5. The Weimar Republic UNDERSTANDING CARDS Flashcards
How did the trade unions help the Weimar government to overcome opposition against their rule?
- They called a general strike during the right wing Kapp Putsch.
- The strike was wide spread and brought Berlin to a standstill.
How did the German army help the Weimar government to overcome opposition against their rule?
The German Army used a system of Reichsexekution to put down the communists.
How did the Freikorps help the Weimar government to overcome opposition against their rule?
- The Freikorps were hired to to put down the Spartacist uprising.
- They re-conquered the blocked streets and buildings and many of the rebels surrendered.
Identify three pieces of evidence which suggest that people did support democracy in the years of the Weimar Republic.
- There was a high turnout for Reichstag elections (75%-84% in the years 1919-1932)
- High percentage of votes for pro-constitution, democratic parties (57.7% in 1928)
- German people in Saxony welcomed the removal of a communist governments in the early-1920s.
Why was there increased economic stability in the years 1924 to 1929?
- Plans such as the Dawes plan (1924) and the Young plan (1929) gave Germany international loans to uphold Germany’s economy. E.g. The USA which allowed the w.g. to recover the economy and finance infrastructure.
- The Rentenmark was introduced and this restored faith in German currency. Many people changed their hoarded foreign currency and “emergency money” for Rentenmark and prices settled.
- Emergency decrees where put in place to control rents and wages and stabilise the currency.
- Germany’s agricultural system also benefited. Bigger farms were managed better than smaller ones so they could invest in new machinery and farming techniques.
- Government spending subsidised production, industry and heavily on social welfare (e.g. providing housing benefits for the poor).
Why was there increased political stability in the years 1924 to 1929?
Because; -The economy grew and therefore so did support for democracy This was as a result of; -No putsch attempts -No political assassinations -Creation of the Grand Coalition
How did Germany re-establish its international position in the years 1924 to 1929?
The work of Gustav Stresemann helped re establish its international position;
- End of the Ruhr crises in 1925
- Fulfilment of Germany’s international obligations, allowing him to renegotiate reparations and gain foreign loans.
- 1925 Locarno pact - Germany agreed to post war borders with France
- Admitted to League of Nations in 1926
How did the voting system of proportional representation cause political and economic instability in the years of the Weimar Republic?
- Resulted in many unstable coalition governments
- Allows small extremist parties to gain seats in parliment
How did Article 48 create political and economic instability in the years of the Weimar Republic (particularly between 1929 and 1932)?
- Article 48 meant it was very easy for a president to become a dictator and made politics unstable as it disagreed with the fundamental nature of democracy.
The government had became increasingly authoritarian even before Hitler became chancellor. E.g. 44 emergency decrees were issued in 1931 compared to 5 in 1930. - Using Article 48 meant that the economy was unstable because instead of agreeing the best policy to fix the economy the president did what he thought and often it added to the instability (for example Chancellor Bruning’s policies).
What political problems resulted from the Treaty of Versailles?
- Politics became increasingly polarised as more political parties disagreed with the new Weimar government, making it more difficult for political parties to work together effectively.
- More coalition parties formed (1919-1923: 9 coalitions).
- Change in voting alignment and vote for undemocratic parties, highlighting the reduction in support for democracy.
What economic problems resulted from the Treaty of Versailles?
- The Treaty of Versailles committed Germany to pay £6,600 million in reparations. This payment was to be started in 1921 and only added to the national debt / strained the already weakened German economy post-WWI.
- Reparations had to be paid for in gold or in kind (such as raw materials) which held value against Germany’s declining currency. As Germany’s currency became weaker, paying for the reparations became more expensive.
- It is clear the reparations payments were unmanageable:
- The Weimar government resorted to printing money to meet the payments, leading to increasing inflation;
- They also failed to meet the payments in early-1923, leading to the occupation of the Ruhr by French and Belgian troops
- Under the terms of the Dawes and Young Plans (1924;1929), the reparations payments were renegotiated (smaller payments over longer period of time).
How did the Weimar government respond to the reparations payments demanded under the Treaty of Versailles?
The Weimar government tried to pay their reparations by printing more money. This increased the amount of money in circulation, devalued the value of the mark and caused rising inflation.
Why did the French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr in January 1923, and how was this resolved?
They did this because the Weimar government failed to meet reparations payments. France and Belgium retaliated by taking occupying the Ruhr (Germany’s industrial region) and taking Germany’s raw materials.
Identify three reasons why some groups launched opposition movements against the Weimar government in the early-years (1919-1923)?
- Overturn the Treaty of Versailles
- Rise up against the government for a worker’s revolution
- Weimar’s failure to produce a strong and decisive government and leader
What impact did the depression have on the German economy and the German people (1929-1932)?
- National income shrunk by 39% between 1929 and 1932
- Industrial production declined by more than 40%
- The number of unemployed rose to over 6 million by 1932
- 50,00 businesses were bankrupted
- 1931, a banking crises saw the collapse of 5 major banks
