chapter 1 nazi germany Flashcards
the establishment of the weimar republic and its early problems
What was the German Revolution?
The German revolution was an uprising led by members of the navy, army and the workers who demanded peace negotiations to end the war in November 1918. This resulted in the collapse of the monarchy and the creation of a republic by January 1919.
What was the German Revolution also known as?
The German Revolution of 1918 is sometimes called ‘the November Revolution’.
When was the German Revolution?
The German Revolution began after the Kiel Mutiny, at the end of October 1918, with a new republic established in January 1919. It is often called ‘the November Revolution’ because most of the key events occurred in that month.
What caused the German Revolution?
The German revolution happened due to the economic problems of the war, war weariness and food shortages.
When did the Weimar Republic exist?
The Weimar Republic existed from 1919 until 1933, when Hitler was appointed chancellor
What were the Weimar Republic’s constitutional strengths?
❖All Germans aged 21 and over, men and women, were allowed to vote so it was very democratic.
❖The Reichstag was elected using proportional representation which meant a party was given a certain number of seats according to how many votes it gained in the election. This was considered fairer for smaller parties.
❖The constitution was written in such a way that the power of one person or institution would be limited and therefore, they would not have too much power.
❖The chancellor introduced new laws, but they only became laws if the majority of the Reichstag and Reichsrat voted for them.
❖The Reichstag had more power but the Reichsrat could delay passing laws.
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic’s constitution?
❖Proportional representation often meant no single party won enough seats to form a government on its own, so several parties had to form a coalition governments which often fell apart.
❖Article 48 of the constitution gave the president the power to take emergency measures, by-passing the Reichstag. This could effectively create another dictatorship, in all but name.
❖Many judges and civil servants did not want the Weimar Republic and so did not fully support it.
❖The leaders of the army wanted the kaiser back and did not support the Weimar Republic.
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June, 1919.
What were the military terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
❖Limiting its army to 100,000 men.
❖Limiting its navy to 15,000 men, 6 battleships and no submarines.
❖The Rhineland was demilitarised which meant no German armed forces were allowed to enter.
❖No military air force was allowed.
❖Conscription was banned so all soldiers had to be volunteers.
❖No tanks or armoured cars were allowed.
❖No heavy artillery was allowed.
❖The Allies would station an army of occupation on the west bank of the Rhine in the towns of Cologne, Coblenz and Mainz.
What were the financial terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
❖Germany was forced to pay reparations, or compensation, to the Allies for the destruction of land and the death of soldiers in the First World War.
❖The debt that Germany owed was set at £6.6 billion in 1921.
❖Germany had to give up its merchant fleet to Britain as compensation for the ships it had sunk during the war.
What was the ‘war guilt clause’ of the Treaty of Versailles?
Article 231 was the ‘war guilt clause’ that forced Germany to accept the blame for causing the war. This enabled the Allies to demand reparations or compensation from Germany.
What was the Spartacist Revolt?
The Spartacist Revolt, or Spartacist uprising, was an attempted revolution to overthrow the Weimar Republic by an extreme left-wing group called the Spartacists.
The Spartacist Revolt took place between 5th and 12th January, 1919.
Who led the Spartacist Revolt?
The Spartacists were an extreme left-wing group that supported the German Communist Party. They were extreme socialists from the Independent Socialist Party (USPD). They were led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
Why did the Spartacist Revolt occur?
❖It took place because Chancellor Ebert sacked the chief of police of Berlin, Emil Eichhorn, on 4th January, 1919. The workers supported Eichhorn so there were protests.
❖The Spartacists used this as an opportunity to stage an uprising on 5th January.
❖They wanted Germany to be run by small councils of soldiers and workers similar to what was set up in Russia in the February Revolution of 1917.
How did the Weimar Republic react to the Spartacist Revolt?
❖The government needed military support. However, the German Army, the Reichswehr, was too weak, so Ebert ordered it to use the Freikorps, ex-soldiers who had kept their weapons from the First World War.
❖The Freikorps were used by the government to crush the Spartacist Revolt. By March 1919, there were approximately 250,000 members of the Freikorps. They were very right-wing and hated the communists.
❖The Freikorps arrested and brutally murdered Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg on 16th January, 1919. Several thousand communist supporters were arrested and killed during the uprising.
