Political Instability
Describe one social or political sign that citizens begin to lose trust in a democracy
Citizens may lose trust when there is massive unemployment, food shortages, or widespread violence between extremist groups
Who abdicated the German throne in November 1918 and what major political change followed?
Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on November 9, 1918; the Weimar Republic (a democratic government) was then established
What international plan gave Germany large loans in the 1920s to pay reparations?
The Dawes Plan
Name two totalitarian leaders
Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler
List one enforcement method used by totalitarian regimes
police terror/secret police, censorship, indoctrination, or use of modern mass communication for propaganda
Explain how the "stab‑in‑the‑back" myth affected public opinion in Germany after WWI
The "stab‑in‑the‑back" myth claimed the German army had not truly been defeated and instead was betrayed by politicians, Socialists, and Jews.
List two strengths of the Weimar Republic mentioned in the slides.
Two strengths: civil liberties (freedom of speech), multi‑party system/representation for minorities, and voting rights for women.
Name two economic effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash on Germany
loss of U.S. investment/credit and collapse of financial support leading to mass unemployment and business failures.
Give two promises made by the Nazi Party that helped them gain support.
Two Nazi promises: jobs and national pride; rejection of Versailles and strong leadership
What were the SS and the Gestapo used for under Hitler? Name one function of each.
SS— elite protection/security organization that ran concentration camps and enforced party control; Gestapo — secret state police used for surveillance, arrests, and suppression of dissent.
Identify two weaknesses of a many‑party system that can lead to government instability.
(1) Proportional representation can create many small parties, preventing a single majority and making stable coalition governments difficult. (2) Small or extremist parties gain representation and leverage, enabling political fragmentation and paralysis
What elements of the Treaty of Versailles contributed to blaming the Weimar government for Germany’s problems? Name at least three
Treaty elements that caused blame: War Guilt Clause, reparations payments, loss of territory, and military restrictions.
Describe hyperinflation in Germany (November 1923)
The German Mark was worthless and it led to increased prices as well an unstable economy.
Summarize Mussolini’s rise to power and one method he used to enforce his rule
Rose to power by forming the Fascist Party, promising to revive the economy and restore Italy’s power. Method: used the Blackshirts (paramilitary/secret police) to intimidate opponents and force political change (March on Rome led to being named prime minister)
Explain two ways propaganda and censorship were used by Stalin to control the population
indoctrination and education programs teaching communist ideals to children and citizens; (2) censorship of media and publication, use of propaganda posters and heroic imagery to glorify Stalin and hide atrocities
How did Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution create a legal path that weakened parliamentary democracy? Give two specific powers it granted
Article 48 allowed the President to suspend civil liberties, rule by decree, and use the military in emergencies. By permitting executive bypass of parliament, it created a legal route for rulers to govern without Reichstag approval and set a precedent for emergency rule that weakened parliamentary democracy
Explain how proportional representation led to the inefficiant parliament inside of the Weimar Republic.
Proportional representation produced many small parties. There was too many opinions inside of Parliament leading to no one agreeing, causing deadlock.
Using the Dawes cycle described, explain how U.S. bank failures in 1929 led to economic collapse across Europe
The Dawes cycle: U.S. banks lent money to Germany → Germany paid reparations to Allies → Allies paid war debts to the U.S. When American banks failed and lending stopped, Germany lost credit and reparations payments ceased, which in turn undermined Britain and France (who could not repay U.S. debts) and froze international trade and finance — spreading the crisis
Explain how elites’ fear of communism and political instability directly influenced their decision to bring Hitler into government in 1933
Conservative elites feared a communist revolution and the loss of traditional power. They sought stability and believed Hitler could suppress communists and restore order, so they supported his appointment to harness his popularity
Describe how the Reichstag Fire was used to restrict civil liberties and give two specific rights/actions that were suspended.
Hitler blamed communists and used fear to suspend freedoms. Specific rights/actions suspended: freedom of speech and press, protection from unlawful searches, arrest without trial
Give two examples of how the Weimar Republic was set up for failure from the beginning
- They signed the treaty of Versailles
- The Republic was set up for easy takeover
- Political Proportion
- Too much Political parties
How did the Weimar Republic’s idea that the old government lost the war and the new government did not, both help them and hurt them?
It separated the new republic away from the government that lost the war, but it was the government that signed the treaty of Versailles and took the blame for it.
Construct an argument that:
1. Explains how Germany’s economic conditions between 1923 and 1932 .
2. How that made extremist parties more appealing to voters
Hyperinflation- destroyed middle‑class savings and trust in financial institutions, producing humiliation and anger that extremists could exploit
Dawes Plan dependency on U.S. loans created vulnerability—when the 1929 Wall Street Crash removed U.S. investment and credit, Germany lost financing and reparations payments collapsed, precipitating business failure
Discuss the reasons elites supported bringing Hitler into government — include at least two motives.
Fear of communist revolution; belief Hitler could restore order and crush communism; desire to preserve traditional power and social order; some elites thought they could control or use Hitler’s popularity to stabilize politics
Explain how legal changes such as the Enabling Act, Article 48, and the laws after Reichstag Fire led to the fall of democracy.
Article 48 and emergency decrees allowed executive rule by decree; the Reichstag Fire emergency measures suspended civil liberties; the Enabling Act gave Hitler power to pass laws without parliament and override the constitution. Violence and arrests (of communist deputies) removed political opponents and intimidated the populace. Together, these legal and extra‑legal tools eliminated checks and balances and dismantled democracy.