Economic problems were the main reason the governments of the Weimar era failed Discuss.

"Economic problems were the main reason the governments of the Weimar era failed" Discuss. During the Weimar era there were much economic problems in Germany; many historians claim that this was the main reason for the failure of the governments of Weimar. The economic problems in Germany began directly after WWI, when the treaty of Versailles was signed. The treaty was deemed by many Germans as a punishing and degrading document, because it forced them to give up areas that were rich in resources and forced them to pay massive reparation payments. While precise figure the Germans were expected to pay in unknown, the figure was huge and the Germans struggled to pay the large bill. Many of the resource rich area's such as Rhineland were taken from the Germans resulting in large rates of unemployment and unrest. In Germany at this time striking workers were paid by the state therefore the state had to pay out mass amounts of money for the thousands of striking workers. The damage done to Germany's economic state because of the reparations they were forced to pay, discouraged market loans, and Germany made a futile attempt to pay back these reparations and fix the economic crisis through Quantative easing. This only served to create hyperinflation which drastically worsened Germany's financial state. By august 1923 a US dollar was worth 1 million marks. Having already

  • Word count: 682
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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How far did the establishment of the Congress of the People Campaign and the Freedom Charter mark a turning point in the progress of Black African Nationalism in South Africa?

How far did the establishment of the Congress of the People Campaign and the Freedom Charter mark a turning point in the progress of Black African Nationalism in South Africa? Black African nationalism is defined as sovereignty for Black Africans, independence from outside powers, emphasis of Black African culture and pride and finally equal rights for Black Africans. The establishment of the Congress of the People Campaign marked a turning point in Black African nationalism because the different forms of nationalism aligned as one Anti-Apartheid force. Black Africans campaigned on their own in the struggle to achieve nationalism because they wanted sovereignty, independence, equal rights and cultural pride. However with the Congress of the People campaign the different anti-apartheid forces united and membership to the new joint nationalist movement became open to all people irrespective of sex, race or gender. The Campaign unified most of the liberation forces and transformed them into a non-racial Anti-Apartheid force called the Congress Alliance. With this new found unity, the new movement was better equipped in future battles against apartheid because it introduced ideological uniformity within the liberation movement in turn minimizing disputes within members of the alliance. In general, the Congress of the People campaign marked a significant turning point by which

  • Word count: 614
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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HOW STABLE WAS THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE ON THE OUTBREAK OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN 1914?

HOW STABLE WAS THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE ON THE OUTBREAK OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN 1914? The Russian Revolution of 1917 was born to a large extent out of the defeats and chaos of the First World War, and many historians have argued that the Bolshevik seizure of power was mainly attributable to this factor. Certainly the war highlighted the weaknesses of the Russian economy and system of government. Nevertheless, the level of revolutionary activity in the preceding fifty years suggests that the Tsarist regime was vulnerable to political upheaval, and therefore it might be fairer to say that war determined the nature, timing and course of the revolution rather than being its main cause. Jose' The autocratic Russian government had to contend with many problems. At the heart of these problems was her backwardness economically, socially and politically. The dilemma facing her rulers from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the outbreak of World War One was whether or not to modernize and unleash potentially dangerous forces for change, or resist change and risk falling further behind her Western European rivals. As a result the country seemed to be constantly in the throes of reaction or reform during the nineteenth century. Even the 'Tsar Liberator', Alexander II, who - at least early in his reign - favoured liberal reforming policies, seemed unwilling to restrict his own

  • Word count: 900
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Latin America was a relatively new region to the Western European explorers. Between 1492 and 1914, the Latin American colonies boomed into economic success due to the resources that were found in these areas

Change Over Time Essay Latin America was a relatively new region to the Western European explorers. Christopher Columbus, a European explorer, arrived in the West Indies in what he thought was Asia in 1492. He probably would never have expected that this region would be a great source of resources that would be traded for different goods across the Atlantic. Between 1492 and 1914, the Latin American colonies boomed into economic success due to the resources that were found in these areas. They were sent to places such as Europe and the African colonies owned by some European nations in exchange for other goods. The methods of trade and the products traded varied over time, especially after the industrialization of most of the colonies in Latin America. Trade began in the days of Columbus. He landed on the island that we now know as Hispaniola. He sent letters back to the monarchy in Spain describing the land by saying it that was beautiful and rich in resources. This opened a window of opportunity for the Spanish to claim these areas in Latin America. They would do so and colonize these Latin American lands. Although Christopher Columbus "discovered" this "New World", there were already people living there. Because of the interaction between the natives and the Europeans, many of the natives became ill with diseases from Europe, which weakened them making it easier for them

  • Word count: 742
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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What makes a great civilisation

What makes a great civilization? There are many factors that result in a civilization becoming great but to answer the question; we must have a clear definition of great. A great civilization must firstly have an efficient government. It must also have natural sources and good geographical location --- an important factor for the civilization to be self-sustaining. Thus, we can infer that a great civilization has some defining features that ensure the continuity of the "greatness" of the civilization. When a great civilization prospers, it brings about economic stability and self-sustenance. Firstly, a feature of a great civilisation is good geographical location. Good geographical location is synonymous with proximity to water. With a constant water source, sufficient food is available. This is possible because the water source provides water and silt for the crops which will enable the crops to grow healthily. Food and water can also be obtained from the water source. An example to illustrate this will be the Egyptian civilization. It is located beside the Nile River and the Egyptians obtain water from the Nile River to irrigate their crops which will provide abundant food. As a result, it would be self-sustaining and be able to prosper. Once the civilisation has settled down and there is enough food, there must be a government to organise the people. The government has

  • Word count: 510
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Ancient Societies, Sites and Sources The City of Rome

Ancient Societies, Sites and Sources - The City of Rome From the time of Julius Caesar, the leaders of Rome's empire were determined that the city of Rome should be the embodiment of Roman civilisation. What can we learn of Roman culture and values from the archaeological evidence of imperial Rome? In the last century of the Roman Republic, the City of Rome was the most powerful city in the world. After the Romans defeated the Greek settlements of southern Italy, they adopted the Greek grid system of city streets. In the centre of Rome was the Forum, or Forum Romanum. This was a large open-air area where the main business and religious activities were conducted. The Forum lay between the Capitoline and Palatine Hills, and was the centre of political life. By the Fifth Century BC the Forum was the centre of the Republican state, and operated as an all purpose area for assemblies, lawsuits, public meetings and funerals, and religious festivals. Originally the area on which the Forum stood was used for cattle grazing, but as Rome grew and the city expanded, the Forum was built and gradually became surrounded by aristocratic houses, markets, basilicas and religious structures. Much of the building foundations of the Forum remain in Rome today, a testimony to the grandeur of Rome. In 509 BC after the Kings of Rome were overthrown and the Republican government was set up, the

  • Word count: 998
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Reasons for Australian Federation

Reasons for Australian Federation In 1901, the six colonies of Australia federated as a nation. It was, however, a long process, as there were arguments against this idea including the self-interests of different colonies and the size of a new nation if it occurred. Several reasons for federation were considered, such as the need for a united defence force, the development of a uniform rail system, free trade between colonies and the growth of nationalism in each colony. One of the key reasons for federation was to achieve a united defence force, which could protect Australia. In 1883, Sir Henry Parkes quoted, "If Australia could have spoken with one voice, New Guinea would have belonged to Australia" Around the 1880s, the Australian colonies had become increasingly concerned over the close proximity of foreign powers. A Russian presence in the Pacific, Germany occupying parts of New Guinea and France having colonised New Caledonia, left the colonies in fear that attempts may be made to invade Australia. At this time, each of the colonies had their own separate defence forces. Despite having employed the British Navy and each army having a military unit in nearly every town, a report made in 1889 by the British Army's major-general Sir J. Bevan Edwards indicated that the colonies did not possess enough men, arms or ammunition to provide adequate defence. The colonies

  • Word count: 904
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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To What Extent Was The Late Middle Ages A Time Of Unrest In Europe

To What Extent Was The Late Middle Ages A Time Of Unrest In Europe? As the end of the Middle Ages approached, it was clear that Europe was evolving and advancing, but this did not necessarily mean that it brought stability. In fact, it had quite the opposite effect. The major rulers of Europe desired fame and fortune, and were willing to fight ever more expensive wars to gain it. This greatly affected the now growing European Economy, which in turn affected the rich, the poor, and the industrial state of Europe. The Church as ever had it's role to play in the stability of both individual countries and Europe as a whole, and with new inventions changing the way that the society functioned as a whole, it was likely that a long period of unrest would be established. It is arguable that Europe was in a more stable position during the Late Middle Ages than is commonly accepted. For example, despite being divided into many individual areas, the Holy Roman Empire had an elected Emperor who had the highest status in Europe, and a German parliament. Theoretically, this ensured that there was a stable figure at the head which was able to oversee the condition of the entire Empire, along with a parliament that would be able to resolve any issues that arose. Combined with the Princes that ruled over the different areas of the Holy Roman Empire, it is possible to believe that a

  • Word count: 2684
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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To what extent was the US' decision to withdraw from Vietnam in 1973 the result of military defeat?

To what extent was the US' decision to withdraw from Vietnam in 1973 the result of military defeat? The US' decision to withdraw from Vietnam was a result of many different aspects. This includes: military defeat, strength of North Vietnam, significance of Tet offensive, media attention and domestic pressures. Although these reasons may have led to the decision to withdraw from Vietnam, it can be argued that to a certain extent the main decision was military defeat. The following will analyse why this brought about the decision to withdraw. The military defeat was due to many reasons, one of which was the fact that Westmoreland relied too heavily on conventional methods of warfare and did not understand the nature of a guerrilla war. As the French showed in Diem Bien Phu that a conventional war would not win the war but the US military failed to appreciate its significance. The French had no plan to combat guerrilla tactics instead they alienated the native population with their own policies. In addition to this, tactics such as operation "rolling thunder" and "strategic hamlets" failed because it was ineffective against an agricultural country that had few specific industrial and military targets. Moreover other tactics for instance air bombing also failed for the same reason. The US military failed to understand that to tackle a guerrilla war they needed the support of

  • Word count: 1307
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Assess the contribution made by the Jesuits to the Catholic Revival 1545-1600

Assess the contribution made by the Jesuits to the Catholic Revival 1545-1600 The Jesuits are not only indicative of the developments in Catholic faith and theology but they also made a significant contribution in the Counter Reformation movement. On a theological level, the Jesuits helped the Catholics to express their faith- a critical ingredient to Catholic revival. The Jesuits made the Church infinitely stronger and better equipped to face the future in 1600 than it had been half a century earlier. Spain, Italy and Portugal remained firmly Catholic while ground was recovered all over southern Germany and the Habsburg lands and eventually Poland and Rome were won back to Rome. Seeing as the Reformation was on a theological plane, the Catholic response also existed along a theological plane. The Jesuits were part of a wide movement in the Church that had existed since the fifteenth century where a high level of interest was place in meditative prayer and charitable works. When these two concepts overlapped, the notion emerged whereby spiritual satisfaction could be expressed in a methodical way of life. The Jesuits were a vehicle through which this could happen. After the Council of Trent the Catholic Church, armed with its Tridentine decrees, placed renewed emphasis on continuous prayer, self-control and improvement, and particularly charity. The Church was

  • Word count: 873
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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