History review
Paper 1 (Germany):
• The German empire/ Imperial Germany (1890-1918)
• Weimer Germany/Democratic Germany (1918-1933)
• Nazi Germany/Third Reich (1933-1945)
Section 2 (WWI)
• Causes
• The war
The German empire/ Imperial Germany (1890-1918):
Kaiser Wilhelm II (1888-1918)
• Dismissed previous chancellor and consolidated his own power to make Germany an important
power
• Impatient, reckless, intelligent, unstable and egotistical
• Wished to rule Germany unhindered
• Grandchild of queen Victoria
• Germany was a large country made up of may provinces the largest of which was Prussia
• Theoretically a constitutional monarchy but in reality, most power was held by the Kaiser
• The parliament consisted of the Reichstag (representing the entire nation and elected by all males,
lower chamber) and the Bundesrat (consisted up of representatives from each state, upper
chamber)
• The chancellor was only appointed by the Kaiser, was considered head of government and acted as
ministers
• This gave limited democracy as most of the power was held by the Kaiser and depended on how
strong the chancellor was (whether they just followed the word of the Kaiser)
• During the 1880s Germany becomes more industrialised causing bigger cities
• Increased threat of Socialism (ordinary people have more power) to the Kaiser as the population
increases
• Power at the time was held by the catholic church, Junkers and the conservative elite (e.g. military)
• Navy laws 1889-1912
o To build up German navy and compete with British
o Supported and pushed by Kaiser Wilhelm and Grand Admiral von Tirpitz
o Allowed for an increase in jobs, challenging British dominance and consolidating German
military power
o But was expensive, provoked Britain and other countries to build up navy (arms race)
o Consolidates Kaisers power as laws came without consent of the Reichstag
• WW1 ended with the treaty of Versailles causing:
o Less tertiary for Germany
o Removal of German colonies in Africa
o Limit on German army (100000 men, no navy or air force)
o Huge war reparations
• This left Germany with more internal problems:
o Military: wasn’t loyal to new ‘illegitimate’ government
o Economic: large amounts of money leaving the country, industrial east of Germany
transferred to Poland
o Social: population feels betrayed as they believed they could have won the war
o Political: the Weimar is unstable and unaccepted by all as it has been born through
revolution
• Weimar constitution:
o More democratic
o All components were elected (elected president, chancellor and Reichstag)
, o Used proportional representation- number of votes proportional to number of seats (lead
to large number of small parties, causing coalition governments and dependency on elected
president to be fair and democratic)
o President allowed to dissolve, government abandon civil liberties and abandon elected
governments
Weimer Germany/Democratic Germany (1918-1933):
• Key problems
o Allies occupied Rhineland- the key industrial area for Germany
o Massive hyperinflation - money worth less
o Political instability (from the left in the form of communism and from the right in the form
of fascism)
o 1920: the Kapp putsch (general strike)
• Weimar survived due to the introduction of a new currency (Rentenmark) stopping hyperinflation,
stable leadership under Fredrich Ebert and reduction in reparation payments due to the Dawes plan
helping stabilise the economy there for political situation
• 1924-1929: golden years of Weimar republic, under Chancellor Gustav Stresemann
o Stabilised the economy
o Made agreements with American banks to reduce reparations
o Made diplomatic agreements with USSR, league of nations and others
o Was able to win back the Ruhr with these agreements
o Focused on exporting goods to bring money in
• Attitudes to Weimar republic:
o Military and aristocracy: Jealous of their old dominance, wishing to return to monarchy
o Working class: suspicious of new leaders, wishing for general change, hesitant to trust due
to perceived betrayal after WWI
o Middle class: suspicious of socialism and communism and wish for a return to Imperial
stability
• Early Nazi party and Hitler
o Nationalism
o Aryan superiority
o Dislike towards liberalism and democracy
o Authoritarian state to keep order
o Wished for German expansion
o Belief in prominence of military
o Dislike to democracy
o Belief that Germany was betrayed
o Social democratic leadership was globalist and Jewish
o Democracy and Weimar republic would fail
o Used fear and intimidation through SA
o Propaganda to fuel hatred and disillusionment
o Created public rallies to spark debate and controversy
• Nazi party appealed to all different classes:
o Working class: to renew German pride, sense of national identity and reversing shame of
Versailles
o Military: bring back military prominence, reintroduce military size
o Businesses: contracts awarded to Germans and protection from socialists
o Aristocracy: end democracy, gain power
• Hitler became chancellor
o Unstable government due to proportional representation causing unstable coalition
governments
o Causing series of chancellors elected by the president and overriding elected members
o lead to more Nazi deputies in the Reichstag leading control of Reichstag by Nazis, through
Hermann Goering whom hitter used to speak in the Reichstag
Paper 1 (Germany):
• The German empire/ Imperial Germany (1890-1918)
• Weimer Germany/Democratic Germany (1918-1933)
• Nazi Germany/Third Reich (1933-1945)
Section 2 (WWI)
• Causes
• The war
The German empire/ Imperial Germany (1890-1918):
Kaiser Wilhelm II (1888-1918)
• Dismissed previous chancellor and consolidated his own power to make Germany an important
power
• Impatient, reckless, intelligent, unstable and egotistical
• Wished to rule Germany unhindered
• Grandchild of queen Victoria
• Germany was a large country made up of may provinces the largest of which was Prussia
• Theoretically a constitutional monarchy but in reality, most power was held by the Kaiser
• The parliament consisted of the Reichstag (representing the entire nation and elected by all males,
lower chamber) and the Bundesrat (consisted up of representatives from each state, upper
chamber)
• The chancellor was only appointed by the Kaiser, was considered head of government and acted as
ministers
• This gave limited democracy as most of the power was held by the Kaiser and depended on how
strong the chancellor was (whether they just followed the word of the Kaiser)
• During the 1880s Germany becomes more industrialised causing bigger cities
• Increased threat of Socialism (ordinary people have more power) to the Kaiser as the population
increases
• Power at the time was held by the catholic church, Junkers and the conservative elite (e.g. military)
• Navy laws 1889-1912
o To build up German navy and compete with British
o Supported and pushed by Kaiser Wilhelm and Grand Admiral von Tirpitz
o Allowed for an increase in jobs, challenging British dominance and consolidating German
military power
o But was expensive, provoked Britain and other countries to build up navy (arms race)
o Consolidates Kaisers power as laws came without consent of the Reichstag
• WW1 ended with the treaty of Versailles causing:
o Less tertiary for Germany
o Removal of German colonies in Africa
o Limit on German army (100000 men, no navy or air force)
o Huge war reparations
• This left Germany with more internal problems:
o Military: wasn’t loyal to new ‘illegitimate’ government
o Economic: large amounts of money leaving the country, industrial east of Germany
transferred to Poland
o Social: population feels betrayed as they believed they could have won the war
o Political: the Weimar is unstable and unaccepted by all as it has been born through
revolution
• Weimar constitution:
o More democratic
o All components were elected (elected president, chancellor and Reichstag)
, o Used proportional representation- number of votes proportional to number of seats (lead
to large number of small parties, causing coalition governments and dependency on elected
president to be fair and democratic)
o President allowed to dissolve, government abandon civil liberties and abandon elected
governments
Weimer Germany/Democratic Germany (1918-1933):
• Key problems
o Allies occupied Rhineland- the key industrial area for Germany
o Massive hyperinflation - money worth less
o Political instability (from the left in the form of communism and from the right in the form
of fascism)
o 1920: the Kapp putsch (general strike)
• Weimar survived due to the introduction of a new currency (Rentenmark) stopping hyperinflation,
stable leadership under Fredrich Ebert and reduction in reparation payments due to the Dawes plan
helping stabilise the economy there for political situation
• 1924-1929: golden years of Weimar republic, under Chancellor Gustav Stresemann
o Stabilised the economy
o Made agreements with American banks to reduce reparations
o Made diplomatic agreements with USSR, league of nations and others
o Was able to win back the Ruhr with these agreements
o Focused on exporting goods to bring money in
• Attitudes to Weimar republic:
o Military and aristocracy: Jealous of their old dominance, wishing to return to monarchy
o Working class: suspicious of new leaders, wishing for general change, hesitant to trust due
to perceived betrayal after WWI
o Middle class: suspicious of socialism and communism and wish for a return to Imperial
stability
• Early Nazi party and Hitler
o Nationalism
o Aryan superiority
o Dislike towards liberalism and democracy
o Authoritarian state to keep order
o Wished for German expansion
o Belief in prominence of military
o Dislike to democracy
o Belief that Germany was betrayed
o Social democratic leadership was globalist and Jewish
o Democracy and Weimar republic would fail
o Used fear and intimidation through SA
o Propaganda to fuel hatred and disillusionment
o Created public rallies to spark debate and controversy
• Nazi party appealed to all different classes:
o Working class: to renew German pride, sense of national identity and reversing shame of
Versailles
o Military: bring back military prominence, reintroduce military size
o Businesses: contracts awarded to Germans and protection from socialists
o Aristocracy: end democracy, gain power
• Hitler became chancellor
o Unstable government due to proportional representation causing unstable coalition
governments
o Causing series of chancellors elected by the president and overriding elected members
o lead to more Nazi deputies in the Reichstag leading control of Reichstag by Nazis, through
Hermann Goering whom hitter used to speak in the Reichstag
