3) Germany Under The New Weimar Republic (1918-1923) Flashcards
What was the Weimar Republic? How did it get this name?
- It was Germany’s first democratic government that governed as a democracy
- The new government met in Weimar because Berlin was too unstable and became known as the Weimar Republic.
Give TWO examples of how Germany had become more DEMOCRATIC after WW1.
- The president and political parties were voted into power
- Voting age was lowered to 20
- Women could also vote
What was proportional representation? What was the problem with this system?
Proportional Representation was when the proportion of seats won in the Reich-stag was roughly proportional to the amount of votes won.
The problem was that there would be 20 to 30 different parties all arguing over the same topic.
Who was Friedrich Ebert?
Was the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the largest political party in the Reich-stag.
He later became the president of Germany.
What was the Treaty of Versailles?
It was a peace treaty opposed on Germany, which restricted Germany in multiple ways.
When was the Treaty of Versailles created?
June 1919
Describe the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
War Guilt
Article 231 said that Germany had to take all responsibility for the war
Describe the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
Reparations
Germany had to pay £6.6 billion in reparations to
France and Belgium in annual instalments for over 66 years.
Describe the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
Military Restrictions
- The air force had to be disbanded
- The army was limited to 100,000 soldiers
- The navy was limited to 15,000 sailors, 6 battleships and no submarines.
- The Rhineland would be occupied by the Allies for
fifteen years, and no German troops allowed in the area
Describe the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
Loss of land and Population
Germany lost 13% of its land, which contained about 6 million of its people
- Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France
- They also lost land to Belgium, Denmark and Poland
Describe the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
Overseas Colonies
Overseas Colonies that belonged to Germany were now called Mandates. And were put under the control of the winning side by the League of Nations.
Describe the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
League of Nations
They decided who took control of the Mandates.
(like a middle man)
Germany couldn’t join
Describe the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
Austria
Germany must NEVER unite with Austria again
Why did so many people start to call the Weimar government the ‘November Criminals’?
The politicians who lost the war in 1918 and signed the Treaty of Versailles
What was the ‘stab in the back theory’?
Many thought Germany could have continued to fight in the War and won but politicians asked for a ceasefire and cause many to think they had been stabbed in the back
Who was responsible for the Sparticist Uprising? When did it happen? What was the outcome?
Who was responsible for the Red Rising in the Ruhr? When did it happen? What was the outcome?
When:
March 1920
Who:
Left-wing workers in the Ruhr refused to go back to work
Took over several towns
Outcome:
Government sent some Freikorps and soldiers to deal with the rebellion, over 1000 workers were killed
Who was responsible for the Kapp Putsch? When did it happen? What was the outcome?
When:
March 1920
Who:
Right-wing Wolfgang Kapp gathered 5000 men known as the Freikorps (made up mainly ex-soldier and police) and took over Berlin.
Wanted to rule the country and recover all land lost to the Treaty of Versailles
Outcome:
President Ebert and the government fled Berlin but Kapp didn’t have the support of the workers so they went on strike
After only 100 hours as a German ruler, Kapp fled abroad and Ebert and his government returned to Berlin.
Who was responsible for the Munich Putsch? When did it happen? What was the outcome?
When:
November 1923
Who:
Hitler and the Nazis tries to seize control of the Bavarian government in southern Germany
Key Bavarian politicians refused to back him in his plan take Berlin
Outcome:
Hitler and about 2000 armed supporters marched through Munich they were met by armed police.
Three policemen and 16 Nazis died
Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested
What is hyperinflation?
When the value of money decreases and becomes worthless
Why did French and Belgian troops invade the Ruhr region of Germany in January 1923?
Germany couldn’t afford to pay reparations to France that month so both France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr as it was a rich industrial area
What did the Weimar government tell the workers in the Ruhr to do? What did the Weimar government then do in order to continue paying these workers?
The Weimar government told the workers of the Ruhr to go on strike, this was known as passive resistance.
In order to continue paying these workers, the government printed more and more money.
What effect(s) did hyperinflation have on the German economy?
- People with savings were the biggest losers of hyperinflation as their life savings became worthless
- The elderly who lived off of fixed pensions from the government did not increase
- Small businesses collapsed as trade became impossible
- People who owed money to the bank got off pretty well as they could pay back their loans with a single note
