Germany after World War One Learning objective: Explain the problems Germany faced after the end of the War. Weimar Republic – ‘Stab in the back’ - Hyperinflation.

Germany after World War One

Learning objective:• Explain the problems Germany faced after the end of the War.

Weimar Republic – ‘Stab in the back’ - Hyperinflation


Learning objective:• Explain the problems Germany faced after the end of the War.


Success Criteria

•Identify the main problems facing Germany after WWI.•Identify which problems were economic and which were political.•Explain one reason why Germany’s problems would have helped Hitler gain support.

Starter – how will the following effect Germany?

Loss of land This might make Germany poorer as they will not generate any money from the land and businesses on it.

Reparations of

£6.6 million

Military restrictions, e.g 100,000 men, 6 battleships, no airforce.

War Guilt Clause


Extension: Which of the points below link together?

• After the war Kaiser Wilhelm II abandoned Germany in its darkest hour and fled to Holland.

• In the place of the Kaiser a democratic republic led by President Ebert (a democracy) was created known as the Weimar Republic.

• The new government signed the hated Treaty of Versailles



Learning objective:• All will explain the problems Germany faced after the end of the War.


Success Criteria


Activity:

Next to each write down what problem facing Germany you think the image represents.

Extension:

Think about how this problem may help you understand why Hitler was voted into power in 1933.


Success Criteria


Activity:


Example:

This shows the violence on the streets of Berlin after the war as different political groups tried to get power for themselves.


Success Criteria


Activity:


Key terms to use:

•Hyperinflation (more and more money is printed which means the value of money drops)

•‘Stab in the back’ (the belief among many Germans that the politicians had betrayed the Germany army by signing the Treaty of Versailles)

•The Depression (lots of Germans lost their jobs). This made Germans angry with the government.


Success Criteria

•Identify the main problems facing Germany after WWI.

•Identify which problems were economic and which were political.

•Explain one reason why Germany’s problems would have helped Hitler gain support.

What problems did the Weimar Republic face?





















Success Criteria



What was the government’s bigger problem – money or power?

Activity:

Sort the 4 pictures into:

• Economic problems

• Political problems




Success Criteria



What was the government’s bigger problem – money or power?

Activity:

Which do you think was the government’s biggest problem?

Write a supported answer to explain your point.

Activity:

Point

One reason why Hitler gained support was…

Evidence

For example…

Explain

This is important because…


Success Criteria


Why did Germans vote for Adolf Hitler?

The German Economic Crisis

Understand the nature of the economic crisis facing Germany in the early 1930s

What can you infer about the economic problems facing Germany from the images below?


The German Economic Crisis

Understand the nature of the economic crisis facing Germany in the early 1930s

In 1929 the stock market collapsed in the USA and the Americans stopped buying goods from around the world and lending money to other countries. This caused economic chaos around the world.

Unemployment rose sharply in Germany, 5 million Germans were unemployed. A shortage of money to pay wages and repay the debts owed to France agreed in the Treaty of Versailles caused the government to print more and more money. This caused hyper-inflation, which made bank notes almost worthless.


Understand how Hitler’s policies appealed to Germans and why different groups would support the Nazi Party

Task: Explain why Germans voted for Hitler

Point:

Evidence / examples:

Explanation:

Promise 1:

Hitler said that he would rip apart the hated Treaty of Versailles and take back land that belonged to Germany before the First World War. He would rebuild the army and make Germany strong again.

Promise 2:

Hitler said that he would crush the communist threat; many Germans feared the communists. He would use violence to do this, if necessary.

Promise 3:

Hitler said that he would solve Germany’s terribly high unemployment rates and stop the chaos caused by hyper-inflation

Watch the following clip:

• http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WI1i5yhwOz8

Main activity

• You are a citizen living in Berlin in 1924.

• Write a letter to the Reichstag explaining your concerns about the way Germany is being run.

• How have YOU been effected?

• What suggestions do you have for the better?

• Points to include:• Great Germany under the

Kaiser• Ebert and the Weimar

Republic• ‘stab in the back’• Unemployment• Communist

revolutionaries• Hyperinflation

Plenary

• So why did the Weimar Republic find it hard to govern Germany after World War One?

• Can you solve the cryptogram?

The new Weimar government signed the

hated Treaty of Versailles at the end of the war. Many

Germans blamed the government for betraying

the German army, or ‘stabbing them in the back’.

Many Germans lost their jobs as the country was in

massive debt. This was due to cost of the war and having

to pay ‘reparations’. In difficult times many turned to

parties such as the Nazi party who promised hope.

The new government was weak and unpopular.

Communists wanted to overthrow the government and so there were periods of violence in the streets of

Germany.

The government printed more money to try and pay

off the reparations. This made money worth less, so businesses put their prices up, which meant workers’

wages also had to increase. This led to ‘hyperinflation’.

Germany after World War One Learning objective: Explain the problems Germany faced after the end of the War. Weimar Republic – ‘Stab in the back’ - Hyperinflation.

Documents

problems germany

germanys problems

main problems

abandoned germany

germany army

germany poorer

following effect germany

democratic republic