Download 1. Germany 1918 - 28 - Alperton Community School

Germany
1918-28
Lower
Answers
What were the four key terms of the Treaty of
Versailles and why did each one matter so much?
• Land – taken away by allies including Polish
corridor, Alsace-Lorraine and colonies
• Army – reduced to 100,000 men
• Money – had to pay £6,600m in reparations
• Blame – had to take full blame for causing the
war
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the
Weimar Republic's new constitution?
Strengths
• Very democratic
– Men AND women could
vote
– President and Reichstag
elected by the people
Weaknesses
• Proportional
Representation –
resulted in weak
coalition governments
• Article 48 allowed
President to make laws
in an emergency, thus
undermining
democracy
What were the two key risings against the Weimar Republic
before 1923 and what was each one trying to achieve?
Spartacists 1919
• Left wing (Communist)
• Wanted to take control
of the country
• Establish a Communist
state where everyone
shared the wealth of
the country, removing
the gap between rich
and poor
Kapp Putsch 1920
• Right wing
• Wanted to remove the
democratic government
and rule themselves
• Undo the Treaty of
Versailles
• Restore Germany to
greatness
Why did hyperinflation occur in
Germany in 1923?
• Germany could not pay the reparations forced on her
by the Treaty of Versailles
• France was angry about this so invaded the Ruhr (part
of Germany) to take what she was owed
• The Weimar Republic called a General Strike to make
life difficult for the invading French
• The WR had to pay the striking workers so printed
money to do this
• People lost faith in the value of the money and this
triggered hyperinflation where the prices rose quickly
while the value of the money decreased quickly
What impact did hyperinflation have
on Germany?
• The price of everything shot up, including basic
necessities like bread and eggs
• People had to carry their money around in sacks
and wheelbarrows because they needed so much
to buy even small things
• The economy stopped working, businesses went
bust and people became unemployed
• People could not afford the cost of living so could
not look after their families
• Everyone blamed the Weimar Republic for
allowing this to happen
What were the strengths of the early
Nazi Party and who supported them?
Strengths
Support
• Good propaganda
• Ex-soldiers who were
angry about losing the
• Strong messages, e.g.
War and the T/V
Destroy the T/V
• Middle-class people
• SA looked very
who were scared of
disciplined and strong
Communism
which impressed people
• Well organised
Why did the Beer Hall Putsch fail?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Von Kahr betrayed them
Weimar government found out
Army and police refused to support
Lack of weapons
Not enough support from the people
Disorganisation
How did the Beer Hall Putsch help the
Nazi Party?
• Made Hitler and the Nazis famous across
Germany
• Proved that Hitler was a man of action in contrast
to the politicians who just talked
• Provided a stage for Hitler to present his views so
that everyone could hear them
• While in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf which
laid out his views and was a best-seller, spreading
his views all over Germany
• Taught Hitler that he would be better to get
power through elections rather than force
How far did the Weimar Republic
recover during the Golden Twenties?
Did recover
• Hyperinflation fixed by
introduction of new currency
• Dawes Plan and Young Plan
reduced reparations and got
money flowing into Germany
to help rebuild the economy
• Locarno Treaties and League
of Nations showed that
Germany was now respected
by her old enemies
• People were happy with the
WR because everything was
going well
Not really
• Constitution still meant there
would be weak coalition
governments who would not
be able to cope in difficult
times
• Lots of extreme groups still
out there waiting for their
chance to bring down the
Weimar Republic
• Recovery reliant on loans from
other countries which was a
risk
• Treaty of Versailles still there