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65 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg. (1842-1934) |
Aristocratic land owner and professional soldier, after 1918 defeat shifted blame onto politicians who took power after kaiser. |
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General Erich Ludendorff. [2] |
- In 1916 joined Hindenburg in overthrowing Chancellor von Bethmann- Hollweg, became member of military committee - Reactionary in his politics, opponent to new republic |
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Prince Max of Baden. (1867-1929) |
Former army officer, became president of the Baden section of the German red cross, humanitarian work earned him widespread respect. |
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Friedrich Ebert. (1871-1925) [3] |
- Active in SPD and elected into Reichstag in 1912, president of party in 1913 - Led SPD in supporting WWI entry, expelled anti-war faction from party in 1917 - First chancellor in new republic Nov. 1918, first president in 1919 |
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General Wilhelm Groener. (1867-1939) |
Long distinguished military career, efficient army administrator in WWI, after dismissal of Ludendorff became Quartermaster General and Deputy Chief. |
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Philipp Scheidemann. (1865-1939) [3] |
- Long standing member of SPD, reichstag deputy in 1903, supported entry into war but in favour of negotiated peace - 9 Nov 1918 announced birth of new republic before kaiser had even abdicated - Chancellor of first coalition Feb-June 1919, resigned in protest against harsh terms of ToV |
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Otto von Bismarck. (1815-98) [2] |
- Minister-President of Prussia 1862-71, led state through three wars; resulted in unification of Germany under Prussian domination - Served as chancellor in new German empire 1871-1890 |
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Hans von Seeckt. (1886-1936) [3] |
- Career soldier in charge of German forces in East Prussia at end of war - Member of the German delegation to versailles, appointed head of troop office which replace forbidden army general staff - Commander of reichswehr from 190, instrumental in disbanding freikorps, under his command 192-26 army became privileged elite beyond accountability |
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Gustav Bauer. (1870-1944) [3] |
- Trade union official before entering reichstag as SPD deputy in 1912 - 1918-19 appointed as minister of labour in cabinets of Prince Max, Ebert and Scheidemann, became Chancellor in 1920 after Scheidemann resigned - Forced to resign in 1920 after Kapp putsch, served as minister and reichstag deputy for several years |
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George Grosz. (1893-1959) [2] |
- Artist influenced by expressionists, involved in spartacist rising and joined kpd soon after; left in 1922 as opposed to dictatorial views - Opposed to Nazis, left Germany for US before they came to power |
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Konstantin Fehrenbach. (1852-1926) |
Leading member of centre party, president of reichstag 1919-20, became chancellor in 1920; leading first cabinet in new republic without SPD. |
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Joseph Wirth. (1859-1956) |
Entered politics as member of centre party, minister of finance in 1920, chancellor in 1921. |
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Wilhelm Cuno. (1876-1933) |
Lawyer/businessman with no party allegiance, chosen as chancellor as it was thought his business experience would help steer Germany through hard economic times. |
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Hugo Stinnes. [2] |
- Owned many businesses, deputy of DVP in reichstag, raised large bank loans in 1923 and purchased forests to supply lumbar to mines - Built empire that included 150 newspapers and magazines plus interests in railways, bank etc |
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Karl Liebkneckt. (1871-1919) [2] |
- Son on Wilhelm Liebkneckt (founding member of SPD), marxist, strong anti-war position in 1914; imprisoned for it in 1916, released november 1918 - Leading figure in spartacist league, during spartacist rising he was captured by Freikorps, tortured and shot in the back for "trying to escape" |
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Rosa Luxemburg. (1871-1919) [2] |
- Involve in 1905 russian revolution, imprisoned in 1916 for anti-war agitation; released november 1918 - Leading figure in spartacist league, captured during spartacist uprising by Freikorps, beaten and then shot |
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Gustav Noske. (1868-1946) [2] |
- Journalist and leading member of SPD, key role in 1918 in persuading Kiel sailors to end revolt, minister of defence in new government - Responsible for using army/freikorps to suppress spartacist revolt, after failure of Kapp Putsch forced to resign because of pressure from trade unions |
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General Walter von Luttwitz. (1859-1942) [2] |
- Army general who has commanded forces on western front, 1919 appointed commander in chief of army in Berlin and in charge of Freikorps - Opposed ToV, driving force behind Kapp Putsch, after it failed escaped to Hungary, returned in 1924 after being granted amnesty |
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Wolfgang Kapp. (1882-1992) [2] |
- Right wing, cofounded fatherland party in 1917, monarchist, 1919 elected to reichstag for DNVP, attempted putsch in 1920 - After failure flew to Sweden, returned in 1922 but died whilst awaiting trial |
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Huge Haase. (1863-1919) [2] |
- Jewish lawyer, leading figure in SPD before 1914, anti-war stance alienated him, 1917 took leading role is USPD - November revolution; joined with majority SPD in setting up new gov, resigned in december; protesting suppression of sailors' revolt in Berlin |
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Matthias Erzberger. (1875-1921) [2] |
- Entered reichstag as centre party deputy in 1903, supported peace resolution 1917, member of Prince Max's government 1918, led go delegation to sign armistice - Signed ToV in 1919, reich finance minister June 1919-March 1920, carried out major reform on taxation system, attacked in conservative press |
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Walther Rathenau. (1867-1922) |
Entered politics as liberal, 1919 joined DDP, minister of reconstruction 1921, foreign minister 1922, recommended fulfilment of ToV. |
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Gustav Stresemann. (1879-1929) [2] |
- Leader of DVP, monarchist at heart, chancellor in grand coalition 1923, responsible for introduction of new currency - Forced to step down as chancellor in November, served as foreign minister 1923-death. |
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Gustav Ritter von Kahr. (1862-1934). [3] |
- Right win, minister president of Bavaria 1920-21, 1923 appointed state commissioner General - Favoured strong Bavarian state with own monarchy, unwilling to participate in Beer Hall Putsch - Spent career as president of Bavarian administrative court, murdered in Night of Long Knives |
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Otto von Lossow. (1868-1938) |
Commander of Bavarian Reichswehr, favoured strong national state only obeyed von Kahr. |
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Hjalmar Schacht. (1877-1970) [2] |
- Director of National Bank from 1916, cofounder of DDP, 1923 became reich currency commissioner and head of reichsbank - Introduced retenmark, helped negotiate Dawes and Young plans, economics minister under Nazis 1934-7, removed in 1939 after losing favour |
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Charles Dawes. (1865-1951) |
American banker/politician, vice president in 1924, nobel prize in '25 for work with Stresemann on reparations issue. |
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Owen D Young. (1874-1962) |
President of General Electric, founded RCA, helped with Dawes plan in 1924. |
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Alfred Hugenberg. (1865-1951) |
Owed newspaper and film companies, deputy in reichstag for DNVP, led DNVP in '28, 1933 appointed minister for economics and food in Nazi government. |
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Theodore Wolff. (1868-1943) [2] |
- Liberal journalist, Jewish family, 1906 editor of Berliner Tageblatt, 1916 him and paper under attack for urging negotiated peace - 1918 one of DDP founders, 1933 in exile after books burned by Nazis, 1943 arrested in Italy and sent to concentration camp |
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Kurt Eisner (1807-1919) [2] |
-Leading member of SPD in Bavaria, 1917 joined USPD and imprisoned for treason, released Nov 18 and led Bavarian revolt - Assassinated in Munich in 1919 by right-wing nationalists |
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Hermann Muller. (1876-1931) |
SPD politician, foreign minister 1919-20, chancellor 1928, signed Tov, calm and hard working, lacked charisma. |
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Ernst Thalmann. (1886-1944) [3] |
- Chairman of KPD in 1925, SPD before 1914 but split in 1917 over support for war, survived assassination attempt 1922 - One leader of Hamburg communist uprising 1923, guided by Stalin after 1925, communist candidate in elections '25 and '32 - 1933 arrested by Nazis and imprisoned in a concentration camp, executed on Hitlers orders 1944 |
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Heinrich Bruning. (1885-1970) |
Leading member of centre in Reichstag, became chancellor in 1930, longest serving chancellor of WR. |
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Kurt von Schleicher. (1882-1934) [3] |
- Aristocratic army officer, helped negotiate Ebert-Groener pact, after 1926 essentially political head of army - Part of Hindenburgs inner circle with Groener, helped steer Hindenburg towards authoritarian government - Largely responsible for downfall of Bruning 1932, murdered by Nazis despite trying to work with Hitler |
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Fritz Thyssen. (1873-1951) [2] |
- Chairman of united steelworks company, early financial backer of Nazis, joined Nazis in 1931 - Late 1930s critical of regime's economic policies, opposed war and fled in 1939 |
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Joseph Goebbels. (1897-1945). [2] |
- Chief propagandist of Nazis 1928-45, Nazi party leader of Berlin, taste for violence, intellectual, key propaganda role in Nazi rise to power - Minister of propaganda 1933, committed suicide in 1945 shortly after Hitler's death |
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Franz von Papen. (1879-1969) [2] |
- Former aristocratic army offiver, member of centre party, anti-democratic, wanted to re-establish authoritarian state, minister-president of Prussia - Chancellor in May 1932, brought down by Schleicher dec. 1932, conspired with Hitler and Hindenburg to get rid of Schleicher, returned to power in coalition with Hitler |
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Oskar von Hindenburg. (1883-1960) [2] |
- Son of Paul von Hindenburg, fathers aide-de-camp; controlled access to president, close friend of Shleicher - Opposed Hitler as chancellor until 1933 after discussions with Paper and Hitler |
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Dr Otto Meissner. (1880-1934) |
Head of office of president under Ebert and Hindenburg, helped organise the talks between Papen and Hitler that led to Hitler being chancellor. |
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Gregor Strasser. (1892-1934) [2] |
- Nazi from 1921, veteran of Beer Hall Putsch 1924, 1926-28 in charge of propaganda, anti-communist and anti-semitic - Purged from leadership in 1932, murdered in 1934 by Nazi SS in Night of Long Knives |
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Franz Seldte. (1882-1947) [2] |
- Leader of paramilitary stahlhelm, conservative German nationalist, hostile to WR but retained independence from Nazis - 1937 joined Nazis and stahlhelm into SA |
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Wilhelm Frick. (1877-1946) |
Interior minister 1933-43, joined Nazis and elected to Reichstag 1924, tried and executed by Allies after the war. |
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General Blomberg. (1878-1946) |
Army commander in east Prussia, defence minister in Hitler's first cabinet, 1938 Hitler removed him from government. |
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Freiherr von Neurath. (1873-1956) [2] |
- German aristocratic diplomat, foreign minister in Papen's government in '32, continued under Hitler under 1938 - Joined Nazis in 1937, dismissed from foreign ministry in 1938 after opposing Hitler's aggressive plans for German expansion |
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Hermann Goering. (1893-1946) [5] |
- Fighter pilot in WWI, joined Nazis in 1922, involved in Munich Putsch 1923, elected to reichstag in 1928 - President of reichstag in 1932, 1933 appointed chancellor and interior minister of Prussia - Reich aviation minister in 1933, responsible for rebuilding Luftwaffe (airforce), established Gustapo and first concentration camps - 1936 placed in charge of Four Year Plan, after Battle of Britain failure his influence declined, removed from part in 1945 - Captured by Allies and put on trial, committed suicide in prison |
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Ernst Rohm. (1887-1934) [4] |
- Captain in WWI, hired to gather infromation on opposition groups - Took part in Munich Putsch, briefly jailed - Recalled to Ger by Hitler in 1930, took control of SA - Drank heavily and was homosexual (embarrassment to Hitler) |
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Heinrich Himmler. (1900-45) [4] |
- Joined party in 1923, leader of SA 1929 - End of war appointed military commander against Red Army (relieved due to lack of experience) - Betrayed Hitler by attempting to negotiate peace with Allies - Went on the run, captured by British, committed suicide |
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Martin Niemoller. (1892-1984) [6] |
- Protestant pastor, u baot commander WWI, strong nationalist - Opposed Nazi efforts to politicise Evangelical church - Anti semitic but believed Jews should be welcomed into Christianity - Arrested and acquitted, then re-arrested - Hitlers personal prisoner; privileges - Within confessional church was a martyr |
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General Werner von Fritsch. (1880-1939) [5] |
- Army commander in chief 1934, anti semitic and anti democratic - Critical when he realised SS was in rival with army - Feared Germany was not ready for war - Resigned Feb 1938, accused of homosexuality - Cleared of charges, killed in action in Poland |
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Robert Lay. (1890-1945) [2] |
- Joined party 1924, elected to Reichstag 1930, reich organisation leader 1932 - Leader of DAF 1933, committed suicide 1945 |
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Martin Luther. (1483-1546) [2] |
- Catholic German monk; challenged authority of papacy in 1517; nailed criticisms to church door - Started reformation and beginnings of protestantism |
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Ludwig Muller. (1883-1945) [3] |
- Protestant pastor associated with Nazis since 1920's - Appointed as reich bishop; failed to establish complete mastery of church (political ineptness and him growing resentment to appointment) - Committed suicide in 1945 |
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (1906-45) [3] |
- Cofounder of Pastors' Emergency LEague, joined confessional church - Opponent of Aryan paragraph and Nazi attempts to take over church - Arrested in 1943, murdered by Gestapo 1945 |
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Dr Philipp Bouhler. (1899-1945) [5] |
- Served in WWI, worked for Nazi newspaper Volkischer Beobachter in 1920's - Reich secretary of NSDAP 1925, head of Hitler's party office 1933 - Used control over letters to Hitler to influence introduction of Aktion T4, 1939 - Bouhler and Brandt chief architects of killings programme - Committed suicide 1945 to avoid American arrest |
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Dr Karl Brandt. (1904-48) [4] |
- Senior SS doctor, Hitler's inner circle - Rose to SS major general, appointed Reich commissioner for Health and Sanitation - Supervised medical experiments during war - Arrested 1945, executed for war crimes 1948 |
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Reinhard Heydrich. (1904-42) [4] |
- Most important in SS after Himmler - 1941 responsible for coordinating final solution and plans at Wannsee - Governed Czech territories incorporated into reich - July 1942 assassinated by Jewish partisans trained in Britain |
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Adolf Eichmann. (1899-1961) [3] |
- Involed in Jewish emigration to Palestine, architect of final solution - Main driving force behind deportation and mass murder of Hungarian Jews 1944 - 1901 kidnapped by Israeli secret agents, sentenced to death |
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Albert Speer. (1905-81) [3] |
- Architect, helped design settings for Nuremberg rallies, designed many iconic Nazi buildings - 1942 appointed minister of armaments - Tried at Nuremberg, sentenced to 20 in prison after German defeat |
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Bielski brothers. [4] |
- Parents killed in ghetto, sons gled to forest - Set up camp which attracted other Jews - Carried out sabotage mission against Nazis for 3 years - When Red Army occupied area they emerged; greeted with hostility and suspicion |
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Martin Bormann. (1900-45) [3] |
- Head of the Nazi party chancellery, Hitler's private secretary - Key role in party and civil service appointments - Died while trying to escape soviet advance Berlin May 1945 |
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Hans and Sophie Scholl. (d. 1943) [3] |
- Hans in Hitler Youth but became disillusioned with regime - Founding members of white rose group - Arrested, tried and executed in February 1943 |
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Archbishop Frings. (1887-1978) [2] |
- Archbishop of Cologne 1942-1969 - Denounced Nazi persecution of Jews as 'crime that calls out to heaven' |
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Count Helmut von Moltke. (1907-45) [4] |
- Prussian aristocratic landowner, descendant of Prussian military leader - Critical of atrocities committed by German forces - Advocated non-violent resistance - Arrested by Gestapo January 1944, tried and executed January 1945 |
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Claus von Stauffenberg. (1907-44) [3] |
- Professional soldier, aristocratic background - Appalled by SS atrocities, recruited supporters for assassination plot against Hitler - Carried bomb into Hitler's hq July 1944 - arrested and executed |