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Y1-History 2 > 1- Impact Of War, Political Crisis Of Oct And Nov 1818 And Weimar Constitution > Flashcards

1- Impact Of War, Political Crisis Of Oct And Nov 1818 And Weimar Constitution Flashcards

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1
Q

What happened in 1871?

A

Largest German state, Prussia, brought most German states together and formed the Second Reich

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2
Q

What is the Reichstag?

A

Elected lower house of German parliament

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3
Q

What is a republic?

A

System of gov in which Head of State, or President, is elected into office

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4
Q

What is an armistice?

A

Agreement to suspend fighting in order to negotiate a peace treaty

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5
Q

What happened on 9th Nov 1918?

A

Abdication of kaiser Wilhelm II

After the proclamation of a republic in Bavaria the SPD called for a general strike in Berlin to force the kaiser to abdicate.

Also threatened to withdraw support from Von Baden’s gov if he didn’t do so in 24 hours

By 5pm kaiser had been forced to accept what had happened and on 10th Nov fled to neutral Holland.

On the 9th Prince max resigned as chancellor and handed the position to Friedrich Ebert, leader of SPD

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6
Q

When was the armistice announced?

A

11th Nov 1918

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7
Q

What had happened by the end of September 1918?

A

General Ludendorff had concluded that Germany’s only way of avoiding a surrender was to ask allies for an armistice

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8
Q

Why offered Germany a possible basis of negotiated peace?

A

President Wilson’s 14 points

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9
Q

What were some of the principles of the 14 points?

A

Some points such as return of Alsace and Lorraine to France quite punitive towards Germany,

However, general principles such as establishment of League of Nations to monitor future disputes and self determination, disarmament and determination to create a peace that would last and prevent another war

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10
Q

What is meant by self determination?

A

One of Wilson’s 14 points.

Wilson wanted to re-draw the frontiers of eastern Europe so that nations ruled themselves. In some ways, self-determination was achieved. The Treaty of Versailles created Poland by taking West Prussia from Germany.

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11
Q

What did Ludendorff suggest so that 14 points could be used to negotiate a settlement?

A

He understood that Germany’s autocratic political system was an obstacle to a negotiated peace.

He suggested
Partial democratisation of political system

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12
Q

What are the October reforms?

A

Reforms begun by the kaiser following Ludendorff’s recommendations Rut effectively needed his autocratic rule

  1. He appointed Prince max von Baden as new Chancellor
  2. Chancellor responsible for the reichstag and had to establish a new gov based on the majority parties in the Reichstag including SPD
  3. Armed forces under control of civil gov.
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13
Q

What did the October reforms mean?

A

They were a major constitutional transformation in Germany.

They came about by a ‘revolution from above’ which was designed to

  1. Save Germany from humiliation 
  2. Save kaisers rule
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14
Q

What happened on 3 October 1918?

A

Prince max (chancellor) wrote a peace note to president Wilson asking for an armistice.

Took Wilson nearly 3 weeks to reply, largely bc he was suspicious that the request of an armistice was a means of buying time to regroup and prepare for a new offensive.

When he replied he demanded Germany must

  1. Evacuate all occupied territory
  2. Call an end to submarine warfare
  3. Fully democratise it’s political system

These terms, which demanded German surrender and kaisers abdication were too much for Ludendorff to accept.

He fled to Sweden

The reforms of October had failed to achieve his objectives.

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15
Q

What effect did the peace note have on German people and the army?

A

It was a shattering blow to their morale. It was the first occasion on which the German people had learned the truth about their country’s situation.

It undermined their respect for the kaiser and his military and political leaders

Many soldiers and sailors lost respect for their officers

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16
Q

What happened on the 28th Oct?

A

When German navy’s high command in a last act of resistance ordered ships to attack British ships the crews of two cruisers refused to obey orders. Naval mutiny was the beginning of broader rev.

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17
Q

What is the November Revolution 1918?

A

Civil conflict as a consequence of Germany’s defeat in WWI

On 3 Nov naval mutiny of 28 Oct spread to main naval base at Kiel. There sailors mutinied against their officers and took control of the base.

Over the next few days the revolt spread to other German ports and cities

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18
Q

What happened on 8 Oct 1918?

A

A republic was declared in Bavaria, marking a turning point in the November Rev- key stage in creation of an all-German republic as it showed Prince Max von Baden that he had lost control of the situation

19
Q

What happened at the same time as Ebert’s becoming a Chancellor on 9th Nov 1918?

A

Philip Scheidemann, other leader of SPD stood on the Reichstag balcony and declared the creation of a German republic

20
Q

Was Ebert a revolutionary?

A

No, and he realised that although he had been chosen by Prince Max as the new Chancellor bc he was leader of the Majority party in the Reichstag, he had come to power through a revolutionary act and his gov lacked legitimacy

That’s why he was determined to establish a new constitution as quickly as possible and organised elections for a Constituent Assembly

21
Q

What is a Constituent Assembly?

A

Elected body with the task of drawing up a constitution

22
Q

What were the socialist groups and parties in 1918?

A
  1. Spartacus League (later KPD)
    - founded by a revolutionary minority from the SPD
    - leaders: Karl liebknecht and Rosa luxemburg
    - wanted republican gov controlled by workers’ and soldiers’ councils.
    - membership approx 500.000
  2. USPD
    - founded by a minority from the SPD
    - leaders: Hugo haase
    - wanted republican gov that worked with workers’ and soldiers’ councils
    - membership approx 300.000 and growing after WWI
  3. SPD
    - founded as a socialist party
    - leaders Friedrich Ebert and Philipp Scheidemann
    - wanted moderate socialist republic
    - appealed largely to working class
    - membership of 1 million
23
Q

What were the problems faced by the republic ?

A
  1. Socioeconomic
    - Inflation: wages falling behind prices- increased social discontent
    - Shortages: food and fuel shortages after war
    - Flu epidemic: Spanish flu killed thousands
  2. Left wing opposition
    - Strikes: Increased after defeat
    - German communists: Inspired by the Russian rev they aimed to bring a revolution to Germany
    - Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils: wanted changes in army and industry
  3. Right wing opposition
    - Freikorps: Right, nationalist soldiers were forming paramilitary units
    - Army: Conservative, embittered by defeat
    - Nationalists: were against abdication of kaiser and didn’t support new republic
  4. Military
    - Demobilisation: 1.5 million soldiers returned home
    - Allied blockade: maintained after armistice and caused shortages and social distress (until June 1919)
    - Peace terms: concern about terms and effects of treaty
24
Q

Who did Ebert’s gov depend on?

A

The support of the army

25
Q

What happened on 10 Nov?

A

Ebert-Groener Pact agreed- necessary for Ebert to ensure orderly transition to the new Republic

For the left, betrayal of the revolution

26
Q

What happened on 6 Dec 1918?

A

Spartacist demonstration in Berlin that killed 16

27
Q

What happened on 6 January 1919?

A

Spartacist launched an armed revolt against gov- called January Rev.

28
Q

When were the elections for the Constituent Assembly held?

A

19 Jan 1919

29
Q

What was characteristic of the elections for the Constituent Assembly?

A

Women were allowed to vote

30
Q

What happened on 11 Feb 1919?

A

Ebert elected as first President of the Republic and Scheidemann chosen as Chancellor- coalition gov SPD, ZP and DDP (German Democratic Party)

31
Q

What happened on 15 Nov 1918?

A

Stinnes-Legien Agreement: Legien, leader of trade unions and Stinnes, leader of industrialists. Legien agreed to not interfere with private ownership and free market in exchange for workers’ committees, 8h working days and full legal recognition.

32
Q

Which 2 agreements in 1918 were severely criticised by the left wing?

A
  1. Ebert Groener Pact- army
  2. Stinnes Legien Agreement- industralists

Critics accused Ebert of supporting compromises with conservatives. However, can be argued that Ebert just wanted to guarantee stability.

33
Q

When was the Weimar Constitution ratified?

A

Ratified by Ebert on 11 August 1919

34
Q

What is proportional representation?

A

Electoral system in which parties are allocated seats in the Reichstag according to the proportion of votes they receive

35
Q

What were the strengths of the Weimar Constitution?

A

It was more democratic than many systems of gov in other democratic countries

  1. Universal suffrage was established- women allowed to vote and could become deputies in Reichstag
  2. System of proportional representation allowed smaller parties to win seats in Reichstag and influence gov decisions.
  3. Set out rights of the individual- upheld the rule of law, personal liberty and forbid censorship
36
Q

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?

A
  1. Proportional representation
  2. Rule by presidential decree
  3. Survival of antidemocractic institutions
37
Q

How does the constitution hierarchy work?

A
  1. President (Head of State)
    - elected every 7 years
    - could dissolve Reichstag and call new elections
    - Supreme commander of armed forces
    - Had emergency powers (Article 48) to rule by decree without Parliamentary consent
  2. Chancellor
    - appointed by President
    - had to have the support of at least half the Reichstag
    - Proposed new laws
  3. a) Reichstag
    - elected every 4 years
    - lower house of Par
    - Chancellor and ministers responsible for it
    - debated laws

b) Reichsrat
- upper house of Par
- made up of representatives from the different states (Länder)
- provided advice on laws

  1. Individual voters
    - voted for Reichstag every 4 years and President every 7 years
    - rule of law
    - were guaranteed individual rights and freedoms, right to work and equal rights with employers
  2. Other features of constitution
    - SC independent of Reichstag and President- separation of power
    - Federal system whereby there were separate state govs (Länder)
38
Q

Why was proportional representation a weakness of the constitution?

A

PROLIFERATION OF SMALL PARTIES: smaller parties could gain seats in Par, something that doesn’t happen in other electoral systems such as the first-past-the-post system in Britain.

  • enabled small parties many of which were anti-republican to gain publicity
  • however, fragmented party system was mainly caused by deep divisions in German society and lack of general consensus
  • COALITION GOVS: bc of proliferation of smaller parties larger parties couldn’t gain the maj in Par and had to form coalitions, which were unstable and short-lived.
39
Q

Why was Rule by presidential decree a weakness of the constitution?

A

Article 48 could be used on a regular basis

Ebert used the decree on 136 occasions- some were justified but it was also used in non-emergency situations when he wanted to avoid Par opposition

Ironic that someone who supported democratic principles to such an extent should as President undermine democracy through his overuse of Article 48

40
Q

What is autocracy?

A

System of gov in which power is concentrated in the hands of 1 person

41
Q

Why was the survival of undemocratic institutions a weakness of the constitution?

A
  1. Army: enjoyed great status and was not sympathetic of Weimar Republic
  2. Civil service: tended to conform to conservative values
  3. Judiciary: Continued to enjoy its traditional independence
  4. Universities were proud of their traditional status.

These powerful conservative forces exerted great influence.

42
Q

Summary chapter 1

A
  • Defeat in WW1
  • Kaiser abdication
  • Germany started being governed by a President and a Reichstag- elected
  • Circumstances under which republic was created increased bitterness and distrust of the people
  • Left wing wanted more radical change
  • Right wing- traditional institutions unreformed
  • Supporters of Kaiser blamed those behind November Rev for humiliation of Germany and illegal overthrowing of monarchy- stabbed in the back view
43
Q

Summary dates chapter 1

A
  • 1871
  • October reforms
  • 3 Oct 1918
  • 28 Oct 1918
  • 3 Nov 1918
  • 8 Nov 1918
  • 9th Nov 1918
  • 10th Nov 1918
  • 11 Nov 1918
  • 15 Nov 1918
  • 6 Dec 1918
  • 6 Jan 1919
  • 19 Jan 1919
  • 11 Feb 1919
  • 11 Aug 1919

Y1-History 2 (15 decks)

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