1.1 The origins of the Republic, 1918-19 Flashcards
The legacy of the first world war - 1914-18
11 million Germans fought in the war. Almost 2 million German troops died and over 4 million were wounded. Furthermore, the cost of the war meant that the German government’s debts trebled.
How did the German people suffer too?
The British Navy blockaded German ports, preventing ships bringing food into the country. Over 750,000 Germans died because of food shortages during the First World War. As a result, Germany started to crumble from within.
What was clear in Berlin?
That Kaiser Wilhelm and his ministers had lost control of Germany - it was time for him to go.
When did the Kaiser abdicate?
On 9th November 1918.
Why did the Kaiser abdicate?
His ministers told him that this was the only way to restore order and he had also lost the support of the German army.
What was the council of people’s representative?
It consisted of 6 moderate politicians , who would head the government of the country, but only until a new constitution was agreed. This prevented a takeover my communist extremists.
What was the armistice?
It was the formal agreement between Germany and the Allies to end the First World War. This was the first decision of the government. The terms of the peace, Treaty of Versailles, were to become a permanent burden to the new Republic.
When was the armistice signed?
11 November, by Ebert’s representative, Erzberger.
What steps did Ebert take to increase people’s confidence in the new republic?
1) Ebert arranged for the civil servants who worked under the Kaiser to stay in the office. They were instructed to work alongside soldiers’ and workers’ councils, where local people had set these up. This ensured that the state would keep on running (collecting taxes, running schools, etc).
2) He reassured General Groener that the army would not be reformed, meaning officers kept their ranks. In return, Groener agreed to use the German army to help keep the new republic in power.
3) Ebert also reassured leaders of industry that the new Republic would not confiscate land or factories and that there would be no state control of private industries. This helped ensure that businesses and the economy continued to operate.
4) Finally, Ebert won the support of the trade unions, as he promised their leader, Carl Legien, that the new Republic would try to achieve an 8 hour working day.
Were some extreme political parties still dissatisfied?
Yes, demonstrations and even rights were common in the major cities. Still, Ebert had achieved a fragile control, which lasted long enough to agree a new constitution for the new Republic.
The strengths of the Weimar Constitution
1) Democratic - confirmed that Germany was to be a democracy
- For the first time, women were able to vote.
- voting age was reduced to 21
The Reichstag was elected under a system of proportional representation. This was meant to make sure that even the smaller parties had a fair share of seats in the Reichstag. Every party was allocated 1 representative for each 60,000 votes in its favour.
2) Checks and balances - constructed so that no one person or one group could have too much power.
President had the power to choose the chancellor. President coulda also dismiss the Reichstag, call new elections and even assume control of the army.
3) A Bill of Rights - This guaranteed every German citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law.
The weaknesses of the Weimar constitution
1) Proportional representation - Each party got the same percentage of seats in parliament as the percentage of votes it received in an election. This meant there were lots of small parties in Parliament making it difficult to pass laws and led to weak and often short-lived governments.
2) Weaknesses in a crisis - lack of strong, single-party governments was a particular problem during a crisis, when swift decisions were needed.
Article 48 - This gave the president the power to act without parliament’s approval in an emergency. However, it did not clearly define what an ‘emergency’ was, so the power was overused, which weakened Germans’ confidence in democracy.
