nazi germany Flashcards
(66 cards)
1
Q
German political system before WW1
A
- power and authority lay with the Kaiser, his ministers and the German Army
- relied on his chancellor, chief ministers and commanders of the army to rule the country
- made germany very powerful and influential
- although they had the Reichstag, the kaiser and his ministers largely ignored it
2
Q
Impact of world war 1 on germany
A
1918: proud german army was clearly facing defeat
- British navy was blocking supplies from reaching Germany
- around 300,000 germans died from malnutrition in 1918
- germany had massive debt due to spending so much on the war that the economy was in ruins
- kaiser started including the Reichstag in ruling the country and making decisions in the war
3
Q
why did the Kaiser suddenly include the Reichstag
A
They knew that Germany would be defeated and was trying to put the blame on the elected politicians
4
Q
Abdication of the kaiser
A
- Germany’s defeat came in November 1918
- waves on unrest across Germany — Kaiser forced to abdicate on 9 nov 1918
5
Q
New leader after the Kaiser
A
- 10 november 1918: Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), became the new leader of the republic of Germany
- Germany became a democratic republic
- Signed the Armistice with the Allies on the 11th of November 1918
- appointed the council of People’s representatives to run germany until a new constitution had been written and elected
6
Q
Weimar Republic
A
new democratic govt. of Germany
- established on August 1919
7
Q
Weimar Constitution
A
- approved by the Reichstag in July 1919
- was voted against by a number of representatives, which was a worrying sign
- New constitution introduced significant changes (Germans over 20, including women, could vote/Party representation in the Reichstag would be based on proportional representation)
8
Q
Strengths of the Weimar govt.
A
- Proportional representation ensured that most views and interests were represented in the Reichstag
- Laws had to be approved by the Reichstag and could not be pushed through by the Chancellor. This prevented abuse of power
9
Q
Proportional representation
A
- any party taking part in the election would gain seats in the Reichstag equal to the number of votes it recieved
10
Q
Weimar govt. weakness
A
- hard for one party to gain majority and even those who opposed democracy could get seats (german communist party) -> govt. ended up in coalitions making it hard for the Reichstag to pass laws, thus, govts. were weak and short lived
- article 48 could be used to protect and preserve peace. however, if a president had a different attitude, they could misuse and exploit it.
11
Q
coalition
A
- govt formed by a number of different political parties working together
12
Q
Forming a new govt
A
- once the constitution was established, elections for the new Reichstag were held in Jan 1919
- elections were relatovely peaceful with a voter turnout of 80%
- Ebert’s SPD was the largest party so he became president
- he did not have enough members to form a government
- formed a coalition with the Catholic Centre Party and German democratic Party
13
Q
why was the republic unpopular in 1919-1923
A
- as president, Ebert wanted to make new measures and reforms which benefit millions of Germans
- was unable to do so for the first few years
- faced a series of major events, both in and out of the republic, which threatened Germany’s security and delayed progress
14
Q
Treaty of Versailles
A
- announced may 1919
- germans had not been told that they would be invaded should the war have carried on, most though germany had been undefeated and even celebrated the return of their troops
- they expected a negotiated treaty where they were treated with respect as equals.
- shocked when terms were announced and called it a diktat (dictated peace forced upon Germany)
28 june 1919: Ebert was reluctant to sign but had no choice
15
Q
Effect of TOV on the Weimar Republic
A
- undermined and poisoned many Germans’ attitudes towards the Weimar Republic until it brought the republic down
- Many blamed Ebert and the Weimar politicians for the treaty, calling them the “November Criminals”
- Most also chose to believe in the Dolchtoss Theory, or that the German army had been stabbed in the back by socialist and liberal politicians who agreed to the Armistice in November 1918
- As unpopularity grew, extremist ideas, voices and violence took root in Germany
16
Q
Threats to the Republic
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- faced opposition from both left and right-wing groups
17
Q
Left-wing groups
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strong supporters of increased government involvement in social welfare and labour unions
18
Q
Right-wing groups
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more nationalistic and supported increased militarism in Germany
19
Q
The Spartacist
A
- left wing group
- communists with similar belief to the Bolsheviks in Russia
- Wanted a soviet run Germany where all industry would be owned by the state
20
Q
Spartacist Uprising
A
Early 1919: Spartacists fought for power — joined by rebel soldiers and sailors who set up soviets in many towns
- Freikorps, an anti-communist WW1 group, fought against them
- Ebert made an agreement with the commanders of the army and the Freikorps to put down the rebellion
- Freikorps won after bitter street fighting and heavy casualties
- Ebert used the same tactics to squash communist uprisings between 1919 and 1920
- estimated death toll, 2000
- communists remained a powerful anti-government force in Germany throughout the 1920s
21
Q
Kapp Putsch
A
- Right-wing group
- came from all classes of society, from the poor workers to the wealthy land owning aristocracy
- many were former soldiers, including the Freikorps
22
Q
what happened during the Kapp Putsch
A
- wolfgang Kapp led 50000 Freikorps into berlin in a rebellion
- planned to overthrow the Weimar Republic and return Germany to a more authoritarian society
- govt ordered the army to attack the Freikorps and put down the rebellion but the army refused
- Germany’s trade union and 12 million industrial workers came to the rescue
- declared a general strike and the country had no transport, power and water. All civil servants and govt officials supported Ebert and refused to cooperate with Kapp
- after a few days, Kapp fled the country, realising he could not win. He was caught and died while awaiting trial
- weimar republic had some support after all
- no other rebels besides Kapp were punished, the county set many free
- political violence from the right wing group continued are Kapp Putsch but they were rarely punished
23
Q
Occupation of Ruhr
A
- TOV forced Germany to pay reparations of 6.6 billion pounds
- Germany protested but were ignored
- they failed to pay the reparations on Jan 1923
- France and Belgium troops occupied Ruhr Valley, Germany’s most important and valuable industrial region
- Began to take what was owed in the form of raw materials and goos which was legal under the treaty of versailles
24
Q
Hyperinflation
A
- German govt. ordered workers to go on strike and not comply with the french
- sudden halt in industrial production caused the economy to collapse
- govt. printed more money but it was worthless, since printing more money caused its value to decrease
- the flood of money led to hyperinflation, causing the price of daily goods to rise
- Workers begain to be paid daily and needed wheelbarrows to bring home their wages
- hyperinflation affected the middle class the most. Germany economy was unstable with personal savings wiped out and unemployment spread. (a family who could buy a house in 1921 could not by a loaf of bread in 1923
- middle class lost support for the government as they felt the republic prioritised workers, industrialists and politicians
25
impact of ruhr invasion and hyperinflation
- gave governments another thing ot blame them for
- many linked the problems to the hated treaty of Versailles signed by Weimar politicians
- resulted in deep resentment toward Weimar politicians who agreed to the reparations stipulated in the Treaty
26
how the the weimar govt try to solve these problems?
November 1925: New Chancellor, Gustav Stressemann, replaced the German mark with the Rentenmark
- negotiated the reorganising of the reparations through the Dawes Plan in 1924 and the Young Plan in 1929
- firm and decisive decisions allowed Germany to stabilise its finances by reducing debt
27
what was 1923-1929 associated with?
- commonly associated with the Godlen Age of Weimar
- economy recovered and democracy had a chance of taking root
- appeared that Germany had averted the worst crisis years and had entered a new period of stability anfd success
- some believed the period of recovery served as a mask for the major weakness of the Weimar Govt.
28
Appeal of Hitler and the Nazi Party
- While Weimar republic was dealing with political and economic challenges, a right wing movement was building in Bavaria
- Key groups was the German's workers Party (DAP) founded by Anton Drexler in Jan 1919
- local authorities were suspicious and sent Hitler to investigate
- while spying, he found that he agreed with many of the party's ideas and criticism of the republic
- ended up joining the DAP on the sept 1919
29
Hitler in the DAP
- rose through party ranks
- excellent speaker and began to build a personal following
- argued that party would gain more support if they developed more nationalist policies
- feb 1920: Hitler and Dexler changed the DAP to the National Socialists German Worker's Party (NSDAP)/ Nazi Party
- set nazi's main belief in the 25-point programme
30
25-point programme beliefs
- abolition of Treaty of Versailles
- Only true germans to be allowed to live in Germany: jews especially to be excluded
- Union of Austria and Germany
- Nationalism of large businesses and industries
- generous provision of old-age pensioners
- creation of strong central govt. in germany
31
How did Hitler become leader of the Nazi party
- by 1921, Hitler was the dominant figure in the party
- overthrew Dexler and made himself leader in July 1921
32
What happened after Hitler became leader
- appointed close allies to key roles
- made Hermann Goering in charge of the Stormtroopers
- Hitler's prominence increased and membership of the party grew to 50,000
- many would turn up to hear him speak and were impressed by the party's energy and committment
33
Stormtroopers
- Led by Hermann Goering
- made mostly of ex-soldiers who had joined the Nazi Party
- were an informal group who provided security at Nazi meetings
- Hitler later turned them into a private army with uniforms and a command structure
- dealt with Hitler's rivals both inside and out of the party
34
Munich Putsch
- November 1923
- Hitler believed that it was time to overthrow the Weimar Republic as they had been experiencing problems for a few years
- Hitler was fairly well known and had the support of Erich Ludendorff
35
Who is Erich Ludendorff
- had been a senior commander in the army and a national hero
36
What happened during the Munich Putsch
8 november 1923: Hitler and his army marched on Munich in an open rebellion
- Expected the support of local authorities, but was met with armed police and a battle broke out
- Hitler was left unharmed because one of his bodyguards threw himself in the line of fire
- Goering was shot and went into hiding
- 16 nazi and 4 police officers were killed
- Hitler escaped but was arrested two days later, Nazi Party was subsequently banned
37
Aftermath of Munich putsch
- though it was a humiliating disaster, it turned out to be a key event that helped the Nazis
- Ludendorff faced no punishment and was later elected into the Reichstag in 1924
- Hitler faced trial which turned into the showcase. The judges allowed him to make long speeches criticising the Weimar Republic and spreading his ideas
-> judge had strong nationalistic views and disliked the republic
38
How did Hitler benefit from this situation
- his court case was extensively covered in the newspaper and he became a national celebrity
- he was sentenced to 5 years but only served 9 months
- while in prison, he spent time to reflect and write his autobiography, Mein Kampf (My struggle)
- spread his ideas and views
- powerful groups, like the judiciary shared the same views as the Nazi Party
39
Rebuilding the Nazi party
- Hitler decided he could not take power by force. They would gain power within the democratic system, once they had enough power, they would destroy the system
- immediately after being released, Hitler began rebuilding his party
- set out nazi policies simply and clearly, basing them off Mein Kampf
- re-established control of his party and set up a new force, the Protection Squad
- made it clear he would not tolerate rivals or disagreements
- now that he was secure as the leader, he set about building up support for the Nazis amongst German people
40
Protection squad
- Also known as the SS
- led by Heinrich Himmler
- initially started as a small force that acted as Hitler's body guards
- were utterly loyal to him
- Under the leadership of Himmler, the SS expanded
41
Key ideas to the Mein Kampf
- loyalty to germany, racial purity and state control was encouraged
- Aryans were the master race. Any race, esp the Jews, were inferior
- War and struggle were essential part of development for a healthy Aryan race
- Total loyalty to the Fruher was encouraged
- Germany needed living space as its people were hemmed in. Would achieve this through expansion into Russia and Poland.
42
Winning support of the Nazi Party
- Hitler was very charming and persuasive. He was a powerful and confident speaker who prepped and practised his speeches
- good at gauging the mood of the audience and appeared sincere
- Many of his speeches addressed people's concerns
- won over important business owners and industrialists who agreed with his anti-communist and anti-trade union views
- they contributed to the Nazi Party's finances
- Created a network of local Nazi Parties. Efforts produced encouraging results
43
What results did Hitler's efforts bring for the Nazi's?
- may 1924: nazi party members stood in the Reichstag elections for the first time and won 32 seats
- membership of the Nazi party was over 100,000
44
hurdles faced by the Nazi Party
- much less successful in winning support in the Reichstag
- industrialist workers in towns supported the SDP or the communists
- received more support from the farmers in rural areas: targeted them with propaganda and recruitment and praised them for being true Aryan Germans. Criticised the Weimar republic for not looking after their interests.
45
Why did the Nazi party have these hurdles
1924-1929: Weimar Republic was relatively stable and prosperous
- loans and investments from US banks helped to stabilise economy so there was plenty of jobs
- government provided generous welfare benefits like old age pension and housing
46
results for nazis in the elections due to these hurdles
- 1928: even after all their efforts, they were still a minority party with less than 3% of the population supporting them
- 1928 elections, only gained 12 seats
47
Election results for the Nazis
- May 1924: 32 seats
- Dec 1924: 14 seats
- May 1928: 12 seats
48
Great Depression
- 1929: ended the stability in Germany
- October 1929: US economy tanked, causing a severe economic depression
- US bank owners asked German banks to repay loans a removed their investments in Germany
- Resulted in economic collapse in Germany
- businesses went bankrupt, workers were laid off and unemployment rocketed
49
Impacts of unemployment
- 1932: Unemployment was at 6 million (40% of the workforce)
- most of Germany were affected: Industrial workers, farmers and the middle class. Small businesses went bankrupt
- income of the average german dropped by 10% from 1929-1932
- led to hunger and illness.
- many were evicted due to their inability to pay rent. This resulted in many makeshift homes and slums appearing in most cities
50
Failure of democracy
- Hindenburg wanted to increase the welfare of the unemployed but the coalition refused --- it fell apart in 1930
- President Hindenburg used Article 48 to appoint a new Chancellor, Heinrich Bruning.
- Bruning cut government spending on welfare and the wages of civil servants and most other government employees
- measures were too harsh and he could not get the support of the Reichstag to pass them into the law
- Hindenburg had to use his powers again
- Weimar republic effectively failed, parties were so divided they could not form a coalition with a majority of seats
- Hindenburg continued to rule, appointing a new chancellor and using Article 48 to pass laws and bypass the Reichstag
51
Why did communism become popular
- Workers felt the Weimar Republic was not managing the crisis well and felt like it had let them down
- political parties cared more about their positions, unable to gain a majority in parliament or get welfare measures passed
- Hindenburg was running the country and supported Bruning's measures, which had a devastating impact on millions of ordinary Germans
- Many people called Bruning the "Hunger Chancellor"
52
Rise in communism
- some turned to the Nazi party but most turned to the German Communist Party
- the communists had rebuilt their organisation in the 1920s
- had local branches, a youth movement and a very effective publicity machine which printed posters, magazines as well as organised meetings
- between 1922-1932, around 1 million workers began to look at the KPD instead of the SPD
- KPD presented in the reichstag rose from 10% to 15%
53
fear of the communist and impact
- frightened many, including business leaders because of their plans to introduce state control of business, just like in the USSR, concerned about growing strength of Germany's trade union
- middle class were afraid because they knew the communists were hostile to people like them
- land owning farmers were afraid because communists governments in the USSR had already taken over all the land but also killed and imprisoned millions in the process
- created a climate of fear. germans had little trust in the Weimar republic's ability to deal with the threat leading to many turning to the Nazis
54
Growth in support for the Nazis
1933: membership of Nazi Party rose to 800,000
1930: in the Reichstag elections, nazis gained a 107 seats
55
Hitler Factor
- Nazi's greatest campaigning asset. A powerful and persuasive speaker. Despite losing to Hindenburg in presidential elections, his profile was raised hugely
- used film, radio and prints to spread his message
- travelled by plane to rally all over Germany
- appeared as a dynamic man of the moment, a modern party with modern ideas
- appeared as a man of the people, understood them and their problems
- after years of coalition governments and politicians from many parties, Hitler promised to sweep them away and return them to the glory days before democracy which many germans remembered fondly
56
Use of Propaganda
1929: Joseph Goebbels was in charge of propaganda
- used it to exploit the effects of the depression
- Nazi leaflets, newspapers and broadcasts blamed the economic problems on the treaty of versailles
- blamed the weimar politicians for being selfish and divided to take actions necessary to get back to work
- promised strong and decisive actions such as rebuilding Germany's armed forces which would create millions of jobs
- 25-points promised sympathy and support for workers
- offered up culprits, particularly the Jews, to blame for problems
57
Why were Nazi campaigns efficient
promised to:
- end ineffective democratic coalition governments
- return to the glory days of Kaiser and Authoritarian rule
- return to traditional values
- fight communists threats in the Reichstag and on the streets
58
effects of nazi campaigns
- addressed german's fears so many supported Hitler
- wealthy industrialists provided the campaign with funds
- received support from the middle class in villages, small towns and cities across the country
- gained a lot of support from those who shared views on traditional values form rural areas
59
The SA and the SS
- frequent street fights between communist and police --- many unruly groups of unemployed would gather on street corners
- SA and SS gave the impression of discipline and order --- many felt the country needed this kind of order
- many appreciated that the SA were ready to fight the communists
- SA were better organised than the communists
- usually had the support of the police when they beat up and disrupted meetings and rallies of opponents
60
what stopped hitler from becoming chancellor at first
- increased support and representation for the Nazis in the Reichstag between 1929-1932
- major power barrier between hitler and Hindenburg
61
reactions to Hitler becoming chancellor
- caused divided opinion
- it did not bother Hindenburg or Chancellor, Franz Von Papen --- they believed they could use Hitler's support in the Reichstag to pass measures
- believed it would restore stability in Germany and would allow them to tackle the problem of unemployment
IF HITLER GREW TOO POWERFUL,
- they were confident they could work with his opponents to curb his influence or deseat him
- they were wrong
62
Road to Hitler becoming Chancellor (1)
- Hindenburg wanted to appoint a chancellor who had support of the Reichstag
- this would allow him to take a range of measures without having to keep calling elections and deal with disputes
June 1932: He sacked Bruning and appointed Franz Von Papen, a wealthy and land-owning aristocrat
- Called for an election in July, hoping that Von Papen would get enough support to make his government work
63
Road to Hitler becoming Chancellor (2)
- the plan failed and the Nazi's did well in the July 1932 elections
- they became the largest single party with 230 seats, but not a majority in the Reichstag
- Hitler demanded to be made Chancellor but Hindenburg refused, keeping Von Papen
- Von Papen was unable to form a government who had the support of the Reichstag
Election percentages:
Other parties: 25.65%
KPD: 14.64%
SDP: 21.88%
Nazi Party: 37.38%
64
Road to Hitler becoming Chancellor (3)
- Nov 1932: Hindenburg called yet another election. Nazi's came out as the largest
- Nazi share of votes fell, with a loss of 2 million votes (38 seats in the Reichstag)
- seemed that Hitler's chances of gaining power were gone
- Nazi's took comfort that no other political party was in the position to run Germany
election results:
Other parties: 29.62%
KPD: 16.86%
SPD: 20.43%
Nazi: 33.09%
65
Road to Hitler becoming Chancellor (4)
Dec 1932: Hindenburg appointed Kurt Von Schleicher as the new chancellor
- tried to persude the Nazis to support him but failed. Schleicher was forced to resign
66
Road to Hitler becoming Chancellor (5)
- Hindenburg became increasingly desperate to find a way to get the government working again
- Jan 1933: Hindenburg and Von Papen secretly met with industrialists, politicians and army leaders
- 30 jan 1933: Appointed Hitler as Chancellor
- Von Papen as vice
- only a few other Nazis in senior positions
