Revolution begun in the ranks of the military led Kaiser Wilhelm II to abdicate, then a new republic announced by Scheidemann (a Social Democrat SPD)

War = hardships for Germany, flu epidemic, lack of supplies (incl. food)

'Stab in the back' - army claimed they could have worn but were betrayed by the new republic

strengths:
democratic (votes to all over 20)
state governments continued

weaknesses:
free speech
no changes to army/judiciary
president could appoint/dismiss chancellor

both:
proportional representation
Article 48

1919 - Spartacist (Communists) FAILED - Freikorps

1920 - Kapp Putsch (right wing)
FAILED - public, strike

1920-23 - Nazi (NSDAP) party (right wing) FAILED - lack of support

Government printed money to solve shortages, causing hyperinflation.

Reparations payments could not be paid.

The French invaded the Ruhr to occupy it and take payment in goods/raw materials.

Workers went on strike/worked slowly.

Government print more money, making hyperinflation WORSE.

Stresemann becomes Chancellor (then foreign secretary), calls off strike, introduces Rentenmark.

Nazis - Munich Putsch = FAILURE

Success:
rethink tactics
gained publicity
only banned for a short time
Hitler's sentence short

Failure:
not organised
limited support
Bavarian government didn't join
appeared to be a failure

Recovery
- more stable government
- little support for extremism
- unemployment fell
- new roads, homes, railways built
- industry reached pre-war levels
- participants in world politics

Problems
- coalitions remained
- extremist groups still existed
- unemployment remained high compared with other countries
- building/industry due to American loans
- industry slowed after 1927
- some treaties unpopular with nationalists

restructure - branches all over Germany
Student/Teacher/Women's Leagues & Hitler Youth
Targeted farmers after 1928
SA - more ordered and disciplined
Propaganda - newspaper, radio, rallies, parades
Built support from - agricultural workers, upper class, business, youth, women

Wall Street Crash - October 1929

Worldwide recession, USA called in loans

German business - pay back loans, higher taxes to government, no more investment, no one to buy goods

German government - refused to print money, couldn't borrow any more, cut unemployment benefit, wage cuts

People blamed government, lack of strong leadership, Article 48 increasingly used, main parties disagreed, extremism became more popular

May 1932 - Hitler attempts to win presidential election, spends a lot of money, loses by 13 million votes

Bruning, Papen, Schleicher

1933
January - Hitler is Chancellor
Feb - Reichstag Fire
Feb - Emergency Decree
March - Election
March - Enabling Act
March - State Parliaments closed
May - Trade Unions replaced with German Labour Front; SDP/Communist offices closed, funds taken
July - all other political parties banned
Concentration Camps
Boycott of Jewish shops

1934
June - Night of the Long Knives
August - Hindenburg dies/Hitler = Fuhrer/Army oath of allegiance

The Nazis developed a 'police state' to control the people:

It was a crime to:
- listen to foreign radio
- tell an anti-Nazi joke

The SS (led by Himmler, unlimited powers) arrested anyone breaking the law

Gestapo - spied on mail/phone calls

Block wardens - spied on 40 households each

No trial by jury, judges swore loyalty to Hitler

Concentration camps from 1933

Goebbels - Minister for Enlightenment & Propaganda

Book burning
Censorship of printed materials
Closure of opposition newspapers
Radios only tuned to German stations
Posters
Rallies
Radio speeches
Art works
Cinema

The Nazis disliked religion as they wanted total loyalty to Hitler.

Nazi beliefs challenged Christian beliefs - Hitler all powerful; racial superiority; war; dominance of the strong

Catholics - Concordat; then schools closed; then youth groups banned. Some priests arrested and sent to concentration camps. Congregations DIDN'T decline
1937 - Pope Pius XI speech criticising Nazi policy

Protestants
- Reich Church, 1933; supported Nazis; led by Ludwig Muller; approx. 2000 churches.
- Confessional Church, 1934; opposed Nazis; led by Martin Neimoller; approx. 6000 churches

Private not public for most people; Nazi policies could be positive; SS etc.

Churches

White Rose Group

Edelweiss Pirates

Amry - July 1944

Ideal woman; shouldn't work; should be married; should have a minimum of four children.

1933-36, no. employed married women fell, then rose during war years.
No. of marriages rose
Birth rate rose BUT few had more than two

Education - prepare girls to be wives and mothers; boys to be soldiers
Teachers - Nazi Teacher's League
Curriculum
Propaganda

Youth Groups
same aims as education

1936 Hitler Youth Law/1939 Compulsory
1940 - supported war effort
1943 - military reserve

Problems - Edelweiss Pirates; low join up; conscription - shortage of adult leaders

1933-37: New Plan (autarky; limited imports; trade agreements; increased trade/production)
1936 - Four Year Plan (Goring; rearmament/war; used prisoners as labour; created jobs manufacturing; increased army from 100,000 to 1.4 million 1939)

National Labour Service RAD

Invisible unemployment

Trade Unions abolished

Strength Through Joy/Beauty of Labour

Wages rose, so did cost of living; working hours increased

Food rationing
Total War
Bombing Raids
Black Market

Racial hierearchy
Untermenschen

Race farms

'non-perfect' Aryans - mentally/physically disabled; homosexuals; vagrants

Jews - escalation of persecution 1933-39/1939-45
- scapegoats; associated with communism; blamed for defeat

Boycott of business; Nuremberg laws; professions restricted; Kristallnacht

ghettos; einsatzgruppen; Final Solution; Wannsee Conference; Holocaust