Weimar and Nazi Germany flashcards

Weimar and Nazi Germany covers Germany from the end of the First World War in 1918 through to the end of the Second World War in 1945. Students must understand why the Weimar Republic was established and the serious challenges it faced, including the hyperinflation crisis of 1923 and political violence from both left and right. The relative stability of the mid-1920s under Stresemann gives way to the impact of the Great Depression, which allowed Hitler and the Nazi Party to gain mass support. Students must explain how Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 and then established a dictatorship, examining how the Nazis controlled German society through propaganda, terror, and policy, and the devastating impact of Nazi racial ideology on Jewish people and other persecuted groups.

1. Card 1

   What was the Weimar Republic?

   The democratic government set up in Germany after World War One in 1919, named after the city where its constitution was written.

2. Card 2

   Why did many Germans resent the Weimar Republic from the start?

   It was associated with signing the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, leading critics to call its leaders the 'November Criminals' who had stabbed Germany in the back.

3. Card 3

   What caused the hyperinflation crisis of 1923?

   France occupied the Ruhr after Germany missed reparations payments. Germany printed money to pay striking workers, causing the currency to become almost worthless.

4. Card 4

   What was the Munich Putsch of 1923?

   Hitler's failed attempt to seize power in Bavaria. It resulted in his arrest and a short prison sentence, during which he wrote Mein Kampf.

5. Card 5

   How did Stresemann stabilise Germany between 1924 and 1929?

   He introduced a new currency called the Rentenmark, negotiated the Dawes Plan for loans, and improved Germany's international standing through the Locarno Treaties.

6. Card 6

   How did the Great Depression help the Nazis gain support after 1929?

   Mass unemployment caused widespread fear and misery. Many Germans lost faith in the Weimar government and turned to extremist parties promising strong leadership.

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   How did Hitler become Chancellor in January 1933?

   President Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor, believing conservative politicians could control him, after the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag.

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   What was the significance of the Reichstag Fire in February 1933?

   Hitler used the fire to persuade Hindenburg to pass an Emergency Decree suspending civil liberties, allowing the Nazis to arrest Communist opponents.

9. Card 9

   What did the Enabling Act of 1933 allow Hitler to do?

   It gave Hitler the power to pass laws without the Reichstag, effectively making him a dictator and ending democratic government in Germany.

10. Card 10

    How did the Nazis use propaganda to control German society?

    Goebbels ran the Ministry of Propaganda, controlling newspapers, radio, film and rallies like Nuremberg to spread Nazi ideas and glorify Hitler.

11. Card 11

    What were the Nuremberg Laws of 1935?

    Laws that stripped German Jews of their citizenship and banned marriage or sexual relationships between Jews and non-Jewish Germans.

12. Card 12

    What was Kristallnacht and when did it occur?

    The 'Night of Broken Glass' in November 1938, when Nazi stormtroopers and civilians attacked Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany.

• Many students wrongly assume Hitler was elected as leader of Germany; in fact he was appointed Chancellor by President Hindenburg and then seized dictatorial power through legal and illegal means.
• Students often confuse hyperinflation in 1923 with the economic depression after 1929, treating them as the same crisis when they had different causes and different groups of people were most badly affected.
• A common exam error is to argue that the Nazis controlled Germany through terror alone, ignoring the genuine popularity Hitler enjoyed among many Germans who supported his economic recovery and nationalist message.

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