11.1 early years: Weimar Republic Flashcards
Date ww1 ended?
11 Nov 1918
Which gov. replaced the Kaiser?
The Weimar Republic
Who was the Kaiser?
The German Emperor- Wilhelm
Definition of the Weimar Republic
Leftwing, democratic gov. that formed in the wake of ww1. No hereditary ruler such as monarch (queen/king) or emperor.
What were the problems faced by the Wiemar Republic?
T reaty of Versailles H yperinflation U prisings R uhr D efeat
What was the ‘stab in the back’ myth? (3 points)
1.The German people felt betrayed when the armistice was signed because the Kaiser had not told them they were losing the war; they thought winning was possible.
2.Wanted someone to blame:
Blamed the politicians for being weak/ lacking will to fight.
3.Bitterness grew as the armistice lead to Treaty of Versailles.
What were the key points in the Treaty of Versailles?
L and
A rmy
M oney
B lame
How much land did Germany lose through the Treaty of Versailles, and including what?
13%, including colonies and imp. areas containing raw materials e.g. coal
What did the Treaty of Versailles reduce the German army to, and from what?
Reduced to 100,000 men from 1.75 million
What did the Treaty of Versailles not allow the German army?
Conscription and aircraft, plus a reduction on its navy.
How many pounds in reparations did Germany have to pay because of the Treaty of Versailles?
£6.6 billion
Which countries benefited from the reparations Germany was obliged to pay them under the Treaty of Versailles?
France, Belgium, and others.
Why was Germany made to pay reparations under the Treaty of Versailles?
To pay for the damage inflicted on the opposing countries, which Germany was (arguably unfairly) given all of the blame for.
AKA compensation
What did the ‘war guilt’ clause in the Treaty of Versailles mean?
That Germany accepted all of the blame for causing the war.
Why did signing the Treaty of Versailles make the Wiemar Republic unpopular with the German people?
Because the terms were hard and opponents of the Weimar Republic saw it as a weakness to have agreed to them.
How did the way the Weimar Republic choose its gov. differ to that of the Kaiser?
The Weimar Republic let the German people democratically elect their gov.
The Kaiser elected his ministers himself.
What method of voting was used in Weimar Germany?
Proportional representation (arguably the fairest, most left-wing kind) aka PR
What was a disadvantage of using proportional representation?
The Reichstag (parliament) was made up of lots of different parties so found it difficult to agree and pass policies.
Seen as a sign of weakness by German public.
What was the German parliament called?
The Reichstag
Who were the 4 uprisings to destroy the Weimar Republic?
- The Spartacist Uprising (communist)
- The Red Rising in the Ruhr (communist)
- The Kapp Putsch (right-wing Freikorps)
- The Munich Putsch (Nazis)
When was the Spartacist Uprising?
1919
When was the Red Rising in the Ruhr?
1920
When was the Kapp Putsch?
1920
When was the Munich Putsch?
1923
How did the gov. sort out the Spartacist Uprising? (2 ways)
- Ordered the army and Freikorps to crush them
2. Had leaders executed.
What was the result of the Red Rising in the Ruhr? ( 2 things)
- army and Freikorps crushed them
2. loss of around 1000 communists
What was the Kapp Putsch trying to do?
Get the leader of the Freikorps (Wolfgang Kapp) in power.
How was the Kapp Putsch stopped?
Workers went on general strike in protest of the Putsch, managing to stop the uprising.
How many members did the Nazi party have at the time of the Munich Putsch (1923)?
Around 50,000, plu their own private army (the SA)
What set up the Munich Putsch to failure?
Poor planning.
How did the Munich Putsch end?
With Hitler and the other Nazi leaders were arrested and sent to prison- it did not succeed.
Who were the Freikorps?
Ex-army members who were anti-communist
What is a Putsch?
A sudden armed uprising, a political revolt
What were the SA, and when were they set up?
Set up by Hitler to disrupt and intimidate opponents to the Nazis. Primarily made up of ex-soldiers and members of the Freikorps. Set up in 1921.
