1. The Weimar Republc: Politics and Government KNOWLEDGE CARDS

Question 1

What was the nickname given to the politicians who signed the armistice in November 1918?

Answer 1

The November Criminals

Question 2

When was the Treaty of Verailles signed by the Weimar government?

Answer 2

June 28, 1919

Question 3

Why is the Treaty of Versailles also known as a Diktat?

Answer 3

Because it was seen to be imposed on Germany as the defeated nation after the war - Germany could not have a say in the negotiations.

Question 4

Name three terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which Germany was forced to agree to.

Answer 4

1. £6,6 billion of reparations
2. The War Guilt Clause, accepting full responsibility for the war
3. A reduction of the military (e.g. no air force or navy; army capped at 100,000 soldiers)

Question 5

What ‘myth’ did Paul von Hindenburg coin following the signing of the Treaty?

Answer 5

“The stab in the back” myth - the Weimar government was accused of pulling Germany out of the war when it was on the brink of victory.

Question 6

Who was elected the first President of the W. Republic in Feb. 1919?

Answer 6

Friedrich Ebert

Question 7

What voting system did the Weimar Constitution introduce?

Answer 7

Proportional Representation

Question 8

What Article of the Weimar Constitution allowed the President to suspend the Reichstag and rule by decree in times of emergency?

Answer 8

Article 48

Question 9

What does it mean to ‘rule by decree’?

Answer 9

A style of governance which allows a single person/group to override usual legislative (law-making) processes and create laws.

Question 10

During the 1920s, how many political parties were represented in the Reichstag?

Answer 10

29 political parties

Question 11

How many coalition governments were there between 1919 and the end of 1923?

Answer 11

9 coalition governments

Question 12

Which WW1 military commander was elected President of the Republic in 1925?

Answer 12

Paul von Hindenburg

Question 13

What political roles did Gustave Stresemann (leader of the DVP) hold between 1923 and 1929?

Answer 13

Chancellor (Aug - Nov 1923)

Foreign Minister (Nov 1923 - Oct 1929)

Question 14

How many coalition governments were there between 1924 and 1929?

Answer 14

6 coalition governments

Question 15

How many political figures were assassinated and how many putsch attempts were there between 1924 and 1929?

Answer 15

None

Question 16

What was created in 1928 under Chancellor Müller, which commanded a majority of over 60% in the Reichstag?

Answer 16

The Grand Coalition

Question 17

What evidence is there of political instability during the “golden years” of 1924-29?

Answer 17

1. Support for extremists had reduced but it remained quite high (e.g. the KPD obtained 10.6% of the vote in 1928).
2. Parties still struggled to work together in coalitions. In 1926, a government collapsed over the issue of what the German flag looked like.

Question 18

What collapsed / fell apart as parties disagreed on how to deal with the economic crisis after 1929?

Answer 18

The Grand Coalition

Question 19

What direction did the German political system move in in this time?

Answer 19

It became more authoritarian as the President relied on Article 48 to pass laws.

Question 20

From July 1930 to July 1932, how many laws were passed under Article 48?

Answer 20

109 laws (in comparison to 29 laws passed by the Reichstag)

Question 21

How many chancellors and elections between 1929 and 1932?

Answer 21

4 chancellors and several elections

Question 22

What evidence is there of increasing political violence at this time?

Answer 22

During the July 1932 election campaign, there were 461 riots in the region of Prussia.

Question 23

What proportion of people voted for pro-constitution parties in 1932 (e.g. the SPD; DVP; Centre)? (%)

Answer 23

35.2%

Question 24

What proportion of people voted for anti-constitution parties in 1932 (e.g. the KPD; NSDAP)? (%)

Answer 24

58.3%

Question 25

What do the following acronyms of the political parties in Weimar Germany stand for?:

NSDAP
DVP
SPD
KPD

Answer 25

NSDAP - The Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party (the Nazis)

DVP - German People’s Party

SPD - Social Democrat Party

KPD - German Communist Party