The Rise and Fall of The Weimar Republic Timeline Project Activity: 1. Four Teams. Each team will elect a Team Leader. 2. Create a PowerPoint slideshow that contains two (2) photographs from each event listed in your Team’s Timeline. First slide will have the Team #, Title, and the names of all students who produced a work product. Do not list anyone who did not contribute to the project. 3. Each slide should contain no less than twenty words that describe the image. Use the “Date and Description” of the Timeline for the slide’s title. 4. Each image should be footnoted. Each jpeg must not be smaller than 300 x 300. 5. Last slide should contain a list of the Endnotes. Go here if you need help with Endnotes. http://www.aresearchguide.com/7footnot.html 6. Each Team will turn in a PowerPoint File and a typed Works Cited page. 7. Create a Folder within the “Mr. Gallagher” Folder on the Temp drive with the name of your Team, i.e. “Perriod 2 Team I”. Place your PowerPoint file and the Works Cited page in your folder. _____________________________________________________________________________ Team I 1914 - The Beginning of World War One 1914 - US and German Trade 1915 - Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) 1917 - The Russian Revolution 1918 - Abdication of the Kaiser 1918 - The End of World War One / November Criminals 1919 - Germany Signs the Treaty of Versailles 1919 - Sparticist Revolution 1919 - Weimar Established 1920 - Berlin Kapp Putsch 1920 - Founding of the Nazi Party Team II 1920 - Otto Braun, Prussian Prime Minister 1920 - Paul Whitman Band Brings American Jazz to Germany 1921 - Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 1922 - Founding of Hitler Youth 1922 - Leo Baeck elected president of Rabbi Association 1922 - Walter Rathenau Assassinated 1923 - Berlin Riots on Hyperinflation 1923 - Dawes Plan 1923 - Hyper-Inflation at its Highest 1923 - Kurt Tucholsky Attacks Judges Verdicts in Terrorism Cases 1923 - Munich Beer Hall Putsch Team III 1924 - Bauhaus School is Moved to Dessau 1925 - Friedrich Ebert Dies Before Re-election 1925 - Hindenburg becomes President 1926 - Germany Joins the League of Nations 1926 - "Black Reichswehr" Investigation 1926 - "Metropolis" Opens in Germany 1927 - Founding of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute 1928 – Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 - The Young Plan 1929 - George Grosz On Trial For Blasphemy 1929 - Joachim Hossenfelder Joins the Nazi Party Team IV 1929 - Nazis Protest Opening of "All's Quiet on the Western Front" 1929 - Ruth Fisher Loses Leadership Position in German Communist Party 1929 - U.S.: Wall Street Crash 1929 - "Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood (published in 1940) 1930 - Max Schmeling Wins Heavyweight Title 1931 - The collapse of the Austrian Credit-Anstalt 1932 - 5 million unemployed 1932 – Elections in Germany 1932 - Martin Albertz Attacks the German Christian Movement 1933 - Hitler named the last Weimar Chancellor 1933 - Weimar Republic Destroyed __________________________________________________________________________ This is an example of the kind of slide that best exemplifies image and description. 2 The Weimar Republic and the Third Reich 1918 Oct. 28 Nov. 9 Nov. 10 Feb. 6 Nov. 11 Mutinies by sailors and soldiers begin in the home garrisons in Germany, followed by the formation of workers' and soldiers' councils. Revolution in Germany: The Empire collapses, the Kaiser abdicates, and a republic is proclaimed. A provisional government of socialists is established, nominally responsible to the workers’ and soldiers' councils; until Dec. 29 it includes the radical USPD as well as the moderate SPD. Armistice: The end of the war. 1919 Feb. 6 The National Assembly (elected on Jan. 19) meets in Weimar because Berlin is too violent. A government of the "Weimar Coalition" (SPD, DDP, Center) is formed with Philipp Scheidemann as Chancellor. Feb. 11 The National Assembly elects Friedrich Ebert (SPD) as first President of the Republic. April 4 - May A Soviet Republic in Bavaria is the most dramatic of a series of 1 revolts and military conflicts during the spring between government troops and radical workers. June 23 Versailles Treaty: The Treaty, drafted by Britain, France, and the United States, is imposed on the protesting German government. Germany is forced to yield up territory to France (Alsace-Lorraine), Poland (the Polish Corridor, Silesia), Denmark, and Belgium, and is forbidden to unite with Austria. Germany is also forced to limit its army to 100,000 men; forbidden to keep troops in its Western provinces (the "demilitarized" Rhineland); required to make heavy reparations payments for damage caused in the war; and barred from the League of Nations. July 31 Weimar Constitution: The National Assembly, sitting in Weimar, adopts a constitution for the Republic. Sept. Adolf Hitler joins the tiny German Workers Party (later renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party, NSDAP, or Nazi Party) in Munich. 1920 March 13 - The Kapp Putsch, an unsuccessful military revolt against the 17 Republican government. It is followed over the next two weeks by armed radical revolts in the Ruhr and elsewhere, also unsuccessful. June 6 The parties of the "Weimar Coalition" lose their Reichstag majority in national elections; they never again have enough seats to form a majority coalition. 1921 May 11 The German government (under duress) accepts the Allies claims for reparations, the amount of which was left open in the peace treaty. Oct. 12 After a plebiscite, the League of Nations partitions Upper Silesia and awards a large part to Poland. 1922 April 16 The Treaty of Rapallo between Germany and Soviet Russia opens a diplomatic back door for Germany. June 24 Foreign minister Walter Rathenau is assassinated by right-wing anti-Semites. In reaction to this outrage, Republican institutions are consolidated for a time. 3 June 16 Occupation of the Ruhr and Great Inflation: Germany’s main heavy industrial area is occupied by French and Belgian troops in an attempt to force payment of reparations. The local population practices passive resistance, subsidized by the German government; these expenditures lead to rapid escalation of the already steep inflation in Germany. A "Great Coalition" government (SPD, DDP, Center, DVP) led by Gustav Stresemann (DVP) ends the passive resistance and the inflation. Stresemann remains as foreign minister in every succeeding government until 1929. "Beer Hall Putsch": Hitler’s failed coup d'état takes place in Munich. Afterwards Hitler flees, is arrested and spends about a year in prison during 1924-25. The currency is stabilized on terms that bankrupt many savers: each new Mark is worth one trillion of the old ones. The Dawes Plan eases Germany's reparations obligations and leads to an influx of American loans. Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg is elected as President of the Republic, following the death of Ebert. Germany signs the Locarno Treaties are signed, voluntarily guaranteeing her Western borders. This restores normal relations with the Western powers. Germany is admitted to the League of Nations. A "Great Coalition" government (the first since 1923) is formed under Hermann Müller (SPD), after national elections that seems to confirm the stabilization of the Republic. This cabinet survives until March 1930. The German government accepts the Young Plan, which further eases German reparations obligations. In the ensuing nationalist campaign to force rejection of the Young Plan (unsuccessfully) Hitler gains his first national prominence. The Wall Street crash, symbolic start of the Great Depression, finds the German economy already in decline, and leads to the withdrawal of American short-term loans. Brüning cabinet: After the collapse of the Great Coalition government, a minority government of the center and right-wing parties is formed under Heinrich Brüning (Center). When the Reichstag fails to cooperate with his program, Brüning resolves to rely on President von Hindenburg's powers of emergency decree. He remains Chancellor until May 1932. National elections, called by Brüning to strengthen his position in the Reichstag, result in a big surge in the Nazi and Communist vote. The "Great Coalition" loses its ability to form a majority coalition, and Brüning now has no way to legislate except by Presidential decree. The collapse of the Austrian Credit-Anstalt starts a banking crisis in Germany that accelerates the slow decline of the German economy and makes it clear that the depth and duration of the depression will be extraordinary. Hindenburg is reelected President by a small margin over Hitler. Franz von Papen becomes Chancellor after Brüning loses Hindenburg's confidence and resigns. An international conference effectively ends German reparations obligations. The Papen government lifts a ban on the SA. July 20 The Papen government takes over the government of Prussia, 1923 Jan. 11 Aug. 12 Nov. 23 Nov. 8 - 11 Nov. 15 1924 April 9 1925 April 26 Oct. 16 1926 Sept. 8 1928 June 13 1929 June 7 Oct. 1930 March 27 Sept. 14 1931 May 11 1932 April 10 May 31 June 4 Germany's largest federal state, dismissing the Weimar Coalition government that had ruled there until this point. July 31 Aug. 13 Nov. 6 Dec. 2 1933 Jan. 30 Feb. 27 March 5 March 23 April 1 April 7 May - July June Oct. 14 National elections, called by Papen to strengthen his position in the Reichstag, result in doubled Nazi representation. Now no coalition government of any kind is possible without either the Nazis or the Communists. Hitler declares that he will not serve in the government in any office other than as Chancellor. National elections fail to resolve the deadlock; the Nazis lose some seats, but the Communists gain. General Kurt von Schleicher becomes Chancellor. Nazi "seizure of power": Hitler becomes Chancellor with a cabinet numerically dominated by conservatives. Fire partly destroys the Reichstag building. The government takes the occasion to step up persecution of the opposition parties. In national elections the NSDAP wins 44%, the Nationalists 8%, for a majority between them; after the Communist deputies are arrested or forced underground the Nazis themselves have a majority. Enabling Act: This bill, which receives the necessary two-thirds majority with the aid of the Center Party, grants full legislative powers to the cabinet without requiring the assent of the Reichstag. It is the formal basis of Hitler’s power for the remainder of the Third Reich. An official national boycott of Jewish businesses, which lasts only a few days because of public resistance. The Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service provides for the dismissal of all Jews and opponents of the regime from the civil service. All political parties other than the Nazis are disbanded and all trade unions are absorbed into the Labor Front. Inauguration of the Reinhardt Plan of expanded public works expenditure, including construction of superhighways (Autobahns). Germany withdraws from the Disarmament Conference and the League of Nations. In a referendum 93% of the voters approve of these actions. “The Weimar Republic and The Third Reich” http://dmorgan.web.wesleyan.edu/materials/weimar.htm. 5