1. Creation and collapse of the Weimar Republic 1918-33 Flashcards
Nature/style of government in Imperial Germany
Autocracy - supreme power was concentrated on one individual - Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Imperial Germany constitutional reforms
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
Kiel mutiny
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.
Result of Kiel mutiny
9th November 1918 - Germany was declared a republic
Government set up after the abdication?
The Council of People’s Representatives - 10th of November 1918
The Council of People’s Representatives nature/style of government
Ebert became chancellor with a cabinet of SPD and USPD
Ebert-Groener Pact
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
Reforms by the Council of People’s Representatives
eight-hour working day, allowed independent trade unions, widened health and unemployment benefit + fixed elections for January 1919
The Spartacist Revolt
Uprising broke out in Berlin in January 1919: Ebert moved the government to Weimar for safety - dealt with by the Freikorps
Results of the January 1919
SPD did not get the majority and could only govern with a coalition - formed with the Centre Party and the German Democratic Party (DDP)
The structure of the Weimar Constitution
- 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
Treaty of versailles
signed on 28th June 1919 - made the government unpopular as resentment of the treaty was widespread
Weaknesses of the Constitution - political parties
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).
Weaknesses of the Constitution - proportional representation
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
Weaknesses of the Constitution - coalitions
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
Public feeling about the Weimar government
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).
Economic problems and the government’s failure to deal with them
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
Hindenburg and Chancellors + article 48
Hindenburg was not inclined to keep chancellors who could not get an agreement - forced to fall back on governing by decree under Article 48
1932 Reichstag elections + chancellor of the Reichstag
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
Why did extremists oppose the government
- 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
The impact of the Treaty of Versailles on German politics
- 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
Left wing oppostion - The Sparticists Revolt 1919
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
Right wing oppostion - The Kapp Putsch
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
The Munich Putsch 1923
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.
Summary challenges to the democratic constitution
Economic challenges / impact of WWI
Challenges from other political groups
Weaknesses of the constitution itself
Weaknesses of the Constitution - Article 48
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.
Overcoming the challenges to the constitution - extremist opposition
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)
Overcoming the challenges to the constitution -weaknesses of the constitution
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
Overcoming the challenges to the constitution - impact of WWI/economic challenges
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
