2. changes to weimar

Question 1

threats from the left - spartacists

Answer 1

1. Ebert faced particular opposition from the left wing spartacists, led by Rosa Luxemberg and Karl Liebknecht
2. the sparticists believed that Germany should be run by russian-style workers councils and not by the reichstag
3. on january the 6th 1919 the sparticists (now calling themselves the KPD) launched a putsch against the new government
4. the Putsch was crushed by the army and the free corps, as the spartacists were poorly equipped, badly organised and lacking in widespread support
5. the spartacist rising caused long-term division between the KPD and SPD which prevented further cooperation against right wing in future
6. in the aftermath of the Putsch, Luxemberg and Liebknecht were executed

Question 2

threats from the right - the Kapp putsch

Answer 2

1. the first challenge to the government from the right came on March 13th 1920 when the free corps led by Wolfgang Kapp seized key locations in Berlin
2. the soldiers were angry at the reduction in the size of the army as demanded by the TOV
3. workers in Berlin and elsewhere did not support the Putsch. rather, they responded to call from the government and organised a shutdown
4. when Ebert ordered the army to take action, General Hans Von Seeckt responded by stating ‘ the german army does not fire on the german army ‘
5. within 4 days the strike had brought Berlin to a stans still and Kapp had left the country

Question 3

political assassinations

Answer 3

1. over the period of 1920-1922 those on the right carried out 354 political murders
2. in June 1922 foreign minister Walter Rathenu was assassinated
3. despite the fact that more assassinations were carried out by those on the right only one assassin was convicted, in comparison to ten who recieved the death penalty and 17 who were severely punished on the left

Question 4

the red rising

Answer 4

1. in March 1920 there was a red rising in the Ruhr
2. in reaction to the Kapp Putsch workers in the Ruhr had gone on strike and now remained on strike forming their own red army
3. the government used the same free corps who had previously sought to overthrow the government to crush the red rising
4. the communists sought to obtain concessions from the government they had just helped save

Question 5

reasons for …

Answer 5

spartisists - they thought that germany should be run by russian-style worker councils and not by the reichstag

Kapp putsch - anger at the reduction in the size of the army as demanded by the TOV

red rising - they sought to gain concessions from the government and did not

Question 6

events of..

Answer 6

sparticists - launched the putsch against the governemnt on January 6th 1919

Kapp putsch - The free corps on March 13th 1920 seized key reactions in Berlin

Red Rising - there was a ‘Red Rising’ in the Ruhr in March 1920, the rising was in reaction to the Kapp Putsch and workers in the Ruhr had now gone on strike forming their own red army

Question 7

Results….

Answer 7

spartacists - the Putsch was crushed by the army and free corps by 15th January 1919 and both Spartacist leaders - Rosa Luxemberg and Karl Liebknecht along with many of their followers had been murdered. This whole episode created long term division between the KPO (spartacists) and SPO which prevented only further cooperation against the right wing in future.

Kapp Putsch - The government was forced to flee. Workers in Berlin and elsewhere didn’t support the Putsch. Rather they responded to a call from the government and organised a shutdown within 4 days the strike and brought Berlin to a standstill. Wolfgang Kapp fled the country, they refused to fight “German army doesn’t fire on German army.