1) The Creation Of Nazi Dictatorship: The Weimar Republic Flashcards
What happened of the 9th November 1918?
Germany stopped being a monarchy.
Who ruled Germany before they lost the war?
A Kaiser.
Why did Germany stop being a monarchy in 1918?
Because the Kaiser, Kaiser Wilhelm, abdicated because he knew they had lost the war.
With the Kaiser gone, what did Germany need? And what was the result?
Germany needed a new way of ruling. A new government was set up and a republic was declared.
What did this new government do on the 11th of November 1918?
Signed the armistice to end the First World War,
How were political parties awarded seats in the new Weimar Constitution?
Using proportional representation which meant seats were awarded in direct proportion to the number of people that voted for the party.
What was the downside of proportional representation?
It resulted in coalition governments because no one party ever achieved an overall majority in the Reichstag.
How is the Chancellor usually picked?
Usually picked by the President and it’s usually the one who wins the most seats in the Reichstag.
What could the President do during times of crisis?
Use Article 48 of the constitution to declare a ‘state of emergency’ and rule by presidential decree.
What did ruling by presidential decree mean?
It means that the president could pass laws without the approval of the government.
When is an example of Article 48 being used?
During the Wall Street Crash because politicians argued instead of sorting things out because they were coalition governments with different views.
When did the extreme political parties’ chance for power come?
When Germany was plunged into chaos following the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
