1. 1
Germany (1918-1939)
9th
November 1918 Kaiser abdicated Kaiser Wilhelm II went into exile in the Netherlands.
11th
November
1918
Armistice Signed Matthias Erzberger representing the new government
signs the armistice. Matthias Erzberger is shot in 1923
while walking in the black forest for being a ‘November
Criminal’
9th
January German workers’
Party (DAP) founded
Hitler is given an army assignment to join a political
group. One of these groups is the DAP founded by Karl
Drexler
January 1919 Spartacist Uprising Left-wing uprising throughout Germany. Spartacist
League set up soviets or councils in towns across
Germany. Their leaders Karl Liebknecht and Rosa
Luxemburg lead 100,000 demonstrators in Berlin. The
Reichswehr is unable to put down the revolt. The
Freikorps (250,000 disbanded soldiers) is used instead.
Spartacist uprising is bloodily put down and both the
leaders are shot.
28th
June 1919 Treaty of Versailles Land
Land: 13% of European territory lost
Eupen and Malmedy lost to Belgium
Alsace and Lorraine lost to France
Posen and West Prussia lost to Poland
Northern Schleswig lost in a plebiscite to
Denmark
Upper Silesia lost in a plebiscite to Poland
Colonies
All 11 overseas colonies lost to victorious allies
as mandates
Reparations
£6600 million
Military Forces
Army is limited to 100,000 members
No air force is allowed
Navy is limited to 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 12
torpedo boats and no submarines
Rhineland is demilitarised
August 1919 New Constitution Reichstag
Controlled taxation
Members were elected every four years
All men and women over the age of 20 could
vote
Proportional representation was used
Reichstrat
Reichstrat could delay new laws unless there
was a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag
Chancellor was head of government; he chose
ministers and ran the country.
The President chose the chancellor who was usually

2. 2
the leader of the biggest party. The president could
suspend the constitution and govern by decree under
Article 48.
1920 Kapp Putsch Right-wing uprising in Berlin led by Dr Wolfgang Kapp.
His primary aim was to reinstate the Kaiser. The rebels
controlled the city and the Weimar government fled to
Dresden. The revolt was defeated by workers who
have no intention of seeing the Kaiser return. Strikes
crippled the putsch and Kapp was caught fleeing.
7th
August 1920 DAP becomes NSDAP Before Hitler was working with Drexler on the 25 Point
Programme. This included: scrapping Treaty of
Versailles, extending Germany’s borders for
lebensraum, depriving the Jews of German citizenship.
Swastika is adopted as its emblem. Membership to the
party increased to 6000 members.
1921 Hitler became
NSDAP Fuhrer
Hitler pushed Drexler aside to become the party’s
leader. Hitler placed loyal colleagues around him. Ernst
Rohm, Herman Goering, Rudolf Hess and Julius
Streicher
1921 Sturmabteilung (SA)
created
This was the Party’s private army which was used to
defend their meetings, break up the meetings of
opposition parties and were used as bodyguards.
1923 Munich Putsch On the 8 November Hitler walked into a meeting in the
Burgerbrau Keller and declared that he was taking over
the government of Bavaria. The leaders inside the
Keller at first cooperated with Hitler but later betrayed
him. Hitler pressed on and sent supporters to key
buildings in Munich. While marching on the town
centre they came under fire from policemen. Hitler
was forced to flee and later captured and arrested.
Effects-
1. NSDAP banned
2. Hitler put in prison for 5 years
3. Hitler’s trial gained him national publicity.
4. The ban on the NSDAP was weakly enforced
and it was reformed in 1925
5. Hitler wrote Mein Kampf in prsion.
6. Hitler was released after 9 months
7. Hitler realised that in order to gain power he
would have to do so democratically through
the Reichstag.
1923 French Occupation
of Ruhr
Germany is bankrupt after all its gold reserves had
been spent in the War. By 1923 Germany could no
longer pay the reparations laid down in the Treaty of
Versailles. The French occupy the Ruhr and confiscate
industrial equipment. The German Government uses
passive resistance but the French bring in their
workers. The occupation crippled Germany. 80% of
German coal and iron were based there.
1923 Hyperinflation began The government could no longer pay reparations so

3. 3
they started printing money. By the end of 1923 there
were 2000 printing shops and 300 paper mills. This
leads to prices reaching colossal heights. In 1919 a loaf
of bread cost 1 mark in 1923 is cost 100,000 million
marks. The effects of hyperinflation were that
everyone suffered from shortages as no other
countries wished to trade with an obsolete currency,
the middle class lost all their savings and everyone
found it difficult to buy what they needed.
September 1923 Gustav Stresemann
appointed chancellor
By the time that Gustav Stresemann came to power
the Weimar republic was permanently weakened by
political unrest. The government was forced to use the
Freikorps and workers to put down revolts.
November 1923 Rentenmark issued Stresemann abolished the existing currency and
created a new one. This increased confidence in
Germany at home and abroad
April 1924 Dawes Plan 1. Reparations were reduced to an affordable
level.
2. American banks would invest in German
industry.
3. The Reichsbank was to be reorganised under
allied supervision.
4. The Ruhr area was to be evacuated of allied
troops.
Effects-Industrial output doubled within 5 years,
employment went up, imports and exports increased.
27th
February 1925 Nazi party re-
launched
Upon its rebirth National Socialism had these key
features:
Nationalism
Breaking Treaty of Versailles
Reviving Power of Germany
Expanding borders
Socialism
Control the economy
Totalitarianism
Total loyalty to an autocratic leader
Radial Purity and Traditional German values
Preserve traditional German values
Aryans were superior race
Jews and Slavic races were inferior
Struggle
Struggle to get lebensraum
Purify German race
1925 Paul von Hindenburg
became President
1925 Mein
Kampfpublished
A book that contained all the Nazis political ideas and
became the guiding light of the Nazi party.
October 1925 Locarno Pact 1. All new borders created from the Treaty of
Versailles were ratified.
2. Allied troops left the Rhineland.
3. France promised peace with Germany.

4. 4
1925 Schutzstaffel (SS) set
up
The SS was set up as a new party security group and to
act as bodyguards to Hitler.
Nazi Party Organisation
Hitler gained the support of wealthy business
tycoons to help the party’s finances.
With this money Hitler placed gauleiters in
charge of each gaue or region in order to
spread Nazism.
Joseph Goebbels worked with Hitler to
improve the propaganda of the party.
I. Created scapegoats
II. Promoted Hitler as leader
III. Used technology to spread ideas
IV. Clear image of strength
September 1926 Germany entered
League of Nations
The league of Nations was an international body which
was responsible for maintaining peace and discussing
the world’s problems. Germany’s entrance was seen
by Stresemann as another step to Germany’s equality
in its foreign policy.
August 1928 Kellogg-Briand pact A pact signed by 68 countries in which states promised
not to use war to achieve their foreign policy aims.
August 1929 Young Plan 1. Reduced total reparations to £2 billion.
2. Gave Germany a longer time to pay.
3. Germany would not be pressed for immediate
payments
Effects- German government could lower taxation and
thus increase spending power.
3 October 1929 Stresemann dies Stresemann had restored economic stability.
He had regained a place for Germany on the
international stage.
24 October 1929
‘Black Thursday’
Wall Street Crash Prices begin to fall on the Wall Street stock exchange.
Panic selling led to lowering of prices. Within a week
investors lost £4000 million.
Effects
I. Money invested by American banks is
withdrawn from Germany.
II. Industrial production falls by 40% and
unemployment rises to 6 million.
III. Middle classes lost savings.
IV. Workers became unemployed
V. Power vacuum was left when Chancellor
Bruning resigned in 1932.
March 1932 Hitler stood for
election as President
Nazi support has grown since the election of 1928 but
Hitler loses to Hindenburg.
Nazi Party Support
I. Working Class- traditional German values and
‘work and bread’
II. Middle Class- strong leader who could help
Germany recover, afraid of communism and
wanted to see return of traditional values
III. Farmers- Hitler promised to protect farms

5. 5
from communism
IV. Business-protection from nationalisation
V. Young people-atmosphere of Nazi rallies
VI. Women-best for country and families
April 1932 Bruning removed as
chancellor
Coalition organised by von Schleicher of right wing
groups. Hindenburg thought that Bruning no longer
has a majority. Therefore he removed him.
May 1932 Von Papen made
Chancellor
Von Papen becomes head of coalition that is actually
controlled by von Schleicher. The Nazis were part of
this coalition but when they won 230 seats in the
Reichstag Hitler demanded to Hindenburg to become
chancellor.
November 1932 Von Papen resigned Von Papen called another election but the Nazis
remained the biggest party. Von Papen was forced to
resign without the support of Hitler
30 January 1933 Hitler appointed
Chancellor
Von Schleicher became Chancellor. He informed
Hindenburg that Hitler and von Papen were conspiring
against him. He asked Hindenburg to suspend
constitution and declare himself head of a military
dictatorship. Hindenburg refused and news of von
Schleicher’s plan leaked out and he lost all support
(von Schleicher died in the Night of the Long Knives
‘resisting arrest’).
Von Papen and Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to make
Hitler chancellor.
27 February 1933 Reichstag Fire Hitler declared a state of emergency. Hitler could now
govern by decree. Hitler declared an election. Before
the election Hitler issued the Decree for the protection
of People and the State. He was now able to imprison
political opponents.
5 March 1933 Hitler gets two-thirds
majority
Hitler increased Nazi members in the Reichstag to 288.
He banned the communist party taking another 81
seats. Hitler now had enough seats to change the
constitution.
March 1933 Enabling Act Hitler forced through the Enabling Act. It gave Hitler
the right to pass make laws without the consent of the
Reichstag.
March 1933 First concentration
camp opened at
Dachau
Concentration camps were located in isolated areas
away from the public gaze. Inmates were political
prisoners or undesirables such as Jews and prostitutes.
By 1939 there were six concentration camps.
April 1933 Nazi boycotts of
Jewish Businesses
May 1933 Trade unions banned Trade Unions were potential sources for communist
opposition. Hitler used his new powers to make them
illegal.
May 1933 Jews banned from
government jobs
1933 DAF set up The German Labour Front ensured that workers served
the interests of the Nazi state. The DAF established the
minimum working standard and prevented

6. 6
exploitation of workers
1933 RAD set up The RAD employed the unemployed in manual work.
At first it was a voluntary scheme but from 1935 all
young men had to serve six months in the RAD. The
RAD prepared them for military service. The pay was
very low and the food was poor. However by 1939
Hitler had 7000 miles of autobahn.
July 1933 All political parties
banned
Hitler issued a decree declaring all political parties
banned.
July 1933 Concordat agreed
with Pope
The catholic Church was a source of opposition to
Hitler.
I. Catholics owed their allegiance to the Pope
and not Hitler
II. Catholics had their own schools which taught
different values to Nazi ones.
Hitler tried to reach an agreement with the Catholic
Church. A concordat was agreed:
I. Confirm freedom of worship
II. Not to interfere with catholic schools
III. Priests would not interfere in politics
IV. Bishops had to swear loyalty to the regime
Hitler didn’t keep his promises:
I. Catholic priests were arrested
II. Catholic schools were closed
III. Catholic youth groups were banned
In 1937 the Pope realised the Concordat was worthless
and issued a criticism of the Nazi regime in a statement
known a ‘MitBrennenderSorge’.
1933 Law for the
Encouragement of
marriage
Loans of 1000 marks were given to newly married
couples. Couples could keep a quarter of the loan for
each child they had.
The Mother’s Cross was a medal given to mothers with
large families.
1933 Law passed allowing
Doctors to force
sterilisation
Nazis claimed that babies born with disabilities should
be allowed to die. 700,000 Germans were sterilised
from 1934 to 1945. A secret policy was started in 1939
to kill disabled Germans with a lethal injection. By
1945 6000 were killed.
September 1933 Jews banned from
inheriting land
January 1934 Lander parliaments
abolished
Hitler wished to strengthen the central government
which he controlled and to weaken local governments
which he didn’t have control of. Hitler abolished the
Lander parliaments and governors appointed by him
would run every region.
30 June 1934 Night of the Long
Knives
Hitler feared Ernst Rohm. The SA numbered 3 million
and had a strong loyalty to Rohm. Rohm had criticised
Hitler’s connections with rich industrialists. The SS and
the army warned Hitler that Rohm was planning to
take over. Rohm and other SA leaders were shot. Hitler
continued to remove political opposition by murdering

7. 7
von Papen, von Schleicher and Strasser. The SA was
firmly under Hitler’s control.
2 August 1934 Death of President
Hindenburg
Once Hindenburg died Hitler declared himself
Germany’s Fuhrer, he added all the political powers of
the president to his own and forced an oath of loyalty
from every member of the army. Hitler’s Third Reich
had begun.
1935 Lebensborn
Programme
The policy provided financial aid for women who were
married to SS officers. Later it made single women
available for fertilisation by men.
1935 Law against
Homosexuality
Many homosexuals were sent to concentration camps.
60% of those sent to the concentration camp died
there. Voluntary castration was encouraged.
May 1935 Jews banned from
army
June 1935 Jews banned from
restaurants
15 September
1935
Nuremberg laws
passed
Reich Law of Citizenship-Jews lost the right to
vote
Reich Law for the Protection of German blood-
Jews were not allowed to marry German
citizens
Jews had to wear a coloured patch and sit on
different parts of buses
1936 Olympic games in
Berlin
I. Nazis built largest Olympic Stadium in the
world.
II. Nazis used Olympic Games as proof of Aryan
superiority.
1936 Four year plan Hitler needed to provide Lebensraum for the German
people. This could only be provided through military
might. Hitler wanted Germany to be able to wage war
within four years:
I. Spending on arms increased to 26 billion marks
II. Iron and steel production trebled
III. Plastic production increased by 460%
IV. Germany army grew to 900,000
V. Unemployment decreased and profits went
up.
1937 Pastors’ Emergency
League banned
Some members of the Protestant Church worked with
the Nazis. Ludwig Müller led the German Christian
Movement which allowed Swastikas to be place in
churches. However, Martin Niemoller founded the
Pastors’ Emergency League which spoke out against
Hitler. It was banned in 1937 and Niemoller was sent
to a concentration camp.
March 1938 Jews have to register
Possessions
July 1938 Jews had to carry
identity cards
9 and 10 Kristallnacht Ernst von Rath is shot by a Jew in the German embassy

8. 8
November 1938 in Paris. When von Rath dies Hitler orders the
government should do nothing to prevent revenge on
Jews. Gangs smashed up Jewish property and attacked
Jews. The Damage amounted to 1 billion marks. 20,000
Jews were sent to concentration camps
January 1939 Reich office for
Jewish emigration
set up
Reinhard Heydrich was given the task of ridding
Germany of the Jews altogether by enforced
emigration. It was Heydrich who proposed the final
solution to Hitler in 1942.
April 1939 Gypsies collected for
deportation
Gypsies were enclosed in ghettos and guarded by the
police.