Weimar and Nazi Germany Paper 3 1h15: Weimar and Nazi Germany
Weimar Politics & Economic Problems 1924-1929 ► Weimar Politics: ► Usually seen as the high...
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Transcript of Weimar Politics & Economic Problems 1924-1929 ► Weimar Politics: ► Usually seen as the high...
Weimar Politics & Economic Problems 1924-1929
►Weimar Politics: ►Usually seen as the high point of the
Weimar Republic - “Golden Age”►Its success coincided with the
influence of Gustav Stresemann
Positive Economic & Social Success of Weimar
►Dawes Plan restored confidence in the economy & investment; new homes, roads, & public facilities were built
►Factories equipped w/ new machinery; industrial output doubles
►Wages rose in real terms; working hours shortened & social insurance improved
►Women had more equality (Reichstag & professional jobs)
The “Roaring twenties” in the Berlin hotel Esplanade, 1926
Negative Economic & Social Elements of Weimar
►Germany’s recovery dependent on US loans
►German farmers (1/3 population) did not prosper; Farm prices fell
►Farmworkers’ earnings in 1929 only ½ the national average
►Even @ peak in 1928 unemployment @ 1.3 million
►German balance of trade always in the red
►Not all favored women’s emancipation; most women favored traditional roles
Other Economic Issues►Reparations organized on a more
reasonable level in the Dawes Plan & later the Young Plan – but it still caused nationalistic resentment
►Inflation was cured by 1924 never to return (Stresemann & Schacht)
►Mark Retenmark (mortgage of Germany’s industrial & agricultural resources)
► Reichsmark (gold)
Political Successes of Weimar
►No further attempts to overthrow the govt.
►1924 & 1928 elections extremist parties lost ground
►Hindenburg elected President after Ebert’s death
►Useful figurehead
Hindenburg Campaign in 1925
People Crowd Around Hindenburg’s Villa 1925
Political Failings of Weimar►Political situation still unstable; seven
governments between 1924 & 1930►By the late 1920s moderate parties
finding it harder to ally►Frequent violence between the SA &
KPD►Many Germans were cynical of party
politics►Hindenburg’s election a potential
threat a right-wing conservative who did not
identify with the Republic or its values
The Weimar Republic (Political)
Disenchantment & Dissatisfaction
►Politics seen as a matter of maneuver rather than something they control
►Voting system- vote for the party not the individual party machinery selects Reichstag
deputies►Parties to blame: moderate parties
inconsistent with support of Republic
Müller’s “Grand Coalition” 1928-1930
►Hermann Müller (SPD) – June 1928 led a ministry dominated by socialists but broad enough to include the (DDP, DVP, Z, & BVP)
►Main task was to steer the Young Plan through the Reichstag
►French connect this reparations plan to the withdrawal from the Rhineland
Müller’s Cabinet
The Young Plan►1st time, the timescale for reparation
repayment was set►Germany was to:
A) make payments for next 59 years ( 1988)
B) pay 2 billion marks a year instead of the 2.5 billion (Dawes Plan)
►Transfer of payments from marks to foreign currency to be handled by a Swiss Bank
►Payments were to increase gradually & from 1929-1932 were to pay less than they would have under the Dawes Plan
The Young Plan (continued)►If Germany agreed to the Young Plan,
France agreed to evacuate the Rhineland by June 1930 (5 years ahead of schedule)
►The Reichstag eventually passed the Young Plan in March 1930
The Decline of Parliamentary Government in Germany
Decline of Parliamentary Government
Parliamentary Government (1928-1930)
Presidential Government (1930-1933)
Dictatorship
Source 8.1: The Role of the Reichstag & the President
1930 1931 1932
Presidential decree laws
5 44 66
Reichstag laws 98 34 5
Reichstag: days sitting
94 42 13