In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the long and complicated relationship between Germany and Austria. They explain how religious differences and Great Power rivalry sustained two competing German identities in Central Europe. Starting from Katja’s childhood memories of crossing the Austro-German border into a familiar yet foreign world, they debate the Holy Roman Empire, the impact of Napoleon, the Hohenzollern-Habsburg dynastic rivalry, the 1848 revolutions, Bismarck, and the competing “small” (kleindeutsch) and “greater” (grossdeutsch) answers to the nineteenth century “German Question”. They show that the idea of “Anschluss”, or union between the German-speaking states, had existed long before Hitler. Perhaps surpisingly, considering what was later to come in 1938, the cause had been associated far more with liberal and progressive forces than those of the political Right.
In this week’s episode, Katja and Chris are joined by historian Mark Jones to discuss the 1923 Ruhr Crisis: the French and Belgian occupation of Germany’s industrial heartland, the policy of passive resistance, and the crisis of violence, hyperinflation, and political extremism that pushed the Weimar Republic to the brink.
Guest: Mark Jones
Book: 1923: The Forgotten Crisis in the Year of Hitler’s Coup
In this week’s episode, Katja and Chris explore the Weimar hyperinflation crisis, when German money became almost worthless, prices changed by the hour, and a loaf of bread could cost billions of marks.
How did Germany reach this point? What did it mean for ordinary people trying to survive? And why did the trauma of 1923 leave such a deep mark on German society?
In this episode, Katja and Chris dive into the final, frantic days of the GDR. They explore the lived reality of the Wende (the turning point) from the perspective of East Germans watching their world dissolve in real-time. From the bravery of the Monday Demonstrations to the surreal shock of the first border crossings, they discuss what it felt like to suddenly step out from the known and into an uncertain, reunified future.
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore how West Germany transformed from a conservative postwar society into one rocked by youth rebellion. From the economic miracle of the 1950s to the student protests of 1968, they examine why a new generation began questioning their parents’ past, asking uncomfortable questions about Nazism, authority, and democracy. Along the way, they uncover how cultural change, political tensions, and global movements collided to reshape modern Germany.
In this episode, Katja and Chris dive into the dramatic events of 17 June 1953, when East Germany was shaken by a mass uprising that nearly toppled the young socialist regime. What began as a workers’ strike in East Berlin quickly spread across the country, drawing in over a million people.
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore how the Allies attempted to denazify Germany after Hitler’s fall, focusing not just on top Nazi leaders but on the millions of ordinary Germans who had supported the regime. They compare the very different approaches of the American, British, French, and Soviet occupation zones, and examine how politics, pragmatism, and the early Cold War shaped the process.
In this episode, Katja and Chris examine the Weimar Republic at its apparent high point in 1928 and ask the question that still haunts historians today: was German democracy ever truly secure, or was collapse already built in?
Looking at elections, economic recovery, Stresemann’s diplomacy, rural unrest, and the Nazis' ongoing inability to gain a hearing from German voters, they explore how a republic that seemed stable and modern could still be far more fragile than it appeared.
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Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon
https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host
To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters
Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal
Merchandise and Shop: https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all
Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.comUntitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter
Katjas socials:
X (Twitter): https://x.com/hoyer_katSubstack: Zeitgeist https://www.katjahoyer.uk/
General Enquiries: republics@battleguide.co.uk
Credits:
- Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon
- Production: Linus Klaßen
- Editing: Hunter Christensen
In this episode, Katja and Chris examine the Weimar Republic at its apparent high point in 1928 and ask the question that still haunts historians today: was German democracy ever truly secure, or was collapse already built in?
Looking at elections, economic recovery, Stresemann’s diplomacy, rural unrest, and the Nazis' ongoing inability to gain a hearing from German voters, they explore how a republic that seemed stable and modern could still be far more fragile than it appeared.
Do you like our podcast?
Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot!
Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon
https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host
To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters
Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal
Merchandise and Shop: https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all
Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.comUntitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter
Katjas socials:
X (Twitter): https://x.com/hoyer_katSubstack: Zeitgeist https://www.katjahoyer.uk/
General Enquiries: republics@battleguide.co.uk
Credits:
- Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon
- Production: Linus Klaßen
- Editing: Hunter Christensen
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the brutal reality of the 'Turnip Winter' of 1916/17, when the German civilian population was forced to endure extreme hunger, freezing temperatures and a collapsing food system. They explore how the British blockade, disastrous harvests and government mismanagement forced people to survive on animal fodder such as turnips (and crow). The episode reveals that food shortages weakened Germany not only physically, but also shattered morale, fuelled social tensions and played a decisive role in the country's eventual defeat in the First World War.