1 - Impact of War, Oct-Nov 1918, Weimar Consitution

Question 1

What had happened on November 9th 1918?

Answer 1

The Kaiser’s abdication was announced even though he had not actually agreed to abdicate.

Question 2

What were the details of the abdication?

Answer 2

• announced at 1:30pm
• he agreed at 5pm
• Kaiser travelled north to Holland

Question 3

How did the Kaiser see his fate?

Answer 3

He was heard saying “I am a broken man” and “How can I begin life again?”. This shows he knew there was no chance for him to become a leader again.

Question 4

What was Germany’s situation at the end of November?

Answer 4

Clear to General Lundendorff that they had been defeated. He believed that the only way they could get out was to ask for an armistice but first, they had to become more democratic.

Question 5

Who did Germany have to go to to get the armistice?

Answer 5

Woodrow Wilson - president of the USA

Question 6

What were the October reforms?

Answer 6

A set of rules that Lundendorff recommended to the Kaiser to make Germany appear more democratic and increase their chances of getting an armistice.

Question 7

What was set out in the October Reforms?

Answer 7

• Prince Max of Baden as chancellor
• Chancellor to control the Reichstag
• Army to be controlled by the civil population
• Establishment of a new government based on votes

Question 8

What did Prince Max do immediately after becoming chancellor?

Answer 8

Wrote to Wilson requesting an armistice.

Question 9

When did Prince Max become chancellor?

Answer 9

3rd October 1918

Question 10

What was the peace note?

Answer 10

An agreement between Max and Wilson that ended in the armistice.

Question 11

What were the terms of the peace note?

Answer 11

• Germany to evacuate occupied territory
• Germany to end submarine warfare
• Government democratised

Question 12

What happened to Lundendorff after the peace note?

Answer 12

He fled to Sweden and resigned. The terms of the peace note were too much for him. The reforms had not achieved what he wanted.

Question 13

How did Germans react to the peace note?

Answer 13

Citizens realised they had lost the war. The people’s morale was shattered and they began to resent the leaders. All respect for the Kaiser had been lost.

Question 14

What were the consequences of the peace note?

Answer 14

• hatred for the Kaiser
• respect for army officers was lost
• people wanted a German republic

Question 15

What happened on the 3rd- 6th November 1918?

Answer 15

3rd- Sailors at the Kiel naval base took control. They refused to listen to their officers
4th- Workers and soldiers councils set up in Kiel
6th- the revolt began to spread to other bases and their cities.

Question 16

How were the 3rd November 1918 revolts organised?

Answer 16

Organised by patriotic Germans who wanted the Kaiser gone.

Question 17

What were the aims of 3rd November 1918 revolts?

Answer 17

• Kaiser to abdicate
• A republic established
  NOT to overthrow, just democracy

Question 18

What had happened in Germany by 8th November 1918?

Answer 18

• a republic in Baravia
• collapse of regime
• military and government officials challenged
• Prince Max had lost control

Question 19

What happened on November 9th 1918?

Answer 19

The SPD organised a strike to encourage the Kaiser to abdicate. They also threatened to withdraw support from Prince Max’s government unless he got the Kaiser to abdicate.

Phillip Schidemann announced Germany was a republic

Question 20

What did Prince Max do after the SPD’s strikes on Nov 9th 1918?

Answer 20

Announced the Kaiser’s abdication even though he hadn’t actually abdicated so he could keep support.

Question 21

What was the Kaiser’s final push to abdicate?

Answer 21

General Groener said the army would no longer support the Kaiser and he couldn’t rule without them.

Question 22

Where was pressure from the left coming from?

Answer 22

• Sparticists
• SPD
• USPD

Question 23

Why were left councils putting pressure on Ebert?

Answer 23

The didn’t want him to make decisions without their references and opinions and they wanted estates to be broken up.

Question 24

What agreements did the left councils and Ebert reach?

Answer 24

Ebert would exercise power in their names.

Question 25

Who’s support did Ebert need on the right?

Answer 25

Support of the army due to their aristocratic backgrounds.

Question 26

How did the right’s views impact their democratic ideas?

Answer 26

They were loyal to the kaiser and therefore didn’t like democracy.

Question 27

What were the main fears of the right?

Answer 27

They were scared of a Bolshevik revolution stemming from the German revolution.

Question 28

What was the Ebert - Groener pact?

Answer 28

Groener would support Ebert if he resisted those who wanted to democratise the army.

Question 29

How was the Weimar constitution democratic?

Answer 29

• Universal suffrage, all over 21 could vote
• Women could be deputies in the reichstag
• Proportional representation
• Article 48
• Chancellor has the confidence of the reichstag
• Reichstrat is state representive
• Referendum if 10% of the population voted

Question 30

How was the Weimar Constitution stable?

Answer 30

• A president voted in every 7 years
• Army could crush revolts

Question 31

How was the Weimar Constitution unstable?

Answer 31

• Coalition governments
• Article 48
• Proportional Representation

Question 32

How did Germany’s voting system change? Electoral Districts

Answer 32

• 35 equal districts
• vote for a party not candidate
• 60,000 votes in a district = 1 deputy

Question 33

How did the voting system change? Voters

Answer 33

• one vote per person
• everyone over 20

Question 34

How did the voting system change? Party Officials

Answer 34

• chosen from a candidate list
• not voted in

Question 35

What did proportional representation mean?

Answer 35

• small parties given a chance
• coalition government
• anti republic parties can influence
• fair voting system