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GERMANY
GERMANY
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC o THE WEIMAR CONSTITUTION (vs monarchy)
and problems
o KEY EVENTS & how they led to the
weakness of the Weimar Republic
Instability, when the republic
was struggling to survive
“Golden Age”, economic
recovery and industrial boom
Wall Street Crash, instability.
Collapse of Weimar Republic
and rise of Hitler
MONARCHY DEMOCRACY
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE:
(shift in basis of power from head of state to people)
KEY DIFFERENCES
HEAD OF STATE Kaiser: A lot more powerful:
hereditary monarch,
complete control
President: Elected by voters,
thus dependent on popular
support. In an emergency, could
override constitutional rights
and issue laws by decree
CONSTITUTION Non-existent Determined fundamental rights
of people (Bill of Rights)
PROPORTIONAL
REPRESENTATION
N.A. Proportional representation of
deputies based on vote
percentage
VOTERS Only men Men and women above 20
KEY IDEA: Separation of power from hands of head of state into
Reichstag, Reichsrat, voters. Government completely dependent on
popular vote (including President)
NO INDIVIDUAL HOLDS SUPREME POWER
PURPOSE: To safeguard and protect the rights of the people by defining scope of the
government’s power
ASSUMPTIONS: 1. That the people are politically conscious and mature
2. Principles of democracy will be adhered to
3. Government will not abuse power
4. Interest of people at the core of making decisions
STRENGTHS • People’s views will be sufficiently represented
• Fair voting on laws
• Head of State able to step in in event of emergency
• Separation of power ensures no individual holds absolute power
• Regular change of government
WEAKNESSES • Difficult to make decisions due to number of different ideologies
• Laws voted may not be a true representation of what people want
• Head of State might not be competent/uncorrupt
• Open nature allows for rise of extremism
• Takes a long time to make decisions (due to levels of bureaucracy)
How does the Weimar Constitution allow for abuse (especially in
the context of Germany from 1918-1933)?
TREATY OF VERSAILLES ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
DESPERATE AND ANGRY PEOPLE
Rise of extremism, rift in government
TREATY OF VERSAILLES
RESPONSIBILITY
Territorial
MILITARY
FINANCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY / WAR GUILT
Held Germany to be solely responsible for all loss and
damage suffered by the Triple Entente during the War
LEGAL BASIS for financial terms of the treaty
o Also known as reparations
o Huge sum of 6 600 000 000 Euros
o To be paid in cash or in kind
o Astronomical sum: Germany would
take 70 years to repay the money
FINANCIAL
o Stripped of its overseas colonies
(taken over by Britain and France)
o Not permitted to unite with Austria in
an attempt to limit economic and war-
making potential (Anschluss)
o Alsace returned to France
TERRITORIAL
o Not allowed to have a General Staff: body
that coordinates military planning
o 100 000 men, no conscription allowed
o No tanks or artillery
o Six battleships, no submarines
o No air force
o Demilitarized zone in Rhineland (border
between France and Germany, key industrial
area)
MILITARY
LOSSES
NATIONAL PRIDE
12% POPULATION
48% IRON ORE
OUTPUT 15% COAL OUTPUT
15% AGRICULTURAL
OUTPUT
13% TERRITORY
AFTERMATH
o Germany not given a say in the negotiations
o Germans felt that their country had been humiliated and
stripped of much of its power
o Led to “Stab-in-the-back” theory
o Much of Germany’s economy was taken over by the
League of Nations / France
o Crippled Germany’s recovery economically, in addition
to having to pay reparations
o Was a further blow to the psychological impact of the
treaty
AFTERMATH: KAPP PUTSCH o Many on the political right wanted to see the new
Republic overthrown
o Strengthened by “Stab in the Back”
o General Ludenhorff, Wolfgang Kapp, General von
Luttwitz (organiser of Freikorps)
o Luttwitz rejected disbanding of troops and began to
seize government buildings
o Collapsed because the trade unions called a general
strike and the civil service refused to accept Kapp’s
orders
o Government did NOT move against opponents
because of strikes and Communist uprisings and
reliance on army (Hans von Seeckt refused to allow
his troops to be used to put down uprsing)
INFLATION (n) [in-fley-shuhn]
Economics . a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services. Measured as an annual percentage increase. As inflation rises, every dollar you own buys a smaller percentage of goods and services.
CAUSES
1914-1918
WAR DEBTS
1919-1923
reparations
and welfare
costs
1923 FRENCH
OCCUPATION OF
RUHR & PASSIVE
RESISTANCE
Financed its war effort
by borrowing and
selling war bonds: 84%
of war expenditure
borrowed
Policy of deficit
financing; reduced
taxation to create
demand and
employment:
INFLATIONARY
Had to be paid in hard
currency; printed more
money to pay
reparations
Production collapsed
and revenue ceased.
Government had to pay
millions of marks to
those who had lost
revenue; resulted in
government printing
more bank notes
RESULT Germany was in deficit (EXPENDITURE > TAXATION)
WHOLESALE PRICE INDEX
July 1914 1
January 1919 2
January 1920 4
January 1921 14
January 1922 37
January 1923 2785
July 1923 74787
September 1923 23949000
November 1923 750000000000
By the end of 1923 only 29.3% trade union members
worked full time
o Middle class most severely affected
o The rich with land, possessions and foreign currency were protected
o The poor did not have much to lose to begin with
o People who took out loans benefited since they could pay back at a fraction of the original price
o ALL SAVINGS BECAME WORTHLESS
o Implication? After the recovery of the economy, Germany would not have much in way of investment
RESULT
THE STRESEMANN YEARS
ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT o September 1923: payment of reparations were
resumed
o November 1923: Rentenmark introduced to
replace the old mark. Printing strictly limited.
o Reichbank opened
o 1924: Germany lent 800 million marks by the USA
o Dawes Plan: reduced amount of reparations per
year
o 1928: Industrial production surpassed pre-WWI
levels
o Economy depended hugely on American loans;
potential for crash (illustrated in Wall Street
Crash 1929)
o Unemployment rates were still rising
o One-sided economy that focused largely on
industrial; ignoring agriculture (farm workers’
wages were in 1929 little more than half the
national average)
o Extremes of wealth and poverty
THE DOWN SIDE
DAWES PLAN
o Ruhr to be returned to German control to end the policy of
passive resistance once and for all (Germany’s most important
economic zone)
o Reparation payments restructured: 1B first year, 2.5B subsequent
years (more “German-friendly”)
o American loaned Germany 800M marks
o Designed to preserve existing French-German-
Belgian borders (based on the Treaty of Versailles)
o Rhineland security compact: demilitarized zone in
Rhineland (later broken by Hitler in 1936)
LOCARNO TREATIES
LEAGUE OF NATIONS o Stresemann took Germany into the League of
Nations in 1926
o Permanent seat on League’s Council alongside
Britain and France
THE DARK SIDE
o Hindenburg, a representation of Old Germany, elected as
President. Reflects the lack of support for democratic system
o Nationalists opposed Stresemann’s policies; thought he was
too moderate. They wanted to get rid of the Versailles Treaty ,
not just get it revised
o Nazis and Communists wanted to overthrow the Republic
entirely
o Structural political defects of the Weimar state not rectified
THE STRESEMANN YEARS Basically: a period of relative peace and stability before the breakdown of the Weimar republic. Dependence on USA and failure to rectify structural problems set the stage for the rise of Hitler.
WALL STREET CRASH 1929 • America withdrew all loans from Germany,
causing economy to crash
• Leading to more debt and the Great Depression
• German exports slumped, millions of people lost
their jobs
BUSINESSMEN saw their
businesses close and income
fall. Government even raised
taxes to pay for unemployment
benefit
YOUNG PEOPLE Almost half the
Germans between 16-30 were
unemployed. 60% graduates
could not get a job
FARMERS had not done well in
the 1920s. Prices had been
falling since 1925. Slipped
further into debt during the
Depression
WORKERS 40% were
unemployed by 1932.
Government also cut
unemployment benefit to save
money extreme poverty
SIGNIFICANCE
CRISIS OF
CONFIDENCE
WIDESPREAD
UNHAPPINESS
AND
DISCONTENT
RISE OF
EXTREMISM
Exports
1929: 630M
1932: 280M
1929: 1.8M
1932: 5.6M
1929: 100
1932: 58
50000 business closures
Prices
1927: 138
1932: 77
1931: 5 major banks collapsed
50000 business bankruptcies
LOSS OF
CONFIDENCE LESS INCOME
AND
LIQUIDITY
WORKERS
UNEMPLOYED
ORDERS AND
CONTRACTS
FALL
DEMAND
FALLS
SPIRAL
DOWN IN
TRADE
THE NAZIS o NAZI IDEOLOGY and how it appealed to
the Germans
o KEY EVENTS in the rise of Hitler
NAZISM RACISM
o Aryans as master race, Social
Darwinism (survival of the fittest)
o Obsessed with the idea of racial
purity
SOCIALISM o Anti-capitalist, profit sharing
o Loss of individual freedom for
collective good
(“Volkgemeinschaft”)
NATIONALISM o Overturning the Treaty of
Versailles
o Lebensraum (Germans as master
race)
o Expansion, “Greater Germany”
ANTI-DEMOCRACY o Dictatorship, single party state
o Believed democracy was weak
o German tradition of militarism
o “November Criminals”
MUNICH BEER HALL PUTSCH o 8/9 November 1923: Was a farcical failure
o Nazis humiliated, 16 killed
o Hitler turned defeat into triumph: trial for
treason gave him a nationwide platform for his
beliefs, transforming the event into a
propaganda coup
o Established reputation as the natural leader of
extreme right-wing nationalists
Establish total control of party
Gain power by legal means
Create party aimed at electoral success
1929 Wall Street Crash: Weimar’s Black Swan Rise of radical political extremist parties
Collapse of
support for
Centrist
parties: 39.5%
Communists +
Nazis: 51.6%
German people voted to reject
democracy (ha ha, irony)
DEATH OF
WEIMAR
RISE OF
NAZIS
Lack of support
from Germany’s
elites wanted to
return to pre 1918
Germany
Constant economic
crisis: recovery
shaky at best
No widespread
popularity: Germans
never trusted democracy
Economic crisis was the final nail in the coffin
Broad based popular
support, especially from
young people
60% of politically active
young people (20-30)
joined the Nazis
Nazis were a force for
change
NAZI ELECTORAL SUCCESS
PROPAGANDA
HITLER’S
PERSONAL
QUALITIES
VIOLENCE
PROPAGANDA
Farmers Benefits and subsidies to offset falling agricultural
prices
Unemployed Workers Overcoming the economic crisis; offering bread, hope,
and work
Industrialists Playing down fear of nationalization and control of
economy
Rallies Uniforms, torches, music, salutes, flags– creating a
visual spectacle highlighting strength and organization
Unifying themes Hitler the saviour of Germany, Nationalism,
Volksgemeinschaft
Scapegoats November Criminals, Communists, Jews
Flexibility in promises to voters
HITLER AS CHANCELLOR o Hindenburg moved power from parliamentary to presidential
o After September 1930 elections, there was no way a right-wing government could be formed without Nazis
o March 1932: Hitler demanded Chancellorship. Demanded all or nothing strategy
o Schleider tried to convince Hindenburg that continuing Papen’s chancellorship would lead to civil war and formed majority with Nazis, him as Chancellor. Tried to split Nazis
o Hitler found out and dismissed Strasser. Schleider did not get authority to rule by emergency decree. Schleider resigns.
o Papen persuaded Hindenburg to accept Hitler as Chancellor with Nazi minority in Cabinet
CONSOLIDATION OF POWER KEY QUESTION: how did Hitler consolidate his power in
1933-1934 through the systematic removal of
opposition?
REICHSTAG FIRE
27 FEB 1933
BANNING OF TRADE UNIONS
2 MAY 1933
EMERGENCY DECREE
28 FEB 1933
EMPLOYMENT LAW
9 JUN 1933
LAW AGAINST NEW PARTIES
14 JUL 1933
CONCORDAT WITH CATHOLIC CHURCH
20 JUL 1933
NIGHT OF THE LONG KNOVES
30 JUN 1934
ELECTIONS
5 MAR 1933
ENABLING ACT
24 MAR 1933
CIVIL SERVICE LAW
7 APR 1933
REICHSTAG FIRE o Reichstag was burnt down on 27 Feb 1933
o Nazis accused Dutch Communist van der
Lubbe of starting fire
o Theory of Nazis befriending him and
convincing him to set fire
Significance? o Was marketed as the beginning of a
Communist plot against the government
o Advocated stamping out the Communists
o Caused the Emergency Decree
EMERGENCY DECREE o Passed on 28 Feb 1933
o Allowed Hitler to restrict personal liberty, freedom of expression, privacy etc and arrest whoever is deemed suspicious with no actual charge indefinitely
o SS and SA began rounding up Communists
Significance? o Act of campaigning against Nazis was
effectively illegal
o Gave Hitler full power over country to arrest
and detain whoever he wanted
5 MARCH 1933 ELECTIONS o 43.9% seats to the Nazis not as much as
Hitler had hoped
o Main opposition were social democrats
(18.3%), Communists (12.3%), Centre Party
(11.2%)
Significance? o Set the stage for Hitler to push for Enabling Act
so he could bypass the Reichstag
ENABLING ACT o Passed on 24 March 1933
o Allowed the Cabinet to introduce legislation without going through the Reichstag
o 444 for, 94 against because SA intimidated Social Democrats + Communists and did not allow them to turn up. People who did not turn up were automatically considered as supporting the bill
Significance? o Hitler had fulll power and effective dictatorship
o Eliminates say of Reichstag and Cabinet
o Reichstag voted to allow themselves to be
bypassed
CIVIL SERVICE PURGE o 7 April 1933: Jews and political opponents
purged from bureaucracy and civil service
(doctors, lawyers, teachers etc)
o Not as thorough as Nazis would have liked
(War veterans etc exempt)
o Appeals not allowed
Significance? o Anyone deemed a political opponent or seen
as “unnecessary” could be purged
o People therefore less likely to oppose Nazis for
fear of losing their jobs
o Got rid of opposition from intellectuals
BANNING OF TRADE UNIONS o Need arose from power trade unions exercised over
workers
o Arrested all trade union leaders, took over HQs
o Confiscated funds (essentially workers’ money)
o “German Labour Force” took over; “Strength Through
Joy” movement + Beauty of Labour Movement
o Strikes and protests banned
Significance? o Trade unions traditionally associated with political left
o Removed possible opposition from workers by:
o Taking away their say (banning of strikes, traditional way of
demanding better wages and conditions)
o Appeasing them (STJ: Volkswagen, cheaper movie tickets
etc, BOL: Improved working conditions, low cost canteens
EMPLOYMENT LAW o 9 June 1933: Men sent to public works
o Unemployment fell from 6M to virtually
nothing
o Luftwaffe provided jobs to steel mills, coal
mines, factories
Significance? o Increased support for Nazis solved key
Weimar problem of unemployment
o Preparation for war (kill two birds with one
stone wow)
o Raised demand from private sector
LAW BANNING NEW PARTIES o 14 July 1933: Anyone attempting to set up a
party would be “punished with penal servitude
of up to 3 years or imprisonment from 6
months to 3 years”
o Nazis only party in Germany
Significance? o Effectively stamped out all possibility of
political opposition
o Total dictatorship
CONCORDAT WITH CATHOLIC CHURCH
o 20 July 1933: Catholic Church agreed not to
oppose political and social aims of Nazis
o In return guaranteed religious freedom and
rights of land
Significance? o Eliminated opposition from Church another
key influencing factor in Germany
NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES o SA became too powerful in Nazi Germany; led
to opposition within Nazi party and army
o Himmler, Goring, Goebbels vs Rohm who
became overambitious, spoke of absorbing
army within SA
o Hitler signed pact with army; SA under army,
army oath to Hitler
Significance? o Army swore personal allegiance to Hitler
o Rise of SS
o Eliminated last possible source of opposition: from within the party itself
o Showed Hitler’s relentless pursuit of complete power
How did these events circumvent all possible sources of opposition to Hitler?
1. Controlled crisis: reduced unemployment, led to
support and gratitude for his policies
2. Got rid of all opposition and possibility of opposition by
stamping out political opponents and dissent from
within party
3. Made good use of events to his advantage
COMMUNISTS
STURM
ABTEILUNG
CATHOLIC
CHURCH
OTHER
PARTIES SOCIALISTS
CATHOLIC
CENTRE
