QUARTER 2 - GERMANY DEPTH STUDY

WAS THE WEIMAR GOVERNMENT DOOMED FROM THE START?

How did Germany emerge from defeat from World War I?
● How did Germany face defeat in World War I?
○ 1917 - The ​US entered the war
■ They actually stayed ​neutral​ for the majority of the
war until Germany sunk 7 US merchant vessels
○ 1917 - Russia
■ The government collapsed and the Tsar abdicates
○ April 1917 - Lenin
■ Bolsheviks
■ ‘Peace’, Bread and Land
■ One of Lenin’s first acts as leader was to ​pull
Russia out of the war
○ This ​balanced the US’s entrance into the war
● 3 great democracies - ​USA, UK, France
● Germany’s leaders
○ Military leaders - (Field Marshal) ​Paul von Hindenburg and
General Erich Ludendorff
■ Hindenburg - was a retired soldier who came out of
retirement for WWI, and had reputation as well as
high class
■ Ludendorff was the 2nd in command - though from the
middle class, was smart. He was often described as an
intense work addict
○ Official Leader - ​Kaiser Wilhelm II
● Though the Kaiser was technically the leader, the German High
Command was technically controlling Germany
○ This led to a technical military dictatorship
○ Though Hindenburg and Ludendorff controlled Germany behind
the scenes, it was truly Ludendorff who made all the
decisions and was really in charge

The Weimar Republic’s Constitution

Proportional Representation
● Modern and fair voting system
● Party gets number of seats directly proportional to the % of
votes it got
● However, lots of tiny parties getting seats and no party has a
majority, so there was lots of disagreements, with little
getting accomplished
Article 48
● 48th article of the Constitution
● Allowed President to rule by decree in an emergency - no need
to ask the Reichstag to make decision
● Clause was open to abuse
● Could lead to dictatorship
● Emergency was not properly defined, so the President could
decide what an emergency was

The Constitution
● Pros
○ All Germans had the right to vote at 20 years old
○ Proportional Representation was theoretically fair
○ President had similar powers to the US President
○ Freedom of speech/newspapers/to set up trade unions
● Cons
○ Decisions were slow to come, and there was a lot of
internal disagreements between parties
○ Lots of elections
○ Article 48 would be abused by Hitler to make himself a
legal dictator
○ Constitution was too fair
○ Being asked to vote was seen as a sign of weakness

POLITICAL EXTREMISTS
Left-Wing Rebellion (The Spartacists, January 1919)
● The Spartacists/the Communists
● Extreme left wing
● Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
● Overthrow Weimar Republic and make a Communist Germany
● Tried to start a communist revolution
● The Weimar Government used the Freikorps, who violently crush
the rebellion and brutally assassinates the well respected
leaders
● Damage: ​lost much needed support from common population and
workers

Right-Wing Rebellion (The Kapp Putsch, March 1920)

● The Freikorps (ex-soldiers from the Army)
● Extreme right wing (many Freikorp members eventually become
Nazis)
● Led by Dr. Wolfgang Kapp
 ● Wanted to overthrow government for a strong right wing
government
● Wanted stronger government to press for a Treaty based on
​ dictated peace)
Wilson’s 14 points rather than a ​dikat (
● The Treaty of Versailles is seen by ex-soldiers as a cowardly
betrayal
● Believed that Germany was ‘stabbed in the back’
○ General Luddwitz and Ludendorff led a rebellion
proclaiming overthrow of republic - a strong right wing
government led by Kapp
● The Weimar Government asked for army support but the army
refused, as ‘soldiers don’t fight soldiers’
● With no choice, the government fled Berlin in a panic and the
Freikorps took over a few days
● Ebert asked the workers to go on strike, by saying a military
government wasn’t in their interests
● This was so successful that Kapp and the Freikorps left in a
few days with order restored
● Damage: ​The Kapp Putsch showed the extent of the government’s
weakness, and within 2 years, right wing rebels murdered
Erzberger and Ratherneau

What was the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the Republic?

Part of Terms Effect on Germany

Treaty

War ​G​uilt Germany and her allies
were completely blamed for
the war
- Was a blow to national pride
- Caused internal hatred
- Germans had firmly
believed they weren’t
responsible for
starting the war
- Affected international
relations
- Countries were
unwilling to trade with
Germany
- Were feared and
distrusted by the
Allies

A​​rmy/​A​rms - Army reduced to 100 - Led to unemployment as many

Restriction 000 soldiers were out of jobs
 - Reduced navy
- Forbidden air force
- Demilitarized
Rhineland
- Conscription ban
- Disgruntled and resentful,
many ex-soldiers joined the
Freikorps

R​​eparations - Germany had to pay - Led to giant financial

£6.6 billion/132 struggle
billion gold marks - After Weimar Government
claimed it was unable to pay
the 1922 reparations, France
and Belgium decided to take
action and occupy the Ruhr
(Germany’s most important
industrial area)
- Therefore, Germany lost
profit from the Ruhr
- To make up from the lost
profit from lands
- Europe’s geography
altered dramatically
- Germans forced to be in
separate countries

G​​erman - Alsace-Lorraine to - Lost profit from the

Territory/​L​an France, Malmedy to confiscated lands
d Lithuania - Europe’s geography altered
- Upper Silesia, Posen, dramatically
West Prussia - Germans forced to be in
- Danzig to League of separate countries
Nations
- Colonies were given
to France, Japan and
Britain

Sailors - ​sunk their ships rather than give it to the Allies

Politicians - ​thought Treaty ruined Germany and it would kill many

Germans

To what extent did the Republic recover after 1923?

- 1923 was the Year of Crisis, and was a key year of German
history (especially in the Weimar Government)
- Was the year of hyperinflation, the Ruhr Crisis, and
(Hitler’s) Munich Putsch
- CRISIS 1 - FRENCH INVASION OF THE RUHR
 -
When Germany claimed she was unable to pay the 1922
payment of Treaty of Versailles,
- In retaliation, France and Belgium decided to take action
by invading the Ruhr
- The Weimar Government asked the people to passively
resist, and the French responded by deciding to expel 100
000 from the region and killing 130 people
- These huge loss of profits made high inflation become
hyperinflation
- German government began to mass print money
- This became a crisis as the WG needed to re-house and
quickly feed hundreds of thousands of Germans
- CRISIS 2 - HYPERINFLATION
- German Government printed $$ at high rate, German mark
eventually became worthless
- Bartering became the most popular form of currency e.g
bread
- This was done to make up the lost profits from the Ruhr
- The Rich, the Jews and the workers were safe to some
extent
- But people like pensioners (who had a fixed income),
middle class and Hitler’s Munich Putsch lost big-time
- Gustav Stresemann and Recovery from 1923 Crisis
- This was one of the greatest achievements of the Weimar
Republic
- Gustav Stresemann - foreign minister of Germany, and
eventually became Chancellor
- When he became Chancellor, the French were occupying the
Ruhr and a lot of hyperinflation
- Furthermore, the Germans lost faith in their
government and the Weimar Government were generally
hated
- Overall, the Republic began to recover well under Stresemann
- However, though Germany seemingly was recovering completely,
there were many underlying issues under it all that reasonably
held back the Republic’s ability to make a full recovery from
its major crises

Problem Stresemann’s Solution This was good because ... But ...

French - Decided to end passive - Greatly reduced - France still

invasion of resistance in Ruhr unemployment and getting
the Ruhr - Hugely unpopular workers getting some majority of
 - Also sent the salary the benefits
workers back to - The French and from the
the French Belgians eventually steel and
left because of coal
Stresemann’s effort produced in
the Ruhr
until the
occupants
left
- This was
seen as a
defeat as it
seemed the
Weimar
Government
was giving
in
- Germany lost
a huge
amount of
steel
production

Hyperinflat - Introduced a temporary - This halted - The damage

ion currency - the hyperinflation was already
Rentenmark - Restored confidence done - many
- The printing was in the economy groups e.g
strictly - It also stabilized middle class
controlled Germany’s finance for and
- And refused to the time being pensioners
print any more had already
money lost their
- Burned down old life savings
currency - The people
still
immensely
blamed the
Weimar
Government
for the 1923
crisis as a
whole
- Though the
new currency
was an
improvement,
it was never
 truly stable

Destroyed - Partly solved by the - Meant Germany paid - Unemployment

German Dawes Plan and the only what they can is still a
Economy Young Plan afford in reparations pressing
- The Dawes Plan - It helped Germany get issue
gave Germany an back up on their feet - Germany now
American loan of for the short term greatly owes
800 million gold America, and
marks it would be
- The Young Plan a
introduced a catastrophe
more flexible if America
reparations called back
schedule based the loans
off economy
performance and
lessened the
reparations fee

Massive - The Dawes Plan also - Gave Germany a bit - Reparations

Reparations restructured the more money to fund not fully
Reparations Payment its recovery paid until
- They were more ‘80s
affordable - Germany
- Less money, but still
paid for longer couldn’t
fully afford
the
reparations

Other - Germany joined the - Made the League look - Not everyone
Countries League of Nations in more inclusive was happy
Don’t Trust 1924 - Germany seemed more with the
Germany - Evacuation of accepting solutions
Ruhr/French Leaving - Brought Germany into - The Weimar
Ruhr in 1925 European politics Government
- Locarno Pact in 1925 - Countries are more finally had
- Agreed to never willing to to accept
use violence to collaborate and deal the Treaty
settle disputes with Germany again of
again - Means more Versailles
- Also accepted trust, help and and give in
Germany’s more foreign - Many Germans
western border - money hated the
which made Treaty,
France happy Britain and
 - Kellogg-Briand Pact France
- Outlaws war and
signed by 60
countries
- Germany accepts all
the terms of Treaty of
Versailles
- Signing of the Young
and Dawes Plan
- Young Plan
- Agreed to
terms of
the Treaty
of
Versailles
in exchange
for another
loan

What were the achievements of the Weimar Period?

Political
● Improved Germany’s profile within the international community
○ Locarno Treaties - set Germany’s borders
■ Pleased France
○ Germany’s admission to the League of Nations
○ Young Plan - £6.6 billion to £2 billion
● Improved Germany’s international relations
● France agreed to leave the Ruhr by July 1925
● These actions all made Germany look like a responsible member
of the international community

Cultural
● The 1920s was a period of cultural revival, with Berlin being
the heart of German culture
● Commitment to civil liberties, lifting of censorship
● Expressionism, rejection of traditional forms, critical
interpretations
● There was an expansion in the number of nightclubs, dance
halls, cafés and restaurants being built
● Famous cultural figures include:
○ Marlene Dietrich (singer/actress)
○ Gropius (Architect, leader of Bauhaus movement (art school
that was also shut down by the Nazis)
 ○ Paul Klee and Otto Dix (artists)
○ Erich Maria Remarque (writer)
○ Fritz Lang (filmmaker)
● However, the Right Wing looked on upon this period with disgust
and shock
● Therefore in Nazi Regime many artists, writers and thinkers
were forced to take refuge abroad, especially if they had
left-wing or Jewish connections

The RISE OF HITLER: Why was Hitler able to dominate Germany by 1934?
What were some of the main Nazi policies?
● Abolish the Treaty of Versailles
● Destroy the Weimar Government and communism
● Rearm Germany
● Control education
○ Segregation of Jewish children from other children
○ Conditioning of education
○ Promoting hate towards Jews
● Aryans are superior
● Unification of all ​superior​ Germans
● Have a strong government (dictatorship), with a strong leader
(Fuhrer)
● Boost the German economy
● Imperialism (taking over other lands)
● Nationalise key industries
∫
To what extent did the Munich Putsch was a success?
● Hitler thought that it was the perfect time to attempt a putsch
because Germany was in such big crisis, he wrongly believed he
had local Bavarian council support, and he also thought that he
had the Army’s support because he did have Ludendorff’s support
● Hitler’s plan was to go to the Beer Hall, get the SA to control
the crowd while Hitler took Kahr and other ministers to the
back of the room to try to get them on his side
● He would go to the town hall and declare a separate government
for Bavaria, separate from Weimar Government, then march on to
Berlin to take over Germany
● What went wrong??
○ Everything, ​well almost
○ Hitler didn’t have enough support in the first place, and
his main support was the SA ((Storm Troopers (this was
inspiration for Star Wars) and was the remainder of the
 Freikorps, who were forced to disband after the Kapp
Putsch))
○ Had 3000 members - not enough
○ SA came under heavy gunfire when they tried to take over
the Bavarian army barracks - highly unexpected
○ Ludendorff​ was (1) late, so the ministers were highly
skeptical about Hitler’s statement that Ludendorff
supported him, (2) he also let the ministers ‘see their
wives’, which let them immediately alert the Weimar
Government, who prepared an army to meet Nazi forces (who
were marching on to the Town Hall)
○ The Nazis and Hitler still decided to march on to the town
hall even with everything going so wrong
● Successes of the Putsch
○ The Putsch failed, but what was the real success was the
Trial and the aftermath of the Putsch
○ The Judge liked Hitler - this led Hitler to be able to win
support and gave him a ​light sentence
○ The immense amount of ​publicity - t​ here was a lot of
journalism produced surrounding the event and Mein Kampf
gave Hitler a lot of publicity
○ Hitler got a nice prison - it was extremely luxurious
(Lamsburg Prison) - ​he also could ​run the Nazis from prison
■ Munich Putsch - led to Hitler’s trial and
imprisonment and banning of Nazi Party
○ Mein Kampf - served 8 months
■ My Struggle
■ Autobiography and political stuff
■ Propaganda
■ Bestseller and Hitler financially profited

Why did the Nazis have little success before 1930?

● Change in Nazi Tactics - 1924-1929
○ Putsch convinced Hitler that his tactic was wrong - using
politics rather than force
○ Expand Nazi Party/increasing memberships
○ 1929 - Wall Street Crash
○ Nationalism and anti-semitism
○ Willing to do/say anything to get maximum votes/win aka
Hitler was a demagogue
○ Propaganda were used to promote issues
○ Sent people out to see what the people wanted
○ Nazi discovered picking up support
 ○ Hitler wanted to achieve power - any means possible
○ 3000 - 100000 expansion of party
○ Members were taught how to speak and make propaganda
○ 1929 - Nazi Party - ready to take advantage of anything
○ Wall Street Crash - good opportunity to take over
government
■ Due to desperation
■ No faith
○ Became one of the best funded parties because of its
support from the business
○ Efficient and professional party
● Why were the Nazis unsuccessful before 1928?
● Too small of a party and therefore couldn’t get a majority
(lack of electoral success thanks to Stresemann)
● At that point, Germany was going through a Golden Age, so
Germans had no reason to switch allegiance due to the steady
government and economy
● Hitler/Nazis were unable to win over the working class, who
supported Communist/left wing parties
● People were turned off by the extremism of the Nazis - people
were put off and/or very uncomfortable with the Nazi’s extreme
policies

Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933/the Great Depression?

● 1929 - world economic depression - Wall Street Crash
● Transformed prospects of Nazi Party
● Established, less extremist parties were blamed and the Weimar
Government
● Germany needed to immediately pay back the Dawes and the Young
Plan
● People decided to switch parties because they felt the current
governments were incompetent with dealing with the situation
and felt that extremists were more capable of betterring the
situation
● Effects of Depression on German People/Weimar Government
○ Young people were made redundant
○ American loans called in
○ Mass unemployment, debt and poverty
○ No more trading as all countries were suffering
○ Closing of businesses
○ Government is broke and appears to be powerless and
incapable
 ○ Loss of confidence in Germany, German goods and government
○ Disagreements and several elections
● September 1930 - breakthrough
○ Became 2nd largest party
○ Attacked coalition government
○ Have a propaganda machine - songs, posters etc.
○ Very showy and very good at it
○ Masters of technologies
● This affected Hitler and Nazis because …
○ People were suffering ​- in that time of need, they turned
to extremist parties eg Nazis
○ Mass Propaganda Created -​ attempts to appeal to affected
parties
○ Increase of seats - ​by 1933, the Nazis had a whooping ​43.9%
of seats in the Reichstag, making them the biggest party
but they needed a majority
■ Therefore, Hitler needed to become the Chancellor to
get that majority