Germany 1918-89, Theme 2a: Opposition to government Flashcards
(177 cards)
1
Q
When was the Spartacist Uprising?
A
January, 1919.
2
Q
Who lead the Spartacist Uprising?
A
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.
3
Q
When was the Kapp Putsch?
A
March 1920.
4
Q
When was the Ruhr Uprising?
A
March 1920.
5
Q
When was the Beer Hall Putsch?
A
November 1923.
6
Q
What do some historians speculate the main weakness of the Weimar Republic was?
A
Lack of popular support for democracy.
7
Q
Why did the military leaders in 1918 and 1919 support a democratic constitution?
A
To gain a fairer peace deal from the Allies.
8
Q
Why did Conservatives and Nationalists support Weimar democracy initially?
A
To prevent a communist uprising.
9
Q
Why did Communists support democracy at times during the Weimar Republic?
A
To prevent Germany returning to an authoritarian regime.
10
Q
When was the initial constitutional monarchy created in Germany?
A
October 1918.
11
Q
Why did the soldiers mutiny at Kiel?
A
They believed the Kaiser was using the Navy to undermine peace negotiations.
12
Q
When was the Kiel Mutiny?
A
November 1918.
13
Q
The November 1918 crisis set up which type of government in industrial towns?
A
Workers’ councils and soviets.
14
Q
What did Ebert propose as Germany’s government in November 1918?
A
A democratic republic like France.
15
Q
What did Ebert order Gustav Noske to do?
A
End the Spartacist uprising with the Free Corps.
16
Q
When was a Soviet Republic declared in Bavaria?
A
March 1919.
17
Q
What happened in Bavaria in May 1919?
A
The Soviet Republic was deposed by the Free Corps.
18
Q
What did many Germans associate the new Weimar Republic with?
A
Humiliation in the First World War defeat.
19
Q
What did many Germans believe about politicians?
A
They had betrayed Germany and were working against the interests of Germany.
20
Q
What event compounded the ‘stab in the back’ myth?
A
The Treaty of Versailles.
21
Q
How did the majority of Germans view the ToV?
A
As profoundly unjust.
22
Q
Which territory did Germany lose to France as a result of the ToV?
A
Alsace-Lorraine.
23
Q
Which territory did Germany lose to Denmark as a result of the ToV?
A
Schleswig.
24
Q
What was the result of the creation of the Polish Corridor?
A
1 million Germans under Polish control.
25
What happened to Germany's colonies as a result of the ToV?
They were transferred to control of the League of Nations.
26
Which clause of the ToV did the Germans particularly object to?
'War guilt' clause.
27
What were German reparations fixed at in 1921?
132,000 million gold marks.
28
Why did Germans view the loss of land as unjust?
German land had not been invaded during the war.
29
How did many Germans view their empire?
As a way to assert Germany as a world power.
30
Why did many Germans feel reparations were unjust?
They believed they were fighting a defensive war.
31
Why were Germans against demilitarisation?
It punished men who had fought bravely in the war.
32
What was the first right wing challenge to Weimar democracy?
1920 Kapp Putsch.
33
What was the immediate cause of the Kapp Putsch?
The implementation of the disarmament clauses.
34
How many members of the Free Corps marched on Berlin in the Kapp Putsch?
12000
35
How was the Kapp Pustch defeated?
A general strike from the unions.
36
How long did the Kapp Putsch last?
4 days.
37
Why were those responsible for the Kapp Putsch punished leniently?
The judicary was conservative in Weimar Germany.
38
What was the response to the Kapp Putsch from the left?
Workers in Saxony attacked Free Corps units.
39
How large was the workers' army in the Ruhr Uprising?
50000
40
Why was the reliance on the Free Corps a worry for the Weimar Government?
The Free Corps actively supported the Kapp Putsch and hated democracy.
41
Why did the KPD try to establish a republic in Saxony?
In response to the hyperinflation in 1923.
42
Who was responsible for the majority of political assassinations from 1919-24?
The extreme right.
43
What was Walter Rathenau do?
Head of AEG and foreign minister in 1922.
44
When was Walter Rathenau killed?
June 1922.
45
Why was Walter Rathenau killed?
He was Jewish and involved in the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
46
How many people were assassinated by right wing groups from 1919-1922?
354
47
What did the level of violence in the early Weimar period show?
The extreme lengths people would go to in order to undermine the Weimar Republic.
48
Why did Hitler choose November 1923 for the Beer Hall putsch?
Due to the economic crisis of hyperinflation and the military crisis in the Ruhr.
49
Why did French troops invade the Ruhr?
In order to claim late reparations payments.
50
How did the government respond to the invasion of the Ruhr?
A general strike.
51
Why did Hitler believe the army in Bavaria would back the putsch?
Eric Ludendorff was on the side of the Nazis.
52
How did Ebert respond to the Beer Hall Putsch?
Ordered general Seeckt to crush the revolt.
53
How to did Hitler use his February 1924 trial?
As a public platform to criticise the Weimar Republic.
54
How long did Hitler serve of his 5 year prison term?
9 months.
55
What are the years 1924-29 typically described as?
The 'golden years' of the Republic.
56
What was interesting about the 1924 elections which showed the Weimar Republic was not as stable as it appeared?
The vote for the KPD and other extremist groups increased.
57
What consequences did the 1928 elections have?
The DNVP abandoned support for democracy and the ZP became more authoritarian.
58
What was big business opposed to in 1928 which destabalised the government?
Government arbitration in industrial disputes.
59
How many workers were sacked in the 1928 Ruhr Industrial Disputes?
222000
60
What international events caused further political polarisation in 1929?
Wall Street Crash.
61
Why did people turn to political extremism in the period 1929-33?
The increasing unemployment and fall in living standards.
62
When was the Nazi Party banned?
After the Munich Putsch until 1925.
63
How did Hitler's attempt to gain power change over the Weimar period.
From supporting an armed putsch to only pursuing constitutional means.
64
What was the effect on the Nazis of the 1929 campaign against the Young Plan?
Hitler gained contacts with leading nationalists such as Alfred Hugenberg.
65
What was important about Hugenberg to the Nazis?
He owned a vast media empire with tabloids such as the Racial Observer.
66
What was the membership of the SA in 1933?
500000
67
What did some business leaders believe about the SA?
They were allies in the fight against communism.
68
What was special about Nazi propaganda?
It was tailored for a variety of different groups.
69
Why is it difficult to assess the level of opposition to the Nazi government?
Most people chose to hide their opposition and its difficult to define what is opposition in the context of the Nazi dictatorship.
70
What are the three categories of opposition to the Nazis?
Active resistance, protest, non-conformity.
71
What was active resistance to the Nazis?
Active attempts to overthrow the regime.
72
What was protest to the Nazis?
Acts intended to alter certain Nazi policies.
73
Give an example of protest against the Nazis.
Catholic priest opposition to Nazi repression of Catholic schools.
74
What was non-conformity in Nazi Germany?
Acts which deviated from the standards of the Nazis without clear motivation.
75
Give an example of non-conformity in Nazi Germany.
Listening to jazz music or telling anti-Nazi jokes.
76
Why was active resistance hard to organise in Nazi Germany?
Gleichschaltung meant organisations were coordinated into supporting the regime.
77
When did the 3 attempts to assassinate Hitler take place?
1935, 1938 and 1939.
78
Why was the Catholic Church able to speak out against Nazi policies?
It remained independent throughout the regime.
79
What did the Catholic Church protest against the Nazis about?
The repression of Catholic newspapers and youth groups.
80
Give an example of successful protest against the Nazis?
In 1935 the ban on crucifixes in schools was overturned.
81
What did Bishop Galen do?
Protested against the T4 euthanasia program forcing the Nazis to back down.
82
How many illegal strikes were organised in the Nazi regime between 1933-35?
Over 400 wildcat strikes.
83
Why were the strikes from 1933-35 limited?
They were aimed at better working conditions rather than broader political goals.
84
How did the civil service and army protest against the Nazis?
Refused to give the Nazis total control over the government and the army.
85
What was the most widespread opposition to the regime?
Non-conformity.
86
Why were acts of non-conformity considered political?
Nazi tried to control every aspect of daily life.
87
Why did acts of non-conformity take large amounts of courage?
The prevalence of the SS and Gestapo.
88
What were the names of working class gangs in the war who opposed the regime?
The 'Roving Dudes' and the 'Navajos' who opposed official youth culture.
89
Who were the 'Edelweiss Pirates'?
A youth group who ambushed Nazi Youth groups and beat them up.
90
What was the 'Swing Youth'
Young middle class Germans who listened to jazz in non-conformity with the Nazis.
91
When was jazz banned by the Nazis?
1935
92
Why was the army able to act as a centre of resistance to the Nazis?
It retained some of its independence from the Nazi party.
93
What concerned German army leaders in 1933-34?
The power the SA had over the government.
94
Who plotted to create a new Conservative government in the spring of 1934?
The army and Franz von Papen.
95
What event convinced the German army that Hitler could be trusted?
The Night of the Long Knives.
96
When was the Hossbach Conference?
November 1937.
97
What did Hitler do at the Hossbach Conference?
Outlined his plans to seize Eastern Europe following the principle of lebensraum.
98
Who began to oppose Hitler as a result of the Hossbach Conference?
General Fritch and General Blomberg.
99
Who opposed Hitler's plans to invade the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia in 1938?
General Beck.
100
When did General Beck resign?
August 1938.
101
When was an anti-Hitler putsch planned by General Beck and allies?
Autumn 1939 following the invasion of Poland.
102
What was Beck's plan in 1939?
To overthrow the Nazi government and replace it with a government lead by Schacht, then negotiate a peace deal.
103
Who backed Beck in 1939?
Senior Catholics and the Pope.
104
Which other plots was Beck involved in apart from the 1939 plot?
Two in 1943 and the 1944 Stauffenberg Plot.
105
Who was Colonel von Stauffenberg?
A senior general from an aristocratic background.
106
What was Operation Valkyrie?
The 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler.
107
From when was it obvious Germany was going to lose the war?
Post-1942.
108
What change occurred in the German people post-1942?
Morale collapsed and opposition increased.
109
When was Germany defeated at the Battle of Stalingrad?
February 1943.
110
What rumours spread in Germany after the Battle of Stalingrad?
That the German army had been defeated and had surrendered
111
Why did the army particularly resist the regime post-1943?
Military defeats in the war.
112
What did the Kreisau Circle do?
Plan a post-war Germany.
113
What did the Kreisau Circle do to help the Allies?
Provided information on the regime's weakness.
114
What did the Kreisau Circle believe in?
A new democratic Germany centred around democratic values.
115
Who did the Kreisau Circle consist of?
German elites such as von Moltke.
116
What was the first major protest movement of the FRG?
The youth rebellion of the 1960s.
117
When did political dissent peak in the FRG?
1960s and 1970s.
118
What reasons have historians given for the relative stability of the FRG compared to the Weimar Republic?
Shock of defeat, economic prosperity and the onset of the Cold War.
119
What displays the lack of serious protest in the FRG?
The banning of the SRA and KPD in 1952 and 1956 was met with little protest.
120
What was the cost of stability in the FRG?
People refused to face the Nazi past.
121
What caused youth frustration which exploded in the 1960s?
Refusal of the older generation to confront the past and the absorption in material gain.
122
Who were the Socialist Reich Party?
Successor to the Nazis with never over 10,000 members.
123
What was the 'Count me out' movement in the 1950s?
Opposition to the FRG being host to nuclear weapons, which was backed by the SPD.
124
Why did the student protest movement of the 1960s take people by surprise?
People assumed the younger generation who had not been impacted by war were the main beneficiaries of the FRG.
125
What was a military reason for the 1960s student protests?
FRG backing of the US Vietnam War.
126
How did NATO cause the 1960s student protests?
Students feared closer NATO integration would lead to nuclear weapons placed in the FRG.
127
What was an educational reason for the 1960s student protests?
Overcrowding and lack of student representation in higher education.
128
How was the past responsible for the 1960s student protests?
The government failure to face its Nazi past and remove Nazis from government.
129
How did the SPD cause the 1960s protests?
They shifted towards more conservative policies after the 1959 Bad Godesberg conference.
130
What was the result of growing materialism in the FRG?
A push for a more egalitarian society in the 1960s student protests.
131
Why were people angry with the media in the 1960s?
They believed the establishment was not accountable to the people and could not be part of a democratic system.
132
Why did the government response to opposition groups anger students in the 1960s?
Students believed the government was becoming too authoritarian.
133
Who was Georg Picht?
A journalist who in 1964 declared the education system in crisis.
134
Why did Picht declare the system in crisis?
Overcrowding and a lack of teacher resources?
135
Why did Picht believe the education system would affect the future?
Not enough skilled workers were being produced to sustain economic growth.
136
How did the government respond to the criticism of Picht?
Introduced 5 new universities in 1964.
137
What were the main issues with universities in the 1960s?
Overcrowding, underfunding, student representaton,.
138
Why was the Free University in Berlin important in the student protests?
It was student lead on its board.
139
Why was the Free University attractive to radical students?
West Berlin had no military conscription.
140
When did students go on strike in the FRG?
May 1965.
141
Why did students go on strike in 1965?
Erich Kuby was banned from speaking.
142
What did students in the FRG do in 1968?
12,000 protested against the USA-Vietnam war.
143
Which academic inspired much of the New Left movement in the FRG?
Hebert Marcuse.
144
How did the government try to ease protests in 1966?
Doubled the research funding to 260,000DM.
145
What did the student protests eventually turn into?
A protest against German life generally.
146
When was Kommune 1 set up in West Berlin?
January 1967.
147
Who were the APO?
Radical students and trade unions who felt radical protest was the only method of achieving change.
148
Why did the APO turn to radical protest?
The Grand Coalition lead by Kiesenger controlled 95% of the Bundestag seats.
149
Who were the SDS?
The student wing of the SPD who became more radical after the 1959 Bad Godesberg conference.
150
Who became leader of the SDS in 1965?
Rudi Dutschke.
151
What was significant about Rudi Dustchke leading the SDS?
He was a communist from the GDR.
152
What did the SDS protest against?
Nuclear weapons, former Nazis holding power, Vietnam War.
153
Who was protested against in 1967?
The Shah of Iran visiting Berlin.
154
Who was killed during the protests against the Shah in 1967?
Benno Ohnesorg.
155
When was Rudi Dutschke killed?
1968 by a neo-Nazi gunman.
156
What was the outcome of the killing of Rudi Dutschke?
5 days of radical protest in the FRG.
157
What was the peak of SDS membership?
80,000 members in 1968.
158
What did Der Spiegel polls reveal about the student protests?
92% opposed student violence in 1968.
159
Who were the RAF?
The Red Army Faction, a terrorist group of communists in the FRG.
160
Who was the main membership of the RAF?
Young middle class Germans disillusioned with the FRG.
161
When was Baader arrested?
1968 for firebombing a department store.
162
When did the RAF begin to direct violence towards people?
Post-1970.
163
What was the RAF public support before 1970?
15% showed sympathy.
164
How many did the RAF kill in the 1970s?
28 people in its bombing campaigns.
165
How did the RAF finance its activities?
Robbed over 30 banks.
166
When were Meinhof and Baader arrested?
1972
167
How long did RAF inspired terrorism continue?
Until 1998.
168
Why did the RAF increase government support?
People were scared of their campaign and backed the government to oppose it.
169
Who were GSG9?
An FRG special forces unit designed to counter terrorism.
170
How many neo-Nazi groups existed in Germany in the 1960s?
around 70.
171
Why were the 1960s seen as a time when interest in Nazism?
Economic recession, dislike of GDR guest workers, glorification of the Nazi period, David Irving's work.
172
How many seats did the NPD win in Hesse?
8 seats in 1966.
173
What was the NPDs best vote result?
4.3% in 1969.
174
Why did the NPD fail?
Violence, harmed FRG reputation, the recession ceased.
175
What was the legitimate outlet of protest in the 1980s?
The Green Party.
176
Why is the stability of the FRG shown in the lack of radical protest?
There were still recession and corruption scandals which the FRG survived.
177
Why was the army able to act as a centre of resistance to the Nazis?
