1.1 Political and Governmental Change - Weimar Republic Flashcards
Exam revision
When was the Council of People’s Representatives (new government) set up?
10 November 1918
Who led the new government?
USPD and SPD (socialists)
Ebert (SPD) = Chancellor
What was the Ebert-Groener Pact?
army support for the government in exchange for suppressing left-wing ideas
When was the Ebert-Groener Pact?
10 November 1918
When was the armistice signed?
11 November 1918
Who signed the armistice?
Erzberger on behalf of the government
What role did the Allies allow Germany in Treaty negotiations post-WW1 and what was the impact on German politics?
none
parties began to form and reform to try and gain a voice in the Reichstag
How many political murders were there by right-wing extremists 1919-1922?
356
When was the KPD set up?
December 1918
What was the reaction to the KPD being set up?
fear of communism meant their meetings were attacked by private armies
Who were the Sozi?
SPD’s private army
Who were the Freikorps?
Private army, formed December 1918
had units in the East to fight possible communist invasion
How many political murders were there 1919-1922?
376
Which politician was shot outside the Reichstag and when?
Haase (USPD leader) October 1919
Which politicians involved with the Treaty of Versailles were murdered?
Erzberger and Rathenau
When was the Weimar Constitution passed?
31 July 1919
What was the voter turnout to the first Weimar election?
82.7%
When was Ebert elected President and by how much?
11 February 1919
277:51
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28 June 1919
When was the Weimar Constitution passed?
31 July 1919
What did the Bill of Rights (part of the constitution) guarantee?
freedom of speech, association and religion
right to work
welfare rights
right to property
How many votes were needed to gain a seat and what did this mean?
60,000
lots of political parties in Reichstag = difficult to run
What made voting confusing?
members moved between parties
eg. many USPD went to KPD
How did the voting system work and what was the impact?
Proportional representation - voting for a party rather than a person - regions then assigned a representative
politicians not interested in their region
How many coalitions were there 1919-1923 and why?
9
it was almost impossible to have a majority party
parties selfish and did not work well together
What was Article 48?
President could suspend Reichstag and rule by decree
How many times did Ebert use Article 48 and why?
136
coalitions often broke down and chancellor had to step in
Who was Stresemann?
DVP leader, chancellor 1923, foreign minister until death in 1929
encouraged democracy and parties working together
prioritised economic recovery and good international relations
What improvements were made 1924-1929?
economy recovered
international position began to restore
some TofV terms undone
Weimar government in power long enough to be accepted
no major political assassinations
How many coalitions were there 1924-1929?
6
What happened to extremist support from 1924 to 1928
fell in 1924, rose in 1928 as economy worsened
When was Hindenburg elected as President and what was this a sign of?
1925
Germany favoured authoritarian system
What theory was Hindenburg the first to voice and why?
Stab in the back
part of high military command in WW1
What was the ‘stab in the back’ theory?
German army could have won WW1
they were betrayed by the November Criminals who signed the armistice and TofV
When was the Wall Street Crash and what was it’s impact?
1929
USA recalled loans
Germany faced Great Depression
prices rose
unemployment rose
wages fell
extremism rose
What also helped boost extremism in the September 1930 elections and what percentage of votes did they have?
NSDAP 18% and KPD 14%
SA attacks on political opponents
young voters
other parties losses eg. DNVP lost 2 million voters
Who were the laws created by 1930-1932?
109 by decree, 29 by Reichstag
Who refused coalitions in the 1930s?
SPD
What were the results of the April 1932 Presidential elections?
Hindenburg 19.4 million, Hitler 13.4 million
What were the issues with Hindenburg in 1932?
84 years old
unhappy with having to rule by decree
BUT did not want Hitler in power
What were the results of the July 1932 elections?
NSDAP 37% - majority
but Hindenburg chose von Schleicher as Chancellor
offered Hitler a cabinet position which he refused
What were the results of the November 1932 elections?
NSDAP 33% - majority
Hindenburg: no longer wanted to rule by decree
- Hitler = chancellor
- von Papen = vice-chancellor
only 2/12 cabinet members allowed to be Nazis
When was Hitler appointed chancellor?
30 January 1933
Who could vote?
all men and women over 20
What could the President do?
choose chancellor
Article 48 and take control of the army in an emergency
dismiss Reichstag and call new elections
How was the President chosen?
elected by vote of all electors every 7 years
Who was the Chancellor chosen by?
the President
How was the Reichstag chosen?
vote by all electors every 4 years
Who was the cabinet chosen by?
the Chancellor
How many local regions (Laender) were there?
18
What did the Laender do?
run their own education, police and judiciary
(federal laws overruled laws of the Land though)
How were the Reichsrat chosen?
sent by Laender
1 for every 70,000 people
What could the Reichsrat do?
veto laws unless they passed through the Reichstag with over 2/3 majority
