Democracy And Dictatorships In Germany 1919-63 Flashcards
To Get An A In A Level
What was the most immediate consequence of the defeat of World War 1?
The abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Who was power passed to after Kaiser Wilhelm II abdication?
The council of people’s representatives.
Which political party was Friedrich Ebert the leader of?
The Social Democratic Party (SPD)
What did Ebert sign to end the post war fighting?
An armistice.
What did worker’s do as a result of losing the war?
Established major workers’ councils in different cities.
How was Ebert able to avoid a revolution?
By keeping the support of the army and industrialists.
Which 3 political parties formed a coalition in 1919?
SPD
Catholic Centre Party (ZP)
German Democratic Party (DDP)
Why did Germans view the new constitution with suspicion?
Because it was significantly different to the old autocratic system set up by Kaiser Wilhelm.
What happened to the gap in living standards between the rich and the poor?
It significantly increased.
What happened to factory workers wages after the defeat of world war 1?
It either stagnated or declined.
How many widows and children without fathers were there after world war 1?
600,000 Widows.
2,000,000 Children without fathers.
How much of the governments budget did war pensions take up?
1/3
How much was a 100 mark bond worth from 1914 in 1918?
30 Marks
Germany did not expect to pay reparations except for the damage of 2 countries, what were these countries?
France
Belgium
What did Germany expect to be invited to be a part of after the war?
The league of nations.
Why did the government have very little choice on accepting the treaty of Versailles?
Germany was very weak and vulnerable to attack after the defeat in the war.
How much land did Germany lose due to the treaty of Versailles?
10%
How much of Germanies population was lost in the treaty of Versailles?
12.5%
How much of Germanies coal industry was lost in the signing of the treaty of Versailles?
16%
How much of Germanies iron industry was lost in the treaty of Versailles?
48%
With its Danish population voting to return to Denmark which German owned city was given a plebiscite?
Schleswig.
Which areas of Germany was given to Poland?
Upper Silesia (Which contained coal and steelworks)
West Prussia
Posen
What did the treaty of Versailles limit Germany’s army to?
100,000 men.
What did the treaty of Versailles limit Germany’s navy to?
15,000 men.
What form of weapons were Germany forbidden to have after the treaty of Versailles?
Tanks
Aircraft
Submarines
Poison Gas
(Ships were limited)
What happened to the Rhineland due to the treaty of Versailles?
It was permanently demilitarised.
Allied troops would occupy it for 15 years.
What year did the commission set a figure for reparations and what was the figure set?
1921.
£6,000 million.
What was Germany forced to sign due to the treaty of Versailles?
The War Guilt Clause 231.`
Why was proportional representation criticised?
It allowed to many small parties to gain representation.
How many different cabinets were there between 1919 and 1933?
20 different cabinets.
Who replaced Ebert as president after he died in 1925?
Hindenburg
What was article 48?
Article 48 allowed the president to rule without permission from the Reichstag.
What led to the formation of the Spartacists?
After the war many people wanted a soviet style government and wanted industry to be nationalised but the decision was to give power to parliament.
What dates did the Spartacists attempt to seize power?
5th - 12th January 1919.
Why was the Spartacists uprising such a failure?
They did not have a very big force to back the uprising.
Who crushed the Spartacists?
The Freikorps.
What were the names of the leaders that were killed in the Spartacist uprising?
Rosa Luxembourg
Karl Liebknecht
What happened in the Ruhr in March 1920?
The KPD were able to take control of much of the region, It was by far the greatest threat from the left. However, it was also eventually crushed by the Freikorps.
Why was the Kapp putsch difficult to crush?
Because the army refused to crush this uprising.
Why was the Kapp Putsch and eventual failure?
Trade unions went on strike around the same time which ended up paralysing public services.
Where in Germany was the Nazi party and many other extreme political parties formed?
Bavaria
When did the Munich Putsch start?
8 November 1923?
Why at first did it appear that Hitler would be successful with his putsch?
He was able to seize the state governor?
How was the Munich Putsch crushed?
Police charged into Munich killing 16 Nazi’s and arresting Hitler.
How long was Hitler sentenced for and how much time did he serve in prison?
5 Years
8 Months
Why was Hitler’s trial a good thing for him?
He was able to generate publicity for himself and the Nazi party.
When year and month was the invasion of the Ruhr?
January 1923.
Why was the Ruhr invaded and who by?
It was invaded because Germany fell behind on reparations.
It was invaded by France and Belgium.
What did the French do after the Germans at the Ruhr went on strike?
They brought in their own workers to operate mines and factories.
What was the German currency considered by August 1923?
Virtually worthless.