CHAPTER 1, SECTION 1: Impact of the war, the political crises of Oct to Nov 1919 & establishment of Weimar Constitution

Question 1

When was the Kaiser forced to abdicate?

Answer 1

November 1918

Question 2

Who wanted to negotiate an armistice with allies?

Answer 2

General Ludendorff

Question 3

What did Ludendorff know allies (especially Woodrow Wilson) wouldn’t communicate with?

Answer 3

An autocratic monarch

Question 4

Why were German citizens anrgy?

Answer 4

News that German’s were on brink of defeat shattered morale, adding to discontent that resulted from years of hardship, due to a war

Question 5

When and where was a Bavarian Republic declared?

Answer 5

8th November in Munich

Question 6

Where did discontent spread to?

Answer 6

German armed forces, soldiers & sailors, who lost respect for their officers

Question 7

When and where was there a mutiny at a naval base?

Answer 7

November 3rd in Kiel

Question 8

Who and when did someone tell the Kaiser the army would not fight for him - forcing him to abdicate?

Answer 8

General Groener on the 9th November

Question 9

Who wanted to create a democratic and parliamentary style of government?

Answer 9

Friedrich Ebert

Question 10

What did the LW political groups and workers want?

Answer 10

radical & immediate change: confiscation of land from aristocracy & democratic control over the army, civil service & judicial system

Question 11

What was the 1918 Ebert-Groener Pact?

Answer 11

Groener assured Ebert the loyalty of the army, as long as the government promised to resist radical change to the army & and took prompt action to LW uprisings

Question 12

Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

Answer 12

+ all German men & women over 20 had the right to vote
+ seats in Reichstag allocated by proportional representation (seats = proportional to votes)
+ constitution guaranteed important individual rights - e.g. rights of free speech
+ important issues could br put for popular vote for a referendum

Question 13

Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

Answer 13

• : proportional representation led to proliferation of small parties - made it difficult for 1 party to get a majority - all govs = coalition
• : Article 48 (emergency powers) were abused - decisions not put through Reichstag at all or still put through even if they were refused
• : Army, civil service & judiciary were not reformed & remained under control of the old aristocracy - people who didn’t support democracy or the new constitution