1
Q
What social changes did Weimar constitution bring
A
- the war and its aftermath brought extensive social and cultural changes to Germany
- Weimar constitution gave German citizens more rights, freedom, opportunities and greater equality than they had ever been allowed before
2
Q
Social welfare reforms 1924-27
A
- 1924 = The public Assistance system, which provided help to the poor and destitute, was modernised
- 1925 = The state accident insurance system, introduced by Bismarck to help those injured at work, was extended to cover those suffering from occupational diseases
- 1927 = A national unemployment insurance system was introduced to provide benefits for the unemployed, financed by contributions from workers and employers
3
Q
What did these welfare reforms do
A
- in 1926 the state was supporting about 800,000 disabled war veterans, 360,000 war widows and over 900,000 orphans
- this was in addition to old age pensions and, after 1927, the cost of unemployment benefits
4
Q
Drawbacks of the social welfare reform
A
- the welfare system needed a large and expensive bureaucracy to administer it
- taxes were increased after 1924, but there was a limit to how much the better-off were prepared to shoulder the burden of welfare expenditure
- means tests (check for eligibility for support) were tightened up, snoopers were used to check that claimants weren’t cheating the system and there were increasing delays in paying benefits
- those in need of support felt they were being humiliated and insulted by the welfare system, undermining their support for the Weimar Republic
5
Q
Positive - living standards 1924-28
A
- living standards of millions of Germans undoubtedly improved 1924-28
- those in work, particularly those represented by powerful trade unions, were able to maintain their living standards by negotiating wage increases
- those dependent on welfare benefits were less well off, undoubtedly suffered hardships, but were prevented from falling into abject poverty by the welfare system
- business owners and their salaried employees benefited from the improved trading position for German companies at this time
6
Q
Negative - living standards 1924-28
A
- those who had lost their savings during hyperinflation crisis 1923 were unable to regain comfortable lifestyles had before
- farmers suffered from poor trading conditions and low prices, and their incomes were falling
- the air of confidence that was exuded in cities such as Berlin was not apparent across the whole country
7
Q
Position of women - journalist
A
- 1929 female journalist Elsa Hermann wrote that ‘the modern woman refuses to lead the life of a lady and a housewife, preferring to depart from the ordained path and go her own way’
8
Q
The ‘new woman’
A
- symbolised the way women’s lives had changed since the end of war
- portrayed as being free, independent, sexually liberated and increasingly visible in public life
9
Q
New opportunities for women
A
- Weimar Constitution gave women equality with men in voting rights and in access to education
- also gave women equal opportunities in civil service appointments and the right to equal pay
10
Q
Gender balance of the population as a result of the war
A
- over 2 million Germans, mostly young males, had been killed in war, so there were fewer opportunities for young women to follow the conventional path of marriage and child-reading to economic security
- war also brought many more women into paid employment to replace men who fought
11
Q
Why shouldn’t the change for the position of women be exaggerated
A
- not all German citizens approved the changes - not even all women
- the much more traditional Civil code of 1896 remained in force
- code laid down that, in a marriage, the husband had the right to decide on all matters concerning family life, including whether his wife should undertake paid employment
- most popular women’s group = BDF (league of German women) = 900,000 members - promoted traditional family values and maternal responsibilities
- echoed by more conservative political parties and churches
- therefore, the concept of ‘the new woman’ was more of a cultivated myth than a social reality for the majority of German women
12
Q
Employment - ‘the new woman’ myth
A
- the constitution gave women greater equality in employment rights
- by 1925, 36% of German workforce were women
- by 1923, there were 100,000 women teachers and 3000 women doctors
13
Q
Employment - the reality
A
- the ‘demobilisation’ laws after the war required women to leave their jobs so that ex-soldiers could find employment
- in many occupations, women were required to give up their employment when married
- women were paid much less than men doing equivalent work
- married women who continued to have paid jobs were attacked as ‘double earners’ and blamed for male unemployment
There were campaigns in the press and by conservative parties for the dismissal of married women workers
14
Q
Sexual freedom - the myth of the ‘new woman’
A
- birth control became more widely available and the birth rate declined
- divorce rates increased
- there was a rise in number of abortions, by 1930 there was an estimated 1 million abortions a year
15
Q
Sexual freedom - the reality
A
- abortion was a criminal offence and would often be performed by unqualified people. In 1930, there were an estimated 10-12,000 deaths each year from abortions
- the decline in birth rate was attacked by the conservative press and politicians as a ‘birth strike’ that threatened the health of the nation and the continued existence of the race
- Catholic and Protestant churches were vigorously opposed to birth control, divorce and abortion. Many German women were committed members of church congregations
16
Q
Politics and public life - the myth of the ‘new woman’
A
- women gained equal voting rights and the right to be Reichstag deputies in the Weimar constitution
- in 1919, 41 women were elected to the Reichstag, the number of women deputies fell in subsequent elections, but the German Reichstag had a higher proportion of female deputies than the British House of Commons
- Women were also very active in local government at state and city level
17
Q
Politics and public life - the reality
A
- there were no female representatives in the Reichsrat
- No woman became a cabinet member during the Weimar Republic
- no political party had a female leader in the Weimar years
- Only the communists (KPD) made gender equality a key element in its programme but it was the least appealing party to the new female electorate
- the party that gained the most female suffrage was the Catholic Centre Party. In Protestant areas, the conservative DNVP and the DVP appealed most to women voters. None of these parties gave any support to feminist issues
18
Q
Four women politicians in Weimar Germany
A
19
Q
Did women’s lives really improve in 1919
A
- the achievement of woman’s suffrage in 1919 did not usher a new era of female equality, but it did bring the debate on women’s rights to the heart of the political debate
- the Weimar Republic witnessed a continuing struggle between those who wanted Germany to become a more modern, free and equal society and those who fought to retain traditional values
- the clash over women’s rights was on the front line in this struggle, with the so-called ‘new woman’ increasingly being used as scapegoats for Germany’s social and economic ills
20
Q
Young people in Weimar Germany - what was life like for most
A
- young people in Weimar Germany were breaking free of the constraints of family, school and religion, and turning increasingly to a life of crime and anti-social behaviour
- those children from working class families who did not attend highly selective Gymnasium schools, were supposed to leave school at age 14 and begin apprenticeship or employment
21
Q
Problem for young working-class Germans in Weimar Germany
A
- in Weimar years there were fewer apprenticeships and more youth unemployment
- young people suffered disproportionately from the rise in unemployment after 1924
- in 1925-26 17% of the unemployed were 14-21 age group - this was partly because of baby boom 1900-1910
- benefit system provided some help for young (day centres) but could not compensate for lack of employment opportunity
- the result was that many young, working-class Germans living in big cities joined gangs to find comradeship, mutual support and sense of adventure that was otherwise lacking in their lives
22
Q
Education in Germany
A
- education system developed in Prussia and then extended to rest of Germany after 1871
- Gymnasiums for those aiming at university = majority middle-upper class
- Realschule = provided 6 years of schooling for children who would go on to apprenticeships
- although very few elite private schools, the state education system was nevertheless divided along class lines
- system also divided along religious lines, since Protestant and Catholic Churches had a powerful influence over religious education
Germany 1918-1945
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Decks in class (9)
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