AQA A Level History Democracy and Nazism example essay A* standard (Gustav Stresemann)
12 views 0 purchase
Course
Democracy and Nazism
Institution
AQA
Book
Oxford AQA History for A Level
‘The Improvement of Germany’s international position in the years could
not have been achieved without the significant contribution of Gustav Stresemann.’
Assess the Validity of this View.
A* standard example AQA history essay.
AQA A Level history Democracy and Nazism example essay plan (weimar republci)
AQA A Level History Democracy and Nazism example essay - A* standard (backstairs intrigue 1933)
AQA A Level history Democracy and Nazism example essay - A* standard (fear of communism)
All for this textbook (25)
Written for
A/AS Level
AQA
History
Democracy and Nazism
All documents for this subject (8)
Seller
Follow
rachelrevises
Reviews received
Content preview
‘The Improvement of Germany’s international position in the years 1924-1929 could
not have been achieved without the significant contribution of Gustav Stresemann.’
Assess the Validity of this View.
Throughout the period of 1924-1929, Germany’s international position vastly improved from
being an outcast blamed for the starting of the First World War to a country which was
accepted into the diplomatic community through joining the League of Nations in 1926. Much
of this improvement is down to the tireless work of Germany’s Foreign Minister, Gustav
Stresemann who followed the policy of fulfilment in order to try to get the Allies to agree to
concessions on the Treaty of Versailles.
Much of the improvement to Germany’s international position in the years 1924-1929 would
not have been possible without the groundworks set by Stresemann as Chancellor in 1923.
Stresemann inherited Germany at the height of the hyperinflation crisis and was the leader
of the ‘100 Day Cabinet’ which brought the economy back under control by stopping the
payment of passive resistors in the Ruhr, which meant the government had less expenditure
so could try to bring the deficit down. Also he brought in the new currency, the Rentenmark,
which was linked to a mortgage on industrial and agricultural land. Therefore the
hyperinflation crisis was brought under control which enabled Germany to be in a position to
be able to improve their international position the next year.
Stresemann used the Locarno Pact of 1925 to reinforce Germany’s peaceful intentions to
the Allies. As part of the policy of fulfilment, Stresemann accepted all of the terms of the
treaty of which parts seemed to be geared against Germany such as France committing to
protect Poland should Germany invade. The Locarno Pact is a key indicator of international
relations changing as Germany now had allies in Britain and Italy, if they had been invaded,
which shows that many of the countries of Europe value Germany and don’t wish for her to
be threatened. Therefore Strememann’s use of fulfilment was successful in bringing
Germany into the diplomatic circle of Germany and securing support if Germany were ever
threatened or invaded.
It was not only with the Allies that Stresemann improved relations with, it was with the USSR
also. Stresemann built on the Treaty of Rapallo by signing the Treaty of Berlin in 1926, the
main hope was that by strengthening relations with the communist USSR it would shock and
worry the Allies into taking action and valuing Germany’s international position more than
they had done before, perhaps in turn agreeing to some concessions on the Treaty of
Versailles to try to entice them back to the capitalist Allies. None of the Allies wanted
Germany to become communist as it would have made it harder for their own countries to
resist the wave of communism which was beginning to expand further than Russia. The
Treaty of Berlin, itself, had benefits for Germany as they no longer had to pay any
compensation to Russia after previous wars and there was a secret clause which allowed
German pilots to be trained in the USSR which was strictly against the Treaty of Versailles,
however meant that Germany could rebuild her military and have the peace of mind that they
would have at least some protection if they were ever attacked. Therefore the Treaty of
Rapallo was a masterstroke for Stresemann as he improved relations with the USSR whilst
also pressurising the Allies into valuing Germany’s international position more highly.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller rachelrevises. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.98. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
