1 - Establishment of Weimar Constitution Flashcards
when and where did Kaiser abdicate?
1:30pm, 9th November 1918 (abdication announced in Berlin)
accepted by 5:00pm
what did Kaiser do after abdication?
dawn 10th November went to Dutch border
what was clear to General Ludendorff by end of September 1918?
Germany was on the brink of defeat and needed to ask Allies for armistice
what were Wilson’s fourteen points?
possible basis for negotiated peace settlement
Ludendorff knew Germany’s autocratic system would be obstacle
what were October reforms?
Ludendorff persuaded Kaiser to put reforms in place
appointed Prince Max of Baden as Chancellor (responsible to Reichstag)
armed forces under control of civil government
major constitutional transformation
what was the peace note?
3rd October
Prince Max wrote to Wilson asking for armistice
Wilson took three weeks to reply as suspicious
demanded Germans fully evacuate and surrender - too much for Ludendorff to accept - resigned and fled to Sweden
what was the impact of the peace note on the German people?
morale blow
Wilhelmshaven naval mutiny
strike in Friedrichshafen 22nd October
what was the November revolution of 1918?
- 3rd November sailors at Kiel mutinied
- following day revolt spread to city
- workers’ and soldiers’ councils established
- spread to other ports and cities
- by 6th nov. councils all over Germany
- 8th nov. republic proclaimed in Bavaria
- 9th nov. SPD called on workers to join strike forcing Kaiser to abdicate
- threatened to withdraw gov. support unless Kaiser abdicated
- 9th nov. Max released statement claiming Kaiser abdicated
- resigned as chancellor and handed position to Ebert
- General Groener told Kaiser army wouldn’t fight for him
what was the struggle for power?
- Eberts priority after Armistice was to organise elections for Constituent assembly
- urged Germans to keep essential services running but power didn’t extend beyond Berlin
what was pressure from the left?
- pressure for more radical change
- 22nd nov. agreement where gov. only exercised power in name of councils
what was pressure from Ebert-Groener pact?
10th nov. Groener assured army would support gov.
what was the continued power struggle?
6th dec. - spartacist demonstration, 16 killed
23-24 dec. - sailors revolt in Berlin, 3 USPD ministers resigned
6th jan. - spartacist uprising
what were strengths of the Weimar constitution?
- wider right to vote
- proportional representation
- clearly set out rights of individual
- referendums could be called
- full democracy in local gov.
what were weaknesses of the Weimar constitution?
proportional representation -coalition governments -proliferation of small parties survival of undemocratic institutions -army, civil service, judiciary
what was Presidential Decree?
Article 48
President could rule by decree in exceptional circumstances
