Germany 1918-39

Revision Notes

This is your unit 2 option. This is a knowledge-based paper so you must learn as
much as you can from every topic. This pack contains most of the information
you need but in addition to this you should use the notes from your folder to
help you revise. If you are going for A/A* you will need to have some additional
information which your teacher will provide you.
The exam guidance is general advice. You will need to listen in class and make
notes to get specific advice on questions.
Make sure that you are able to answer all of the exam questions that
appear in this pack.

Exam advice
You will have 1 hour and 15 minutes in the exam. There will be three questions
and you should answer all three (though you will get a choice on questions 2 and
3).

Question 1 is divided into four sub-questions and you should

answer all four.
1(a) is worth 4 marks.
You will have a short passage to read and you will be asked a question about it.
The examiner is expecting you to make a judgement that is not exactly stated in
the source (an inference).
So if the passage says: Hitler used the Gestapo to intimidate his enemies and
the question is What does this source tell you about life under Hitler? you
should say something like:

It was tough because he took harsh measures against his opponents like using
the Gestapo.
We call that a supported inference.
You have 6 minutes to answer this question.
1(b) is worth 6 marks
You will be asked to describe something that happened. Sometimes the
question says key features. Basically this means tell the examiner three

important things about the topic they have asked about. So if you are asked
about the key features of the work of Stresemann you would give some facts
about how he improved the economy, brought back confidence and improved
relations with other countries.
You will have 8 minutes to answer this question.

1(c) is worth 8 marks.

This question asks you to explain the effects or consequences of an event or
action.
So if you are asked about the consequences of the Great Depression, you dont
write about the Great Depression itself, you write about what the effects or
results were. When you are required to explain things a good word to use is

because. You should aim to explain at least 2 consequences.

You will have 12 minutes to answer this question.

1(d) is worth about 8 marks.

It asks you to explain why something happened. So if you are asked about
why the Weimar Republic collapsed in 1929, make sure you dont write about
how it collapsed. You should aim to explain at least 2 causes. You will get
higher marks if you have a conclusion that links the causes (LINK)
together or say which cause is the most important (PRIORITISE).
You will have 12 minutes to answer this question.

Question 2 is worth 8 marks and is divided into two parts. You

should answer either part (a) or part (b).
It asks you to explain how something changed or came to happen. So if you
are asked how the Nazi party developed from 1920 to 1928, you start in 1920
and then give details of the changes. Explain at least 2 changes. To get the
highest marks you should LINK and PRIORITISE.
You will have 12 minutes to answer this question.

Question 3 is worth 16 marks and is divided into two parts. You

should answer either part (a) or part (b).
Dont worry about the large number of marks on offer. The key thing is the
quality of your thinking. It asks you to explain whether one reason

was more important than other reasons for making something

happen. You will be given four reasons to consider.
So if you are asked whether the police state was the most important reason why
Hitler stayed in power between 1933-39, you write about how the police state
helped him to stay in power. Then you write about how the other reasons that
helped him to stay in power (and any other reasons you can think of yourself).
Three is enough. Then you do the clever bit and see if you can make a case

for any reason or reason being more important than others.

Make sure that you LINK and PRIORITISE.

1: The Origins of the Weimar

Republic
In November 1918 Germany was defeated in war by the allied powers and the

Kaiser (King of Germany) left his throne. He was replaced by a democractic

government called the Weimar Republic.

How did the new Weimar Republic work?
Germany from 1919 to 1933 is usually referred to as the Weimar Republic
or Weimar Germany.

The new Weimar Constitution gave the vote to all people over the

age of 20. A system of Proportional Representation (PR) was used

for elections to the Reichstag (parliament).
Elections were to take place every four years and the government would be
run by the Chancellor (Prime Minister). He was responsible to the
Reichstag.
Germany became a federal system, with power shared between central
government and state (regional) governments.

What were the problems with the constitution?

Article 48 of the constitution gave the President emergency
powers to rule by decree without the Reichstag and even to suspend
the constitution. The President was directly elected every seven years.

Owing to PR, there were many small parties in the Reichstag, so

most Weimar governments were short-lived coalitions (this is when
parties decide to try to work together). From 1919 to 1923 there were
nine coalition governments- they could not seem to agree on how to sort
out Germanys problems.
PR also allowed extreme parties to gain representation. This is
how the Nazis eventually managed to get into parliament.

Why did many Germans dislike the Treaty of Versailles?

One of the first things that the new government did was to sign the
Treaty of Versailles. Many Germans hated the new government for signing
the Treaty of Versailles.

The Treaty of Versailles was very unpopular because Germany had to pay

reparations to the Allies. This meant that Germany could not rebuild its
own economy after the war. Germany also had to limit their armed
forces. This made them feel weak. Germany also lost land. This denied
them of resources. This also meant that some Germany speaking people no

longer lived in Germany. The Germans were also forced to admit sole

responsibility for starting the war. This seemed unfair to many

Germans.

The politicians that signed the treaty were called the November

Criminals.
The army felt that they had been stabbed

in the back

(Dolchstoss).
Many preferred the authoritarian rule of the Kaiser- they saw democracy
as a foreign idea imposed on the Germans.

What were the early political problems faced by the Weimar

Republic?
Most of the political parties of the Weimar Republic were opposed to
democracy.

The Weimar Republic faced threats from the Left. The left wanted
a revolution like the one that had happened in Russia and they also wanted
more power for the workers. The new Communist Party (KPD) organised
marches and strikes in Berlin during the winter of 1918-1919. They took

hold of government buildings in what was called the Spartacist

Rebellion. Eventually it had to be put down by the Freikorps who were

demobilised soldiers from World War 1. This showed that the Weimar
Republic as incapable of dealing with its own problems without calling upon
the army.
There were also threats from the Right. They did not want a left
wing revolution and wanted a return to authoritarian (non-democractic)
rule. In March 1920 Dr Wolfgang Kapp marched on Berlin to overthrow
the Weimar Government and bring back the Kaiser. This was called the

Kapp Putsch. For a while this seemed as though it might succeed as the
government fled and the army did little to stop the takeover of the city.
However, eventually many workers did not co-operate and the putsch was
defeated.
Unrest continued until 1923 and there was another failed right-wing
uprising led by the Nazis in the Munich Putsch (see later section on the
Munich Putsch).

What were the early economic problems that faced by the

Weimar Republic?
In 1922, Germany said that it could not afford to pay its second
reparations instalment.

So, in 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr, Germanys
riches industrial area, in order to take food coal, iron ore and steel as
payment.
Germany replied
cooperation).

with

passive

resistance (strikes and non-

The German economy collapsed, leading to hyperinflation (massive,

rapid price increases). The German currency became worthless.

middle class people lost their savings. There were

shortages of food and other goods. Also, people found it
difficult to buy what they needed. You had to go to the market
Many

with a wheelbarrow to buy a loaf of bread because the money was so

worthless.
A new German government led by Stresemann, ended passive resistance,
and the French finally withdrew.

Now you should be able to answer these exam questions:

Explain why the Germans disliked the Treaty of Versailles. (8)
Describe how the Weimar Republic was governed. (6)
Explain why there was so much hardship in Germany between
1918 and 1923. (8)
Describe the ways political unrest was dealt with in Germany in
the years 1919-20. (6)
Describe the economic problems experienced by Germany in the
years 1919-1923. (6)
Explain the effects of hyperinflation in 1923 on Germany and
its people. (8)

2: The Recovery of the

Describe the measures taken in the Treaty of Versailles to limit

Germanys power. (6)
Was the effect of the reparations the main reason why it was
difficult to govern Germany in the years 1919-1924? (16)
Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer
or any other information of your own:
- The effect of reparations
- Attacks on the government by left and right wing political
parties
- The French occupation of the Ruhr
- The weaknesses of the constitution.

2: Weimar Republic
(1924-1929)
What role did Stresemann play in the economic recovery of the
Weimar Republic?
Stresemann was appointed chancellor in 1923.

Stresemann negotiated with the French to end the occupation of

the Ruhr.
He introduced a new currency called the Retenmark to end inflation.
He set up a new independent national bank to control the
currency. This restored confidence.
Stresemann negotiated the Dawes Plan with the USA. This
reduced the size of the reparations instalments and provided Germany
with US loans that were used to modernise factories and build new ones.
In 1929, the Young Plan brought new loans, while reparations were
reduced and spread over 60 years.

All these measures helped to boost the German economy and

restore confidence. Between 1924 and 1929, Germany received over

25 billion gold marks in loans - three times more than reparation
payments. By 1929, Germany was only second to the USA in advanced
industrial production.

How did Stresemann help Germany restore relations abroad?

In 1924 Stresemann became foreign secretary. He did this job until his
death in 1929.

In the Lacarno Treaty of 1925, Germany accepted its 1919 western

frontiers, and agreed that changes in the east would be by negotiation
only.

Germany joined the League of Nations in 1926.The KelloggBriand Pact of 1928 saw Germany along with 44 other countries,
renounce (reject) war.

What did Stresemann achieve?

He restored economic stability.
He had regained a place for Germany on the international stage.
He kept the support of the moderate parties on the left and the right.
He steered Germany out of the difficult early period.
However, he died in 1929 at a time when the world was plunged into the
economic darkness of the Great Depression.

Now you should be able to answer these exam questions:

Describe the key features of the Stresemann era from 1923-29. (6)
Explain why there was a period of recovery for Germany in the years
1924-1929. (8)
Explain how Germany recovered from its economic and political
difficulties in the years 192429 under Stresemanns leadership. (8)

3: The Great Depression

How did the Great Depression affect Germany?
In 1929 the Wall Street Crash took place. The US economy crashed and
so did the economies that depended on it. The German economy had
depended on US loans so its weaknesses were quickly revealed.

Unemployment rose rapidly from under one million in 1928 to six

million by 1932. Those with jobs saw hours cut and reduced wages.
Very soon millions went hungry and homeless. Many middle class

people lost their savings.

The coalition government collapsed in March 1930 because no one
could agree on what to do. President Hindenburg appointed Bruning of the
Centre Party as Chancellor. When he failed to get majority support from
the Reichstag he increasingly ruled by decree.
Political confusion and economic crisis increasingly led many Germans

to turn to extreme parties.

More and more workers supported the KPD (Communists) and the Nazis.
The growth of the Communists worried rich industrialists who began to
fund Nazi propaganda in the 1932 elections.
By July 1932 the Nazis were the largest party.
In January 1933, von Papen (leader of the Nationalists) persuaded
Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor.

Now you should be able to answer the question below:

Explain the effects of the Great Depression in Germany. (8)

4: Hitler and the Growth of the

Nazi Party
What were the main aims and ideas of the Nazi Party?
In the aftermath of World War 1 a small German Workers Party (DAP)
was set up.
Having attended a meeting, Hitler decided to join the party and he soon
became the leader. In 1920 they changed their name to the NSDAP
(Nazis) and adopted a 25 point programme. The main ideas were:

scrapping the Treaty of Versailles; removing Jews from

German life; and expanding German borders to give German
people more Lebensraum (living space).
In 1921 they adopted the swastika as their emblem.
Hitler set up the Stormtroopers (SA). These Brownshirts were
mainly unemployed ex-soldiers. They went around attacking left-wing
political meetings.
They soon had over 50,000 members in southern Germany. They received
some donations from businesses.

What was the Munich Putsch?

When the German government called off passive resistance to the French
occupation of the Ruhr, German nationalists were furious. Hitler decided
that it was time to take power. He wanted to march on Berlin.
In November 1923, the Nazis took over a beer hall where important
Bavarian officials were addressing a meeting. Hitler tried unsuccessfully
to get their support for a march on Berlin.
However, Hitler, supported by General Ludendorff (a First World War
leader) went ahead with his plans.
But his Beer Hall Putsch failed when his march was stopped by the

army. In the fighting one policeman was shot and 16 Nazis were killed.
Hitler ran away but was eventually arrested.

Hitler was put on trial for treason. While in court he was allowed to make
lengthy speeches and these were widely reported across Germany. The

putsch gave the Nazis a lot of national attention.

Hitler was also given a really light sentence of 5 years by a sympathetic
judge. He only served 9 months!

Why was the Stresemann era a bad period for the Nazis?
During the Stresemann period, some of the policies the right wanted
were achieved. For example, Germany was now part of the international
community.
When Hitler came out of prison the economic situation in Germany had
improved. Not many people joined the party.

How did Hitler reorganise the Party?

In 1925 he relaunched the party. Power was concentrated into his hands.
While in jail he had written a book called Mein Kampf. This outlined his
views and helped to spread the word of Nazism. The main ideas were
nationalism, socialism (the economy should be run in the interest of
the country and not big business), totalitarianism (no democracy),
racial

purity

(eliminate

the

Jews),

lebensraum

and

traditional

conservative values.

Special sections (for students, teachers, farmers and Hitler Youth)

were set up to attract more people to the party.

Party branches were set up around Germany.

In 1926, Goebbels took control of Nazi Party propaganda. By
1928, the Nazis had just over 100, 000 members.

Hitler decided that he now needed to win elections to gain

power. The experience of the Munich Putsch taught him that he needed
the support of the army and wealthy industrialists to win power.
However, Hitler did not reject violence. He set up the black-

shirted SS in 1925 as his personal elite guard. The aim was to use the
SS to attack opponents. Himmler became its head in 1929.

Who supported the Nazis?

Many working class people were attracted by the promise of food and
work. They also liked the idea of traditional values and a return to a
strong Germany.
Many in the middle class had lost their savings and wanted a strong leader
to remedy the problem. They were worried by the rise of the communists.
They also wanted a return to traditional moral values.
Many farmers were worried that communists might take away their land.
Big business worried about the communists.
Young people were attracted by Hitlers exciting speeches, He promised
that the family would be best looked after by the Nazis. This attracted
women.
The Nazis offered something for everybody.

Why were the Nazis able to come to power?

The great depression made people desperate. They turned to extreme
parties.
The weakness of the constitution was exposed by the Great Depression.
PR allowed small extremist parties to destroy coalitions. The President
was also able to use article 48 to suspend democracy.
The political elite underestimated Hitler. While Bruning, Von Papen and
and Schleicher worked against each other, Hitler was able to take power.

Now you should be able to answer these exam questions:

Explain how the Nazi Party developed in the years 1920-28. (8)
Describe the key features of the Munich Putsch. (6)
Describe the key features of National Socialism. (6)
How did Hitler change the Nazi Party between 1924 and 1929? (8)
Was the Great Depression the main reason why the Nazi Party grew
between 1929 and 1932? Explain your answer. (16)
You may use the following to help you:
-

The Great Depression

Nazi Propaganda

The communist threat

The strength of the SA

Explain how the political scene in Germany changed between 1928 and
the beginning of 1933. (8)

5: The Nazi Dictatorship

What were the obstacles to Hitler becoming a dictator?
Hitler was appointed Chancellor in January 1933. However, there were
still obstacles to Hitler becoming a dictator.
The Weimar constitution still controlled what the Chancellor could do.
Hindenburg still retained all the presidential powers.
Hitlers cabinet of twelve only contained two other Nazis.

How did the Nazis establish a dictatorship?

Hitler called a new election for March hoping to get a two-thirds
majority. This would allow him to change the constitution.
In February, just before the election, the Reichstag Fire took place - the
Nazis blamed the communists. Communists were rounded up and
imprisoned.
In Prussia, the largest German region, the Minister of the Interior Goring
(a leading Nazi) arrested lots of communists and SPD members. Their
meetings were broken up and newspapers banned.
The Nazis failed to get the majority they needed in the March elections
but they gained the support of the other Nationalist parties - this gave
Hitler control of the Reichstag.
By intimidating or excluding SPD Reichstag members, Hitler got the
Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act in March 1933.
Hindenburg agreed to suspend the constitution and gave Hitler the power
to rule by decree for the next 4 years. Hitler moved quickly to smash the
Weimar Democracy.
In April, all the state governments were taken over by Nazi gauleiters
(regional party officials).
In May, trade unions were banned and in July all opposition parties were
banned. Germany became a one-party dictatorship. By then, most KPD or
SPD leaders were in SA run concentration camps.

How did Hitler deal with the threat within the Nazis?

Hitler faced some opposition from the more radical SA leader Ernst

Rohm. One of his demands was to join the SA to the army. This was not
a popular idea amongst army generals. He also wanted more radical

policies. He thought that Hitler was too concerned about big business.
Hitler knew that he needed the support of the army so in June 1934 he
ordered the Night of the Long Knives in which the SS (with army
help) murdered Rohm and other SA leaders.
This action reassured the army leaders and when Hindenburg died
in August, they supported Hitler becoming the Fuhrer of Germany Hitler was now President, Chancellor and Commander-in-Chief of the
armed forces. It also removed a potential rival to Hitler.

What were the Nazi methods of terror?

Concentration camps for political opponents. These were run by the SS.
The Gestapo were Hitlers non-uniformed secret police. Eventually they
were placed under the control of the SS in 1936. They investigated and
arrested people who spoke out against the Nazis.
There were many informers.
By 1939, 150,000 people were in prison for opposing the Nazis.
All judges were made members of the Nazi party. The justice system was
used to attack suspected Nazi opponents.

How did the Nazis deal with the Church?

Hitler was able to control the church by co-operating with it.
In 1933 he signed the Concordat with the Catholic Church. It agreed to
keep out of politics if the Nazis kept out of religion. But the agreement
did not last. Catholic youth groups were stopped and some priests were
sent to Concentration Camps. Catholic Schools were brought into line or
closed.
He bullied the Protestant Church. He set up the rival Reich Church and
then he sent 800 Protestant churchmen (such as Pastor Niemoller) to
labour camps because they would not do as he asked.

How did the Nazis use propaganda?

The Nazis also made skilful use of censorship and propaganda directed by

Geobbels, Minister of Propaganda and Culture.

Newspapers were banned or censored.
The Nazis massive Nuremburg rallies were filmed for the cinema,
which also reflected Nazi ideology.
Works of literature and art that conflicted with Nazi ideas were
outlawed and destroyed.

Loudspeakers were placed in all workplaces and public areas to ensure

everyone heard Nazi views.

Cheap radios were produced.

The Nazis tried to use the 1936 Berlin Olympics to show the
superiority of Germany. They won more medals than anyone else although
the Black American athlete Jesse Owens spoiled the day by winning four
gold medals!

Now you should be able to answer the exam questions below:

Explain how the political situation in Germany changed during 1933. (8)
Was the Reichstag fire the main reason why Hitler was able to establish
a dictatorship in Germany by 1934? Explain your answer. (16)
You may use the following information to help you:
- The general election results of 1933
- The Enabling Act
- The banning of political parties and trade unions
- The Night of the Long Knives
Describe the key features of the police state in Nazi Germany. (6)
Explain how Hitler established his authority in Germany in the years
1933 and 1934. (8)
Explain the effects of the Reichstag fire in 1933. (8)
Was the use of propaganda the main reason why Hitler was able to
establish a dictatorship of the Nazi Party in the years 1935-39? Explain
your answer. (16)
You may use the following information to help you:
- The use of propaganda
- The use of censorship
- The police state
- Persecution of the churches.

6: Nazi Domestic policies

1933-39
What were the aims of the Nazis economic policies?
Reduce unemployment
Strengthen the German economy so that Germany could re-arm and be
self-sufficient (autarky)

How did the Nazis try to reduce unemployment?

Public works funded by the government gave work to the unemployed.
The main projects were building houses, hospitals, schools and roads (to
allow the quick movement of troops) and barracks. By 1939, unemployment
had fallen to 100,000.
Note, communists, Jews and women were forced out of jobs, and those in
camps were not counted as unemployed.

Rearmament and conscription gave employment to many. The drive

for self-sufficiency also created jobs.

The National Labour Service (RAD) was expanded. All men

aged 18-25 had to give six months service.
In 1936 Goring was ordered to prepare for war by preparing a Four-Year
Plan.

How did the Nazis control workers?

When trade unions were abolished, all workers had to join the
Nazis German Labour Front. Strikes were made illegal, wages
remained low even after full employment, and the working day became
longer.

To keep workers happy, various schemes such as Strength Through

Joy and The Beauty of Labour provided camp holidays, leisure

activities and monitored working conditions.

How did the Nazis control women?

Policies were based on the 3 Ks (Kinder, Kirche, Kuche). This
meant children, kitchen and church. Women were given financial
incentives to stay at home and have children.
The Motherhood Cross system was gave medals to women who had
large families.

Laws forced women out of government jobs and encouraged

them to give jobs up to men.
Most of the advances made by women under the Weimar Republic were
reversed under the Nazis.

What were the Nazi Policies towards young people?

The Nazis wanted to indoctrinate the young so they would support
them in the future.
All teachers had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and join the Nazi

Teachers League. A new national curriculum was drawn up centrally

and imposed.
There was a great emphasis on History (to show the greatness of
the Nazis); Biology (to show the superiority of the Aryan race); PE (to
get boys fit for the army). Girls did Domestic Science to prepare
them for being housewives and mothers.
Young people were forced to join the Hitler Youth from 1939 onwards.
Boys aged 6-10 joined the Little Fellows. From 10-14 they joined the
Young Folk. From 14 they could be full members of Hitler Youth. The boys
went on camping trips and took part in military games to prepare them for
war.
Girls joined the League of German Maidens. They took part in activities
such as cooking to prepare them for motherhood.

How did the Nazis persecute minorities?

The Nazis were deeply racist and believed that all non-Aryan

groups were inferior- Jews, Blacks, Slavs and Gypsies. They

wanted to create a pure Aryan Master Race.
In 1933 there was a small scale boycott organised of Jewish shops.
In 1934, Jews were banned from all public facilities such as
parks and swimming pools.
Laws were passed to sack Jews from the civil service, law and education.
In 1935, the Nuremburg Laws removed German citizenship from Jews
and banned inter-racial marriage.
In November 1938, Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) saw
attacks on Jewish homes, shops and synagogues after a Nazi diplomat was
assassinated by a Jew in Paris. About 100 Jews were killed and 20,000
were put into concentration camps. After a week of terror, the Nazis
fined the Jews one billion marks.
In schools, Jewish students were routinely mocked and ridiculed.

Films were used to try to portray Jewish people as bad. Goebbels made a
film called The Eternal Jew which tried to associate Jews with rats.
The Nazis also attacked Gypsies. Many were sent to concentration camps
and the Nuremburg Laws prevented them from marrying Germans.
Homosexuals, prostitutes, tramps and alcoholics could also see themselves
attacked.
Mentally disabled children were either sterilised or killed.

Did life improve for ordinary Germans under the Nazis?

In some ways life did improve.
Unemployment went down; wage levels went up so people could spend
more; Beauty of Labour improved peoples working conditions; Strength
Through Joy allowed people to enjoy holidays for the first time; the
Nazis brought mass car ownership to people with the relatively cheap
Volkswagen; the new autobahns (motorways) meant that people could
travel all over the country easily.

However in some ways life got worse.

With trade unions banned workers were powerless to protest against
increasing working hours.
Rising prices cancelled out rising wages.
Many new jobs were low grade military jobs.
Because standards were so low after the Great Depression, any
improvements just returned people to pre-Depression levels.

Now you should be able to answer the questions below:

Was preparing for war the main reason for Hitlers economic policies? You
may use the following information to help you with your answer. (16):
- Military reasons; preparing for war
- Social reasons; reducing hardship
- Political reasons; reducing opposition
- National reasons; public work schemes
Were improved wages the main effect of the Nazi economic policies? (16)
You may use the following information to help you with you answer:
- Rising wages
- Falling unemployment
- Working conditions
- Price rises
Explain how the lives of Jews in Germany changed in the years 1933-39. (8)
Explain how the position of women in Germany changed in the years 193339. (8)
Were the attacks on Jewish businesses the worst effects of Nazi
persecution of the Jews in the years 1933-39? Explain your answer. (16).
You may use the following information to help you with your answer:
- Attacks on Jewish businesses
- Education
- 1935 Nuremburg Laws
- 1938 Kristallnacht

Explain why Hitler carried out a policy of persecution of the Jews and
other minority groups in the years 193339. (8)
Explain how the position of young people changed in Germany in the years
193339. (8)
Was the creation of a police state the most important effect of Nazi rule
on the German people in the years 193339? Explain your answer. (16)
You may use the following in your answer and any other information of your
own:
- The creation of a police state
- Reduction in unemployment
- The changing role of women
- The use of propaganda