Germany Depth Study Content Revision Guide 1. Armistice – November 1918
• Kaiser abdicated (gave up being King) 10th November
• Ebert signed the German surrender (admitted defeat) 11th November
• Many people, especially soldiers, were angry that they had been betrayed by the government
• Ebert was known as one of the ‘November Criminals’
• The ‘Dolchtosslegende’ (‘Stab in the Back’ myth) developed as a consequence
• Jews were also blamed for the Armistice – people felt they should have used their influence to help the government and the country to keep fighting 2. Spartacist Uprising, January 1919
Events:
• The Spartacists were a LEFT WING Communist group who tried to overthrow Ebert
• 100,000 people protested – the army REFUSED to help Ebert out because of the Armistice
• Ebert called on the FREIKORPS – ex-army, had their own weapons – to sort it out
• The Freikorps didn’t like Ebert, but hated communists more, so they helped
• The Spartacist leaders (Liebknecht and Luxemberg) were killed
• Uprising failed after a week long street fight in Berlin
Effects:
• Negative/Political: Showed that Ebert was weak, had no authority over his own army, and that some
people did not support him
• Positive/political: Ebert was able to defend his own country and after calling an election to make
himself legitimate, began to establish some laws over Germany 3. Treaty of Versailles, June 1919
Terms:
LAND ARMY • 13% of land lost, including… • German army reduced to 100,000 soldiers (from - Alsace-Lorraine to France 1.5M before WW1) - Saarland coalfields (50% of Germany’s coal) • No air force/No submarines • 10% of population displaced • Maximum of 6 battleships
• Rhineland (border between France and Germany =
demilitarised)
MONEY BLAME • $6.6 billion reparations to be paid to Belgium and • ‘War Guilt Clase’ (Article 231) – Germany had to France for the damage accept total responsibility for losing WW1
Effects: • Political – made Ebert’s position difficult, Germans saw him as a traitor. • International – France now superior to Germany and Germany now isolated in the world. • Economic – Economy already ruined from WW1, made worse by reparations. Germany struggled to repay reparations • Social – Unhappy population – widespread unemployment and poverty 4. Weimar Constitution, August 1919
WHAT? The laws and rules of Germany
KEY FEATURES:
1. Fundamental Laws Free speech, freedom of assembly, everyone (even women) over 20 can vote
2. Proportional Representation (PR) % of votes = % of seats in the Reichstag. (e.g. 10% of the vote = 10% of the seats). 51% of votes needed to pass a law
Positive: meant that everyone was represented
Negative: there were now so many political parties in the Reichstag, none had over 50% of the vote so it was very difficult to pass laws – this made the new government look weak
3. Article 48 In an emergency, the President (Ebert) could pass any law he wanted without the Reichstag’s approval
Positive: meant that the country could be protected in event of an invasion
Negative: could allow the President to become a Dictator 5. Kapp Putsch, March 1920
Events: • Putsch = Uprising • Dr Wolfgang Kapp was a RIGHT WING industrialist who wanted to put the Kaiser back in charge • The army supported Kapp, so did the Freikorps (the Freikorps refused to fire on their old comrades) • As Ebert had no armed support, he fled Berlin • Ebert called for the German people to go on STRIKE to shut down the country, when they did, Kapp’s Putsch failed as he did not have enough public support to end the strike and get Germany going again
Effects: - Negative/Political : Showed once again how easy it was for someone to try and overthrow Ebert, and that the army wouldn’t support him - Positive/Political: Showed that Ebert had the popular support of the German people otherwise they would not have gone on strike when he asked them to
5. Invasion of the Ruhr, Feb 1923
Cause: • Germany didn’t repay their monthly ToV reparation in December 1922 • Also, the Ruhr was full of coal, iron and other resources that the French could take as goods in exchange for money
Events: • French marched through demilitarised Rhineland and demanded that workers in the Ruhr gave them resources • Ebert told workers to go on strike – ‘passive resistance’ – workers agreed but needed to be paid by the government
Effects: • International: Tensions increased further between France and Germany • Social: France bring in their own workers to produce the German goods – this leads to fighting between both sides and several workers are killed • Economic: Ebert prints out lots more money to pay strikers, but ultimately results in HYPERINFLATION Money became worthless, egg = 80M marks, Bread = 250M marks • Economic: Widespread unemployment and poverty 6. Stresemann becomes Chancellor, 1923
Stresemann did 2 things when appointed as Chancellor in 1923:
1. Agreed with the French to leave the Ruhr if Germany started repaying ToV reparations again
2. Introduced a new currency, the Rentenmark, to replace the worthless old one. This
This ended Hyperinflation, but angered Nationalists such as Hitler – they didn’t like Germany being seen as weak by giving in to France and agreeing to pay reparations again 7. ‘The Golden Years’ – Stresemann 1924 -1929
Agreement Key Features Effects
• $800m loan • Unemployment decreased • Encouraged US businesses to set up and invest • Relationship with France and The Dawes Plan, 1924 in Germany USA better – a loan between USA and • Given to help Germany rebuild infrastructure • Government makes money Germany (roads/schools/hospitals) and pay ToV from taxes – can use this to reparations improve Germany
Locarno Treaty , 1925 • Germany accepts borders laid out in ToV – say • Makes Germany look – International agreement they will not try to get back land that they lost peaceful, increases trust and between Europe + USA at ToV (eg. Alsace Lorraine) trade
• Germany now invited to join the League of • Germany seen as a ‘peace- League of Nations. 1926 Nations loving country’ - Group formed of all • Germany becomes a member of the ‘Security • Germany’s international countries Council’ – has a significant role in making reputation improves decisions
• Led to further trust, even the • Non-Aggression Pact possibility of removing all Kellogg Briand Pact, 1928 • No country shall ever go to war again, and use weapons - 61 countries agree it the League of Nations to solve disputes • Weimar popularity at all-time high
• It NEVER happened due to Young Plan, 1929 • Reduces reparations from £6.6billion to £2billion the Wall Street Crash in – US loan to Germany and • Gives Germany an extra 59 years to repay October 1929 – USA recalled agreement with France reparations all of their loans 8. Weimar Culture in the 1920s 10. Nazi Party, 1919 -1923
1919
• Hitler joins DAP (German Workers Party)
1921
• Hitler becomes leader, renamed NSDAP (Nazis)
• 25 Point programme: Destroy ToV, destroy Jews, make Germany great again through expansion into Eastern Europe (Lebensraum)
• 3,000 members
• SA (Stormtroopers) set up: ‘brown shirts’, unemployed and students, act as Nazi ‘army’ beat up KPD (Communists)
1923
• Due to economic problems, membership rose to 55,000 (still quite low)
• Hitler attempts Munich Putsch. 11. Munich Putsch, Nov 1923
E v e n t s :
Of the Putsch Of the Trial • Hitler and the SA attempt to take over Munich • Hitler was arrested and charged with ‘High Treason’ • The police are waiting for the SA and a street fight (death penalty) begins • Hitler used the trial as a way to spread the message of • 20 people are killed the Nazi party across Germany • The police had been told the Nazis were coming the • The trial was ‘front page’ news across Germany – lots night before more people found out about the Nazis • The public did not support the Nazis • The judge liked Hitler and was impressed by his charismatic speaking, so he gave him a lighter sentence • Hitler served 9 months of a 5 year sentence in Lansberg Jail (minimum security)
E f f e c t s :
Positive Negative • Hitler was able to spread the Nazi message across • Whilst Hitler was in prison the SA got ‘out of hand’ and the Germany and increase support for his party Nazi party were banned • Hitler used his time in prison to write ‘Mein Kampf’ – this set • Whilst Hitler was in prison Otto and Gregor Strasser out his plan for the party and later became the Nazi’bible’ attempted to take control of the Nazi Party and remove • Hitler realised that violence was not the answer – if he Hitler as leader (see Bamberg Conference) wanted to become leader he would have to get the public to vote for him 12. The ‘Lean Years’ of the Nazi Party, 1924 - 1929
1925 1926 • Nazi Party re-launch (ban lifted in Feb 1925) • Bamberg Conference – Hitler used this • Published ‘Mein Kampf’,the book he wrote conference as an opportunity to unite the in prison Nazi Party as some members had wanted to • SS introduced – ‘black shirts’, Aryan, elite make the Nazis more ‘socialist’. He removed bodyguards, more highly trained than the the threat of the Strasser brothers by giving SA, much more loyal to Hitler them important jobs. He made it clear that if • Goebbels made minister of Propaganda – people didn’t want to follow his agenda they the Nazis bought newspapers to spread their couldn’t be Nazis message to a wide range of people and • Hitler Youth and Nazi Teachers League set up Hitler used a plane to fly across Germany – this made different groups of people feel giving several speeches per day valued by the Nazi Party • Businesses like Bosch and Krupp pledged 1928 support to Hitler as he promised to protect • 100,000 members of the party but only 2.6% them against Communism (which big of the vote in the Reichstage elections businesses hate) • Life was good in Weimar so people didn’t need extreme alternatives
13. How did Hitler become CHANCELLOR by JAN 1933?
Who did Hitler appeal to? Political Deal! • Young People – liked the SA and promise of jobs Summer 1932 - Jan 1933 • Women – promised important roles in society • Middle Class – promised protection from Communists who would take • Hitler demanded that Hindenburg (President) over their business made him Chancellor as • Farmers – promised that the price of crops would stay high and that he the Nazis were biggest would protect their land from Communists party in the Reichstag • Hindenburg didn’t like
Hitler and refused Propaganda BUT…… • “Work and Bread” – 6M unemployed due to Great Depression • Von-Papen, a previous • Goebbels used planes to get Hitler to 5 different rallies a day across Chancellor, made a DEAL saying that Hindenburg Germany should make Hitler • Nazis owned 8 different newspapers Chancellor, with Von- • Large rallies organised across Germany - Hitler would speak, the SA Papen as his deputy, they thought they could would parade - a lot of people attracted to Hitler’s charisma and control Hitler like a puppet organisation • Hindenburg agreed to Von Papen’s plan Unemployment and Votes • Jan 1933 – Hitler becomes Chancellor • 1928 – 1 million unemployed – Nazis had 2.6% of the vote • Only 3 Nazis in the • 1932 – 6 million unemployed – Nazis had 33% of the vote cabinet, so they cannot • 1932 – Hitler comes 2nd in Presidential elections with 13M votes gain too much control 14. How did Hitler become DICTATOR by AUG 1934?
1. The REICHSTAG FIRE – FEB 1933
Events: • 3 weeks after Hitler became Chancellor • Marius van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist, got arrested for starting the fire and was later executed (for arson and high treason) • Hitler saw this as a chance to remove the communists from the Reichstag • He called the communists terrorists, and had Hindenburg use Article 48 to pass the law to ban the communist party from the Reichstag • He then had 4000 communists arrested
Effect(s): • Gave Hitler more power and control over the Reichstag • Removed Nazis main opposition (the KPD) • Led to the Enabling Act 14. How did Hitler become DICTATOR by AUG 1934?
2. The ENABLING ACT – MAR 1933
Events: • This would allow Hitler to pass any law he wanted without consulting the Reichstag (for 4 years) • Hitler needed 67% of the vote to change the constitution, so he needed to convince the other political parties to vote themselves out of existence • Hitler made deals with other political parties, such as the Catholic Centre Party, to vote for the Act with promises that he would protect them • He also threatened members of the Reichstag and the SA were patrolling the voting booths • Enabling Act was passed 444 to 91 Effects: • Banned Trade Unions (organisations set up to protect workers rights) – May 1933 • Hitler made all other political parties illegal – Jul 1933 • Concordat – deal with the Church to stay out of politics – Jul 1933 14. How did Hitler become DICTATOR by AUG 1934?
3. NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES, JUN 1934 This is when the SS got rid of the SA Causes: • Hitler feared Rohm’s power – Rohm’s SA had 3 million members who were loyal to him • Other senior leaders like Himmler and Goebbels didn’t like Rohm (homosexual)
Events: • Hitler arranged a meeting at a Hotel with Rohm and the SA leaders to sort out their differences • SS arrived in the middle of the night, they arrest Rohm and shoot 150 senior SA leaders • Rohm is executed • Hitler uses the opportunity to kill other people that were a threat to his leadership. He justified his actions by saying that Rohm was planning a revolution
Effects: • SA merged with the Army, the Army then swore an oath to protect Hitler • Any military opposition to Hitler was now removed 15. TERROR/Nazi Police State, 1933 - 1939
Gestapo – Nazi secret police – (plain clothes/no uniform) they were in charge of spying, phone-tapping and ordering the arrests of people who were a threat to the Nazis, e.g. secret political parties. There were Gestapo members in every town and city
SS – Hitler’s private police force. To be in the SS you had to be Aryan. They would arrest people on orders of the Gestapo. Up to 162,000 people were imprisoned without trial. Ran the Labour Camps. Led by Himmler.
Law Courts – Judges had to be Nazis (and swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler). Hitler got rid of juries. Crimes punishable by death included listening to foreign radio and telling anti-Nazi jokes
Concentration Camps - People would be sent there for a certain amount of time, then released back into society as a way of controlling everyone else – the ex-prisoners would tell horror stories about treatment in these camps. Dachau was the first camp opened in Germany in 1933. Prisoners would be categorised by different coloured triangles according to their crime eg. Yellow = Jew, pink = gay 16. PROPAGANDA/CENSORSHIP, 1933 - 1939
By 1939, 70% of Radio was played Goebbels = Germans owned a over loudspeakers in radio ‘Minister for the streets and in The radios could not factories. There were Public pick up foreign programmes for Enlightenment’ broadcasts like the women and children BBC
1933 – Book The Hitler Myth – Nazis produced Burning – Jewish, Posters would over 1300 films, foreign and portray Hitler as 200 of which were opposition texts a god-like propaganda films were destroyed figure
1936 Newspaper editors – Berlin Olympics – were told what stories seen as a to publish. Newspapers propaganda could not publish exercise to show off anything negative Aryan Supremacy about the Nazis 17. Nazi Policies on Women
During Weimar Republic: Nazi Policies: • Women seen as equals – could vote Marriage Loans • Short hair, US influences • 1000 marks given to couples getting married – money off the repayment per kid that they had (e.g. Under the Nazis: 2 kids = 500 marks back) • 3 K’s – Children Kitchen Church - this was the life that women should follow Motherhood Cross • Propaganda and education ensured they knew • Medals awarded for number of children had their role as a wife and mother • Bronze = 4 Silver = 6 Gold = 8 • Hitler wanted to increase the birth rate to expand the Germany population Lebensborn • If women looked after the home, the men would • Single women would be sent to hostel be free to focus on the economy • SS would then visit, impregnate the women ‘Having • Women were not allowed to: a baby for Hitler’ × Smoke • 200,000 children born this way × Wear make-up × Be too skinny (needed child-bearing hips) Germanisation × Wear trousers • Children from other countries were removed from × Have their hair done in anything but traditional unfit mothers and given to other families German style (plaits etc.) 18. Nazi Policies on Young People
Inside school/Education Outside School/Free time • PE = 15% of timetable – Hitler wanted the Hitler Youth future of Germany to be healthy and Focused on army exercises and physical fitness. Marches and strong camping. Weapons and bomb training. Made compulsory in 1936 – 7.3million members by 1939. • Textbooks were re-written to promote Nazism – History books focused on League of German Maidens Germany’s empire and the betrayal of Focused on making perfect wives and mothers. Home making, the ToV cleaning, looking after babies. Physical fitness a priority to ensure girls were fit enough to give birth a lot. • Eugenics – the study of genes – girls taught how to pick the ideal partner to Opposition? produce the perfect Aryan child (blond Edelweiss Pirates – would beat up Hitler Youth patrols, write anti- hair blue eyes) Nazi grafitti, they would also drink and smoke
• Race Study – the study of why the Aryan White Rose (Sophia Scholl) – would hand out leaflets, protesting race is superior to other races. against the Nazis at their university in Munich - had very little impact
• Party Beliefs – General party beliefs of All members of both these groups were executed by the SS the Nazis 19. Churches/Control of Religion
C a t h o l i c Protestant 1933 – Concordat Reich Church – led by Muller – a church Agreement between the Pope and Hitler. The devoted to Christian and Nazi teaching. All
Pope would stay out of politics if Hitler stayed priests had to be part of the Nazi Party out of religion (Hitler did not stick to this) Confessing Church – Opposition church set up 1936 – Catholic Youth banned and Hitler by Niemoller, spoke out against the Nazis and Youth made compulsory their policies. Niemoller eventually arrested and sent to Sachenhausen concentration Catholic schools were closed camp
Nazi Policies Catholic priests were arrested and sent to concentration camps
1937 – Pope Pius wrote a letter attacking the Bonhoffer – Protestant – a former member of Nazis’ policies called ‘With Burning Anxiety’ the Confessing Church, Bonhoffer worked as a (this did not have much impact) double-agent (i.e. spied for both sides) and helped Jews escape from camps. He was Bishop Galen, leader of the Catholic Church in involved in an army plot to kill Hitler. He was Germany, criticised Hitler (especially for his found out, arrested and murdered. euthanasia policies) – never got arrested as he was too high-profile (so the Nazis arrested Niemoller – Protestant – set up the Confessing his supporters instead) Church , in opposition to the Reich Church. Spoke out against treatment of homosexuals and other minorities. He was eventually Opposition to Nazis to Opposition arrested and sent to a concentration camp. 20. The Economy & Standard of Living, 1933 - 1939
DAF – • Trade Union run by the Nazis – increased working hours to 49 per week and banned strikes
‘Invisible Unemployment’ – • Unemployment went down from 6M in 1933 to just 0.5M in 1939 • However, this figure was inflated by removing Jews and women from the statistics
New Plan – 1933-36 – focused on building projects and making workers happier. This included: • RAD – 6 months compulsory labour for 18-25 year olds – built 7000km of autobahns, dug ditches and built coastal walls • SdA (Beauty of Labour) – Improving factory conditions eg. canteens, air conditioning • KdF (Strength through Joy) – providing discounted holidays for hard workers eg. cruises, cinema trips, company picnics • Volkswagen Scheme – scheme to pay part of wages to contribute to a new Volkswagen - £5 per month for 4 years – chance to own a luxury item (though scheme never happened)
4 Year Plan – 1936-39 – developed by Goering, focused on rearmament • Luftwaffe – new air force (going against the ToV) • Increase in production of weapons, iron, steel • Army recruitment increased to 900,000 by 1939 – now 1.3M in German army (including SA) • ‘Autarky’ – country being self-sufficient and not relying on imports and food from abroad – increase in farming and mining
21. Treatment of Jews/Minorities, 1933 - 1939
J e w s M i n o r i t i e s 1933 – one-day boycott of Jewish • Known as ‘untermensche’ – Shops undesirables
• Gypsies – seen as inferior due to 1935 – Nuremberg Laws – Jews not their traveller lifestyle. The allowed to marry non-Jews or Nuremberg Laws also applied to Germans, Jews lose their German them. From 1939 they were also citizenship deported to ghettos in Eastern Europe. 1/4M killed
1938 – Kristallnacht – Night of Broken • Mental Health and physical Glass . 30,000 Jews arrested, 100 disabilities – policy of euthanasia, killed. Synagogues burned down. adults were sterilised to prevent Jews fined 1 billion marks for ‘causing them passing on their illness the damage’ • Homosexuals, alchoholics, ‘work- 1939 – Jews start to be deported to shy’ – all targeted and persecuted ghettos in Eastern Europe through imprisonment in camps