Lesson 1 - Weimar Germany and the Great Depression

Question 1

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Government?

Answer 1

-German people blamed them for defeat in World War One.
- Described them as the ‘November Criminals’.
-Had to deal with the Treaty of Versailles punishments.
- Proportional Representation meant they always had very diverse governments that couldn’t agree.
- Article 48 meant someone could act as a dictator.

Question 2

What were the punishments of the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 2

Article 231 = Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war.
Pay reparations worth ₤6.6 billion.
It lost 10% of its European territory and 12.5% of its population now living in other countries + a 16% decrease in coal production and a 48% decrease in iron production.
Army was limited to 100,000 men and conscription was banned. Not allowed submarines or airplanes and only allowed 6 battleships.

Question 3

What was the impact of the punishments of the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 3

• Increased economic pressure on the government.
• Government put under political pressure due to anger at the punishments.
• Germany was more vulnerable to invasion due to a weakened military.

Question 4

What were the reasons for the instability of the Weimar Republic by 1923?

Answer 4

• Lots of political challenges including the Spartacist Uprising and the Kapp Putsch.
• Financial challenges including the French occupying the Ruhr region and the problem of hyperinflation.

Question 5

What were the reasons for the recovery of the Weimar Republic?

Answer 5

• Chancellor Gustav Stressemann ended hyperinflation.
• America provided Germany with 800 gold marks to kick start its economy (Dawes Plan).
• Reparations payments were reduced and the amount of time to pay them increased (Young Plan).

Question 6

What were the limitations of the Weimar Government’s recovery?

Answer 6

• German people were still suspicious of democracy.
• Frequent changes of government throughout the period.
• Germany was continuing to deal with the TofV
• Germany’s economic recovery was dependent on loans coming in from the USA.
• Extremist parties still had influence. eg. Communists and Nazis
• Some viewed the cultural changes as a threat to traditional German values.
• Stresemann died in 1929.

Question 7

What were the impacts of the Great Depression on Germany?

Answer 7

• The US gave Germany 90 days to begin repaying the loans given during the Dawes Plan.
• US Hawley-Smoot Tariffs resulted in less German goods being exported to USA and this led to decrease in profits.
• Due to financial struggles, businesses and factories had to close down and German industrial production decreased by 58% in comparison to 1928 levels.
• Unemployment grew rapidly (from 650,000 in 1928 to 6.1 million in 1933) leading to mass poverty.
• Unity within government breaks down.
• Extremist political parties began to increase in popularity esp. Nazi Party and Communist Party.