Download File - Oakbank History homepage

SECTION 2: HITLER’S RISE TO POWER
The story so far..
Weimar Germany 1924–1929 Stresemann’s
rule – and Hitler’s wilderness years
REMIND ME ...
The Young Plan reduced the figure
The Weimar Republic was the name
by 75 per cent, but the Depression
given to the German government after
finished off the Plan before it got
the First World War – the first
started.
democratic government in Germany’s
history.
HIS BIGGEST SUCCESSES?
Apart from reducing and rescheduling
reparations, Stresemann achieved two
The government started in the town
great advances, both in foreign policy.
of Weimar because of all the unrest
in the capital, Berlin. Its first leader
WHAT WERE THEY?
was Friedrich EBERT.
First, Stresemann built good relations
with Aristide Briand of France. This led
HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS IT?
to the signing of ...
At first, not at all. 1923: Rioting,
THE LOCARNO PACT (1925)
hyperinflation, French invading the Ruhr,
This was signed at Locarno in
Hitler’s attempted Munich Putsch ...
Switzerland. It was actually a group of
treaties. The idea was to tidy up
BUT WHAT ABOUT 1924?
Ah, that’s when things began to change arguments left over from the First World
for the better. This was largely because War.
of one man ...
WHO?
Gustav
Stresemann,
who
was
Chancellor (roughly the same as our
Prime Minister) from Aug. to Nov. 1923.
He then became Foreign Minister and
was a big success.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Hyperinflation was sorted out. The
worthless banknotes were called in,
burned and replaced by a new currency.
WHAT ELSE?
Stresemann worked hard to improve
relations between Germany and the rest
of the world, especially Britain, France
and the USA.
Stresemann thought Germany would
get better treatment by accepting and
fulfilling the terms of the Treaty of
Versailles than by arguing.
WITH WHAT RESULT?
In 1924 the USA lent Germany money
to help pay reparations. This was called
the DAWES PLAN:
The Dawes Plan, named after an
American banker, worked out a
reasonable schedule for reparations
repayments. Even the French found
this acceptable!
SO WHAT ABOUT HITLER?
A good question. Hitler came out of
prison in 1924 only to find a much more
stable, prosperous Germany.
People weren’t interested in his extreme
ideas.
By 1928 there were only 650,000
unemployed. Confidence rose as
Dawes Plan cash helped revive the
German economy.
WHAT DID HITLER DO?
The only thing he could do. He bided his
time, waiting for his big chance.
He had decided not to try to seize power
by violent means ever again.
He kept on speaking out against the
Treaty of Versailles, especially the War
Guilt Clause and the Reparations.
Hitler built up his SA – Brownshirts –
during this time. In 1927 they
numbered about 30,000. They broke
up his opponents’ meetings and fought
with Jews and Communists.
DOING THE BUSINESS ...
Hitler also developed good relations with
some
rich
businessmen
and
industrialists. He promised them a
Germany free of Communists and
SUCH AS?
troublesome trade unions.
Borders. Germany promised always These people helped to bankroll the
to observe its western borders with Nazis at this time – and kept on doing
France and Belgium. Britain and Italy so.
guaranteed these borders.
Germany also signed treaties with DID PEOPLE VOTE NAZI?
Poland and Czechoslovakia, promising Look at these figures. They show the
to use only peaceful means to alter number of seats the Nazis won in
those borders. But only France elections for the Reichstag (parliament).
guaranteed these borders.
May 1924
32
AND THE RESULT?
Note that the
14
The Locarno Pact put Germany back in Dec. 1924
Communists also
the ‘family’ of European nations.
1928
12
did better after
In 1926 British troops who were in the 1930
107
1929 – why?
Rhineland Occupied Zone left Germany.
July
1932
230
The French went in 1930.
In 1926 Germany joined the League of
In 1929 Stresemann died. Shortly
Nations as a full member.
Later, she became a member of the afterwards the Wall Street Crash
occurred, to be followed by the world
Council.
slump.
Stresemann and Briand won the 1926
Hitler’s big chance had arrived.
Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.
French troops
were gradually Unfortunately, it was really rather
withdrawn from the Ruhr;
pointless. Many of those who signed
German industry began to recover – had broken the treaty within a few years.
and so did the rest of Europe’s
economy;
In 1929 he negotiated a reduction in
reparations under the Young Plan.
© Hodder Murray
Germany 1918–1945