1. Impact of Treaty of Versailles

Question 1

who decided on the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 1

French Premier, Georges Clemenceau (sought tough treaty),
US President, Woodrow Wilson (sought idealistic peace)
British PM David Lloyd George (sought between other two).

Question 2

Quote: what did Chancellor Philip Scheidemann declare that the victors wanted?

Answer 2

wanted to turn Germans into “slaves…doing forced labour behind barbed wire and prison bars” - shows that the peace terms were harsh and tough on Germany.

Question 3

What did Chancellor Scheidemann do in response to the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 3

Declaring he can’t accept these terms, he resigned on 20 June 1919

Question 4

Who accepted the treaty?

Answer 4

Chancellor Gustav Bauer

Question 5

quote by Chancellor Gustav Bauer for his reason to accept treaty?

Answer 5

as “ we cannot assume the responsibility of a new war”.

Question 6

Who voted to accept treaty?

Answer 6

Germany’s new democratically elected National Assembly voted to accept treaty

Question 7

when was treaty signed?

Answer 7

28 June, 1919

Question 8

What did Germany lose in terms of treaty?

Answer 8

lost six million inhabitants and 13% of its European territory e.g. Alsace-Lorraine went back to France

reparation amounting to $40 billion

Question 9

German army restricted to? Impact on war preparation/soldier etc.?

Answer 9

max. 100 000 long-term soldiers – 1/6 the size of army in 1913. Conscription abolished, navy restricted, weapons destroyed e.g. 13 000 machine guns, heavy artillery and modern tech. such as tanks banned

Question 10

What was under Article 231 of Versailles treaty?

Answer 10

required Germany accept ‘sole guilt; for outbreak of war. – justified Allies demand that Germany pay reparations

Question 11

What happened to Rhineland?

Answer 11

Germany’s frontier with France demilitarised: prohibited from erecting fortification or stationing troops in region.

Question 12

what did the demilitarisation of Rhineland present France with?

Answer 12

with possibility of launching an unopposed attack through the region to the very heart og Germany

Question 13

What was stationed in Rhineland to ensure compliance?

Answer 13

much of 1920s saw Allied occupation force stationed in Rhineland

Question 14

What did acceptance of treaty create amongst germans?

Answer 14

All this produced sense of aggrieved nationalism
caused profound sense of injustice and resentment, a determination not to co-operate with treaty and desire to undo its provisions as soon as opportunity presented itself.

Question 15

What did German’s opposition to treaty lead to?

Answer 15

Translated to hatred of democracy and return to to authoritarian rule, which in past, appeared to them to have ensured their nation’s rise to great power status.

Question 16

What happened in the Reichstag election of 6 June 1920?

Answer 16

combined votes for the political parties public associated with acceptance of Treaty, moderate ‘Weimer Coalition’, declined from 76% to 47%.

Question 17

what happened to Weimer Coalition?

Answer 17

never again won majority vote – impact stable democratic gov

Question 18

Who were the ‘November Criminals’ (scapegoats)?

Answer 18

The various politicians that represented Germany at signing of armistice in Nov 1918 and treaty in June 1919.

Question 19

what would happen to other politicians that supported the Republic?

Answer 19

become targets for assassination squad associated with the Freikorps

Question 20

The Political Impact: What did Hitler describe the treaty as? (quote)

Answer 20

In Mein Kampf as “this instrument of boundless repression”

Question 21

The Political Impact: what did newspapers call it?

Answer 21

a newspaper urged gov not to sign “the disgraceful treaty”

Question 22

The Political Impact: where was treaty signed?

Answer 22

Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles

Question 23

The Political Impact: why was location of treaty signed a disgrace?

Answer 23

Humiliation felt by Germans made worse because it was in Hall of Mirrors that the German Empire proclaimed back in 1871.

Question 24

The Political Impact: what did Republic’s willingness to accept treaty become?

Answer 24

greatest piece of anti-republican propaganda

Question 25

The Political Impact: what could opponents of republic accuse it of?

Answer 25

surrendering by signing armistice (Nov. 1918), of having ‘stabbed the Germany army in the back’, and now signing away German land, military strength and honour

Question 26

The Political Impact: what were democratic politicians now labelled as?

Answer 26

the ‘November Criminals’

Question 27

The Political Impact: Hitler’s opposition to Versailles key factor in building up his…?

Answer 27

support amongst ordinary nationalist-minded Germans and the elites in army and business.

Hence, violent opposition or right wing nationalist opposition could be justified

Question 28

Political Violence 1919-22: what kind of bias existed in police and judiciary?

Answer 28

anti-democratic bias of police and judiciary, those on right treated leniently than those on left (often executed)

Question 29

Political Violence 1919-22: how many murders committed?

Answer 29

376 political murders across Germany during years. Most committed by right.

Question 30

Political Violence 1919-22: what were people who worked in Freikorps units looked as?

Answer 30

patriots

Question 31

Political Violence 1919-22: what were those on left looked as?

Answer 31

anti-German, traitors to fatherland.

Question 32

Political Violence 1919-22: what was the most significant attempt to put down republic?

Answer 32

came in 1920 with Kapp Putsch due to the government’s attempt to carry out the military clause of the treaty

Question 33

Political Violence 1919-22: What happened in 12 March 1920?

Answer 33

Kapp Putsch attempted by right wing nationalist conspirators to overthrow the republic. Led by Wolfgang Kapp (Civil servant in Prussia), general con Luttwitz (military commander of Berlin) and Captain Hermann Erhardt commander of his Erhardt Freikorps brigade

Question 34

Political Violence 1919-22: As the brigade marched into Berlin (kapp putsch) what did republic gov expect?

Answer 34

Defence Minister Noske expected army (Reihswehr) to defend Republican government but commander of army, Hans von Seeckt, had no intention of using army forces to attack other army forces

Question 35

Political Violence 1919-22: what did commander of army Hans von Seeckt say in response to Kapp Putsch?

Answer 35

“Reichswehr does not shoot upon Reichswehr”

“So you perhaps intend…that a battle be fought…between troops that have found side by side against a common enemy? When Reichswehr fired on Reichswehr, then all comradeship within the officer corps will have vanished”

Question 36

Political Violence 1919-22: what did the gov do in response to kapp putsch knowing army not backing them up?

Answer 36

Government fled berlin and saved by not army but organised general strike that took hold in Berlin and other cities. -> clear that middle class Germans had little sympathy for the rebels

Question 37

Political Violence 1919-22: did the Putsch succeed?

Answer 37

putsch poorly organised, did not have full army support and five days later began to collapse. Gov returned to Berlin

Question 38

Political Violence 1919-22: what did the kapp putsch show despite failure?

Answer 38

showed army could not be relied upon to support the democratic republic. But also suggested that army was becoming ‘ a state within a state’ – follow own policy regardless of elected gov

Question 39

Political Violence 1919-22: what did the kapp putsch reveal and significance?

Answer 39

the first attempt to seize power by radical right and exposed weakness of government as they fled berlin

Question 40

Political Violence 1919-22: what happened to party votes by end of 1922?

Answer 40

three main democratic parties – SPD, the Centre Party and Democratic Party all suffered major electoral losses. Votes began to go to extreme parties from KPD (left) and nationalist parties on right

Question 41

Political Violence 1919-22: what became normal part of German democratic political life?

Answer 41

Loyalty of army suspicious and violence

Question 42

Political Violence 1919-22: who was Most high profile victim of extreme right wing murdered ?

Answer 42

Foreign Minister, Walther Rathenau, assassinated June 1922

Question 43

Political Violence 1919-22: what happened by end of 1922?

Answer 43

politics polarised, violence dominated political life and army was becoming a ‘state within a state’

Question 44

aim of treaty to break?

Answer 44

Germany’s political, economic and military power.

Question 45

Economic Impact: who argued that the economic measure contained in the treaty would be impossible for Germany to honour ?

Answer 45

British economist, John Maynard
Keynes
failure to pay interest lead to increasing bill

Question 46

Economic Impact: What did Germany rely on to pay reparation?

Answer 46

heavily relied other countries for a loan

Question 47

Economic Impact: what happened in Ruhr industrial region due to failure to deliver agreed amount of coal and timber?

Answer 47

saw the French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr industrial region on 11 January, 1923.

Question 48

Economic Impact: response to French and Belgium occupation of Ruhr?

Answer 48

Germany gov directed its officials and workforce in Ruhr to follow a policy of ‘passive resistance’ by stopping work and refusing to co-operate with occupation force. The gov agreed to pay much of the wage bill to the now non-working population

Question 49

Economic Impact: what happened between French and german troops?

Answer 49

Relations between French troops and German workers deteriorated

Question 50

Economic Impact: what did Gustav Stesemann decide to end in September 1923?

Answer 50

to end ‘passive resistance’, returned to policy of ‘fulfilment; - resuming reparation payments to France in return for withdrawal but by then hyperinflation taken hold.

Question 51

Economic Impact (Hyper Inflation): when did economy bankrupt due to hyperinflation ?

Answer 51

1923

Question 52

Economic Impact (Hyper Inflation): what happened with hyper inflation? What did it lead to?

Answer 52

prices and wages rise so high that currency ceases to have any value.

This lead to prices doubling in hour, collapse of exchange rate, worker paid 2-3 times daily. E.g. German marks to buy bread increased from 0.63 in 1918 to 201 000 000 000 in November 1923.

Question 53

Economic Impact (Hyper Inflation): What do economists and historians believe may be cause of this inflation?

Answer 53

o Germany already suffering hyper inflation during war – pursued policy of deficit financing
o The treaty’s impact, esp. the reparations.
o French occupation of 1923, continued to pay workers’ wages and output reduced due to strike.
o Gov placed no limits on 1 783 printing presses producing bank notes night and day.
o Some historians argues that gov deliberately allowed inflation to explode as if went bankrupt, allied have no choice but to reduce reparations.

Question 54

Economic Impact (Hyper Inflation): how did it affect middle class?

Answer 54

o	Middle class saw value of their bank savings and government bonds wiped out, retirees saw the value of their pensions wiped out, some being forced to seek charity. 
o	But those with mortgages on home benefited as debt was wiped out due to devaluation of the currency

Question 55

Economic Impact (Hyper Inflation): political repercussions?

Answer 55

o Those suffered financially tended to blame the moderate democratic parties which had been in coalition gov. during the period of hyperinflation. Began to vote for more conservative political parties.
o Ultimately, when great depression struck few years after hyperinflation, large sections of German middle class put their trust in right wing political extremism.
o The financial and political turmoil of 1923 provided opportunity for Hitler and Nazi party to attempt takeover/putsch. Though it was failure, brought Hitler to national prominence for the first time.