Transcript Germany- A time of Change

Germany- A time of Change
By: Anna Krikorian, Natalie Nuckolls,
and Kathy Zhang
Before the 1918 Revolution
Causes for Revolution

Germany entered WWI in 1914. The Central Powers (which consisted of
Germany, Austria- Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria) believed that they had
more man power than the Allies did. However, when the United States
joined the Allies in April 1917 and they restored much of the power to the
Allies. The Central powers began to lose in the WWI; therefore, many
Germans began demanding an end to the war. Several more Germans also
began to unite themselves with the Social Democratic Party, who also
opposed the war. In October of 1918, North Germany began could feel the
imminent start of the revolution. Germany Navy ships refused to sail, which
began the revolts against the imperial government. Henceforth, the
revolutions began. The revolts began to spread throughout Germany on
November 3 of the same year. Also, military authorities began to lose faith
with Kaiser and his government. Because of an internal revolution, AustriaHungary commenced to discourage from racial tensions, and pressure from
the German high command, the German ruling princes surrendered their
power. On November 9, 1918, Phillip Scheidemann entitled a Republic to
take the imperial government’s place. This newly established government
was governed by the German Social Democrats. On November 11 of the
same year, the armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany to
stop fighting in the Western front (Luxembourg and Belgium) and the war
was over. In the year of 1919, a national assembly met in Weimar and
created a new constitution, which would begin August 11.
Germany in WWI
Weimar Republic







P: This revolution was brought about mainly because of public’s disenchantment with the
Kaiser and his family and the monarchy would be preserved if he abdicated. It changed to a
parliamentary republic with 19 states and a constitution. The president was elected through
direct secret vote for seven years. He appointed the Chancellors and Cabinet, and there was
an elected parliament, or Reichstag. There was universal sufferage for all, and the people had
a great amount of involvement in legislation. The president could dissolve the Reichstag and
the people could vote on and pass legislation.
I: The Frankfurt school consisted of Marxist scholars that were more openminded than the
traditional Marxists in the Communist parties. They criticized capitalism and the socialism
practiced in Soviet Russia. Their research came from many different modern philosophers such
as Freud and Weber.
R: Catholics and Jews both became influential in the republic since Protestants lost their
special privileged place in society. However, because the Jewish became very successful, they
fueled the Anti-Semitism that Hitler used to gain power.
A: Flag and coat of arms were changed because of being a republic. The flag had black, red,
and gold stripes while the coat of arms, or Reichswappen, reduced the number of eagle heads
from two to one. A new liberal and modern architectural style was popular and called the
Bauhaus style after the art school. It was simple and minimalist and featured flat roofs, neutral
shades, functional furniture, and lack of ornamentation.
T: After WW1, the Allies wanted reparations in the forms of two Zeppelins and further Zeppelin
production was halted. However, it continued in 1924 as a vehicle and some flew from
Germany to the United States as a vehicle of peace between the two nations.
E: The Rentenmark was issued to replace the Deutshe Mark since no gold could back the old
one. It was a temporary one that stopped inflation. According to the Treaty of Versailles that
ended the war, Germany was deprived of land, natural resources, and was left with a starving
population. With foreign help, the Weimar Republic enjoyed a golden age from 1924-1929
when its economy stabilized, but then they suffered once again from the GreatRepublic was a
symbol of defeat, couldn’t be a world power because of world conspiracy Germans thought
that the Weimar Depression.
S: Class distinctions were still apparent in which members of the middle class had to fight for
their privileges over the working class. Women’s rights were granted by the Constitution, but
tradition, civil, and criminal codes were still patriarchal.
The Weimar Republic
Important People of the Weimar
Republic
Friedrich Ebert: First
Weimar President
Kurt Eisner: Overthrew the
Bavarian Monarchy in 1918
Constitution of the Weimar Republic
Composition of the Reich:
The first part (Erster Hauptteil) of the Constitution:
Section 1 consisted of Articles 1 to 19 and established the German Reich as a republic. Section 1 also gave the Reich
government exclusive jurisdiction of:
foreign relations, colonial affairs, citizenship
freedom of movement
immigration, emigration, and extradition.
defense
currency and coinage
customs and trade
postal, telegraph, and telephone service
Section 2 consisted of Articles 20 to 40 and described the parliament, the Reichstag, in Berlin. The Reichstag was
composed of representatives elected by the German people by an equal and secret ballot open to all Germans
aged 20 or older. Reichstag elections were carried out through the policy of proportional representation.
Section 3 consisted of Articles 41 to 59. Principal provisions were: The Reich president represented the entire German
nation. Any German 35 years of age or older was eligible to serve as president, but the president could not be
simultaneously a member of the Reichstag. Presidents served for 7 years and could be re-elected.
Section 4 consisted of Articles 60 to 67 and established the Reichsrat (State Council). The Reichsrat allowed the
provinces (Länder) to participate in legislation at the national level.
Section 5 consisted of Articles 68 to 77 and specified how legislation is to be passed into law. Laws could be proposed by
a member of the Reichstag or by the Reich government and were passed on the majority vote of the Reichstag.
Proposed legislation had to be presented to the Reichsrat, and the latter body's objections were required to be
presented to the Reichstag.
Section 6 consisted of Articles 78 to 101 described the methods by which the Reich government administered the
constitution and laws, particularly in the areas where the Reich government had exclusive jurisdiction — foreign
relations, colonial affairs, defence, taxation and customs, merchant shipping and waterways, railroads.
Section 7 consisted of Articles 102 to 108 and established the judicial system of the Weimar Republic. The principal
provision established judicial independence which meant that judges were subject only to the law. This section
also established a Supreme Court and administrative courts to pass judgment over disputes between citizens and
administrative offices of the state.
Constitution (cont.)
The second part (Zweiter Hauptteil) of the Weimar Constitution
Section 1 consisted of Articles 109 to 118 and set forth individual rights of Germans, the principal tenet being
that every German was equal before the law. Both genders had the same rights and obligations.
Privileges based on birth or social statuses were abolished.
Section 2 consisted of Articles 119 to 134 and guided Germans' interaction with the community and
established the following:
Germans had the right to assemble peacefully and unarmed without prior permission. (Article 123)[†]
Germans were entitled to form clubs or societies, which were permitted to acquire legal status. This status
could not be denied because of the organization's political, socio-political or religious goals. (Article
124)[†]
Free and secret elections were guaranteed. (Article 125)
All citizens were eligible for public office, without discrimination, based on their abilities. Discrimination toward
female civil servants was abolished. (Article 126)
Civil servants served the whole nation, not a specific party. They enjoyed freedom of political opinion. (Article
130)
Citizens could be required to provide services to the state and community, including compulsory military
service under regulations set by Reich law.
Section 3 consisted of Articles 135 to 141. Residents of the Reich were granted freedom of belief and
conscience. Free practice of religion was guaranteed by the constitution and protected by the state, and
no state church was established
Section 4 consisted of Articles 142 to 150 and guided the operation of educational institutions within the
Reich. Public education was provided by state institutions and regulated by the government, with
cooperation between the Reich, the province, and the local community. Primary school was compulsory,
with advanced schooling available to age 18 free of charge.
Section 5 consisted of Articles 151 to 165. One of the fundamental principles was that economic life should
conform to the principles of justice, with the goal of achieving a dignified life for all and securing the
economic freedom of citizens. The right to property was guaranteed by Article 153. The Reich also
protected labor, intellectual creation, and the rights of authors, inventors, and artists.
Before the Third Reich
Third Reich








P: Hitler first rose to power as Chancellor under von Hindenburg. When he died, Hitler passed
the Enabling Act which provided the constitutional basis of his dictatorship. States were
abolished and the Nazis were the only political party allowed. He became Fuhrer, or leader, and
abolished the presidency.
I: Education in Germany was focused on creating more Nazis. They emphasized History in
order to teach “white supremacy”, biology to teach “race science,” and PE to train future
soldiers and housewives.
R: Hitler aspired to create a state church called the Protestant Reich Church, but that
experiment failed. Starting from the Nuremburg Laws that deprived Jews of citizenship, he
passed many Anti-Semitic measures such as forcing them to wear the yellow star, encouraging
violence (1938 Kristallnacht) against Jews, and shipping them off into concentration camps.
Some might say that Nazism was a sort of political religion since propaganda during his regime
made him seem perfect.
A: Hitler and his propaganda minister Dr. Joseph Goebbels worked to reverse the modern art
that proliferated during the Weimar
Republic, and the Bauhaus school was shut down. All forms of media had to be examined by
the Propaganda Ministry. All Western and foreign films were banned. Art was focused on
themes such as racial purity, and books by “undesirables” were burned and destroyed.
T: Hitler wanted to take over the entire world and encouraged development of the army and
new weapons. He aided Franciso Franco in the Spanish civil war and tested the weapons and
by 193, Germany had the most powerful mechanized army and largest air force.
E: The Axis and Allied powers raced to develop atomic weapons, and also invented the first
nerve gas tabun. The economy was mixed between command and free-market. The Nazis
didn’t really have a clear economic policy because they believed that economic matters were
purely materialistic and that expansion of territories through war was the first priority.
Lebensraum was as political philosophy that involved exterminating the Slavs in Eastern
Europe, repopulating them with Aryans, and creating an agricultural surplus to feed Germany
as well as providing them with raw materials.
S: “Aryans” were the favored people in the Third Reich and were characterized by blonde hair
and blue eyes. Those persecuted and sent to the concentration camps included Gypsies,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, the disabled, and homosexuals.
Important People of the Third Reich
The Enabling Act of 1933
 The formal name of the Enabling Act was Gesetz zur
Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich which meant
"Law to Remedy the Distress of People and Reich”.
 It was the second major step, after the Reichstag Fire
Decree, that led up to Adolf Hitler’s legally obtained
plenary powers. This act established his dictatorship.
 It received its name from its legal status as an
enabling act which granted the Cabinet the authority
to enact laws without the input of the Reichstag. The
act stated that it was to last for four years unless
renewed by the Reichstag, which happened twice.
The Enabling Act in German
Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk and Reich
Der Reichstag hat das folgende Gesetz beschlossen, das mit Zustimmung des Reichsrats
hiermit verkündet wird, nachdem festgestellt ist, daß die Erfordernisse
verfassungsändernder Gesetzgebung erfüllt sind
Artikel 1 Reichsgesetze können außer in dem in der Reichsverfassung vorgesehenen
Verfahren auch durch die Reichsregierung beschlossen werden. Dies gilt auch für die in
den Artikeln 85 Abs. 2 und 87 der Reichsverfassung bezeichneten Gesetze.
Artikel 2 Die von der Reichsregierung beschlossenen Reichsgesetze können von der
Reichsverfassung abweichen, soweit sie nicht die Einrichtung des Reichstags und des
Reichsrats als solche zum Gegenstand haben. Die Rechte des Reichspräsidenten bleiben
unberührt.
Artikel 3 Die von der Reichsregierung beschlossenen Reichsgesetze werden vom
Reichskanzler ausgefertigt und im Reichsgesetzblatt verkündet. Sie treten, soweit sie
nichts anderes bestimmen, mit dem auf die Verkündung folgenden Tage in Kraft. Die
Artikel 68 bis 77 der Reichsverfassung finden auf die von der Reichsregierung
beschlossenen Gesetze keine Anwendung.
Artikel 4 Verträge des Reiches mit fremden Staaten, die sich auf Gegenstände der
Reichsgesetzgebung beziehen, bedürfen für die Dauer der Geltung dieser Gesetze nicht
der Zustimmung der an der Gesetzgebung beteiligten Körperschaften. Die
Reichsregierung erläßt die zur Durchführung dieser Verträge erforderlichen
Vorschriften.
Artikel 5 Dieses Gesetz tritt mit dem Tage seiner Verkündung in Kraft. Es tritt mit dem 1.
April 1937 außer Kraft, es tritt ferner außer Kraft, wenn die gegenwärtige
Reichsregierung durch eine andere abgelöst wird.
The Enabling Act in English
Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the Nation
The Reichstag has enacted the following law, which is hereby proclaimed with the assent of the
Reichstat, it having been established that the requirements for a constitutional amendment
have been fulfilled.
Article 1 In addition to the procedure prescribed by the constitution, laws of the Reich may also be
enacted by the government of the Reich. This includes the laws referred to by Articles 85
Paragraph 2 and Article 87 of the constitution.
Article 2 Laws enacted by the government of the Reich may deviate from the constitution as long as
they do not affect the institutions of the Reichstag and the Reichsrat. The rights of the
President remain undisturbed.
Article 3 Laws enacted by tshe Reich government shall be issued by the Chancellor and announced in
the Reich Gazette. They shall take effect on the day following the announcement, unless they
prescribe a different date. Articles 68 to 77 of the Constitution do not apply to laws enacted by
the Reich government
Article 4 Treaties of the Reich with foreign states which affect matters of Reich legislation shall not
require the approval of the bodies of the legislature. The government of the Reich shall issue
the regulations required for the execution of such treaties.
Article 5 This law takes effect with the day of its proclamation. It loses force on 1 April 1937 or if the
present Reich government is replaced by another.
Struggles of the Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic experienced many problems before it
thrived. Because of the war, they were severely in debt.
Also due to the war, many orphans and disabled soldiers
were in the hands of the government. A bad economy, and
therefore a poor country, was the result of weak currency.
Hyperinflation, high unemployment rates and high taxes
were also major causes. Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor in
January 1933 during the economic, social, and political
decline of the republic. He then establishes the third Reich
through the Enabling Act of 1933, which was signed by
President Paul von Hindenburg. Through this act, Hitler
legally established his plenary powers and his dictatorship.
It allowed the Nazis to have complete power and the
cabinet did not have to have a majority support of the
Reichstag, or the Parliament established by the Weimar
Republic.
Comparison of the German
Government



The Weimar republic replaced the imperial government in
1919 during the German Revolution. This government was
different than the original government structure because
the people were more involved with politics through the
Weimar’s democratic nature.
The Weimar Republic was also different from the final
government system established by the Third Reich. It was
different because in the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler had
absolute power and could not be challenged due to the
Enabling Act of 1933, while in the Weimar Republic the
people were fairly represented and could have their
opinions heard.
The Third Reich was similar to the original government
before the revolution through their imperial natures and
one all-powerful ruler, but the Third Reich was more cruel
and demanding of the people of Germany. There was far
less freedom under the Third Reich than before the
Revolution.
Bibliography
 The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History
 www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERrevolution.htm
 http://libcom.org/tags/german-revolution-1918
Who did What?
Causes for Revolution: Natalie Nuckolls
Weimar Republic and Third Reich PIRATES: Kathy Zhang
Constitution of the Weimar Republic: Anna Krikorian
The Enabling Act of 1933, The Enabling Act in English,
The Enabling Act in German: Anna Krikorian
 Struggles of the Weimar Republic: Natalie Nuckolls
 Comparison of German Governments: Anna Krikorian
 Pictures and Maps: Anna Krikorian, Natalie Nuckolls, and
Kathy Zhang



