Challenges from the Left and Right 1919-23

Question 1

How many political murders were there from 1919-1922?

Answer 1

There were 376 murders of which 354 were committed by right wing people/groups

Question 2

What happened to right-wing assassins?

Answer 2

Ten left-wing assassins were executed whereas not a single right-wing assassin was convicted and executed. This showed the judges were sympathetic to the right-wing and even undermined the Weimar Republic in the courts.

Question 3

Give an example of a victim of political violence?

Answer 3

• Walther Rathenau (German Foreign Minister) assassinated in 1922
• Matthias Erzberger in 1921, a ‘November Criminal’ who signed the Treaty of Versailles

Question 4

What did most political groups have? What did they do?

Answer 4

private armies. at first used for protection but later turned political meetings violent.

Question 5

What happened in March 1919?

Answer 5

Communist riots and strikes in Berlin. Were defeated- government ordered anyone to be seen carrying a weapon to be shot. 1000 died.

Question 6

What challenge increased in June 1920? Why?

Answer 6

Extreme parties within the government.
3 main moderate parties had 77% of seats in National Assembly, after elections of 6 June 1920, only 45% in new Reichstag.

Question 7

After the elections of 6 June 1920, how many seats did extreme parties have in the new Reichstag?

Answer 7

extreme left-wing and right-wing parties had about 20% of seats each

Question 8

What did moderate centre parties struggle to do throughout the 1920s?

Answer 8

struggled to form majority coalitions. constantly attacked by extremist parties, it was difficult to pass moderate policies.

Question 9

What was the effect of extreme parties within the government?

Answer 9

contributed to destabilising the Weimar Republic and made it look weak.

Question 10

Who were the Spartacists?

Answer 10

The Spartacists were an extreme Communist group who aimed to turn Germany into a communist country.

Question 11

When was the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 11

6th January 1919

Question 12

What was the Spartacist uprising and how many people took part?

Answer 12

organised uprising in Berlin, revolution attempt- wanted to overthrow Ebert and the Weimar Republic- 50,000 Spartacists

Question 13

Who led the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 13

Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht

Question 14

What were the Spartacists protesting?

Answer 14

The Weimar Government, trying to create a communist state (before Treaty of Versailles was agreed, not rebelling against these terms)

Question 15

What did the Spartacists do?

Answer 15

seized newspaper and communication buildings

Question 16

Why did the Spartacist uprising fail?

Answer 16

They were crushed by the army and Freikorps, ordered by Ebert

Question 17

What did the Spartacist Uprising demonstrate about the Weimar Republic?

Answer 17

Made it look weak- had to rely on the army and Freikorps to keep control. Also was risky- Freikorps could turn on Ebert at any point.

Question 18

How long did the Spartacist uprising last and how many were murdered?

Answer 18

lasted 10 days, 100 protestors murdered

Question 19

How did the Spartacist uprising affect the relationship between communists and Social Democrats?

Answer 19

communists developed hatred of Social Democrats - meant when the Weimar Government’s power was threatened by growing Nazi Party, KPD and SPD parties couldn’t set aside differences

Question 20

What did political assassinations show?

Answer 20

how much people disliked their new government

Question 21

What was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 21

right-wing uprising in response to betrayal of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles (Dolschtoss). wanted a right-wing military dictatorship.

Question 22

Who was Wolfgang Kapp?

Answer 22

The leader of the Freikorp and Berlin politician who led the Kapp Putsch

Question 23

When was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 23

13th March 1920

Question 24

Who took part in the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 24

5000 armed men (Freikorps)

Question 25

When did the Kapp Putsch begin and what happened?

Answer 25

March 1920. Took over government buildings using the army and declared a right-wing government.

Question 26

Why did the Kapp Putsch fail?

Answer 26

Ebert ordered the workers of Berlin to strike, which caused the city to grind to a halt.

Question 27

Why is it a problem for the Weimar Republic that the army refused to stop the Kapp Putsch and that very few of the 400 army officers who took part in the Putsch were punished?

Answer 27

It means that they cannot rely on the army to stop right-wing rebellion.