1.3 Weimar Democracy Flashcards
What was the job title of the head of the Weimar Republic?
The President.
In the Weimar Republic, how often was a new president elected?
Every 7 years.
What did the President of the Weimar Republic have the power to do?
Choose key ministers, such as the Chancellor.
What Article could the Weimar Republic President use to overrule his government and make laws by decree.
Article 48
Who was beneath the President in the Weimar Republic hierarchy?
The government.
What did the Cabinet do in the Weimar Republic and who led them?
The Cabinet made political decisions, they were led by the Chancellor.
Who was beneath the Government in the Weimar Republic hierarchy?
Parliament.
What did the Parliament in the Weimar Republic consist of?
The Reichstag and the Reichsrat.
In the Weimar Republic Parliament, parties were given proportional…
Representation
What does proportional representation mean in terms of the Weimar Republic’s Parliament?
It meant that the party’s seats reflected the number of votes it received.
How often were the Reichstag and the Reichsrat elected in the Weimar Republic?
Every 4 years.
What did the Reichstag control in the Weimar Republic?
The Reichstag controlled tax
What did the Reichsrat in the Weimar Republic represent?
It represented each region of Germany.
What was beneath the Parliament in the Weimar Republic hierarchy?
The Electorate.
According to the constitution, in the Weimar Republic, all men and women over the age of … were eligible to vote in elections.
20
Who created the Weimar Constitution?
A Jewish man called Hugo Preuss
Why was the Weimar Republic considered to be a genuine democracy?
Because all Germans over 20 could vote.
What made the German Constitution so strong?
The fact that no one person or group could hold too much power.
Name one negative of proportional representation in the Weimar Constitution.
It meant that weak coalitions were the only way to gain power and lead Germany.
Why could Article 48 be a negative of the Weimar Constitution?
As the President could bypass democracy.
The Weimar Constitution was weak because strong German states, like Prussia, still held power through the …
Reichsrat
Who were the Spartacists?
A communist group supported by the Soviet Union.
When did the Spartacists stage a revolt in Berlin to overthrow the Weimar Republic?
January 1919
How did Ebert stop the January 1919 Spartacist Uprising?
He used a right wing group of oldies called the Freikorps.
What was it called in March 1920 when the Freikorps staged a rebellion led by Wolfgang Kapp?
Kapp Putsch
What was the aim of the March 1920 Kapp Putsch?
Seize control and stop the Weimar democratic system
Was the 1920 Kapp Putsch a success or failure, why?
It was a failure, German workers went on strike, so Kapp was forced to flee.
Was the Kapp Putsch the first or second challenge for the Weimar from the right wing?
The Kapp Putsch was the first challenge from the right wing.
Was the Munich Putsch the first or second challenge for the Weimar from the right wing?
The Munich Putsch was the second challenge from the right wing for the Weimar.
Who staged the Munich Putsch?
The Nazi Party
What were the Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) also known as?
The Nazi Party
What 2 people led the Munich Putsch?
Adolf Hitler and Ludendorff
Why did the Nazi’s think the Weimar Republic was weak?
Because of the economic crisis (hyperinflation) in 1923.
When did the Munich Putsch happen?
November 1923
During the Munich Putsch, what meeting did the Nazi’s enter?
The meeting of the Bavarian government.
During the Munich Putsch, what 2 things did the Nazi’s take control over?
The local police
Army Headquarters
What did Hitler do the day after the Munich Putsch which got him arrested?
He marched on Munich to declare himself the President of Germany.
What was Lebensraum?
Expanding German territory to house the population
What 3 things are discussed in Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf?
-The need to destroy democracy
-The need for Lebensraum
-The inferiority of the Jews
Where did Hitler write his bestseller, Mein Kampf?
In Prison
When was the Stresemann Era?
1924-1929
When was Gustavia Stresemmann Chancellor of Weimar Republic?
1923
When was Gustavia Stresemann Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic?
1923-1929
What was the currency called that Stresemann set up in 1923 to stop hyperinflation?
The Rentenmark.
Unlike the previous currency, Rentenmark was tied to the price of land and held real…
…value
When was the Rentenmark renamed the Reichsmark and placed under control of the Reichsbank?
August 1924
When was the Dawes Plan made?
1924
Who helped negotiate the Dawes Plan?
Gustav Stresemann
How much did the US loan to German industries due to the 1924 Dawes Plan?
800 million Reichsmarks
What happened temporarily to reparations due to the 1924 Dawes Plan?
Reparation instalments were made to £50 million a year (temporarily)
When was The Young Plan negotiated?
1929
Who negotiated the 1929 Young Plan
Gustav Stresemann
What did the 1929 Young Plan propose?
To reduce German Reparations.
How long would the reparations take to pay off after the Dawes Plan was negotiated in 1929?
1988
The 1929 Young Plan planned to lower the total reparations from £6.6 billion to?
£2 billion
What halted the Young Plan?
The Wall Street Crash
By what percentage had German exports risen between 1925 and 1929?
40%
By what percentage had world trade fallen 4 years after the Wall Street Crash?
60%
In 1927, what schemes did the Weimar Republic set up to help German society?
Pension, health and unemployment schemes.
What area of culture did the Bauhaus school influence?
Architecture
What year did Germany join the League of Nations?
1926
