1. Creation and collapse of the Weimar Republic 1918-33

Question 1

Nature/style of government in Imperial Germany

Answer 1

Autocracy - supreme power was concentrated on one individual - Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Question 2

Imperial Germany constitutional reforms

Answer 2

Extended the vote to women and lowered the age from 25-20

Made both the ministers and the army responsible to the government not to the kaiser

Question 3

Kiel mutiny

Answer 3

October 1918: navy refused to sail against the British fleet - set off strikes/mutinies

Protests in favour of a fairer, socialist system of government and an increase in freedom of speech and civil liberties.

Question 4

Result of Kiel mutiny

Answer 4

9th November 1918 - Germany was declared a republic

Question 5

Government set up after the abdication?

Answer 5

The Council of People’s Representatives - 10th of November 1918

Question 6

The Council of People’s Representatives nature/style of government

Answer 6

Ebert became chancellor with a cabinet of SPD and USPD

Question 7

Ebert-Groener Pact

Answer 7

The army would support the government as long as the government opposed the more left-wing ideas of parties in the Reichstag - result of disruption and unrest

Question 8

Reforms by the Council of People’s Representatives

Answer 8

eight-hour working day, allowed independent trade unions, widened health and unemployment benefit + fixed elections for January 1919

Question 9

The Spartacist Revolt

Answer 9

Uprising broke out in Berlin in January 1919: Ebert moved the government to Weimar for safety - dealt with by the Freikorps

Question 10

Results of the January 1919

Answer 10

SPD did not get the majority and could only govern with a coalition - formed with the Centre Party and the German Democratic Party (DDP)

Question 11

The structure of the Weimar Constitution

Answer 11

• SPD - Largest party in the Reichstag from
  1919 to 1929
• Ebert elected first President of the
  Republic in February 1919
• Government was still meeting in Weimar
  as returning to Berlin felt too dangerous

Question 12

Treaty of versailles

Answer 12

signed on 28th June 1919 - made the government unpopular as resentment of the treaty was widespread

Question 13

Weaknesses of the Constitution - political parties

Answer 13

It took only 60,000 votes to gain a seat - very democratic but did not take into account the more parties there were, the more difficult for the Reichstag to work effectively (29 different political parties during the 1920s).

Question 14

Weaknesses of the Constitution - proportional representation

Answer 14

Each party got the same percentage of seats in parliament as the percentage of votes it received in an election which meant there were lots of small parties in Parliament making it difficult to pass laws and led to weak and often short-lived governments. Also gave a voice to extremist parties

Question 15

Weaknesses of the Constitution - coalitions

Answer 15

Between 1919-1923 there were nine short-lived coalitions - each party focused on their own aims/interests rather than working together so governments spent a lot time arguing
Between 1924-1929 - governments changed less often - there were just six different coalitions

Question 16

Public feeling about the Weimar government

Answer 16

Unpopularity due to the ‘Stab in the back’ theory (Germany could have won the war if not betrayed) by the November Criminals (those who signed the armistice and later the Treaty).

Question 17

Economic problems and the government’s failure to deal with them

Answer 17

1929 Wall Street Crash led to a depression. - USA had been lending money to many countries in Europe to help them recover from the effects of WWI and now the USA was calling in loans and not lending so many European countries were dragged into the Depression.

Prices fell and unemployment rose whilst wages fell - the government failed to create a policy to help and the situation worsened up support for extremist political parties rose

Question 18

Hindenburg and Chancellors + article 48

Answer 18

Hindenburg was not inclined to keep chancellors who could not get an agreement - forced to fall back on governing by decree under Article 48

Question 19

1932 Reichstag elections + chancellor of the Reichstag

Answer 19

The Nazis had the most seats. Traditionally the head of this party was asked to be chancellor but Hidenburg offered the post of chancellor to Kurt von Schleicher because he did not want to work with Hitler

Question 20

Why did extremists oppose the government

Answer 20

• Liberalism and democratic principles
• Involvement in the Treaty of Versailles
• Failure to unite Germany
• Failure to produce a strong, decisive
  government and a strong leader

Question 21

The impact of the Treaty of Versailles on German politics

Answer 21

• Campaigning point for for politicians - cause
  of political discontent and a spur to
  opposition
• Weimar government were traitors to the
  country for arranging the armistice and
  signing the shameful treaty
• Reparations enabled resentment -the fact
  reparations existed was enough

Question 22

Left wing oppostion - The Sparticists Revolt 1919

Answer 22

Sparticists (members of USPD) aimed to overthrow the government

6th January 1919: thousands of armed workers took over key buildings such as newspaper offices

Chancellor Ebert moved government to Weimar
The Freikorps crushed the rebellion and executed it’s leaders

Question 23

Right wing oppostion - The Kapp Putsch

Answer 23

Attempt to overthrow the government

Most of the army did not join the putsch but would not fight the rebels
The leaders proclaimed themselves the new government, dissolved the National Assembly and said the Weimar Consititution was no longer in force

Took over Berlin on 12 March and the government fled - new government for a few days until the trade unions called for a general strike
Four days after the strike. The Kapp government failed and the Weimar government returned

Question 24

The Munich Putsch 1923

Answer 24

Hitler decided to mount a Nazi takeover of Germany to Mussolini’s March on Rome

8th november: SA surrounded a large beer cellar in Munich where important officials were in a meeting. Hitler crashed into the hall and announced that the government was deposed and he and Ludendorff were to form a new government.

The Beer Hall Putsch was put down by the Munich police. Its ringleaders, including Adolf Hitler, were arrested.

Question 25

Summary challenges to the democratic constitution

Answer 25

Economic challenges / impact of WWI
Challenges from other political groups
Weaknesses of the constitution itself

Question 26

Weaknesses of the Constitution - Article 48

Answer 26

Allowed the president to suspend the Reichstag in an emergency and rule by decree - the chancellor often had to ask the president to use Article 48 to rule by decree which was intended for emergencies - using this made the government look like it was in constant crisis.

Question 27

Overcoming the challenges to the constitution - extremist opposition

Answer 27

As the economy improved, social conditions stabilised and political violence died down (between 1924-1929, no major political figures were assassinated).

Support for extremist parties reduced (although communists and nazis started to gain power by 1928 as economic conditions worsed)

Question 28

Overcoming the challenges to the constitution -weaknesses of the constitution

Answer 28

Between 1924-1929, the economy recovered and Germany reached agreements with other countries that began to restore its position and undo some of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Between 1924-1929, coalition governments changed less often - there were just six different coalitions

Question 29

Overcoming the challenges to the constitution - impact of WWI/economic challenges

Answer 29

Germany’s admission into the League of Nations in 1926 meant German exports were back to their 1913 levels of ten billion marks by 1926

Dawes plan 1924 - plan provided for an end to the Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr, and a staggered payment plan for Germany’s payment of war reparations and a loan of 800 million marks