Intro Quiz: How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

Video: How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

﻿Hi, guys. I'm Mr. McNally and welcome to today's lesson. Today you are going to make a judgement on how far the Weimar Republic could recovered by 1929. All you will need for today's lesson is a pen and some paper, and to remove yourself from any destructions for the duration of the lesson. Please pause the video and take a moment to get better for today's lesson. Move to a quiet space if possible. Once you are about there, resume the video and let the lesson begin. Today we are going to explore the following topics. We're going to recap the changes in the Weimar Republic, and we are going to break down two interpretations of the years 1924 to 1928, and make a judgement on whether these years should be remembered as the "Golden Years" for the Weimar Republic. There will be several tasks for you to complete throughout the lesson, and they will be pause points for each task so you have the time to work through them. The lesson will also end with an exit quiz, which will be based on what you have learned in this lesson. We will start this lesson with recap task to test your knowledge from the previous lessons. Read each of the statements carefully and decide whether they are true or false. Please pause the video and complete the task. Once you would finish the task, resume the video and we will review the answers. Welcome back. So let's go through the answers. So, statement one. Art started to show negative views of society in the years 1924 to 29 was true. Well done, if you got that correct. Statement two. Women were paid the same as men in the civil service. That's also true. Statement three. Women wore long dresses and usually only socialised with their husbands. That is false. Statement four. Women always earned the same as men for doing the same job. That is also false. And five. There was a decrease in homelessness in the years 1924 to 29. That is true. Well done to those who got the answers correct. Last lesson, we looked how there was a decrease in unemployment and an improvement in the conditions for the workers, especially those in the industrial sector. However, this did not benefit every working sector. The middle-class jobs or white-collar professions, which include teaching, office work, lawyers, et cetera, did not benefit to the same extent. The middle-class found little joy in this so-called "Golden Age". Many members of the middle-class were still suffering due to the loss of their savings in 1923. And this group failed to benefit from most of the changes. Can you remember why they lost their savings in 1923? Well, if we remember correctly, this was due to the hyperinflation crisis, which of course, many people blamed the Weimar Republic for causing. White-color workers also didn't benefit from the same wage rises as the industrial sector. And they could not always access the benefits of the welfare policies. By 1928, almost 185,000 middle-class workers were unemployed and looking for work. Nearly half of these did not benefit from the unemployment insurance act. In addition to the middle-class, the agricultural sector did not experience the same benefits as the industrial sector during the so called "Golden Age". Unlike the middle-class who lost almost everything because of hyperinflation, a lot of farmers were relatively unscaved. People still needed food and the farmers had a commodity that could still be sold. However, the German agricultural sector had been severely damaged by the First World War and was yet to fully recover. To make matters worse, in the mid 1920s, Germany was trading with other nations again, and many imported foods from abroad were cheaper than the German alternative. The German farms needed to modernise to keep up with the growing demand and to compete with the prices. Yet this cost a lot of money and many farmers got into huge debt because of this. Some of them even lost their land. Now it is time for a task. Read the question carefully. Which options support the argument that the 1920s were not "Golden Years" in the Weimar Republic? Write down the following options that support this argument. Firstly, we'll read the options together. So, option one. Farmers struggled to modernise and compete with foreign imports. Option two. Unemployment remained high in the middle-class professions. Option three. Real wages roes by 25% for some workers. Option four. The number of people out of work dropped by 700,000 by 1928. Please pause the video and answer the question. Once you've finished resume the video and we will go through the answer. Welcome back. And here are the answers. You could have had option one. That farmer struggled to modernise and compete with foreign imports. You could also have had option two. That unemployment remained high in the middle-class professions. Because these two statements are negative and the idea of the "Golden Years" suggest that this was a period of success, a period of improvement. Well done to those who answered correctly. It's now time to look at the first interpretation of the lesson. Remember, that both interpretations will talk about the "Golden Age" of the Weimar Republic. Let's read interpretation one together. Interpretation one. By a political historian. The years 1924 to 28, can rightly be called the "Golden Years" of the Weimar Republic. Support for extremists groups had declined and the majority of people were confident in the Republic. Industrial growth was the key to this success and blue-collar workers had a much better quality of life. Now it's time to look at question one. What does the interpretation tell you about the "Golden Years" of the Weimar Republic? Does it agree with the term "Golden Years" or does it disagree? What do you think? Well, interpretation one, clearly states the years 1924 to 28 can rightly be called the "Golden Years". This suggests that life was very good for Germans in the Weimar Republic. Now let's look at question two. What evidence does the interpretation use to support the view that the years 1924 to 28 were "Golden Years"? Can you find any specific evidence? Well, two things, the interpretation mentions are, that support for the extreme parties declined. This shows that the Weimar Republic was popular with the electorate. And it also makes a reference to the industrial growth, which happened in this period. Finally, how does this evidence link to your own knowledge? Who were the extreme parties who became less popular? How, why, did industry grow? Well, that's right. The communist party or the KPD became less popular as the economy recovered. The industry recovery links to the Dawes Plan and a rise in employment. Therefore, according to this interpretation, a rise in employment and political stability are reasons why the years 1924 to 28 could be considered the "Golden Years". One last thing to know, is that the author of this interpretation was a political historian. Therefore, that his evidence is based upon politics. And that's why his argument is stating about extremists groups. So he's got that political link. If there was a historian in a different field, they might have a different opinion. It's now time for you to use these skills in relation to a different interpretation. Let's read interpretation two together. Interpretation two. By a historian writing about the history of German agriculture. Not every sector benefited in the Weimar Republic as much as industry. The farmers found it difficult to match the prices of foreign imports. Many farmers who failed to modernise, also lost their farms. The agricultural sector did not see any "Golden Years". Now we affect the interpretation. I would like you to use the worksheet to answer the following interpretation questions. So, question one. What does interpretation two tell you about the "Golden Years" of the Weimar Republic? Question two. Why did farmers find it difficult in the years 1924 to 1929? Three. What does it mean by "farmers needed to modernise"? Four. How does the view in interpretation one defer to interpretation two? And the challenge, question number five, which interpretation do you agree with the most? Use your own knowledge to help you explain. There is a writing frame there for you to use, to help structure this answer. You'll just weigh in up both interpretations in making that judgement on which one you agree with the most. Please pause the video and answer the interpretation questions. Once you have finished, resume the video and we will check the answers. Welcome back. Now it's time to go through the answers. So, question one. What does interpretation two tell you about the "Golden Years" of the Weimar Republic? A possible answer to this is, is that interpretation two argues that the "Golden Years" of the Weimar Republic did not benefit everyone. A stronger answer could have been, interpretation two argues that the "Golden Years" of the Weimar Republic did not benefit everyone. The agricultural workers did not benefit to the same extent as the industrial workers. So very similar answers, but the stronger answer has the additional explanation. Well done, if you got that correct. Question two. Why did the farmers find it difficult in the years 1924 to 1929. A possible answer, the farmers found it difficult in the years, 1924, 29, because they could not compete with the price of foreign imports. The stronger answer is that farmers found it difficult in the years, 1924, 29, because they could not compete with the price of foreign imports. This meant people were buying cheaper products from abroad instead of buying the produce from the farmers. Well done, if you got the answer correct. Question number three. What does it mean by "farmers needed to modernise"? A possible answer could be that farmers needed to modernise, means that they needed to invest in better machinery, such as tractors. A stronger answer here is that farmers needed to modernise, means that they needed to invest in better machinery, such as tractors. This would allow them to produce even more goods, which would allow them to compete with the foreign imports. Well done, if you've got that correct. And remember, your answer doesn't have to be word for word, as long as it's on a similar lines, give yourselves the mark. Question four. How did the views in interpretation one differ to interpretation to two? So, a possible answer could be that, interpretation one argues that the "Golden Years" were positive for the Weimar Republic. Whereas interpretation two states, that not all agreed that the years 1924 to 28 were "Golden Years". A strong of answer, however, would add a bit more detail. So interpretation one, argues that the "Golden Years" were positive for the Weimar Republic, as there was a decline in support for the extreme parties. Whereas interpretation two states, that the agricultural sector did not view 1924 to 28, as "Golden Years". So, as long as you can see that interpretation one is in agreement of the "Golden Years" and interpretation two is against the idea of if the "Golden Years", you've got the mark. Well done. And lastly, the challenge question. Which interpretation do you agree with the most? So, this is up to you. It's how you argue it. There is no right or wrong answer, but it's about you being able to make a judgement and support it with evidence and then explain it. So, here's an example of a good answer. I agree with interpretation one the most, because the quality of life improved for a lot of people, suggesting that 1924 to 28 were "Golden Years". Real wages rose for the industrial workers by 25%, giving people more money to spend. In addition, unemployment dropped by over 700,000 by 1928, showing more people were in work. There was also political stability in Germany, which had not been the case in 1923. The KPD and the NSDAP lost votes in the elections, showing that the electorate supported the Weimar Republic. Therefore, I largely agree with interpretation one as the Weimar Republic did overall seem like "Golden Years" for many. Alternatively, you could argue the opposite way. And here's an example of that. So, I agree with interpretation two the most, because not everyone viewed 1924 to 28 as the "Golden Years". The middle-class and agricultural sectors struggled. And for some people they had not recovered from the hyperinflation crisis of 1923. For example, the middle-class did not reclaim their savings. And there were still job shortages in the white-collar sectors. In addition, some farmers were worse off in the years, 1924 to 28, than they were in 1923. A lot of farmers also lost their farms due to the high costs of having to modernise. Therefore, I mainly agree with interpretation two, that the years 1924 to 28, cannot be considered as "Golden Years". If you've put anything like that, guys, well done. So, to summarise them. There were both reasons for and against the views that the 1920s were a "Golden Age" for Germany. There is no doubt that the mid to late 20s, saw a huge improvement in the economy and political scene from the early 1920s. There was a drop in unemployment. Real wages grew for a lot of people and there was a decrease in homelessness. Furthermore, women had some of the most advanced legal rights in the world. However, it cannot be said that every person prospered in 1920s, Germany. Many farmers and members of the middle-class still struggled financially. To them, 1920s was not a "Golden Age". All of that said, there is clear evidence to suggest that Germany did improve their standing by 1928. And this can be considered a success for the Weimar Republic. Well done on completing today's lesson. Next lesson will be on why the 1929 was a significant turning point for Germany. I look forward to seeing you all then.

Worksheet: How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

Exit Quiz: How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

Completed: How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

In this lesson students will examine how different social groups were impacted by the so-called 'golden years' in 1920s Germany. Students will compare the economic and social impact in the agricultural and middle-class sectors to the industrial sector.

History

Y11 History

Key Stage 4

Year 11

How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1919-1939

UNIT

The German Reich, 1871-1918

The Russian Revolution, 1917

How democratic was the Weimar Constitution?

Why did the German people feel stabbed in the back?

Why was there a rise in political extremism in Germany after WW1?

Why was 1923 known as a year of crisis?

How did Germany recover its economy in the years 1924-29?

How did Germany improve their international relations, 1924-29?

Were the 1920s a golden age for all Germans?

Why was the year 1929 a significant turning point for Germany?

The early development of the Nazi Party: what did Hitler believe in?

Who were the SA and what was their role?

What was the Munich Putsch?

What were the consequences of the Munich Putsch?

What were the Nazi Party strategies during the lean years?

Why were the Nazi Party so successful after 1929?

How did political developments in 1932 result in Hitler becoming Chancellor in January 1933?

History

How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

Introductory Quiz

Video

Worksheet

Final Quiz

Lesson Complete