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Germany > 1 - Impact of war, political crises, establishment of Weimar Constitution > Flashcards

1 - Impact of war, political crises, establishment of Weimar Constitution Flashcards

1
Q

When was Kaiser Wilhelm II told his abdication had been announced in Berlin?

A

1:30pm, 9th November 1918

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2
Q

Where was Kaiser Wilhelm II told his abdication had been announced in Berlin?

A

German Army HQ, Spa, Belgium

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3
Q

When was Kaiser Wilhelm II forced to accept his abdication?

A

5:00pm

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4
Q

What did Kaiser Wilhelm do the following dawn after his abdication?

A

left for the Netherlands (which had remained neutral in the war)

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5
Q

What happened when Kaiser Wilhelm II left for the Netherlands?

A

the royal party were kept waiting at the Dutch border at Eysen for six hours while the Dutch authorities decided what to do, they were eventually allowed to continue by special train

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6
Q

What was clear to General Ludendorff and the German High demand by the end of September 1918 and why?

A

that Germany was on the brink of defeat - allied armies hadn’t entered German territory but German forces were in retreat on the Western front

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7
Q

What was happening elsewhere in Europe while German forces were retreating?

A

Germany’s Allies were trying to negotiate peace terms

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8
Q

What did Ludendorff conclude?

A

that Germany’s only hope of avoiding a humiliating surrender was to ask the Allies for an armistice

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9
Q

Why did Ludendorff advocate a partial democratisation in Germany?

A

he knew that Germany’s autocratic political system would be an obstacle to the armistice

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10
Q

What were President Wilson’s Fourteen Points?

A

a means of dealing fairly with the aftermath of the war devised by the idealist Woodrow Wilson - some points were specific to Germany, some points more general, he was determined to create a peace that would last

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11
Q

What were the October reforms?

A

Reforms following the recommendations of Ludendorff, ending the Kaiser’s autocratic rule

  • appointed Prince Max of Baden as Chancellor
  • Chancellor to be reponsible to Reichstag and established new government based on majority parties in Reichstag
  • armed forces under control of civil government
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12
Q

Why did the October reforms come about?

A

‘revolution from above’ designed to save Germany from humiliation and save the Kaiser’s rule

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13
Q

When was the Peace note?

A

3rd October 1918

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14
Q

What was the Peace note?

A

Prince Max wrote to President Wilson asking for an armistice

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15
Q

How long did it take for Wilson to reply to the Peace note at why?

A

almost 3 weeks because he was suspicious that it was a method to buy time to prepare for a new offensive

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16
Q

How did Wilson respond to the Peace note?

A

demanded Germany must evacuate all occupied territory, call an end to submarine warfare, and fully democratise

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17
Q

How did Ludendorff respond to Wilson’s response to the Peace note?

A

it was too much for him to accept and he failed to gain support for a last ditch military effort so he resigned and fled to Sweden

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18
Q

How did the Peace note effect the German people and armed forces?

A

huge blow to morale, lost respect for leaders, strike in Friedrichshafen (22nd October), naval mutiny in Wilhelmshaven (28th October)

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19
Q

What started the November Revolution of 1918?

A

unrest in navy spread to main German naval base at Kiel (following naval mutiny at Wilhelmshaven) - 3rd November 1918 soldiers there mutinied against their officers and took control of the base

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20
Q

What happened the second day of the November revolution?

A

the revolt spread to the city and workers’ and soldiers’ councils were established, the government attempted to meet the mutineers’ demands but the revolt spread to many other German ports and cities

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21
Q

What had happened by the 6th of November in the November revolution?

A

there were workers’ and soldiers’ councils all over Germany

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22
Q

Who was leading the revolts in the November Revolution?

A

patriotic Germans who wanted the Kaiser to abdicate and a democratic republic to be established - not radical socialists

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23
Q

When was the collapse of the regime in the November Revolution quick?

A

once the authority of military officers, government officials, and police had been successfully challenged

24
Q

What happened on the 8th of November 1918?

A

a republic was proclaimed in Bavaria and the Bavarian monarchy was deposed - this brought home to Prince Max that he had lost control of the situation

25
Q

What happened on the 9th of November 1918?

A

the SPD called on workers in Berlin to join a strike to force the Kaiser to abdicate and threatened to withdraw support from Prince Max’s government unless the Kaiser abdicated within 24 hours

26
Q

What did Prince Max do in response to the SPD?

A

he knew he couldn’t continue without the SPD so when the Kaiser refused to abdicate he released a press statement claiming the Kaiser had abdicated, he resigned as Chancellor and handed position to Ebert the SPD leader

27
Q

What also happened on the 9th of November following Prince Max’s response?

A

Scheidemann (a leading SPD figure) stood on the Reichstag balcony and declared that the German Republic was now in existence, later in the day General Groener told the Kaiser the army would no longer fight for him - so the Kaiser had no choice but to abdicate

28
Q

What were Ebert’s thoughts when he came to power?

A

he believed in evolutionary change through winning a majority in parliamentary elections and then introducing reforms so he was conscious that although he was chosen by Prince Max and was leader of the majority party, he came to power through a revolutionary act so felt his government lacked legitimacy

29
Q

What were Ebert’s priorities when he came to power?

A

to agree the armistice with the Allies on the 11th of November, to organise elections for a Constituent Assembly to establish a new constitution as quickly as possible

30
Q

What were Ebert’s problems prior to the creation of a new constitution?

A

he urged Germans to keep essential services running, to avoid street demonstrations, and to maintain law and order, but his authority didn’t extend much beyond Berlin where disorder and violence were becoming the norm

31
Q

Socialist groups and parties in 1918 - Spartacist League (later KPD)

A
  • Founded in 1916 by a more revolutionary minority group from the SPD
  • the name changed to KPD in January 1919
  • the leaders were Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
  • aims: republican government controlled by workers’ and soldiers’ councils, welfare benefits, nationalisation, opposed to WW1
  • support included workers who would join rallies and demonstrations in the streets
  • membership: c. 5000
32
Q

Socialist groups and parties 1918 - USPD

A
  • Founded in 1917 as a breakaway minority from the left of the SPD
  • Leader Hugo Hasse
  • Aims: republic with national Reichstag working with workers’ and soldiers’ councils, welfare improvements, nationalisation of industry, breaking up of large estates, reform of army, opposed to WW1
  • Support grew in strength during 1918 as war-weariness grew
  • Membership: c. 300000
33
Q

Socialist groups and parties 1918 - SPD

A
  • Founded in 1875 as a Marxist socialist party committed to revolution
  • Leaders were Friedrich Ebert and Philipp Scheidemann
  • Aims: moderate socialist republic with democratic elections and basic personal freedoms, welfare improvements, gradual nationalisation of industry, continuity and order, supported Germany’s entry into WW1
  • Support from working class voters and in 1912 became the largest party in the Reichstag
  • Membership: c. 1 million
34
Q

What were the pressures from the left to Ebert’s government?

A

pressure for more radical change, workers’ and soldiers’ councils (in which USPD and Spartacists had established a foothold) made the running in the early stages of the revolution so weren’t going to let Ebert’s government make any key decisions without them

35
Q

What was agreed as a result of the pressures from the left and when?

A

22nd November, agreement between new government and Berlin workers’ and soldiers’ councils where the government accepted that it only exercised power in the name of these councils - only a temporary compromise

36
Q

What did the USPD believe that contributed to why they pressured Ebert’s government?

A

they believed that the autocratic system of government wouldn’t be finally abolished unless the aristocratic estates were broken up, the army, civil service and judiciary were democratised, and the key industries were nationalised under workers’ control

37
Q

What was pressure from the army?

A

the survival of Ebert’s government depended on support from the army but most army officers came from aristocratic backgrounds, had been loyal to the Kaiser, and opposed democracy

38
Q

Why did the Ebert-Groener pact come about?

A

late 1918, the political situation was unstable and many army officers feared the danger of a Bolshevik revolution which would lead to civil war and possible occupation by allies so their first concern was to prevent revolution

39
Q

What was the Ebert-Groener pact?

A

on the 10th of November, General Groener phoned Ebert to assure him that the army leadership would support the government and in return Groener demanded that Ebert should resist the demands of the soldiers’ councils to democratise the army and defend against communist revolution

40
Q

Power struggle continued - 6th December

A

Spartacist demonstration in Berlin fired on by soldiers killing 16

41
Q

Power struggle continued - 23rd to 24th December

A

sailors’ revolt against the government in Berlin put down by the army, in protest the three USPD ministers in the government resigned

42
Q

Power struggle continued - 6th January

A

Spartacists launched armed revolt against government in what became known as January Revolution or Spartacist Uprising - after a week of heavy fighting in Berlin, the revolt was crushed

43
Q

When were the elections for the Constituent Assembly held? (And what was different)

A

19th January 1919

Women could vote for the first time

44
Q

What were the outcomes of the election?

A

SPD secured largest share of vote and largest number of seats in the Assembly
Didn’t have overall majority so would have to compromise with other parties

45
Q

Where did the Assembly meet and why?

A

Small town of Weimar rather than Berlin because the political situation in the capital was unstable still after the January Revolution

46
Q

Who was elected the first President of the Republic?

A

Ebert (by the assembly)

47
Q

What coalition government was formed?

A

SPD in coalition with Centre and German Democratic parties, led by Philipp Scheidemann

48
Q

What were the strengths of the Weimar Constitution?

A 
More democratic
Wider right to vote 
Proportional representation 
Full democracy
Clearly set out rights of the individual
49
Q

What were the weaknesses of the constitution?

A

Proportional representation meant smaller parties could gain representation and there were many coalition governments

50
Q

President key points

A

Elected every seven years by men and women over 20
Appointed and dismissed ministers and could dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections
Supreme commander of the armed forces
Had reserve powers (Article 48) to rule by decree in an emergency without the Reichstag’s consent

51
Q

Chancellor key points

A

Appointed by the President
Had to have the support of at least half of the Reichstag
Proposed new laws to the Reichstag

52
Q

Reichsrat key points

A

Provides advice to chancellor
Second chamber of the German parliament, made up of 67 representatives from the separate 17 states
Each state represented in proportion to its population, no state to have more that 40% of seats (to prevent domination by largest state Prussia)
Could provide advice on laws but could be overridden by Reichstag

53
Q

Reichstag key points

A

Elected every four years by all Germans over 20 using proportional representation
Chancellor and ministers responsible to the Reichstag
Voted on budget - new laws had to originate in the Reichstag and required approval of a majority of Reichstag deputies

54
Q

What were the individual voters rights?

A

Vote for local state assembly every four years and for the President every seven years
Vote occasionally on important issues
‘All Germans are equal before the law’
Guaranteed the freedoms of speech, of conscience, and of travel
Guaranteed the right to belong to trade unions, political parties and other forms of organisation
Guaranteed the right to work and employees were given equal rights with employers to determine working conditions and wages
Responsibility to use their intellectual and physical powers in the interests of the community

55
Q

What were other features of the constitution?

A

Supreme court independent of the Reichstag and the President
The Republic had a federal system whereby there were separate state governments in the 17 Lander which kept control over their own internal affairs

56
Q

What was Article 48?

A

Gave the President the power to rule by decree in exceptional circumstances
First president Ebert used this 136 times: some genuine emergencies, some non-emergencies
Undermined democracy

57
Q

What undemocratic institutions survived?

A

Army - largely free from political control in Second Empire and leaders determined to keep it this way, officer corps of army in Second Empire allowed to continue in Weimar Republic, far from politically neutral, used against left-wing revolts
Civil service - civil servants given guarantee of ‘well-earned rights’ and freedom of political opinion and expression as long as didn’t clash with duty of loyalty to the state, government administration left in hands of those anti-democratic, senior civil servants still recruited from aristocracy
Judiciary - Article 102 of constitution guaranteed independence of the judges, basic requirement in any democratic constitution but the judges who’d served in Second Empire continued posts- monarchists and anti-democratic

Germany (15 decks)

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