The Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler in GermanyThe Treaty of Versailles and Germany

At the end of World War I the Treaty of Versailles placed all blame for the war on Germany. To try and prevent another conflict with Germany, the Treaty of Versailles heavily punished Germany by forcing it to pay heavy reparations for the war. Another term of the Treaty as to force Germany to change its government to a democracy. As a result of this change Germany also changed its name to the Weimar Republic. (Note: it’s pronounced “Vy-mar”)

The new democracy in the Weimar Republic had many different political parties. This made making decisions for laws and government policy very difficult and slow. Between the war debt, damages from the war and the new less efficient government, The Weimar Republic had a hard time running the country.

The WWI Reparations destroyed the German economy and caused hyperinflation. Inflation is the process where the money of a country loses some of its value. This happens in small amounts to most countries every year. That is why prices for products increase over time; a dollar in 2000 was worth more than a dollar in 2015. Hyperinflation is when the money loses value in a fast and dramatic way. In The Weimar Republic the money lost so much value it became worthless. People were actually able to see the money lose its worth through the course of a day. Some German workers demanded to be paid during their lunch breaks because it would be worth less money by the end of their shifts. By 1923 German money was almost worthless.

The Great Depression

Hyperinflation stopped in the mid-1920s, but the Weimar economy was very fragile. The Great Depression (started 1929 in USA) made conditions in the Weimar Republic much worse in the 1930s. By the early 1930s, 1/3 of all Germans were unemployed. The government had no money and was powerless to fix the problems.

Hitler Comes to Power

Adolph Hitler was a relatively unknown politician during the 1920s. He had served in WWI and was a fierce German nationalist. He was a passionate speaker and was able to raise the interest of a crowd He began to rise up the ranks of the new National Socialist Party of Germany. He blamed many of Germany’s problems on the Treaty of Versailles. He promised

the people he would end unemployment and make Germany strong again. This was something the desperate German peopled wanted to hear and believe in. In 1933, the Weimar Republic elected the National Socialist Party, also known as the Nazi Party, into power and appointed Hitler Chancellor. Shortly afterward, the Nazis created a fake crisis and voted to give Hitler complete power to manage that crisis. Hitler made sure that power was permanent and he became a dictator. He removed all other political parties from German government and ended elections. He changed the name of the country back to Germany.

Document 1: The Value of German Marks compared to the US Dollar 1919-1923

Document 2: An account of Weimar Germany“Lingering at the [shop] window was a luxury because shopping had to be done immediately. Even an additional minute meant an increase in price. One had to buy quickly because a rabbit, for example, might cost two million marks more by the time it took to walk into the store. A few million marks meant nothing, really. It was just that it meant more lugging. The packages of money needed to buy the smallest item had long since become too heavy for trouser pockets. They weighed many pounds. . . . People had to start carting their money around in wagons and knapsacks. I used a knapsack…”

Date Marks U.S. Dollars

1919 4.2 1

1921 75 1

1922 400 1

Jan. 1923 7,000 1

Jul. 1923 160,000 1

Aug. 1923 1,000,000 1

Nov. 1, 1923 1,300,000,000 1

Nov. 15, 1923 1,300,000,000,000 1

Nov. 16, 1923 4,200,000,000,000 1

Name_____________________________________ April 14th, 2015 Period

World War II and The Cold War RESEARCH LOGUnit 10

Essential Question #1: How did the Treaty of Versailles lead to the rise of Hitler in Germany?

Sub-Questions: (1) What was the Weimar Republic and why was it created? What document created it? (2) Why was the Weimar government ineffective? (3)How did reparations affect the Weimar economy? What is hyperinflation? (4) Explain how the Great Depression affected the Weimar Republic. (5)Why do you think the economic crisis caused many people to have extreme political views? (6) What did Adolph Hitler promise the people of Germany? (7) What were the two names of Hitler’s political party? (8) How were Hitler’s views are an example of nationalism. (9) How did Hitler become a dictator in Germany? (10)How did the bad economic crisis help Hitler become the Chancellor of Germany.

Define Terms

Hyperinflation –

National Socialist Party -

Document Questions

1 – Describe the change in value of German money according to the graph.

2 – How did workers respond to hyperinflation?

Answer the Essential Question: How did the Treaty of Versailles lead to the rise of Hitler in Germany?

Essential Question #1Extra Notes