the collapse of Democracy 1928-33

Question 1

what was the wall street crash?

Answer 1

collapse of the stock market in New York in 1929, affecting Germany as all loans were recalled, and Germany couldn’t give all the money back as they spent most of it and didn’t have anything to give.

Question 2

what happened to Germany’s export trade?

Answer 2

declined by 60%

Question 3

what happened to the banks?

Answer 3

5 major banks collapsed, many became closer to bankruptcy and lost investors and customers

Question 4

how many were unemployed by 1930?

Answer 4

just over 2 million

Question 5

how many were unemployed by 1933?

Answer 5

6 million

Question 6

what were the living conditions like after the depression?

Answer 6

diseases - typhus and cholera
increase of shanty towns
poverty and malnutrition as there was not enough food being produce

Question 7

why did the rates of juvenile crime increase?

Answer 7

rates of unemployment increased so the young had nothing else to do than to join gangs, commit crimes

Question 8

what sort of organisations did the young join?

Answer 8

political extremists organisations like the KPD Red front, hitler youth, SA,
many joined the paramilitary groups because it gave them shelter and a sense of purpose

Question 9

what did the government try to do to help the youth?

Answer 9

established day centres with activities
emergency labour schemes meant unemployed youth could be paid a small amount to work
voluntary labour schemes to send people to residential work camps for training

Question 10

why did the grand coalition collapse in 1932?

Answer 10

too broad, made up of 5 political parties
wall street crash divided Lw and Rw members
army became undemocratically involved in politics
Hindenburg had to rule by decree using article 48

Question 11

what was the political violence like during this time?

Answer 11

frequent riots, assassinations and uprisings, particularly between the SA and Red Front

Question 12

How did Bruning control the violence?

Answer 12

issued a decree to outlaw the SA and Redfront, any paramilitary groups, ban the wearing of political uniforms.
this was not liked by Hindenburg

Question 13

who was attracted towards the Nazis?

Answer 13

Farmers, middle class feared of communism, anti-communists, youth promised employment, women, protestants

Question 14

who wanted to join the communists?

Answer 14

working class, unemployed, non-nationalistic

Question 15

what was Hitler’s idea on struggle and war?

Answer 15

he stated that the struggle between races was part of natural order, so war was needed to rebuild a greater Germany

Question 16

whar was Hitler’s views on a racial community?

Answer 16

he wanted to establish Volksgemeinschaft, only Aryans could live as equals

Question 17

what was the Fuhrerprinzip?

Answer 17

idea that the democracy should be destroyed and replaced with a dictatorship and one-party state under the leader

Question 18

why did the Nazis use the Jews as a scapegoat?

Answer 18

seen to be thriving in the golden years, especially with many being bankers and doctors, lawyers, Jews had always been used as a scapegoat

Question 19

how successful was propaganda in winning over the Germans?

Answer 19

Hitler could travel personally to different parts of Germany, used the plane, newspapers, posters, leaflets and marches to spread nazism ideology

Question 20

how was the KPD unsuccessful in gathering support?

Answer 20

didn’t have enough funding, most people not fussed by women’s rights due to there being other economic issues

Question 21

what type of government did Hitler have?

Answer 21

he formed a coalition government with von Papen as deputy chancellor

Question 22

why was Bruning important to Hitler coming to power?

Answer 22

his failed employment policies meant more support from the unemployed and support for Hitler and the extremist party NSDAP

Question 23

what did Schleicher do during Bruning’s time as chancellor?

Answer 23

he pushed for him to rule by presidential decree

Question 24

when and why did Bruning’s government collapse?

Answer 24

May 1932
Hindenburg refused to pass more laws by decree
and was seen that he was inefficient in sorting out the financial crisis of the great depression and the rise of unemployment

Question 25

what kind of government did chancellor von Papen form?

Answer 25

he made his government on a non-party political basis so it was known as the cabinet of barons

Question 26

how did papen show his support for the Nazis?

Answer 26

he lifted the ban that Bruning imposed on the SA and any paramilitary groups in 1932

Question 27

how many seats did the NSDAP gain in the July 1932 election?

Answer 27

gained 230 seats, making them the largest party in the Reichstag

Question 28

how did the results of the November 1932 change for the NSDAP?

Answer 28

lost 2 million votes and 34 seats, middle class voters grew relentless of Hitler’s refusal to join a coalition with the DNVP

Question 29

how was the backstairs intrigue created?

Answer 29

Schleicher wished to form a coalition government with the Nazis as the conservatives knew how influential Hitler and the NSDAP party was

Question 30

how did Schleicher try to save his failing position as chancellor?

Answer 30

he asked Hindenburg to suspend the constitution and give him emergency dictatorial powers - Article 48

Question 31

how many presidential decrees were used between 1929-32?

Answer 31

over 100 uses of Article 48

Question 32

how did Papen become reappointed after Schleicher?

Answer 32

he began to separately negotiate with Hitler and Hindenburg’s inner circles to form a coalition with Hitler as chancellor

Question 33

what did Papen say to Hindenburg to reassure his plan with Hitler?

Answer 33

Papen as deputy chancellor he would be able to control Hitler himself and control him
however underestimated the power that Hitler and the NSDAP had gained during the backstairs intrigue