Challenges to Weimar 1918-1923 Flashcards
When was Germany defeated?
September 29th 1918
(2 points)
What did the Germans do in order to try to defeat the Allies before large numbers of American troops arrived?
- Defeated Russia in 1917
- German troops still in
Northern France and Belgium ~ navy disagreed with armistice ~ ordered the fleet to sea ~ led to a mutiny, followed by the establishment of soviets in many cities across Germany.
What was a negative of Parliament in the Weimar Constitution?
Proportional representation ~ made it hard to have a strong and stable government.
What was a positive of Parliament in the Weimar Constitution?
Reichstag ~ assembly of people (deputies) who are elected. Held accountable by Reichsrat (delay proposals).
What was a positive of President in the Weimar Constitution?
Elected by the people every 7 years.
What is Proportional representation?
An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
What were the positives of Bill of rights in the Weimar Constitution?
The constitution drew up a range of individual rights.
- Personal liberty and free speech.
- Freedom of censorship.
- Equality before the law of all Germans.
- Religious freedom.
What were the negatives of Proportional Representation in the Weimar Constitution?
No way to solve proportional representation.
(2 points)
Why was Proportional Representation a focus of criticism post 1945?
- Encouraged the formation of new, small splinter parties ~ made it difficult to form and maintain governments.
- Became impossible to maintain a majority government ~ coalitions were required ~ greater political instability.
What was the Treaty of Versailles?
A peace treaty signed in 1919 which formally ended WW1.
Who were the big three?
David Lloyd George (Britain), Woodrow Wilson (USA) and Clemenceau (France).
How many countries met to create the Treaty of Versailles?
32 countries came together.
How much land was taken from Germany? (land)
13%
What happened to Rhineland? (Land)
It was Demilitarised.
Who was Germany forbidden from uniting with? (Land)
Austria.
What land was returned to France? (Land)
Alsace-Lorraine.
Why was Germany split in two? (Land)
To give Poland access to the Baltic Sea ‘Polish Corridor’.
How much was the German Army reduced to? (Army)
100,000.
What happened to the Navy? (Army)
Cut to 15,000 sailors and 6 battleships.
What was Germany not allowed? (Army)
Tanks, submarines or an air force.
What did Germany have to do by 1921? (Money)
Pay £6.6 billion to France and Belgium and give them sheep and cattle.
What were the Allies able to do? (Blame)
Demand compensation from Germany (‘War Guilt’).
What was Article 231? (Blame)
‘War Guilt’.
When was the Spartacist Uprising? (Left)
Jan 1919.
Who were involved in the Spartacist Uprising? (Left)
- Leaders = Liebknecht and Luxemburg.
- KDP.
How much support did the Spartacist Uprising have? (left)
100,000 workers went out on strike.
What did the Spartacist Uprising try to do? (Left)
Armed uprising in Berlin where they tried to turn Germany into a communist nation.
How successful was the Spartacist Uprising? (Left)
Crushed by the German army and the Freikorps in 3 days and leaders were killed.
When was the Red Bavaria? (Left)
April 1919.
Who was involved in the Red Bavaria? (Left)
Eugen Levine.
(3 points)
How much support did the Red Bavaria have? (Left)
- Army of workers called the “Red army”.
- Local support since the end of WW1.
- 50,000 former soldiers.
What did the Red Bavaria try to do? (Left)
To establish a communist style govt.
But:
- Private homes protected by the state
- No paper money.
- Factories controlled.
(2 points)
How successful was the Red Bavaria? (Left)
- Successful for a month until the Freikorps moved in and crushed the republic with 1,000 deaths.
- Shifted local politics to the right wing.
When was the Kapp Putsch? (Right)
March 1920.
Who was involved in the Kapp Putsch? (Right)
Wolfgang Kapp.
How much support did the Kapp Putsch have? (Right)
Troops of 12,000 men to march on Berlin.
What did the Kapp Putsch try to do? (Right)
Take control of Berlin.
(2 points)
How successful was the Kapp Putsch? (Right)
- General strike by SPD meant the uprising was ineffective.
- Kapp was forced to flee after 4 days.
When was the Munich Putsch? (Right)
November 1923.
(4 points)
Who was involved in the Munich Putsch? (Right)
- Hitler.
- The Nazis.
- Ludendorff.
- Von Kahr.
(2 points)
How much support did the Munich Putsch have? (Right)
- Nazi party was there as well as multiple ex generals.
- Temporary support from local leaders.
What did the Munich Putsch try to do? (Right)
Overthrow the government and march on Munich.
(3 points)
How successful was the Munich Putsch? (Right)
- The police and the military moved in with more powerful weapons.
- Hitler was sent to prison.
- Long term success but short term failure.
When was the Red October? (Left)
October 1923.
Who was involved in the Red October? (Left)
The KPD and the SPD.
What did the KPD and SPD do in Saxony & Thuringia during the Red October? (Left)
Formed a government.
What did the Red October try to do? (Left)
Attempt an uprising utilising Proletariat (industrial workers).
(4 points)
How successful was the Red October? (Left)
- Easily overthrown.
- Regional government.
- Quickly re-established without communists.
- No further threats.
(2 points)
What happened in May 1921? (Year of Crisis)
- Reparations bill set at £6.6 billion.
- Weimar government resigns and a new Z-SPD-DP coalition determines a policy of ‘fulfilment’ (decided to try and pay the bill).
(3 points)
What happened in Autumn 1921? (Year of Crisis)
- The first instalment of the reparations is paid.
- No attempts to stabilise the currency or cut expenditure/increase taxes.
- It becomes inevitable that Germany will default (miss the payment).
(2 points)
What happened in January 1923? (Year of Crisis)
- Germany default on the payments of timber and coal.
- French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr ~ passive resistance begins (supported by the Weimar government).
Why did the government print more money? (August 1923 Year of Crisis)
To pay the strikers.
(3 points)
What happened in August 1923? (Year of Crisis)
- Inflation spirals out of control ~ hyperinflation.
- Trade unions do nothing to help
- Government struggles to manage the situation.
(4 points)
What were the impacts of hyperinflation?
- Savings = worthless.
- Increased support for extremists.
- People blamed the government for the economic problems.
- Unemployment increased.
