A-Level History (WJEC - Eduqas) > Germany: Political Change and Conflict > Flashcards

Germany: Political Change and Conflict Flashcards

Analyse political development and instability in Germany. (110 cards)

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1
Q

Which Republican president promised a “return to normalcy” after the First World War?

A

Warren G. Harding

Harding appealed to voters tired of war and reform politics in 1920.

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2
Q

Which scandal involving illegal leasing of naval oil reserves damaged Harding’s administration?

A

Teapot Dome scandal

It became one of the most famous corruption scandals of the era.

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3
Q

Which president continued the conservative, pro-business policies of the 1920s after Harding?

A

Calvin Coolidge

Coolidge favoured limited government and low taxation.

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4
Q

True or False:

The Republican governments of the 1920s generally supported strong federal regulation of business.

A

False

They typically supported laissez-faire policies and business growth.

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5
Q

Which president was in office when the Wall Street Crash occurred in 1929?

A

Herbert Hoover

Hoover struggled to respond effectively to the growing economic crisis.

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6
Q

Name three causes of the October 1929 Wall Street Crash.

A
  • Excessive stock market speculation
  • Easy credit fueling bubbles
  • Rising interest rates shock

It triggered the most severe economic downturn in US history.

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7
Q

What was the name of the severe economic crisis that followed the 1929 crash?

A

Great Depression

It led to mass unemployment, business failures and widespread poverty.

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8
Q

What economic weakness made the US economy vulnerable before 1929?

A

Overproduction

Industry and agriculture produced more goods than consumers could afford to buy.

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9
Q

What problem in the banking system worsened the economic crisis after 1929?

A

Bank failures

Thousands of banks collapsed, wiping out savings and restricting credit.

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10
Q

True or False:

Hoover believed the federal government should directly provide large-scale welfare payments.

A

False

Hoover preferred voluntary cooperation and limited federal intervention.

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11
Q

Which programme built large-scale public works such as dams to create jobs during the Hoover administration?

A

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

It provided loans to banks, businesses and state governments.

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12
Q

Which president launched the New Deal to combat the Depression?

A

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt won the 1932 election promising bold action.

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13
Q

What general aim united most New Deal programmes?

A

Relief, recovery and reform

These goals addressed immediate hardship, economic recovery and long-term stability.

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14
Q

Which New Deal agency created jobs through environmental projects like planting trees?

A

Civilian Conservation Corps

The CCC mainly employed young men in conservation work.

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15
Q

Which New Deal programme built public buildings, roads and infrastructure to reduce unemployment?

A

Works Progress Administration

The WPA became one of the largest job-creation programmes of the New Deal.

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16
Q

Which New Deal law introduced pensions for the elderly and unemployment insurance?

A

Social Security Act

Passed in 1935, it created the foundation of the US welfare system.

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17
Q

Fill in the blank:

The New Deal banking reform that insured bank deposits was the _____ Act of 1933.

A

Glass-Steagall

It helped restore confidence in the banking system.

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18
Q

True or False:

All Americans supported Roosevelt’s New Deal policies.

A

False

Critics came from both conservatives and radicals who thought reforms went too far or not far enough.

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19
Q

What was the name given to Roosevelt’s attempt to add more justices to the Supreme Court in 1937?

A

Court-packing plan

Critics argued it threatened the independence of the judiciary.

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20
Q

What role did the Second World War play in US economic recovery?

A

It massively increased industrial production.

War demand created jobs and ended mass unemployment.

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21
Q

What term describes the cultural atmosphere of the 1920s characterised by music, nightlife and changing social values?

A

Jazz Age

Jazz music and urban entertainment symbolised cultural change.

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22
Q

Which amendment banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the United States?

A

Eighteenth Amendment

It introduced Prohibition in 1920.

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23
Q

Why did Prohibition largely fail?

A

It encouraged organised crime and illegal alcohol trade.

Enforcement proved difficult and corruption spread.

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24
Q

Fill in the blank:

The amendment that repealed Prohibition in 1933 was the _____ Amendment.

A

Twenty-first

It ended the national ban on alcohol.

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25
What change occurred in the **role of women during the 1920s** symbolised by the **“flapper”**?
Greater social independence ## Footnote Flappers challenged traditional expectations of behaviour and appearance.
26
Which **amendment** granted **women the right to vote** in 1920?
Nineteenth Amendment ## Footnote It marked a major political achievement of the women’s suffrage movement.
27
What **social impact** did the **Great Depression** have on American families?
Increased poverty and unemployment ## Footnote Many families lost homes and relied on charity or government aid.
28
What was the **“Dust Bowl”**?
Severe drought and dust storms in the Great Plains. ## Footnote Environmental disaster forced many farmers to migrate west.
29
# True or False: **Rural Americans** generally welcomed the **cultural changes of the 1920s**.
False ## Footnote Many rural communities viewed urban cultural change with suspicion.
30
Which **secretive organisation promoting white supremacy** revived strongly in the 1920s?
Ku Klux Klan ## Footnote It targeted African-Americans, immigrants, Catholics and Jews.
31
What **migration** saw many **African-Americans** move from the rural South to northern cities?
Great Migration ## Footnote People sought jobs and escape from segregation and violence.
32
What was a key feature of **US foreign policy** in the 1920s?
Isolationism ## Footnote Many Americans opposed involvement in European conflicts.
33
Which **international agreement of 1928** attempted to **outlaw war** as a tool of national policy?
Kellogg–Briand Pact ## Footnote It had little practical enforcement.
34
Which **event in 1941** finally brought the **United States** fully into the Second World War?
Attack on Pearl Harbor ## Footnote Japan’s surprise attack led to US entry into the war.
35
Which **US president** oversaw the **wartime mobilisation** of the American economy?
Franklin D. Roosevelt ## Footnote The US became the “arsenal of democracy.”
36
Which **president** succeeded Roosevelt and faced the **challenges of post-war reconstruction**?
Harry S. Truman ## Footnote Truman took office in 1945 at the end of the war.
37
What **policy** aimed to **contain the spread of communism** after the Second World War?
Containment ## Footnote It shaped US foreign policy throughout the Cold War.
38
Which **programme** provided **economic aid to rebuild Western Europe** after 1947?
Marshall Plan ## Footnote It strengthened allies and limited communist influence.
39
Name three terms of the Marshall Plan.
* Massive U.S. financial aid * European economic cooperation required * Trade barriers reduced/removed
40
# True or False: The **Cold War** was primarily a **military conflict** fought directly between the USA and USSR.
False ## Footnote It was mainly a political and ideological rivalry with proxy conflicts.
41
Which **president** promoted **moderate domestic policies and a strong anti-communist foreign policy** in the 1950s?
Dwight D. Eisenhower ## Footnote His presidency coincided with prosperity and Cold War tension.
42
What term describes the **rapid growth** in consumption of household goods after 1945?
Consumer society ## Footnote Rising incomes encouraged spending on cars, appliances and homes.
43
What development symbolised **post-war suburban growth** in the United States?
Suburbanisation ## Footnote Many families moved to new housing developments outside cities.
44
Which **senator** led **anti-communist investigations** that created a climate of fear in the early 1950s?
Joseph McCarthy ## Footnote His accusations often lacked evidence but gained public attention.
45
# Fill in the blank: The period of **intense anti-communist suspicion in the early Cold War** is known as **_\_\_\_\_**.
McCarthyism ## Footnote Many people were investigated or blacklisted.
46
Which **movement** sought to **end racial segregation and discrimination** in the 1950s and 1960s?
Civil Rights Movement ## Footnote Activists used protests, legal challenges and political pressure.
47
Which **Supreme Court case** declared **school segregation unconstitutional** in 1954?
Brown v. Board of Education ## Footnote It overturned the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public schools.
48
Which **president** launched the **New Frontier programme** of reform in the early 1960s?
John F. Kennedy ## Footnote It aimed to address poverty, civil rights and economic growth.
49
Which **president** expanded social reform programmes aimed at **reducing poverty and inequality**?
Lyndon B. Johnson ## Footnote His policies became known as the Great Society.
50
What were the **Great Society programmes** designed to do?
Reduce poverty and expand social welfare ## Footnote They included healthcare, education and civil rights reforms.
51
Which war in Southeast Asia became the **most controversial US conflict of the Cold War**?
Vietnam War ## Footnote It triggered widespread protest in the United States.
52
What impact did the **Vietnam War** have on **social unity within the United States**?
It deeply divided public opinion and fuelled protest movements.
53
What **cultural movement of the 1960s** challenged **traditional values** and promoted peace and freedom?
Counterculture ## Footnote Youth culture questioned authority, war and social conventions.
54
Which **president’s administration** ended amid the **Watergate scandal in 1974**?
Richard Nixon ## Footnote The scandal severely damaged trust in government.
55
By **1975**, what position did the **United States occupy in global politics**?
Superpower ## Footnote It remained one of the dominant economic, military and political forces in the world.
56
What **continued challenge to US society** remained by 1975 despite reforms?
Social and racial divisions ## Footnote Issues of inequality, gender roles and race relations persisted.
57
Which **global economic crisis beginning in 1929** severely destabilised the **Weimar Republic**?
Great Depression ## Footnote Economic collapse caused unemployment, poverty and political extremism.
58
Which **German president** increasingly relied on **emergency powers after 1930**?
Paul von Hindenburg ## Footnote He used presidential decrees when parliamentary government failed.
59
Which **article of the Weimar Constitution** allowed rule by **emergency decree**?
Article 48 ## Footnote It enabled presidents to bypass parliament during crises.
60
Which **political party** gained mass support during the **Depression by promising national revival**?
Nazi Party ## Footnote Economic misery helped extremist parties attract voters.
61
# Fill in the blank: Adolf Hitler was appointed **Chancellor of Germany** in _\_\_\_\_.
1933 ## Footnote Conservative elites believed they could control him.
62
Which event occurred in **February 1933**?
Reichstag Fire ## Footnote The Nazis blamed communists and introduced emergency measures.
63
Name three consequences of the Reichstag Fire.
* Civil liberties immediately suspended * Mass arrests of opponents (esp. Communists) * Nazi dictatorship rapidly established via emergency powers & Enabling Act
64
Which **decree** suspended **civil liberties** after the Reichstag Fire?
Reichstag Fire Decree ## Footnote It allowed arrest of political opponents and censorship.
65
Which **law passed in March 1933** allowed Hitler to rule **without parliament**?
Enabling Act ## Footnote It effectively created a dictatorship.
66
Rank the significance of the impacts of the Enabling Act.
* Hitler gained dictatorial powers * Parliamentary democracy effectively abolished (cabinet could rule alone) * Opposition parties rapidly eliminated (Nazis crushed political rivals)
67
# True or False: After **1933 Germany** remained a **multi-party democracy**.
False ## Footnote All political parties except the Nazis were banned.
68
What term describes the process of bringing German institutions under **Nazi control**?
Gleichschaltung ## Footnote It involved coordinating society with Nazi ideology.
69
Which **title** did Hitler adopt after **Hindenburg’s death** in 1934?
Führer ## Footnote He merged the roles of president and chancellor.
70
What **oath** did German soldiers swear personally after **1934**?
Oath of loyalty to Hitler ## Footnote This strengthened Hitler’s personal authority.
71
Which **purge in 1934** eliminated rivals within the **Nazi movement and other opponents**?
Night of the Long Knives ## Footnote Many SA leaders and political enemies were executed.
72
Name three causes of the Night of the Long Knives.
* SA power threatened army * Röhm challenged Hitler’s authority * Hitler needed military support
73
Which **organisation** served as **Hitler’s elite security force** and later ran concentration camps?
SS ## Footnote Led by Heinrich Himmler, it became central to the Nazi terror system.
74
Which **secret police** organisation hunted **opponents** of the Nazi regime?
Gestapo ## Footnote It relied on surveillance and denunciations.
75
Which **organisation** ran the **concentration camp system**?
SS ## Footnote Camps held political prisoners and later victims of racial persecution.
76
What **ideology** emphasised **racial hierarchy** and the superiority of the “Aryan” race?
Nazism ## Footnote It combined nationalism, racism and authoritarianism.
77
# Fill in the blank: The Nazi concept of a **unified racial community** was called the _\_\_\_\_.
Volksgemeinschaft ## Footnote It excluded Jews and other groups defined as outsiders.
78
Which **group** faced **systematic persecution** and eventual **genocide** under Nazi racial policies?
Jews ## Footnote Anti-Semitic laws and violence escalated during the regime.
79
Which **1935 laws** stripped **German Jews** of citizenship and legal rights?
Nuremberg Laws ## Footnote They formalised racial discrimination in Nazi Germany.
80
# True or False: The **Nazi regime** encouraged **artistic and cultural freedom**.
False ## Footnote Culture was tightly controlled to promote Nazi ideology.
81
Which **propaganda minister** controlled **media and cultural messaging** in Nazi Germany?
Joseph Goebbels ## Footnote Propaganda promoted loyalty to Hitler and Nazi ideals.
82
Which **economic policy programme** aimed to **reduce unemployment** through public works and rearmament?
Rearmament ## Footnote Military expansion helped reduce joblessness.
83
Which **major infrastructure project** symbolised **Nazi employment policies**?
Autobahn construction ## Footnote Motorway building provided jobs and propaganda value.
84
What **economic goal** aimed to **reduce Germany’s dependence on imports**?
Autarky ## Footnote The regime sought economic self-sufficiency.
85
Which **organisation** replaced **independent trade unions in Nazi Germany**?
German Labour Front ## Footnote Workers were organised under state control.
86
What **programme** organised **leisure activities** for workers to promote loyalty to the regime?
Strength Through Joy ## Footnote It offered holidays, sports and cultural events.
87
# True or False: All Germans supported the Nazi regime **without resistance**.
False ## Footnote Some individuals and groups resisted Nazi rule.
88
Which **group of army officers** attempted to **assassinate Hitler** in July 1944?
German resistance officers ## Footnote The plot aimed to overthrow the Nazi regime.
89
Which **global conflict** ultimately led to the **collapse of Nazi Germany**?
Second World War ## Footnote Military defeat brought the regime to an end in 1945.
90
Which **conference in 1945** divided **Germany into occupation zones**?
Potsdam Conference ## Footnote Allied powers agreed on administration after the war.
91
Which **four countries** occupied **Germany after 1945**?
* USA * USSR * Britain * France ## Footnote Each controlled a zone of occupation.
92
# Fill in the blank: The **Soviet blockade of West Berlin** occurred in _\_\_\_\_.
1948 ## Footnote It was an attempt to force the Western Allies out of Berlin.
93
How did the Western Allies respond to the **Berlin Blockade**?
Berlin Airlift ## Footnote Supplies were flown into West Berlin for nearly a year.
94
Which **two German states** were created in **1949**?
* Federal Republic of Germany * German Democratic Republic ## Footnote West Germany and East Germany emerged from Cold War division.
95
Who became the **first Chancellor** of West Germany in 1949?
Konrad Adenauer ## Footnote He helped establish a stable democratic state.
96
What **constitution** established the **political system** of West Germany?
Basic Law ## Footnote It created a federal democratic system with strong safeguards.
97
# True or False: The **Basic Law** aimed to prevent the return of **dictatorship**.
True ## Footnote It included checks and balances to protect democracy.
98
What economic recovery in West Germany during the 1950s became known as the **“economic miracle”**?
Wirtschaftswunder ## Footnote Rapid growth improved living standards dramatically.
99
What were the consquences of **Wirtschaftswunder**?
* West Germany became a developed nation * Living standards rose dramatically (swift, dramatic economic improvement) * Rapid industrial growth achieved
100
Which **economic system** combined **free markets** with social welfare protections?
Social market economy ## Footnote It became the foundation of West German economic policy.
101
Which **European organisation** did West Germany join in **1957 to promote economic integration**?
European Economic Community ## Footnote Membership strengthened economic growth and cooperation.
102
Which **protest movement** emerged among **students in West Germany** during the late 1960s?
Student protest movement ## Footnote Activists criticised authority, capitalism and the Nazi legacy.
103
Which **terrorist group** carried out **attacks in West Germany** during the 1970s?
Baader-Meinhof Gang ## Footnote Also known as the Red Army Faction.
104
Which **political issue** inspired **protest movements in West Germany** during the 1970s and 1980s?
Environmentalism ## Footnote Concerns about nuclear power and pollution grew.
105
What **long-term social issue** shaped **West German politics after 1945**?
Legacy of Nazism ## Footnote Germans struggled with the memory and consequences of the regime.
106
Which **West German chancellor** played the **leading role in achieving German reunification**?
Helmut Kohl ## Footnote He negotiated the political process leading to unity.
107
# Fill in the blank: Germany was officially **reunified** in _\_\_\_\_.
1990 ## Footnote East and West Germany became one state again.
108
What major **international change** made **German reunification** possible?
Collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe ## Footnote Soviet influence weakened dramatically by the late 1980s.
109
What **challenge** faced **Germany** after reunification?
Economic integration of East and West ## Footnote The former East German economy required major restructuring.
110
By **1991**, what **political system** existed in **unified Germany**?
Federal democratic state ## Footnote Germany combined democratic institutions with a strong economy.
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