1- The origins of the Weimar Republic Flashcards

1
Q

How many Germans died because of food shortages?

A

Over 750,000

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2
Q

What were the three main events that caused the abdication of the Kaiser?

A

Strikes in Stuttgart and Hanover
Mutiny of German Navy in October 1918
Workers in Munich took control of the government in November 1918

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3
Q

When did the Kaiser abdicate and what was the last straw that made him agree to abdicate?

A

9th November 1918, it became clear that he didn’t have the support of the army.

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4
Q

What three things did Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the SPD, do once he became Chancellor?

A

1 - Appealed to the crowds for peace and declared that a new democratic republic would be created
2 - Made an agreement with the army that they would work together to prevent a Communist uprising
3 - Appointed a Council of Representatives - made up of moderate politicians - who would govern temporarily

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5
Q

What good thing did Friedrich Ebert appointing a Council of Representatives do?

A

It prevented extremists from seizing control.

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6
Q

What % of German people voted in the January 1919 elections, and who won how many seats?

A

Over 80%, SPD won 40% and Centre Party won 20%.

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7
Q

What did the National Assembly do in 1919?

A

Wrote the Weimar Constitution, which they wrote in the town of Weimar, and took 6 months to complete.

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8
Q

3 pros of the Weimar Constitution.

A

1 - it was democratic
2 - it had proportional representation
3 - it had checks and balances

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9
Q

Evidence for the Weimar Constitution being democratic (4 points)

A
  • women were granted the vote
  • voting age was reduced from 25 to 21
  • Reichstag elected every four years (one deputy per 60,000 people)
  • President elected by the public every 7 years
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10
Q

What did the fact that the Reichstag used proportional representation cause? (pros, 2 points)

A
  • it was easier for smaller political parties to win seats in parliament and so have their voices be heard
  • it ensured that the Reichstag represented the diverse wishes of the public
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11
Q

What were the checks and balances in the Weimar Constitution? (3 points)

A
  • the President had the power to select or dismiss the Chancellor, which meant that the Chancellor could be removed if he was not performing his duties well
  • the public could change the President every 7 years and could vote to change the government every four years
  • the Reichsrat could delay legislation passed by the Reichstag
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12
Q

2 cons of the Weimar constitution

A

Proportional representation
Article 48

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13
Q

Why was proportional representation a weakness for the Weimar Constitution? (6 points good luck)

A
  • it meant that small parties could easily win seats in the Reichstag
  • as there were 29 different parties in the 1920a it was hard for one party to win a majority
  • so the only way governments could you formed was through coalitions, which led to compromise, lack of strong policies, and unstable governments
  • the public were frustrated that politicians were unable to work together and seemed to spend all of their time together arguing
  • coalitions frequently fell apart as the different parties found it hard to work together
  • there were 9 different coalition governments between 1919 and 1923
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14
Q

Why was Article 48 a weakness for the Weimar Constitution? (3 points)

A
  • the ‘Emergency Powers’ that it provided gave the President the power to suspend the constitution and pass laws without the Reichstag
  • an unpopular Chancellor who didn’t have the support of the Reichstag could just ask the President to pass laws using Article 48
  • by the 1930s, the Chancellor regularly relied on the President to pass laws, which bypassed the Reichstag and undermined democracy
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