Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39
What's covered
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Key facts
Germany and the Depression
The Depression turned the Nazis from fringe outsiders into the largest party: seats rose from 12 (1928) to 230 (July 1932) as unemployment hit 6 million.
Germany and the growth of democracy
Under the Treaty of Versailles Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France.
Extended Response Practice
Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, the "war guilt" clause, forced Germany (with its allies) to accept responsibility for causing WW1 and its loss and damage.
The experiences of Germans under the Nazis
The Reichsautobahn (motorway) construction programme provided large-scale public-works employment and was used to showcase Nazi modernity.
Germany and the Depression
The Enabling Act (March 1933) gave Hitler the power to pass laws without the Reichstag for four years.
Germany and the growth of democracy
Under the Treaty of Versailles the German army was limited to a maximum of 100,000 soldiers.
The experiences of Germans under the Nazis
In May 1933 the Nazis burned books by Jewish, communist, pacifist and "un-German" authors in public bonfires across Germany.
Germany and the Depression
German unemployment reached roughly 6 million by early 1932, one of the worst rates in the industrialised world.
Germany and the growth of democracy
Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution gave the President emergency powers to rule by decree without Reichstag approval.
The experiences of Germans under the Nazis
In April 1933 the Nazis organised the first major nationwide boycott of Jewish businesses, with SA pickets and yellow Stars of David painted on shop fronts.
Practice questions with answers
A taste of the 100 questions in this topic, answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
Which crisis brought the mass unemployment from 1929 that boosted Nazi support in Germany?
- •The 1923 hyperinflation
- •The 1923 Ruhr occupation
- •The 1948 currency reform
- ✓The Great Depression (from 1929)
Why was the Weimar Republic created in 1919 and what were its early problems?
- •Created after Germany won WW1, the Kaiser abdicated voluntarily for democracy
- ✓Created after WW1 defeat, immediately associated with Versailles humiliation
- •It was imposed on Germany by the Allied Powers as a condition of the peace treaty
- •The Republic was created peacefully after all political parties agreed a new democracy
In what year was the Night of the Long Knives?
- •1932
- •1933
- ✓1934
- •1936
In what year did Hindenburg appoint Hitler as Chancellor?
- •1930
- •1932
- ✓1933
- •1934
What caused the hyperinflation crisis of 1923 in Germany?
- •A failed harvest caused food shortages that pushed prices up across Germany
- ✓French Ruhr occupation, worker strikes, and the government printing money to pay them
- •Germany's banks collapsed after American investors withdrew money following the Crash
- •Hyperinflation was caused by Allied reparations removing all of Germany's gold reserves
What was Hitler's main reason for ordering the Night of the Long Knives?
- ✓The SA was a threat to his power and the army's loyalty
- •To punish those who opposed the Enabling Act
- •To remove communist politicians from Germany
- •To silence critics of Nazi economic policy
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