S1

S1 Vocab

  1. Weimar Golden Years - The years 1924-29 are often described as the ‘Golden Age of Weimar’ because of their stability, economic and improved living standards. The beginning of 1923 when Gustav Stresemann was elevated to the chancellorship began the Golden Years. Stresemann and his ministers formulated plans to reduce the hyperinflation crisis by introducing a new currency, the Rentenmark, and fixed its value to gold prices. The government announced its determination to meet reparations payments and sought international assistance to do so. The US-led Dawes Plan was finalised in April 1924 and implemented four months later.
  2. Gustav Stresemann - Gustav Ernst Stresemann; 10 May 1878 – 3 October 1929) was a German statesman who served as Chancellor in 1923 (for a brief period of 102 days) and Foreign Minister 1923–1929, during the Weimar Republic. He was co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926. His most notable achievement was reconciliation between Germany and France, for which he and Aristide Briand received the Nobel Peace Prize. During a period of political instability and fragile, short-lived governments, he was generally seen as the most influential cabinet member in most of the Weimar Republic's existence.
  3. Kurt von Schleicher - He was a german general and last chancellor during the Weimar Republic. The significance of this general’s power is he was a rival for power of Adolf Hitler; however, exposed Hitler's limits when he was murdered in 1934 by Hitler’s SS. Kurt von Schleicher has caused Hitler to become more aggressive during his rise to power.
  4. Proportional representation - Mixed Member Proportional Representation is a mix of Westminster’s First Past the Post electoral system and Party Lists. Members of the Bundestag are elected every four years by all German citizens over the age of 18. This is significant under the specific voting conditions as Hitler was gaining power during the time.
  5. Emergence/Rise - Emergence is defined as coming into view to others after being exposed. In terms of the given unit, Hitler rose/emerged when joining a political party in September of 1919, the NSDAP. He rose to become the leader of the party by threatening to not return unless made the leader. Through the 1920’s and 1930’s, he rose in power, becoming the leader of the largest political party, which was comprised of Nazis. This caused the authoritarian state that Hitler created.
  6. Treaty of Versailles - War treaty established between Germany and the Allied powers ending World War I. It was signed on June 28, 1919. Germany’s aggravation towards the harsh terms such as decreased land size, smaller forces, and a large sum of debt contributed to the start of World War II. The terms of the treaty were that Germany would pay 132 billion marks, disarmament of existing armies, and giving its land gained in war to other countries.
  7. Anschluss - Anschluss is a term that refers to how Germany absorbed Austria into the Nazi Germany Empire in 1938. This was an idea backed by many both in Germany and Austria, as nationalism and a desire to return to the days of glory was growing in both nations. In Germany, the NSDAP was ultra-nationalist, and sought to return to when Germany had a strong empire and ties to Austria. Also, the idea of a Greater Germany is very significant, as it was one of the main ideologies behind the NSDAP. This ideology wanted all Germans to be united in one larger Germany. Thus, under Hitler, Austria was taken back as part of the Empire. This event shows the long term impact of the Treaty of Versailles, as international politics did not approve of this merger due to the conditions. This strengthened Germany and made them more ready for WWII. A similar desire to regain glory through gaining land can be seen in Mussolini desiring to take back parts of land previously controlled by Italy as a means of asserting power.
  8. Paul von Hindenburg - Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, known simply as Paul von Hindenburg was a German general and statesman who commanded the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany, serving from 1925 until his death in 1934, during the period of the Weimar Republic
  9. Heinrich Brüning - Heinrich Bruning, who was chancellor of Germany from 1930-1932, is known as the “Hunger Chancellor”. This is due to his policies which increased taxes and reduced welfare services for the citizens of Germany. These policies were implemented as a result of hyperinflation and economic depression sparked in 1929 by the American Great Depression. Bruning’s policies hurt citizens, which is significant, as his failures established conditions used by extremists to take advantage of. The NSDAP and Hitler took advantage of the condition and employed the method of propaganda to persuade more people to support them and their ideology. This had the impact of growing the voting success of the NSDAP, allowing the party to be better set to rise to power. Taking advantage of the political failures of others can also be observed in Russia, with Stalin rising to power after Lenin’s death despite Trotsky being the most popular choice originally. By taking advantage of the condition of Trotsky’s lack of ambition, Stalin was able to rise to power and establish an authoritarian state. This can be seen as similar to how Hitler and the NSDAP employed the method of capitalizing on the failures of Bruning -and the Weimar government in general - to rise to power in Germany.
  10. Franz von Papen - Franz von Papen was appointed chancellor in 1932 and his cabinet is often referred to as the “Baron’s Cabinet”. Franz von Papen was conservative and his cabinet was aristocratic, which is significant, as it influenced how he approached the rise of communism and the KDP. Franz von Papen contributed to the rise of Hitler by providing the conditions necessary for the NSDAP to succeed. This is because his administration failed to improve economic issues and settle political unrest, which had the impact of leading the public to further want extremism. This allowed the NSDAP to have greater voting success and legitimacy. Also, von Papen is significant, because he (and others) pushed Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor. This is an example of Hitler’s specific method of appearing to be a small threat to the rest of the government. Franz von Papen believed this and pushed for his appointment, which resulted in Hitler taking power through legal means. A similar idea can be observed in Russia post WWI with Stalin rising to power through legal means by appearing to be less influential than he was. By appearing to be a small threat, he was able to align with various groups to eliminate others and defeat opposition, which is different than what Hitler did, but the same methodology.
  11. Beer Hall putsch - Revolt led by Hitler and the Nazi party to seize power in Munich that put Hitler in prison. This is significant, as it had the impact of growing Hitler’s name and allowed him to write Mein Kampf. NOV. 1923
  12. Hyperinflation - Hyperinflation is the rapid decrease in the value of a country’s currency, resulting in an extremely weak economy. The cause of hyperinflation in Weimar Germany in 1923 was the Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr area in Germany. France was especially frustrated with Germany for the failure of the democracy to pay the reparations stated in the War Guilt Clause of the Treaty of Versailles, so they invaded the Ruhr to further weaken Germany as the Ruhr was the base of Germany’s industries. As a result workers failed to cooperate and the government supported them by printing more money and increasing the workers’ wages. Because inflation had already been increasing since the war, printing more money only accelerated the inflation, causing the value of Germany’s currency to dramatically decrease. In November 1923, one U.S. dollar was equivalent to 4.2 trillion German marks. This condition proved to be a benefit to Hitler as the panic created at the time undermined the confidence in the Weimar Republic and as the people gained support for authoritarian and totalitarian movements, especially those presented by Hitler. This is significant as it shows how Hitler campaigned for over 10 years prior to becoming Fuhrer before he achieved his goal of leading an authoritarian government with the NSDAP.
  13. Reparations - Payments made from one country to another to help it recover from war. This is significant in the unit, as part of the Treaty of Versailles stated that Germany had to pay the Allies reparations that most Germans felt were excessive and unfair. This perspective of the German people led to public upset and distrust of the new government. Thus, it can be seen as a long term cause of Hitler’s rise to power.
  14. NSDAP - The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) was an extreme right political party in Weimar Germany which eventually overthrew the democratic system and enforced an authoritarian rule led by Adolf Hitler. The NSDAP never earned the majority of the votes in any election, but instead used specific tactics and manipulated conditions of the state in order to emerge in 1933. The ideologies of this political group consisted of revisionism, an emphasis on community bonds, the expansion of the German empire, anti-semitic views, totalitarianism, militarism, hostility towards democracy and communism, and the cleansing of all aspects of Germany. In 1920, the Nazi’s launched an uprising known as the Kapp Putsch in opposition of the democratic system, and the military did not retaliate as they were not forced to protect the government. Even though they didn’t fight against the Nazi’s, the military did suppress the KPD’s Spartacist Uprising. This was a cause of the KPD and the SPD’s failure to cooperate and prevent the NSDAP from rising, and this condition allowed Hitler to emerge with little resistance from other political parties. In 1923, the NSDAP launched the Beerhall Putsch exploited the weak democracy, but failed in making any change. The trial that followed, however, was a successful method used by the Nazi’s to spread their ideologies nationally. During the Stresemann Era (1923-1929), the Nazi’s reoraganized and began using different methods to promote their ideologies, one of which was the use of propoganda to exploit the democracy and its inability to create a stable economy. From the NSDAP’s perspective, this was a great chance to undermine the citizen’s trust in Weimar Germany and gain support or a totalitarian government under the rule of Hitler. On January 30, 1933, Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg, and used his position to take total control of the government as Fuhrer of Germany when Hindenburg died in August 1934. Hitler was only able to step into this position through his clever methods of spreading the ideology of the NSDAP and gaining supporters.
  15. Mein Kampf - Mein Kampf is the book written by Adolf Hitler that was published in 1925. The piece was written while Hitler was serving a five year sentence for his involvement in the Beer Hall Putsch of November 1923. The Putsch and its subsequent trial was significant, as it caused the NSDAP to be brought to national attention and provided Hitler with a platform to express the group’s beliefs. The novel itself can be seen as an effect of the incident and of the growing spotlight on the NSDAP. The novel was highly significant, as it detailed Hitler’s ideals and promoted ultranationalist and far right ideology. This later became more important as the NSDAP continually expanded and became more organized. They employed the methods of propaganda and effective planning to gain success and legitimacy, which is significant, because it allowed the party to be national by 1929. The success and consistency of the ideology over time caused Hitler to be selected for chancellor in efforts to counteract the growing KDP that grew during the depression. Thus, Mein Kampf being a further testament to the consistency and far right nature of NSDAP policy is significant, as it indirectly assisted in Hitler’s rise to power. This can be seen as similar to Mussolini in Italy, where his use of journalism to spread his ultra-nationalist beliefs gained him fame and recognition before his rise to power.
  16. Enabling Act - The Enabling Act was a law passed in 1933 in Germany, effectively ending the Weimar Era. The Act allowed Hitler, as chancellor, to create legislation without the approval of the rest of the government. This is significant, as it ended the period from 1919-1933 characterized by the presence of a democratic republic in Germany. The end of the Weimar Era, and the shift to an authoritarian government, came as a result of several key causes. These included the ambitions and organization of the NSDAP, as this caused the group to be more effective in gaining legitimacy. However, many conditions were in place within Germany that allowed for the implementation of the Enabling Act and the taking over done by Hitler and the NSDAP. For example, the depression of 1929 caused fear, which led people to wanting extremist action. Also, systematic issues with the Weimar Constitution, such as Article 48 led to a single leader being able to control the government, which allowed Hitler to take over. This use of the enabling act to install an authoritarian state is similar to how Stalin used the legal system to achieve his authoritarian state in Russia at around the same time, post WWI.
  17. Article 48 - Article 48 refers to the article of the Weimar Republic Constitution which states that the president can take emergency measures without the permission of the Reichstag “in the event that the public order and security are seriously disturbed or endangered”, also known as an emergency decree. While the Reichstag doesn’t need to give consent to the decree, they can nullify it with a majority vote. If the Reichstag were to nullify the emergency decree, the president could dissolve the Reichstag and declare elections within the following 60 days as stated in Article 25 of the Constitution. Ultimately, the president had total power. In March 1930, the democratic Weimar system had practically collapsed, and Hindenburg ruled Germany through the emergency decree allowed by Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution. The disintegration of the German democracy was a condition that Hitler took advantage of in order to emerge as the leader. Between March 1930 and 1933, Hindenburg appointed and dismissed many chancellors such as Bruning, von Papen, and von Schleicher, but it was these chancellors who promoted the appointment of Hitler as chancellor. As a result of the instability, Hitler was able to present his ideologies that allowed him to reassure the citizens that a stable government would result from his rule, and following the death of Hindenburg, Hitler assumed the position of president along with chancellor, making him the Fuhrer of Germany. The power given to the president by both Articles 48 and 25 is similar to the power given to Tsar Nicholas II in Russia. Tsar Nicholas had the ability to dissolve the local governments known as dumas whenever he was unhappy with their activity, and during this period the tsar had the authority to enforce any law he wished, giving him total power similar to the president of Germany under the Weimar Constitution.
  18. Reichstag Fire - The Reichstag Fire was an attack on the German Parliament building on February 27th of 1933. This fire was significant, as it was viewed by many as an attempted communist overthrow, which Hitler and the Nazis utilized to spread fear and implement Article 48. At the time, it is significant to note that the fear of communism and the growing KPD was rising. Following the depression of 1929, communist parties saw increases in support, along with other extremist groups, as a direct effect of the fear caused by the economic crisis. Thus, The Reichstag fire was used by the far right, in order to generate fear of communism. This caused the implementation of Article 48. This had the impact of essentially making Hitler the dictator of Germany. Thus, the fire can be seen as a major short term cause of Hitler taking power. Additionally, the using of incidents to further a political agenda can be seen in Mussolini’s Italy, where he falsely accused many of plotting against him in order to use policy to kill opposition. This is similar, as both leaders capitalize on situations to generate fear to rally support behind their cause.
  19. Young Plan - Following the failure of the Dawes Plan in 1929, the Young Plan was enforced to reduce the payments Germany was forced to make as stated in the War Guilt Clause of the Treaty of Versailles. Owen Young, who was involved in the creation of the Dawes plan, wrote the plan in 1929, but didn’t put it into effect until 1930. Originally, Germany was supposed to pay about 50 billion gold marks in reparations, but the Young Plan reduced these payments by 20%. With the Great Depression in 1930, Germany stopped paying reparations until their economy improved and they gained money. In 1929, a coalition was formed by the DNVP which was in opposition to the Young Plan and paying any amount of reparations. Later, Adolf Hitler and the NSDAP joined the coalition and they advocated for the Liberty Law which, if passed, would prevent any German official from collecting reparation payments from citizens. After collecting signatures of citizens in favor of the possible law, the petition was voted upon by the Reichstag and denied. Even though the Law was not passed, the campaign was a significant method used by Hitler in his rise to power as he spread the Nazi ideology and gained supporters of the NSDAP. Additionally, his collaboration with the DNVP led by Hugenburg was a relationship he used to rise to power as the DNVP was well funded and Hitler had access to Hugenburg’s extensive communications empire. This is significant as the increased support helped Hitler both take down the Weimar Republic, and have a support system as he attempted to emerge as leader of Germany.
  20. Dawes Plan - In 1924, Gustav Stresemann established the Dawes Plan which was a measure that allowed Germany to recover from hyperinflation in 1923 following the Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr. During the time of hyperinflation, one U.S. dollar was worth 4.2 trillion German marks, showing just how invaluable Germany’s currency had become. Through the Dawes Plan, a new currency was established in November 1923, and the U.S. provided Germany with loans in order to help pay the reparations from WWI as stated in the War Guilt Clause of the Treaty of Versailles. The loans benefitted America’s economy as it was heavily based on exports, and America also ensured the communism wouldn’t grow in Germany. With the loans, Germany’s economy began to improve, and Germany went through a period known as the Golden Era in the years 1924-1929. A negative consequence of the Dawes Plan, however, was that when the American stock market crashed, Germany stopped receiving loans and faced many struggles with the Great Depression. While almost all countries felt the effects of the depression, Germany’s political system was especially harmed as anti-republican sentiments grew among the citizens. This condition was beneficial to Hitler’s rise as the citizens lacked confidence in the Weimar system, so they looked for hope in an authoritarian or totalitarian government. This hope made it easier for Hitler to find supporters when the NSDAP attempted to emerge as the leading political party of Germany.