Weimar Germany Flashcards
(24 cards)
what state was germany after the war
politically
stress from the war caused a revolution between left-wing and right-wing parties
what state was germany after the war
socially
There were huge gaps between the living standards of the poor and rich. One and a half million demobilised soldiers returned to society
what state was germany after the war
economic
There were acute shortages of food
Fuel was short and people were cold. Nearly 300000 people died from starvation and hypothermia in 1918
threat from the left in weimar
There was street fighting and heavy casualties and eventually after the Freikorps (a group of anticommunist ex soldiers) won Liebknecht und Luxemburg were murdered
how did the government deal with the threat from the left
Ebert (the president) made an agreement to put down the rebellion.
consequences from dealing with the left threat
Eberts measures were ruthless and it created long lasting bitterness
threat from the right
The right wing resented the new Germany and above all they deeply resented the TOV.
In march 1920 Dr wolfgang Kapp led 5000 freikorps into Berlin known as the Kapp Putsch
how the government dealt with the threat from the right
The army refused to fire on the freikorps and it looked like the government was doomed.
consequences from dealing with the right threat
Eberts government struggled with the political violence
Then in November 1923 Adolf Hitler led an attempted rebellion in Munich.
what was the rurh crisis
after TOV germany had to pay reparations
they oayed the first part but in 1922 nothing was paid
this caused france and belguim to march into the rurh in 1923 to take what was owed to them in raw materials and goods
weimar acheivements in economy
-Stresemann rebuilt Germany’s prosperity.
- By 1927 German industry was recovering very well. By 1928 Germany finally achieved the same levels of production as before the war
- Wages for workers raised and many germans had a higher standard of living.
- Reparations were being paid and exports were increasing
weimar problems with economy
The economic boom in Germany was precarious. The US loans could be called in at a short notice which would cause ruin in Germany.
The main losers were peasant farmers and sections of the middle class.
weimar acheivements with politics
politics became more stable and there were no more attempted revolutions
weimar problems with politics
both the nazis and communists were building up their party organisations
even though they were stable years they had 4 chancelors
weimar acheivements with culture
the weimar constituion allowed free expression
many artists flourished and people made more reality products
new styles were created and cinema was the best it had ever been
going to clubs was a major pastime and there were many songwritters thriving
weimar problems with culture
weimar culture looked very colorful but it meant that for many living in german towns represented moral decline
there were organisations which wanted to return the country to its more simple values
weimar acheivements with foreign policy
it was one of stresemann’s greatest triumphs
he signed the locarno traty
and as a result germany was allowed into the LON
while in the LON stresemann began to work on reversing some of the TOV terms concerning germany
weimar problems with the foreign policy
there was a concern of internation relations
nationalists attacked stresemann for joing the LON and signing the locarno pact because it meant Germany accepted the TOV
causes of hyperinflation
because germany had no goods to trade they started to just print off money but it was worthless
2 effects of hyperinflation
this caused peoples wages to go up like crazy and workers were being paid large amounts daily
people couldn’t even buy a loaf of bread with their savings in the middle class
2 actions stresemann took to help hyperinflation
he called in the worthless money and burned it
negotiated the dawes plan and the reparations payment
what was the dawes plan
a temporary reduction in the reparations paied by germany
who were winners from weimar
big business, communists, artists, musicians, Stresemann
who were loosers from weimar
farmers, right wing
