migrations of Jews?
1938
158
What was the 1938 Kristalnacht?
The destruction of Jewish owned property.
159
Why did Kristalnacht show the lack of coordination in Nazi policy?
Goering wished to confiscate Jewish property; Goebbels destroyed it.
160
How many times did the cabinet meet in 1936/37?
5 times.
161
When was the last meeting of the cabinet in Hitler's government?
1938
162
Who controlled Nazi economics from 1933-1936?
Hjalmar Schacht.
163
Who controlled Nazi economics from 1936-40?
Hermann Goering.
164
When was the Rhineland remilitarised?
1936
165
When was the Anschluss?
1938
166
When did Hitler invade Poland.
September 1939.
167
Why did Hitler encourage the polycratic style of government?
ALlowed him to divide and rule.
168
What was decided as Nazi Jewish Policy during the war?
The Final Solution.
169
What was the role of the SS during the war?
To administer occupied territory.
170
How many times did the Committee of Three meet in 1943?
11 times.
171
Why did Hitler limit the Committee of Three?
To preserve the polycratic structure.
172
Who did the SS target in their racial war?
Poles, Jews, Slavs, Roma.
173
Who often blocked Goering and Goebbels from meeting with Hitler?
Martin Bormann.
174
What was the name of the regional administrators in Nazi Germany?
Gautleiters.
175
How did the SS remove undesireables from German society 1933-39?
Concentration camps.
176
How large was the Waffen SS in 1942?
100000
177
How large was the Waffen SS in 1944?
900000
178
Name two death camps in Nazi Germany.
Auschwitz and Treblinka.
179
What were the main polices of the SS in occupied territories?
Removal of education, civil rights and exploitation of resources.
180
Who was responsible for governing as the Allies invaded Germany in 1945?
The Gautleiters.
181
How many German men were killed or captured during the war?
11 million.
182
What was the focus of the four zones in 1945-49?
Demilitarisation and Denazification.
183
What was decided at Yalta?
Germany split into four zones, establishing of the Allied Control Council.
184
What was decided at Potsdam?
Demilitarisation, denazification, deindustrialisation and democratisation of Germany.
185
How much industrial output was supposed to be sent to the Soviet Zone from the Allied zones?
10-25%.
186
Why were many West Germans on the verge of starvation postwar?
Reparations and the drying up of food imports from the Soviet zone.
187
When did the USSR walk out of the Allied Control Council?
1948
188
Why did the USSR walk out of the Allied Control Council?
Planned introduction of the Deutschmark.
189
When was the Berlin blockade started?
June 1948.
190
How much supplies were airlifted into Berlin?
8000 tonnes a day.
191
Who were the main political parties in the post-war West Germany?
CDU, SPD, DP and FDP.
192
What was the name of the West German constitution?
Basic Law.
193
What was the Bundestag?
Federal Parliament.
194
What was the electoral system of the Bundestag?
Half proportional representation, half directly elected.
195
What was minimum vote required to gain representation in the Bundestag?
0.05
196
What special power was given to regional parliaments?
Could veto legislation.
197
What did the FRG Basic Law pledge to all citizens?
Welfare, healthcare and pensions.
198
Who was the largest party in the 1949 Bundestag elections?
CDU.
199
What challenges did Adenauer face upon his election?
Recovering from the war, GDR refugees, creating stable democracy.
200
Why was the government of Adenauer stable?
Economic prosperity, strong leadership, banning of extremist parties.
201
How was Adenauer pragmatic?
He embraced former Nazis and GDR refugees.
202
Why was the CDU able to create strong coalitions?
Local party network, simple slogans, moderate, strongly anti-communist.
203
What was the result of the Construction Law 1950?
4 million new homes by 1957.
204
What did the 1952 Equalisation of the Burdens Act introduce?
A blanket 5% tax to help citizens recovering from the war.
205
How much did the 1957 Pensions Act increase spending?
0.65
206
Which law created the policy of industrial codetermination in West Germany?
1949 Collective Bargaining Law.
207
When did Adenauer join the Council of Europe and the OEEC?
1949
208
When did the SPD stop focusing on reunification?
1959
209
Why did Adenauer join the EEC and push for European integration?
To rely less on the USA.
210
When did the FRG join NATO?
1956
211
What was the Hallstein doctrine?
It cut ties with the GDR and did not recognise the GDR as a state.
212
How many immigrants had arrived in the FRG from the GDR by 1961?
2 million.
213
When was the Berlin wall built?
1961
214
How many in Berlin protested the building of the wall?
300000
215
Why was Adenauer criticised following the building of the Berlin Wall?
Did not visit Berlin for 9 days.
216
When did Adenauer lose the support of the FDP?
1957
217
When was the Der Spiegel affair?
1963
218
Why did Adenauer resign?
The Der Spiegel affair.
219
What happened at the 1959 Bad Godesberg party conference?
SPD reinvents itself.
220
What were the policy changes of the SPD post-1959?
Favoured NATO, favoured European integration, removed pledge to overthrow capitalism.
221
When was Erhard appointed Chancellor?
1963
222
How much did the economy grow by in 1964?
0.08
223
Why did Erhard make cuts to public services in 1956?
Recession and inflation.
224
What did the 1970s mark the beginning of?
Ostpolitik.
225
Which issues did Kiesenger face after replacing Erhard?
Economic problems and his Nazi past.
226
What was the main theme of Brandt's government in 1969?
Ostpolitik.
227
Why did Brandt reject the Hallstein doctrine?
FRG and GDR shared a common history, language and culture.
228
When did the GDR join the UN?
1969
229
What did Stoph demand when he visited the FRG in 1970.
Compensation for the refugees and recognition of the GDR.
230
What did the 1973 Basic Treaty allow?
Commerical and tourist links between the FRG and GDR.
231
Which advisor was arrested in 1974?
Gauillaume.
232
Why did Brandt take the blame for Gaullaume's spying?
To preserve the SPD government and maintain political stability.
233
Which threats did the SPD face in the 1970s?
Excessive spending and growing terrorism.
234
Why terrorist threat did Schmidt deal with effectively?
Red Front Army.
235
Which challenges did Schmidt face?
Green movement, inflation, FDP tensions and nuclear weapons.
236
When was Schmidt removed via a vote of no confidence?
1982
237
What were the two main themes of Kohl's policies?
Social Market economy and Ostpolitik.
238
What challenges did Kohl face?
High unemployment and social deprivation.
239
Why did Kohl not reduce farming subsidies or welfare?
These were extremely unpopular policies.
240
Why did the FRG economy improve post-1985?
Exports rose.
241
What was the Flick affair?
FDP finance minister offered Flick tax evasion for party funds.
242
Name two corruption scandals which plagued Kohl's government.
Flick affair and Barschel-Enghold affair.
