Background context………
Year 11 Assessment
‘Germany 1918-45’
Nov 1918 – Signing of the
armistice (PEACE TREATY)
to end WW1.
What is Hyperinflation?
Inflation is when money loses its value,
so you need more money to pay for the
same thing.
Nov 1918 –Weimar Republic
begins as the new government
of Germany (after Kaiser
leaves!)
June 1919 – Signing of the
Treaty of Versailles, This
punishes Germany for starting
WW1.
November 1923 – Hitler’s
failed attempted takeover in
Munich.
1922 – Germany
cannot pay the
reparations back to
France.
Government still
pays workers on
strike. Costly as
nothing being made
in Ruhr!
Hyperinflation is inflation that is very
high and out of control; prices increase
fast and by enormous amounts.
German government
tell workers to go on
strike – 140
Germans still killed.
The government
prints more money
to pay its debts!
Using ‘paper
money’ as fuel
for the stove
as it’s cheaper
than coal!
Children using paper
money as building
blocks!
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•
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Chancellor of Germany
from 1923.
Foreign Minister too
(deals with other
countries).
Period in charge called
‘the golden twenties.’
Died just before the Wall
St Crash caused disaster!
Stresemann the
Saviour!
The price of a loaf of BREAD
Why the Ruhr?
Important industrial
area of Germany –
plenty of mines,
factories and railways.
France does not
believe this. 1923 –
60,000 French
troops march into
the Ruhr.
•
Did I build a
strong Germany?
Nov 1918
1 mark
Nov 1922
163 marks
Sep 1923
1,500,000 marks
Nov 1923
200,000,000,000 marks
Winners
Losers
People could pay
debts off easily!
Savers lost
everything.
Businessmen could
pay off business
loans easier.
Pensioners lost all
of their savings.
Election posters
like this were
funded in part
by the money
donated from
rich
businessmen!
Workers could not
afford food due to
rising cost of food
prices.
Results of the
1932 election
1st – Social
Democrats
2nd – Nazis
3rd - Communists
I offered work
(jobs for all),
bread (food)
and freedom
(from
democracy!)
July 1932 –
Nazis are
largest party
in Reichstag
(37% of vote)
1923
Told the striking workers in the Ruhr to go
back to work.
1924
Accepted the Dawes Plan from the USA which
involved a cash loan to Germany
Given longer to pay the reparations payments.
1924
Had all the worthless paper (Hyperinflation)
money destroyed and introduced a new
currency.
1925
Locarno Pact – agreement with other nations
that they would not invade each other.
1926
Germany joined the League of Nations giving it
(trusted) great power status
1929
The Young Plan – reparations reduced by three
quarters the amount and given longer to pay
them.
Hitler didn’t become
Chancellor (YET!)
- Hindenberg won the
second vote with 53% of
the vote but DID NOT
have a majority!
Nazis given money
by businessmen who
are desperate to
keep the
Communists (3rd
most popular party)
out of power in case
they take their
businesses from
them!
Pays for Nazis huge
propaganda
campaigns (private
plane to fly Hitler
around Germany!) as
well as the poster
campaigns.