creation of a republic, 1918-19 Flashcards
LOA: revolution from above, revolution from below, limited revolution, the armistice, formal establishment of Weimar republic, features and effectiveness of republic
what was the revolution from above?
the creation of a parliamentary monarchy
who and when started the revolution from above and how?
General Ludendorff persuaded the Kaiser to transform the Second Reich into a virtual parliamentary democracy and urged an immediate armistice
what was the point in the armistice and parliamentary monarchy?
Ludendorff hoped this new civilian government would be blamed for Germany’s defeat as it would have to end the war.
This would preserve the generals’ reputations.
He also hoped new civilian govt would be able to get better peace terms from the Allies.
what was the stab in the back myth?
German army claim that it had been stabbed in the back by unpatriotic and weak politicians (pacifists and socialists) through the armistice.
when was the new government formed and why?
In October 1918 the new civilian government failed to support the military.
Govt under Prince Max of Baden passed some reforms but it wasn’t sufficient, as economic discontent and war weariness caused growing popular unrest.
In late October serious trouble began and the Kaiser abdicated on the 9th November 1918.
what was the revolution from below?
the creation of a parliamentary republic
what were the reasons for popular unrest in 1918?
Economic discontent and war weariness.
The Germans had been promised, and expected a great victory.
what demonstrated the popular unrest in late October?
Naval mutinies at kiel and Wilhelmshaven and the creation of soviets or councils
What were the naval mutinies?
Sailors refused to obey an order to sail out to salvage German honour in a final battle of the naval bases of Kiel and Wilhelmshaven.
They stopped the fleet sailing by putting out fires in ships’ boilers, rasing the flag and taking over Kiel.
What was the main impact of the naval mutinies in late October?
News of the mutiny encouraged the creation of sailors’, soldiers’ and workers’ councils/soviets throughout Germany.
These challenged authority of Lander (state) governments.
What were the events around the Kaiser’s abdication and the signing of the armistice?
Prince Max announced Kaiser Wilhelm II’s abdication on 9th November 1918 and handed over chancellorship to Friedrich Ebert.
To manoeuvre the radical socialist,s Phillip Scheidemann (moderate SPD leader) declared a republic in Berlin.
Karl Liebknecht (leader of communist Spartacist movement) declared a soviet republic from another balcony.
Ebert was furious a republic had been declared illegally but had to accept monarchy had collapsed.
2 days later, on 11 November, the government signed an armistice.
what was the limited revolution?
the Ebert-Groener Pact (10th November 1918)
Why did Ebert want to defend the new democratic republic?
He didn’t want Germany to become communist and wanted to protect the new system from the horrors of Bolshevism.
What was the reason for Ebert and Groener agreeing their secret deal?
Ebert believed the new regime needed the support of the traditional elite and was prepared to co-operate with them.
What was the Ebert-Groener Pact?
On 10 November General Groener telephoned Ebert and made a secret deal.
In return for the govt promising to maintain the authority of the existing officers, the army would defend the new govt.
Ebert also asked the existing civil servants to stay in their positions.
What was the armistice itself?
The new govt signed an armistice with the Allies in 11 November 1918 and Matthias Erzberger (member of Catholic Centre Party) signed on behalf of German govt.
What happened in December 1918 that led to a suppression of a potential communist revolution?
The National Congress of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils voted 344 to 98 to reject a govt on the councils, supporting instead Ebert’s preference for electing a constituent assembly.
The USPD left the govt.
What uprising happened in January 1919?
The Spartacist Rising
What was the Spartacist uprising?
Mass protests at the dismissal of a radical official turned into a largely spontaneous rising in which communist members of the Spartacist League tried to takae over in the hope that it would turn into a Communist revolution
How was the Spartacist uprising suppressed?
The SPD government, led by the Defence Minister Gustav Noske, ordered the army to suppress the Spartacist rising.
The army was supported by the Freikorps, and the Spartacist leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were shot.
Over 100 workers were killed.
What were the two immediate challenges faced by the new democracy?
Signing of a peace treaty and the agreeing of a constitution.
When were elections of the German Constituent Assembly?
January 1919
What electoral system was used for the January elections?
Universal male and female suffrage and proportional representation
What were the results of the January 1919 election?
SPD hoped to get a majority → 38%, 163 deputies (for)
When did the Assembly accept a new constitution? (inc. who came up with it and vote results)
A committee headed by the liberal lawyer Hugo Preuss drew up a constitution which was accepted in August 1919 by 262 to 75 votes
Whow as the new president and government?
Ebert was chosen as new president.
First government led by Scheidemann, in a coalition of the SPD, DDP and ZP.
What were the main parties?
Social Democrats (SPD)
German Democrats (DDP)
Centre Party (ZP)
What were the features of the President?
Elected every 7 years
Could dissolve Reichstag
Appointed the Chancellor
Supreme Commander of armed forces
Capacity to rule by decree at a time of national emergency (Article 48)
What were the features of the Lander (regional states)?
Meant Germany was federal system
Each state had local responsibilities like education and police
What were the features of the Bill of Rights?
Outlined broad freedoms e.g. speech, religion, social rights (i.e. welfare provision)
What were the features of the Chancellor?
Appointed by president
Head of government
Must have support of Reichstag
What were the features of the Cabinet?
Chosen from the ministry who give advice and administer the laws
What were the features of the Supreme Court?
Created to settle different interpretations of law
What were the features of the Reichsrat?
The less important house in Parliament
Chosen from representatives of all 17 states
Could only initiate or delay proposals
What were the features of the Reichstag?
Main representative assembly and main law-making body of parliament
Consisted of deputies elected every 4 years
What were the strengths of the Weimar Republic?
President → elected every 7 years so representative democracy
The vote → democratic republic and universal suffrage (over 20)
Chancellor and ministers (i.e. govt) → head of govt, needed support of majority to pass laws, democratic element
Proportional representation → parties could reflect the different political, religious and geographical views
Checks and balances → Reichstag was elected every 4 years. provides some accountability.
Bill of Rights → contained liberal features like personal liberty, right to free speech, rule of law, religious freedom, and freedom from censorship
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic?
System of PR → rise of small parties and difficulty of maintaining lasting coalition govts. not weakness itself but divisions within German made it one
Unclear authority → the elected Reichstag or elected president. president was arguably too powerful and sometimes known as substitute Kaiser
Article 48 → abuses of power could turn Germany into authoritarian state where president can pass any laws without approval of Reichstag (however sometimes it was used for good effect like crisis of 1923)
No reform of traditional institutions, which were conservative, not democratic in spirit e.g. judiciary, army → judges were not very sympathetic to democracy (nationalists)
