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WorksheetsCoursework: Depression's Impact on Germany
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 25mins
What was the immediate economic effect of the Wall Street Crash on Germany?
A boom in exports
Mass unemployment and bank failures
Introduction of new welfare programs
Increased tax revenues
Unemployment in Germany rose to how many by 1932?
1 million
3 million
6 million
10 million
What major U.S. financial initiative was withdrawn during the Depression, worsening Germany’s crisis?
Marshall Plan
Truman Doctrine
Dawes Plan loans
Lend-Lease Act
What political impact did the Depression have on the Weimar Republic?
Strengthened democratic support
Decline of extremist parties
Rise of extremist parties like the Nazis
Increased trust in Stresemann
Which group gained significantly in the Reichstag during the 1930 and 1932 elections?
SPD
Zentrum Party
DNVP
NSDAP (Nazi Party)
Which key chancellor tried to manage the Depression through austerity and emergency decrees?
Ebert
Brüning
Schleicher
Hindenburg
What was one social impact of the Depression in Germany?
Improved worker conditions
Urban housing reform
Rising support for Hitler’s promises
Decline in political propaganda
Who famously argued that the Depression was the 'trigger' for Hitler’s rise?
Richard Evans
Ian Kershaw
Daniel Goldhagen
Eric Hobsbawm
The Depression led to which of the following becoming commonplace in German cities?
Food festivals
Soup kitchens
Youth rallies
Civil service exams
What was Brüning’s nickname due to his harsh policies?
Chancellor of Hope
Father of Reform
Hunger Chancellor
People’s Chancellor
How did the Depression affect democratic belief in Germany?
Strengthened the Constitution
Undermined faith in parliamentary democracy
Increased federal cooperation
Led to universal suffrage
Which historian referred to the Weimar economy as a 'house of cards' before 1929?
Evans
Taylor
Peukert
Shirer
What was the psychological effect of the Depression on many Germans?
Increased optimism
A sense of betrayal and humiliation
Pride in democratic progress
Trust in foreign policy
The SA’s popularity grew partly because:
They were subsidized by the USA
They protected Jews
They gave unemployed men purpose and uniform
They were funded by Stresemann
The Depression's legacy includes:
The creation of the United Nations
The dismantling of Nazi ideology
A long-term shift away from democracy in Germany
Strengthened belief in the SPD
Why did farmers suffer particularly during the Depression?
Imported American grain was cheap
Hitler abolished subsidies
Their land was collectivised
They were taxed higher
Which party was most associated with promises of employment and strength?
KPD
Zentrum
NSDAP
DDP
How did the Depression change political campaigning?
Increased use of cinema
Rise of radio and mass rallies
Introduction of online polls
Government-sponsored newspapers
Hitler’s appeal increased during the Depression because he:
Promised welfare benefits
Promised to restore national pride and jobs
Supported Brüning
Defended the Versailles Treaty
The Great Depression can be classified as a turning point because:
It had no prior warnings
It changed Germany’s geography
It accelerated Hitler’s rise and the fall of democracy
It ended unemployment permanently
Which 1932 law allowed Hitler to use emergency powers once Chancellor?
Article 1
Article 25
Article 48
Article 21
Why did the Depression discredit moderate parties?
They refused to participate in elections
They failed to provide effective solutions
They supported Nazi ideology
They banned communism
The Depression made which treaty seem even more unjust to Germans?
Locarno Treaty
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Versailles Treaty
Treaty of Berlin
The effect of the Depression was particularly severe in Germany due to:
Industrial success
Military defeat
Reliance on American loans
Overseas empire collapse
Hitler’s message of 'Arbeit und Brot' meant:
Labour and wealth
Army and peace
Work and bread
Authority and unity
The Nazi vote in 1930 rose to:
6%
12%
18%
18.3% (107 seats)
Which historian linked the Depression directly to voter desperation?
Niall Ferguson
Kershaw
Taylor
Mommsen
What role did scapegoating play during the Depression?
Encouraged collaboration
Unified all Germans
Blamed minorities for Germany’s troubles
Reconciled political parties
The Depression undermined which foundational idea of the Weimar Republic?
Militarism
Marxism
Liberal democracy
Conservatism
Who benefited most politically from the Great Depression?
Centre Party
Communists and Nazis
SPD
DNVP
What was the broader historical legacy of the Depression in Germany?
Prevented war
Led to a communist uprising
Contributed directly to WWII
Triggered a monarchy
What did Brüning’s economic policy rely on?
Mass rearmament
Hyperinflation
Cutting government spending
Raising workers’ wages
Unemployment benefits during the Depression:
Expanded greatly
Were cancelled entirely
Were restricted and resented
Reached all citizens
Hitler used the Depression to portray himself as:
A liberal reformer
A moderate democrat
Germany’s only saviour
A monarchist
What group grew increasingly radical due to joblessness in the early 1930s?
Pensioners
The youth
Civil servants
Industrialists
What role did the SA (Sturmabteilung) play during the Depression?
Administered unemployment offices
Protected communists
Intimidated opposition and gained support
Distributed food
Hitler’s propaganda during the Depression often blamed:
Industrialists
Communists and Jews
British and Americans
Farmers
Why did many middle-class Germans turn to the Nazis?
They supported the SPD
They feared communism and poverty
They were pro-American
They loved the monarchy
According to historian Richard Evans, the Depression created a:
Democratic renaissance
Crisis of legitimacy
Period of peace
Religious revival
Which group was not directly blamed for Germany’s economic hardship by Nazi propaganda?
Communists
Jews
Social Democrats
Farmers
Which party did well among working-class Germans in the early 1930s?
DDP
KPD (Communists)
Zentrum
DNVP
The Depression can be said to have tested:
Foreign alliances
Germany’s democratic resilience
Germany’s colonial ambitions
Germany’s military strength
What happened to German exports between 1929–1932?
They doubled
They halved
They remained stable
They shifted to Asia
What long-term impact did the Depression have on German politics?
Strengthened coalitions
Weakened extremist movements
Ended democracy and enabled dictatorship
Reunified Germany
Why is the Depression often seen as a turning point?
It had no effect on society
It reversed Versailles
It radicalised German politics and enabled authoritarianism
It strengthened Weimar values
Nazi Party membership surged from under 200,000 in 1928 to:
300,000 in 1932
Over 800,000 by 1932
500,000 by 1935
1 million by 1936
How did business elites respond to the Depression?
Supported SPD
Funded Nazi propaganda
Formed a new party
Cut military spending
How did the Depression affect public morale?
Fostered civic pride
Created a wave of optimism
Fueled desperation and fear
Boosted nationalism
Which of the following was a short-term consequence of the Depression?
Germany’s reunification
Sudden electoral gains for extremist parties
Treaty of Versailles repeal
Creation of the EU
Which phrase best captures the legacy of the Depression on Germany?
Recovery through unity
Prosperity under Stresemann
Democracy died in poverty
Extremism thrives in crisis
