1) Germany in the 1920s – The Good Political Economic Cultural International Relations In 1923 Gustav Stresemann was In 1924 Stresemann negotiated New homes, shops, and cinemas were In 1925 Germany improved appointed Chancellor. He put the Dawes Plan with America. built. Art galleries and new restaurants relations with France and together a coalition of moderate America loaned Germany 800 were opened, there was freedom of Belgium by publically signing left-wing Socialists (SPD) and million marks to help rebuild speech and going to nightclubs was the Locarno Treaties where moderate right-wing parties the economy. Germany’s common. Unemployment fell and living they promised not to attack including the Catholic Centre Party, payments were reduced. The standards improved for many people. one another in future and the German Democratic Party (DDP) Allies had realised Germany Writers and poets flourished, especially accept the terms of the Treaty and the German People’s Party could only pay if it wasn’t in Berlin. People flocked to see the of Versailles. (DVP). His coalition narrowly won treated so harshly. work of artists like George Grosz and In 1926 Germany was the 1924 election, but the parties Otto Dix. welcomed into the League of worked well together and in the German farming and industry The famous Bauhaus style of design and Nations. They promise to 1928 election his coalition won 136 bloomed in the 1920s. The architecture developed. The first protect Germany if it is more seats in the Reichstag that Dawes Plan encouraged other Bauhaus exhibition displayed designs attacked in the future. than radical parties. countries to invest in German for building from houses and shops to In 1928, Germany signed the Stresemann wanted to reverse the business; 25.5 billion marks art galleries and factories and attracted Kellogg-Briand Pact promising terms of the Treaty of Versailles but were invested. New factories 15,000 visitors. not to settle arguments by he understood that he needed to were built; old factories were The 1920s were a golden age for going to war in future. 65 work with the Allies rather than modernised, industrial German cinema, producing one of its countries including Germany against them if Germany was to production increased. greatest international stars, Marlene signed this agreement. recover from its crisis and become Dietrich, and one of its most celebrated strong again. Stresemann agreed to the directors, Fritz Lang. The German people were pleased Young Plan in 1929. This cut Berlin became known for its daring and with the Weimar Republics the amount Germany had to liberated nightlife. People enjoyed decisions. They supported Weimar pay in reparations by ¼ and going to clubs and in 1927 there were in elections and extreme groups like lengthened the amount of time 900 dance bands in Berlin alone. the Nazis lost seats in the Reichstag. Germany had to pay. This made Cabaret artists performed songs In the 1928 elections, the most payments easier for Germany criticising political leaders that would extreme party, the Nazis, achieved to make. have been banned in the Kaiser’s days. less than 3% of the vote. 2) Germany in the 1920s – The Bad Political Economic Cultural International Relations Between 1924 and 1929 there were four After the war many peasants experienced a lack of Some people saw the culture German communists attacked difference Chancellors. Stresemann was demand for the food they produced. Many small changes as too radical and the Locarno treaties, claiming only Chancellor between August and business owners saw their business threatened by large morally offensive. They wanted a they were part of a plot against November 1923. department stores. return to traditional values. the Communist government in Most people only tolerated Weimar Germany was bankrupt from WW1. This was made People living in villages and the USSR. because there was no real alternative worse by the reparations payments of the Versailles country towns felt that the German nationalists attacked government to vote for. Nationalists, the treaty. When it refused to pay in 1923 French soldiers culture of the cities represented a Stresemann for joining the army, civil service, judges and invaded the Ruhr, Germany’s main industrial region. moral decline. The Bauhaus League of Nations and for universities all preferred the old imperial The government responded to the French occupation of design college was situated in signing the Locarno Treaties government of the Kaiser. Field Marshall the Ruhr by ordering the workers to go on strike, and Dessau after being forced out of because doing so suggested Hindenburg was elected as President in printing more money. This resulted in economic collapse Weimar by hostile town officials. that Germany accepted the 1925 and he was a firm believer in the and the German currency became worthless. Millions of The Wander Vogel movement Treaty of Versailles. Most ‘stab in the back’ theory. He was not a Germans lost their savings. Stresemann was able to was a reaction to Weimar’s Germans still felt very bitter supporter of the Weimar Republic. solve the hyperinflation crisis by introducing a new culture. They called for a return about the treaty, felling it was currency, the Rentenmark, and getting a loan from the to simple country values and a humiliating betrayal. Political parties such as the Communists USA in the form of the Dawes Plan. He was able to re- wanted to see more help for wanted to destroy the Republic. Support start reparations payments, and so the French left the those in the countryside and less for the Communists did increase in the Ruhr in 1924. decadence in the towns. 1920 from the lower working class who The Weimar’s recovery depended on high-interest did not prosper from the Golden era. American loans which could be recalled at any time. This The Nazis were using this time to was a dangerous situation to be in. reorganise and rebuild their party, There were still 1.3 million unemployed in Germany, waiting for their opportunity to seize small businesses often struggled. Higher wages made power. things more difficult for low earning businesses and “The economic position is only flourishing on the many went bankrupt. The main economic winners were surface. Germany is in fact dancing on a volcano. If the short- During this period, around 30% of the not the ordinary people, but big business, such as the term loans are called in by America, a large section of our vote regularly went to extremist parties steel and chemical industries, that controlled about half that stood against the Republic. of Germany’s industrial production. economy would collapse.” Gustav Stresemann speaking shortly before his death in 1929 3) Constitution of Weimar Germany The Weimar Constitution Presidents Chancellors (there were others, but these are the The Social Democrats won the January 1919 elections. They held the ones you need to know) first meeting of their new government in a town called Weimar – and got the nickname “The Weimar Government”. Their first job was to Ebert (SPD) 1919-1925 Stresemann 1923 (only Chancellor. for a few months, write a new constitution (set of rules) for Germany. but most important politician in Germany 23-29) Their new rules included: everyone over the age of 20 could vote, people voted for MPs who would sit in the Reichstag (the German Bruning (Centre Party – ZP) 1930-1932 Parliament). The Reichstag would suggest and vote on new laws, the Chancellor would be head of the Reichstag and would be voted for Hindenburg (Independent) Von Papen (Indpendent) 1932 every 4 years, there would be a President who would choose the 1925-1934 Von Schleicher (Independent) 1932- Jan 33 Chancellor and keep control of the army and he would be voted for every 7 years. In an emergency the president could suspend the constitution and create laws by decree using an emergency power called Article 48. Strengths of the Weimar Weaknesses of the Weimar The government was elected using a system of proportional Constitution Constitution representation. This meant that each party received a proportion of Very fair, particularly the Proportional the seats in the Reichstag directly in line with the proportion of vites voting Representation meant they received. For example, 1 % of the votes meant 1% of the seats. Allowed lots of people to that there were loads of have their say different parties in the State governments would Reichstag – it was difficult ensure local issues were to get them to agree on addressed anything Wouldn’t allow one person Article 48 could be abused to take over – the so that the President Chancellor and President stopped listening to the balanced each other Reichstag A poor Chancellor or State governments could President would only be pass laws that went around for a limited time. against what the Reichstag wanted. Ebert (SPD) – Pres. 1919-25 4) The Nazis in the wilderness years, 1924-29 WHY DID HITLER ATTEMPT THE MUNICH PUTSCH in What did the Nazis believe? How did Hitler change the Did Nazis support grow between 1924-29? 1923? The 25 Point Programme Nazi Party? 1 – With Hyperinflation occurring the time was right for a • To unite all German-speaking Hitler saw the Communists YES: Peasant farmers and middle-class shopkeepers revolution which might gain the support of the people of people in one country building up their strength and small businesses did increase their support as Munich. • To abolish the Treaty of with local branches and they did not feel the recovery of Stresemann’s 2 – The SA (brownshirts) were starting to doubt Hitler as a Versailles youth organisations, so he policies. 35% of Germans still lived in rural areas man of words not action.