The treaty was extremely unfair because Lloyd George and Clemenceau sided with each other against Wilson’s more fair ideas. This ended up with Germany paying the massive amount of 6.6 billion pounds. Today that would be roughly 84.4 billion pounds which is 1/9th of Britain’s current debt.
But things were still going to get worse for Germany. France was determined to stop Germany attacking them they were to take as much land of them as possible. The main thing they did was to stop Germany putting troops inside the Rhineland which was a part of Germany. But on top of this several countries were made from German land which is extremely unfair. To make things worse many other parts of Germany were given to other countries and their overseas territories were also given away. The bits of Germany given away were: Alcase-lorraine which was given to France, Upper silica which was given to Poland, west Prussia to Poland, east Prussia to Lithuania, Saarland to League of Nations, North Schleswig to Denmark, East Africa to UK, West Africa to south Africa, Togoland and Cameroon to the UK and France, Samoa to New Zealand and three islands to Japan. All this made the food problem worse. How? They had to pay 6.6 billion pounds back; Germany got a lot of their money from raw materials from overseas territories which were taken away. Farm areas were given to other countries giving Germany even less money. They would have to import more food. However lots of countries now hated Germany and because the treaty made Germany say they accepted total blame the hate rose. Because of this other countries would refuse to give food or hike prices. Germany would need to get more money but they couldn’t because there raw materials had been taken. They couldn’t sell products because countries would not want German products. Germany was stuck.
However some parts of the Treaty were fair. The military restrictions were fair because they would stop Germany from raising an army to attack. On the other hand this put many Germans out of jobs, although the end of war did that for most countries. The act of shrinking the military might even help; they could become farmers to help the Germans food problem. The Germans were restricted from having over 100,000 men, to build armoured vehicles and build more than 5 battle ships.
But the question in the end is, was the Treaty of Versailles fair? I suggest not. Germany was put in a vicious circle by not even being able to even cater for themselves. The treaty also made Germany take full blame for the war which was about as much of their fault as Britain’s fault. Some areas of the treaty were fair and would help stop wars occurring but mostly the treaty made a war more likely.
What was the state of the Weimar Republic in 1925?
- Both of the sources have similar and differing views. Both of the sources agree that it is the younger generation that caused it although source 16 does not seem to blame the reparations. Source 16 blames the younger generation while source 17 blames the government and reparations more
- Source 16 support source 17 by showing that the middle class and older generation thought that younger generation caused it and yet they ended up being well off.
- If you were explaining the hyperinflation to Aunt Louise then you would say that because the we had no goods to trade the government just printed money. The great industrialist were able to pay off their debts as well. This set off a chain reaction. With so much money in circulation prices and wages rocketed and now the money was worthless.
- There are many factors that caused hyperinflation. It was initially caused by the Treaty of Versailles, I.e. Britain, USA and France. We took away the land of Germany which was heavily industrialised, these industrialised areas made valuable goods which would help pay of the reparations which the Treaty of Versailles made them pay. They could not afford to pay these reparations so the next cause became apparent. The Weimar Republic caused the next step which was to print new money, this made the hyperinflation begin.
Extension
- Political opposition to Weimar: The friekorps and Nazis had lack of support of people, no outstanding leaders and the army became suspicious of extreme groups such as the Nazis in 1923. The left lacked support again and most working people supported Edbert. The germane people did not like The Kapp Putch so by 1924 you would think all of them would have been completely defeated however obviously Hitler and the Nazis would grow to become bigger so obviously not all of the opposition had gone
How was the Weimar Government organised?
How did Germany Recover under Stresemann
- Rentenmark- Removed the Reichsmark. The German workers passive resistant was called off which allowed people to start working again. The Reichsmark was a new currency and by carefully printing he stopped hyperinflation.
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The Dawes plan was an American loan in 1924. USA gave money to Germany who gave it to France and Britain and the left over money let them rebuild their economy.
- Locarno Treaty in 1925-Stopped the borders between France and Belgium changing. This was agreed with Britain, France, Italy and Germany. This made all 4 countries feel safer.
- League of Nations in 1926- Germany was invited to join the league of nations.
- The Young Plan in 1929- Shortened time of reparations.
Hitlers Rise to power
Beer Hall Putsch
The beer Hall Putsch was an attempt by Hitler to take control of the Weimar Government. Hitler tried to force Gustav Kahr, The leader of the Bavarian government to support him. Initially Kahr did this but then he changed his mind. On the morning of the 9th of November 1923; Hitler’s attempted Putsch was stopped. Hitler was arrested and put on trial, and sentenced to 5 years in prison, He actually only served 9 months. It was a success because he was well known and that he would have to take over democratically.
Hitler wrote his biography. Which people could read to find out his beliefs.
The Wall Street crash
By 1920s, the us economy was booming. Many Americans were confident in the economy. With more money to spend people invested on the stock market.
Stock Market Speculation
The Coming Crash
The Impact on Germany
- It ended the recovery of Germany from the 1923 Depression
- Stresemann Died two weeks before the Wall Street crash.
- The end to the recovery was caused by Germanys dependence on American Loans.
- It brought depression and hardship to Germany
- Mass unemployment: 6 million unemployed
- Blamed on the Weimar Republic
- It increased the support of extreme parties whop promised to end it. For example the Nazis
What impact did the ‘Depression’ have on the popularity of the Nazi Party in Germany?
- 1. Source 43 could be used to support Goebbels because it showed that Nazi ideas were strong building blocks, and their leaders were young and fit while the other parties views were represented by flimsy pieces of paper and stupid old and slow men.
- Source 37 could support either because on the one hand when Nazi votes are growing so is unemployment but on the other hand when Nazi votes reach their peak, unemployment begins to slow down.
- Source 38 clearly supports the Nazis because it shows how Nazis are considered to be organised and formal and also shows how the Nazis have great energy and enthusiasm
- Source 39 is a supporter of Craig’s view; it shows that the Nazi party are trying to get people to believe in the Nazi view of that the treaty of Versailles is wrong. The fire and handcuffs scare people into believing their view
- Source 40 is an obvious supporter of the Nazi party because it shows people coming out of there free will to support the Nazis.
- Source 41 supports Craig’s view because it shows the Nazis trying to scare the country by saying that if you support the communist party the communists will torture you.
How did Hitler establish his dictatorship?
Nazi Consolidation of Power was mainly between 1933-1934
In January 1933:
- Hitler had limited power
- Only 3 of the 11 government ministers were Nazis
- Nazis had less than half the seats in the Reichstag
- Hindenburg, just as he had appointed Hitler, could sack him if he failed to govern effectively
- Result: Hitler looks to strengthen his position
- Calls an election in March 1933 to try to win a majority in the Reichstag
The Reichstag Fire
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The Reichstag Burnt down in 27th of February 1933
- Hitler blamed it on the communist and said they did it to show their dislike for the Nazis. A man named Marnius Van Lubbe admitted to it
- Hindenburg gave him emergency powers through article 48
- For a couple of weeks all other parties were not allowed for propaganda, arrest people and break up meetings of other parties
Enabling Law
- The enabling law allowed Hitler to pass laws without having to consult with government.
- 444 were in favour of the enabling law while 94 voted against. They were mostly killed
- Apon Entrance to the new building any MP had to walk between two lines of SA and SS and HY (Hitler youth)
- The SS pointed guns at people in a vote.
- It officially gave him 4 years that he could pass any law he wanted.
- The communists were banned.
- The Catholic party allowed the Catholic party to be in charge of Catholic Schools.
- Hitler knew how the Judiciary and Civil Service had undermined the Weimar Republic so he set up a clever policy and started to do deals with other partys.
How did Hitler Become chancellor in 1933?
Nazi Strengths:
- Hitler’s Speaking Skills [7]
- Propaganda campaigns [6]
- Violent treatment of their opponents [3]
- Their Criticisms of the Weimar government [6]
- Nazis Polices [3]
- Support for Big Business [5]
Opponents’ Weaknesses
- Failure to Deal with the Depression [5]
- Failure to co-operate with one another [8]
- Attitudes of Germans to the democratic parties [4]
Other factors
- Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic [8]
- Scheming of Hindenburg and Von Papen [10]
- The impact of the Depression [6]
- The treaty of Versailles [7]
- Memories of the problems in 1923 [2]
The scheming between Hindenburg and Von Papen was possibly the most important thing in Hitler’s rise to chancellor without their scheming Hitler would have not got into power without them, the fact that they thought that they could control Hitler is the reason that they put him into power.
The fact that Hitler had great speaking skills really brought Hitler to power, without the speaking
Skills he would not have got into the limelight of the public. His speeches helped him get out of a heavy prison sentence .
The treaty of Versailles really helped hitler rise to power due to the fact that most of Germany did not like it
Hitler In power
How were the Jews persecuted Nazi Germany?
The persecution of Jewish people was not new.
The persecution of the Jews happened throughout history. There had always been anti-Semitic feelings against Jews.
It reappeared in Germany in 1933.
People who went out shopping were encouraged not to buy from Jewish shops in Germany.
People were “warned” about which shop belonged to the Jews.
In 1935 the Nazis passed the Nuremberg Laws.
These laws were designed to
- Stop Germans from marrying.
- To stop Jews and Germans from having sexual relationship.
- To make sure that German blood was not “tainted” by mixing with other races
- Pictures would be produced warning people about what could happen. People were degraded.
In 1938, the situation took a more serious turn for the worst. Called the Night of Broken Glass, the Nazis start to use violence against the Jews. Kristallnacht was the German name. Jewish shops, churches and other buildings were openly attacked, people became subjected to violence. This would lead to the start of more systematic violence. Then from 1939 onwards, Jews were rounded up. They were forced to move out from their homes. To start off with they were sent to areas in cities designed only for them. These were ghettos; they were in the most rundown part of the city.
Jewish people had:
Their property confiscated
Forced to move into new areas
Had their citizenship taken away?
By 1941, the Jews were to be moved to concentration camps.
They usually arrived by railway. Camps like Auschwitz and Dachau were more than just concentration camps
Jews from all over Europe were forced to work here.
By 1941, the Jews were moved to concentration camps: They usually arrived by railway. Camps like Auschwitz and Dachau were more than just concentration camps. Jews from all over Europe were forced to work here. And then from 1941-1942 onwards…
Zyklon B poison gas was what was used to kill them; this was after carbon monoxide was used.
Killing centres were used for disabled people. Jewish women, some holding infants were forced to wait in a line before their execution.
How successful were Hitler’s economic policies
3 Aims of the Economic Policy
- Prepare Germany for war
- Make Germany as Self-Sufficient as Possible
- Reduce Unemployment
Preparing for war
- Re introducing conscription in 1935, this also helped to reduce unemployment
- He literally ripped up the Treaty of Versailles and he started building up Germanys army.
- He declared that Germany would have a world class air force- The Luftwaffe.
Making Germany Self Sufficient
- If there was another war, Germanys supplies would not get cut off like in the Naval Blockade in WW1
- Introducing the Reich food estate
- Workers had to join the DAF (General Labour front)
Reducing unemployment
- Giving people jobs in coal mines, steel and textiles mills, this also helped to prepare germany for war.
- Because he had abolished the treaty of Versailles, more spaces were available in the army
- He spent lots of money on existing projects that carved the way for more jobs
Were people more prosperous under the Nazi rule
- The middle class
- The farmers
- The industrial working class
- The industrial and Business community
- At the beginning of the Nazi Rule many people supported them but they did very little to help small business
- Others were pleased because they were allowed to take over their Jewish rivals#
- But many disliked the higher taxes and compulsory donations to the party
- Agriculture remained dependant on imports
- There was a labour shortage as people left farms to get jobs in the growing industrial sector.
- The labour shortage alienated peasant support
- Workers benefitted from more jobs but many of the new jobs were poor paying and bad working conditions
- The abolition of Trade Unions increased the peoples hostility towards the Nazis
- Holidays were unaffordable and living conditions dropped
- Many employees welcomed the destruction of the advantage of the Nazis aryanisation programme to buy Jewish rivals businesses at knockdown prices
- Businesses involved in imports and exports found life much tougher because of the increasing regulations
Volkgemeinshaft- the people’s community
Guns or Butter debate, Have all the nice things or give up nice things to get ready for war.
What was the role of Women in Nazi Germany
Nazi Ideals about Women
- Women should stay at home
- They were expected to stay at home, do the cooking and cleaning and look after the children.
- Women should give birth to many children
- The more children they had, the higher status they gained
- They should be intelligent, Aryan, hardworking in the household and devoted to the Nazi party
- They were expected to follow the Nazis in whatever they did.
- She should support her husband and encourage him to go to war
- They should do their best to influence their husbands that going to war and fighting for his country is his soul duty as a German citizen
- Women should not wear make-up and not wear heels and wear simple clothes
Why The Nazis wanted women to stay at home:
- To stay and support their children
- To keep their children healthy and Nazi orientated
- They were not allowed to work because Germany was a very male dominated land at that time.
- However after and during the war, they wanted them to go out and fill the vacant spaces in jobs that the men left when they went to war
- They wanted them to stay healthy because they needed them to live for a long time so they could make more children.
- To ensure everything was perfect
- They wanted to create a perfect land, a perfect race and a perfect world. They needed to control every aspect of the women’s lives in order to create this world.
- The view that women should remain at home was reinforced when a third of male workers lost their jobs became unemployed during the depression in the 1930s. Nazis argued that men were being the depression in the 1930s. Nazis argued that men were being replaced by women workers.
Incentives for women to become mothers.
- The women won medals for the amount of children the produced
BRONZE
4 Children
SILVER
6 Children
GOLD
8+ Children
- Money, 1000 marks loan for getting married.
- Loan is paid of for having 4 children
- Benefits, less tax for those who have more children.
- Given child benefits as well
- Jump food queues
- Earn Extra Money
If women did as they were told and had lots of children then they would indoctrinate their children and pursued their husbands. Hitler did get in control of Germany because he controlled women who encouraged others about what Nazis said.
NAZI GERMANY
Keeping Control:
Terror State
HITLER: Terror is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death.
The Terror State
- Secret police called the Gestapo would spy on and arrest enemies of the state
- The SS were responsible for running the concentration camps
- These concentration camps were originally used to rehabilitate enemies of the state to believe in Hitler. These changed into death camps over time.
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Hitler went to a fashion designer to design something which would terrify the public. The designer was called Hugo boss
- Everyone was scared of being arrested by the Gestapo and being put in a concentration camp.
- The Nazis got people and particularly children to turn parents and friends in to the Gestapo because they were scared of going to concentration camps.
Propaganda
- Mass Rallies, Posters and Propaganda films
- The Nazis controlled and censored the radio and newspapers.
- School Children were indoctrinated with Nazi ideas at school
- Hitler Youth & Young Maidens.
Popularity
- Hitler Made himself Popular
- Ripped up the Treaty of Versailles
- He promised many things including
- Creating Jobs
Etc.
- Both The Gestapo and the SS were run by Heinrich Himmler
- The Gestapo employed an army of spies who would inform on people
- He was a chicken farmer before the war
- These were enemies of the state who were singled out
- Communists
- Social Democrats
- Jews
- Trade Unions
- Work Shy
- Homosexuals
- Gypsies
- Germans who bought from Jews
- Pacifists
- Radical Christian organisations
- Anyone who Criticised Hitler or the Nazi Party
- A list of German women who were still purchasing goods from Jewish shops was printed and was printed to scare or terrorise other people into not buying from the Jews.
- Everyone knew someone who knew someone else who had been in a concentration camp
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Favourite joke amongst Germans at this time: A man goes to the Dentist. The dentist says “Open wide” The man sits up and says” not in front of a stranger”
-
Favourite saying amongst Germans “Speak through a flower”- When you talk, say good things.
- 800,000 Germans were imprisoned from 1933-1945 as Enemies of the State.
- 500,000 were executed by being shot in the back of the neck on top of the 800,000.
Did most people benefit from Nazi rule?
Germany now had economic security: Big businesses did well in the economic climate without trade unions and had giant orders from the Nazi government. Local shops however did not do as well as the big buisnesses took away the money from them. The wall street crash plummeted Germany into economical despair as they could not pay the reperations but as they stopped paying repreations and started making most of their food for themselves they began to do better.
Germans no longer needed to feel inferior to other states, they can be proud of their country: Although the german economy had recovered in some way, they lived in a state of terror and could not have free speech as other countries could. However the evidence suggests that in the 1930s members of nazi Germany did not lose their self intrest and had a strong sense of national pride.
Nazi control of Germany, 1933-1945
