Summary
Summary iGCSE History (Pearson Edexcel) - Development of Dictatorship (Paper 1) Germany
iGCSE History (Pearson Edexcel) - Development of Dictatorship (Paper 1) Germany Complete Notes
[Show more]
Content preview
GERMANY:DEVELOPMENT OF DICTATORSHIP, 1918-45
TOPICS:
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC AND ITS EARLY
PROBLEMS:
• The abdication of the Kaiser and the German Revolution of 1918-19
• The strengths and weaknesses of the new Republic and its constitution
• Reactions to the Treaty of Versailles
• Challenges from Right and Left, including Kapp Putsch and Spartacists
• French occupation of the Ruhr. Causes and effects of hyperinflation
THE RECORVERY OF GERMANY 1924 – 29:
• The work of Stresemann, Rentenmark, Dawes and Young Plans, US loans and
the recovery of the German economy
• Successes abroad – League of nations, Locarno Treaties and Kellogg-Briand
Pact
THE RISE OF HITLER AND THE NAZIS TO JANUARY 1933:
• Hitler and the German Worker’s Party
• Changes to the party (1920 – 22)
• Causes, events and the results of Munich Putsch (1923)
• Reorganization of the Party (1924 – 28)
• Impact of the Great Depression
• The role of the SA
• Nazi methods to win support
• Events of 1923 to January 1933, including the roles of von Papen, von
Schleicher and von Hindenburg
NAZI GERMANY 1933 – 39:
• Setting up Nazi dictatorship through the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, Night of
the Long Knives and Hitler as Führer
• Methods of Nazi control and the extent to which they were successful,
including the police state, censorship, and propaganda
• Nazi policies towards education, women, the young, churches and their impact
• Nazi racial policies and increasing persecution of Jews
• Policies to reduce unemployment and their impact
• The Labour Service, the Labour Front and Strength Through Joy
GERMANY AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES DURING THE
SECOND WORLD WAR:
,• Nazi policies towards the Jew, including ghettos, death squads and the Final
Solution
• The Home Front, including changing role of women, ‘total war’, rationing and
the effects of allied bombing
• The growth of opposition to Hitler, including the Edelweiss Pirates, the White
Rose Group and the July Bomb Plot (1944)
• Hitler’s death and the end of the Third Reich
2
, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC
AND ITS EARLY PROBLEMS:
THE ABDICATION OF THE KAISER/ CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION:
• WORLD WAR ONE (1914 – 18) had caused terrible SUFFERING – there was
low domestic production as well as blocked ports (by allies) which led to food
shortages
• The RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (led by LENIN in 1917) made many Germans
want to REPLACE THE UNDEMOCRATIC rule of the Kaiser by councils
• Germany was promised a short war – the war lasted 4 years
o Germany were forced to retreat – they faced MILITARY OCCUPATION
o The KAISER was forced ABDICATE by allies but he did not – in KIEL
(late October) there was an uprising of soldiers and sailors who were
forced to fight for Germany- this was followed by many other protests
o People no longer listened to the Kaiser and instead formed their won
workers’ councils
• 9TH NOVEMBER 1918 – the Kaiser is blamed for the war and FORCED TO
ABDICATE by the angry German citizens
• 10TH NOVEMBER 1918 – a new republic is set up by EBERT
• 11TH NOVEMBER 1918 – armistice was signed and agreed
THE NEW WEIMAR REPUBLIC 1918:
• A democratic experiment, first DEMOCRACY in Germany called the
WEIMAR REPUBLIC – previously an AUTHORITARIAN STATE led by the
Kaiser
• People were able to VOTE – parties/new ideologies emerged – both men and
women had an input into how society was run
• It marked a new start for the people (e.g. free speech, freedom, equality)
o EBERT was the ‘push’ of the government – he hoped Germany would be
treated less harshly in the future
o The Republic had enemies – both rights and left wing
o Positions included:
- CHANCELLOR – head of the government, can pass laws
- PRESIDENT – head of state, had access to article 48,
chancellor elector, needs to be elected
- REICHSTAG – dominant house
3
, STENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF WEIMAR:
• STRENGTHS:
o A strong presidents could PROTECT the country when in need
o All people had the same RIGHTS and were able to VOTE in elections
o People were IN CONTROL of the chancellor – Germany was run by it’s
RUN BY IT’S CITIZENS
o All parties where votes were received were represented due to
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION (meant amount of seat
depended on number of votes – all parties could have seats)
o ARTICLE 48 could be used in times of civil unrest (Article 48 allowed
the disabling of government by the president without Reichstag approval)
o A FEDERAL SYSTEM meant every state had a local government
• WEAKNESSES:
o The president can destroy democracy (article 48) and dismiss the
democratic rule in place
o Proportional representation meant main political parties found it
difficult to ever achieve a majority – A COALITION
GOVERNEMENT was weak and unstable
o Due to the variety of parties, it was DIFFICULT TO MAKE QUICK
AND DECISIVE DECISIONS
REACTIONS TO THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES:
• A treaty at the end of WORLD WAR ONE. Terms were to form a peace treaty.
Terms included:
o WAR GUILT CAUSE – this blamed the war on Germany – reparations
of 136,000 million marks, the military was totally stripped down to the
bare minimum, territory such as Alsace-Lorraine (to France), Prussia (to
Poland) and Eupen (to Belgium) were returned or taken
• Germans were outraged at the HARSHNESS OF THE TREATY – they were
forced to accept otherwise faced war
• The terms were UNFAIR AND DELIBERATELY HUMILIATING for
Germany
o Germany had been taken advantage of and blamed for others damage due
to their weak positions
o German citizens grew angry and felt they had been further weakened
o Politicians who signed the treaty were called the NOVEMBER
CRIMINALS
4
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 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 anish24shah. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £15.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
73918 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now