These revision notes provide an in depth summary of this specific chapter of AQA History in the Study of The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871–1991. They can be used directly as lecture notes or can be reduced further to more of a summary of the topic.
Nazi Ideology - AQA A-level History - 1L Germany 1871 - 1991
‘Bismarck successfully controlled the political opposition he faced in the years 1871-1890’. To what extent do you agree with this statement? - Full Essay
All for this textbook (28)
Written for
A/AS Level
AQA
History
Unit 1 - Change and Consolidation (7042)
All documents for this subject (53)
3
reviews
By: jefferiessmjl • 6 months ago
By: mariadavid • 2 year ago
By: lydiaball123 • 5 year ago
Seller
Follow
callumgallagher
Reviews received
Content preview
History revision – The Nazi Experiment 1929 – 49 (11)
From democracy to dictatorship 1929 – 34
- No single problem caused downfall of Weimar
- Also wasn’t inevitable that it would be replaced by a Nazi dictatorship
o Not a great deal of enthusiasm for NSDAP in 1932
In fact it was in deep trouble:
Votes had fallen in November 1932 election
It was in debt as contributions from the rich and powerful had fell
Party’s membership was falling
Party in-fighting threatened to split the remaining members
- The fall of the Weimar and the rise of the authoritarian Nazi state were two
overlapping, inter-related historical processed
The collapse of Weimar Democracy
Long-term causes:
- Too few Gr’s believed in the Republic – the political culture of the Republic was
shaped not by a belief in democracy but by the authoritarian heritage of Wilhelmine Gr
o Too many Gr’s didn’t regard it as a “legitimate regime”
- Weimar’s inheritance was incredibly damaging
o Founded in aftermath of catastrophic defeat
o Attacked by left and right wing insurgents
o Saddled with vindictive peace settlement
o Invaded again by French in 1922 with grave economic consequences
- Republic was unable to throw off myths and lies propagated by its powerful right-wing
enemies – notably ‘stab in the back’ and accusation that Kaiser and army had been
betrayed by ‘November criminals’
- Republic generated too few leaders of great authority and ability
o Its most effective statesman Stressemann was a luke-warm Republican, more
concerned with restoring Gr’s international reputation and lost territories
- The Weimar constitution itself, one of the most democratic in the world, contained
loopholes that its enemies could exploit
o Most obvious was Article 48 and another was the lack of restriction on minor
parties entering the Reichstag – meant the vote was very widespread
- Proportional representation – produced short-lived coalitions rather than a stable,
single party majority
o Could say problem with Weimar system lay with lack of safeguards built into
constitution to prevent election of extremist, anti-democratic parties unwilling to
support the ‘system’
- Deep-rooted economic difficulties undermined the republic
o Was unable to generate its own ‘economic miracle’ that sustained W Gr
democracy in the 1950’s
o Territorial losses, war debts and reparations constituted a mountain that the
Republic couldn’t overcome
Became commonplace to criticise Republic for not being able to return
Gr to its pre-war levels of prosperity
Leading to simplistic, but powerful, assertion among many Gr’s
that ‘under the Kaiser everything was better’
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 callumgallagher. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.57. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
