Chapter 3 - Constitution, Uprisings, Streseman, International Agreements, Culture Flashcards
What is the Weimar Constitution?
established the Weimar Republic in Germany after World War I.
What are the strengths of the Weimar Constitution?
- President elected every 7 years by public, can appoint chancellor.
- Reichstag elected every 4 years by public, proportional representation, can pass laws.
- Freedom of speech and religion; men and women over 20 could vote.
- Not one person or group had too much power.
What are the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?
- Article 48 - the president make laws without Reichstag in an emergency.
- Proportional representation - small parties gained seats (nazis) = in short, weak coalition govs
- Army generals who served the Kaiser - opposed the Weimar Republic.
Who were the Spartacists?
- left-wing group
- German Communist Party (RPD)
- opposed capitalism
- wanted land and business shared equally.
What was the Spartacist Rising?
- January 1919
- poorly planned
- crushed by the Freikorps
- deaths of 100 Spartacists, incl. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
What did the right-wing Freikorps support?
- supported capitalism (private ownership)
- ex-soldiers who wanted to maintain control
- angry about Germany losing the war
What was the Kapp Putsch?
- March 1920
- significant threat to the Weimar Republic
- led by Wolfgang Kapp
- marched into Berlin to set up a new government
- Ebert launched a general strike = Freikorps gov collapsed
Who were the Social Democrats (SD)?
- led by Ebert
- wanted to restore law and order
- fearful of communists.
What were the political murders from 1919-22?
- 376 political murders from 1919 to 1922
- mostly left-wing or moderate
- Hugo Haste
- Matthias Erzberger
- Walter Rathenau (Weimar foreign minister).
What was the Stresemann’s rentenmark?
- new bank and currency
- limited supply of notes that had value
What was pros of the Stresemann’s rentenmark?
- Hyperinflation ended
- trust in German currency
- employment increased
What was cons of the Stresemann’s rentenmark?
- People lost lots of money in hyperinflation
- knocked confidence in the Weimar Republic.
What was the Dawes Plan of 1924?
- Reparations decreased to £50 million per year
- US banks gave loans
- $25 billion between 1924-30
What was pros of the Dawes Plan?
- French left Ruhr
- They could afford to pay reparations
- so allies reassured
- employment and trade income increased
What was cons of the Dawes Plan?
Extremeist parties still angry about reparations
= political instability.
What was the Young Plan of 1929?
Reparations reduced from £6.6 billion to £2 billion with an extra 59 years to pay
What was pros of the Young Plan?
- Lower taxes
- boosted industry and created jobs.
- confidence in WR increased
What was cons of the Young Plan?
- Extremeist parties angry about extra time
- threaten stability of WR
Fill in the blank: The Dawes Plan was implemented in _______.
1924
When was the young plan introduced
1929
What countries were involved in the Locarno Pact of 1925?
Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium
What was the primary outcome of France making peace with Germany in the Locarno Pact?
New 1919 border established
Rhineland permanently demilitarised
What was a pro of the Locarno Pact?
- War in Europe less likely
- Germany treated as an equal - boost for reputation of WR
What was a con of the Locarno Pact?
Extremist parts hated Versailles borders
What year did Germany join the League of Nations?
1926
- Germany was initially unable to join
- later allowed on the council due to streseman
Who persuaded the League of Nations to allow Germany to join?
Stresemann
What was a pro of Germany joining the League of Nations?
- Boost confidence in the Weimar Republic
- boost to moderate (streseman supporting) parties
What was a con of Germany joining the League of Nations?
LofN linked to hated Treaty of Versailles
What was the main purpose of the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928?
Wouldn’t use war to achieve foreign policy
How many countries, including Germany, signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
62 countries
What was a pro of the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
- Boost in confidence of the Weimar Republic
- boost confidence that moderate parties could make Germany strong
- Germany included with main powers, not dictated
What was a con of the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
Didn’t remove any terms of Treaty of Versailles
When was Kellogg brand pact
When was Locarno pact
1928
1925
How did unemployment change in 1924 -29
- decreased
- 1926 - 2mil U/E
- 1928 - 1.3 mil U/E
How did work and wages change between 1924-29
- working week shortened
- wages increased 25% 1925 - 29
How did housing change between 1924-29
- 101,000 new houses
What else improved between 1924-29
- education
- pensions paid
How did women working change
- decrease
- 1918 - 75%
- 1926 - 36%
- part time work increased
- uni encouraged
How did politics for women change
- vote 1918
- article 109 - equal rights to men
- marriage was equal partnership Leisure
How did leisure change for women
- less interested in family
- more independence
What were peoples opinions on changes about women
- traditional men + women disliked
- inappropriate
- focus on being mothers and wives
Why was there a surge in arts and culture
- economic recovery
- WR encouraged freedom - grants to support arts, theatre
- no more restrictions from kaiser Art
How did art change
Avant garde (modern)
Otto Dix
How did design change
- Bauhaus - modern
- Hitler hates
How did cinema change
- fritz Lang - Jewish director
- Marlene Dietrich - German actress
How did nightlife change
- jazz music - associated with black and Jewish - hitler hates
- new plays + operas
When was Munich putsch
8th nov 1923
Why was Munich putsch attempted
- overthrow WR
- raise nazi profile
- felt it was right time - crisis year - WR seen as weak
Events of Munich putsch
- disrupted political meeting
- marched into Munich
- Hitler fled and arrested
- failed bc H left hostages with someone else - they alerted police
Consequences of Munich putsch
- nazi party banned
- H realised he needed to use democracy + speeches not violence
- mein kampf in jail
- enlarged SA, set up SS
- defeat and humiliation for Hitler
