Nazi Germany - Main Events

November 1918, Armistice

• Fighting ends on the Western Front.

• Kiel Mutiny

• German Revolution

• German republic declared

January 1919, Weimar

• Following elections, new Parliament meets at Weimar

• New constitution created - inherent flaws

March 1920, Kapp Putsch

• 1919 - Army protects new government from uprising from the Extreme Left - Spartacist Uprising

• 1920 - threat from Extreme Right caused by government attempt to carry out military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles

• Will the Army protect them?

1922-1923, Hyperinflation

• Little capacity for economic recovery = rapid fall in the value of the German currency

January 1923, France occupies the Ruhr

• Germany unable to pay reparations

• 60,000 French and Belgian troops cross border and occupy the Ruhr

• French determined that Germany would meet repayments - believed Germany was refusing to accept defeat

• German government calls for ‘passive resistance’ - France forced to bring in own workers

November 1923, Munich Putsch

• Hastily planned and carried out

• Hitler and storm troopers encircle beer hall and announce that the government has been deposed

• Stopped by army

• Hitler and nine conspirators are sentenced to prison

January 1924, Dawes Plan

• Assist German economic recovery

• Still required to pay reparations but:

• start with 1000 million marks and increase to 2500 millions over next five years

• Would be adjusted to Germany’s capacity to pay

• Germany to get loan to revive economy and France must leave!

April 1925, Hindenburg elected President

• President Ebert suddenly dies

• Rounds of voting but no candidate received majority

• 77 year old Field Marshall Hindenburg was encourage to run and wins

• Weimar Republic had a President who really did not believe in the Republic

• His election was welcomed by the military and the Right Wing

September 1928, Young Plan

• Offers further economic aid

• Stresemann’s final foreign policy success

• Followed on from Dawes Plan - set out to revise the reparation issues

• Reduced final figure from 132,000 million marks to 37,000 million marks

October 1929, Death of Chancellor Stresemann

• Acted as both Chancellor and Foreign Minister

• Worked domestically and internationally to improve the condition and reputation of post-war Germany

• Encouraged reconciliation and fulfilment - hated by the Nazis and their supporters.

October 1929, Collapse of NYSE

• American banks recalled their loans

• Germany began to experience economic collapse

• Massive unemployment and severe social hardships = political instability

• Extremist parties like the Nazis and the Communists prospered

April 1930, ‘Hunger’ Chancellor

• Follows a policy of deflation - cuts government spending and increases taxes in order to balance the budget

• Reichstag refuses to pass his budget - widespread opposition from most political parties

• Uses Article 48 to pass budget - argues that economic woes constituted a state of emergency

• Asks president to dissolve Reichstag - new elections favour extreme parties

1930-1932, Growing violence

• Growing violence between parties of the extreme left and right - SA and SS

• Consolidation of Nazi support

• Reorganises party, forms alliances with other parties to promote Nazism

• Hitler enters into centre of German politics

May 1932, Bruning out; von Papen in

• Bruning dismissed - proposed ban on SA and SS due to increased street violence; HIndenburg requests resignation

• Replaced by von Papen - put in place by Hindenburg = Germany no longer run by elected parliament but president and his circle (perception), widely opposed by most political parties

November 1932, von Papen out; Schliecher in.

• von Papen resigns - Hindenburg, persuaded (by Schliecher) that Papen had lost the confidence of the army, asks for resignation

• Schliecher appointed Chancellor - Hitler demands chancellorship (as leader of the biggest party in the Reichstag) but Hindenburg refuses. Appoints Schliecher as Chancellor

January 1933, Hitler in

• von Papen works behind the scenes to get rid of Schliecher - makes agreement with Hitler to share power

• Considerable pressure put on Hindenburg by Schliecher and industrialists - convinced that real power would lie with von Papen (as VC) not Hitler

• Hindenburg dismisses Schliecher - Hitler appointed Chancellor

March 1933-39, Nazism in power

• Hitler consolidates power and establishes a National Socialist State = education, religion, family, work, etc.

• Systematic vilification and persecution of Jews - Nuremburg Laws, Night of Broken Glass, Concentration Camps

• Propaganda, Terror and Repression

March 1933-39, Nazism in power

• Anschluss with Austria - directly violating Treaty of Versailles

• Increased military and economic production

• Dismemberment of Czechoslovakia

• Appeasement

September 1939, World War Two begins

• Germany declares war

• Attack on Poland signals start of another European war