Difficulties faced by the Weimar Republic Flashcards
- The legacy of the First World War - Violent extremist attempts to take over the government - The Treaty of Versailles - The new Weimar Constitution - The Ruhr Occupation and Hyperinflation
What economic problems did Germany suffer after the First World War?
Bankrupt with a debt of 150 billion marks. Spent all its gold on weapons and had no money left
What was the impact of allies blockading German ports? (First World War)
Supplies couldn’t be imported - lead to food shortages
How many German men were lost in the First World War?
2 million
How did German people feel about the First World War?
They became increasingly angry
What political problems were caused by the First World War?
Extremist groups wanted a revolution and moderate groups wanted to negotiate an end to the war - wanted removal of the Kaiser
What was the abdication of the Kaiser known as?
The German Revolution
Who was the Kaiser?
The German Emperor
What was the army’s attitude towards the Kaiser?
The army lost faith in him which forced him to abdicate
What happened when the Kaiser Abdicated?
He was blamed for the terrible impact of the war on German people. There were many violent uprisings, workers’ strikes and riots throughout Germany. (Naval bases, Berlin, etc)
What political problems did the New Weimar Government face?
They had to figure out how to end Germany’s involvement in the First World War
What did the New Weimar Government sign in November 1918?
The armistice
Did the New Weimar Government have any choice in signing the armistice?
No - they had to sign the armistice
Were the terms of the armistice popular?
No - they were very unpopular
Give 3 of the terms of the armistice.
Any 3 from Allied troops could occupy parts of Germany, agreed to pay compensation for damage caused during the war, agreed to lose many of its weapons including naval ships, had to accept the blame for the war.
How did people see the new democratic Government in Germany?
Say it as betraying Germany - they believed the Government didn’t need to sign the armistice because the army was not defeated. Called them ‘November Criminals’ and said Germany had been ‘stabbed in the back’ (Dolchstoss) by politicians
What did Germans call the New Weimar Government when they felt Germany had been ‘stabbed in the back’?
November Criminals
Dolchstoss
‘stabbed in the back’
How did people in Reichstag feel about the New Weimar Government?
There was a lot of disagreement - the new Government was attacked by the nationalist right-wing (DNVP) and communist left-wing (KPD) parties. They wanted to destroy the new Weimar Republic
What was the Nationalist right-wing party called in Reichstag during the New Weimar Government?
DNVP
What was the Communist left-wing party called in Reichstag during the New Weimar Government?
KPD
Why couldn’t the New Weimar Government meet in Berlin?
There was an uprising there
Where did the New Weimar Government meet instead of Berlin?
Weimar
Why did the New Weimar Government become known as the ‘Weimar Republic’?
They couldn’t meet in Berlin - they had to meet in Weimar instead. Germany didn’t have a monarch
Were Spartacists left-wing or right-wing?
Left-wing
Were Spartacists Capitalist or Communist?
Communist
What did the Spartacists want?
A Communist dictatorship - wanted to take wealth from rich and create a more equal country
What were the Spartacists inspired by?
The Bolshevik revolution in Russia
Name one Spartacist leader
Rosa Luxemburg or Karl Liebknecht
What did the Spartacists do in Berlin in 1919?
Attempted to seize power through a violent revolution. There was lots of street fighting
True or false: There was a large threat from the Spartacists
False, threat from the Spartacists was not that great
Who were the Spartacists defeated by?
Freikorps - they shot and killed many Spartacists including leaders, whose bodies were dumped in a ditch
Who were the Freikorps?
Group of ex-soldiers
True or false: The Government was shown to be weak as a result of the Spartacists
True - they were only able to restore control through using violence and undemocratic methods
Who were the Kapp Putsch lead by?
Wolfgang Kapp and the Freikorps
Who was the Freikorps’ leader in 1920?
General Luttwitz
True or False: The Kapp Putsch was a left-wing attempt to take power
False, it was an attempt by right-wing extremists
Who were right-wing extremists?
Nationalists who hated democracy, the new Weimar Republic and the Communists
Who did the right-wing extremists want to bring back?
The Kaiser
What happened at the Kapp Putsch?
Tried to seize power in Berlin
Was the threat from the Kapp Putsch temporary?
Yes - it seemed to be temporary as the putsch failed
How did the Government respond to the Kapp Putsch?
Asked the workers to go on strike
What happened as a result of workers going on strike as a result of the Kapp Putsch?
Berlin ground to a halt and many Freikorps fled or were arrested. The Government had to deal with yet another problem by asking for help from others - was unable to count on support from the army
Were the Freikorps still a threat after the Kapp Putsch?
Yes - they killed a number of politicians who had signed the armistice and Treaty of Versailles including Matthias Erzberger (a leading Jewish politician).
How many political murders were committed after the Kapp Putsch by right-wing groups such as the Feikorps?
Over 300
When was the Munich Putsch?
1923
What was the Munich Putsch?
Another violent right-wing attempt to seize power
Who was the Munich Putsch lead by?
Hitler
What did Hitler want with the Munich Putsch?
His Nazis to take power in Munich and march to Berlin to take over the Government
How did the Munich Putsch start?
Armed Nazi Stormtroopers stormed into a political meeting in a Munich beer-hall
Why did the Stoomtroopers storm into the beer-hall?
To intimidate those inside.
What did Hitler declare at the Munich Putsch?
He was taking over the local Government and would then take control of the whole country
Did the army support Hitler at the Munich Putsch?
No
Who supported Hitler at the Munich Putsch?
General Ludendorff
How many Nazis did the police shoot dead as a result of the Munich Putsch?
16
What happened to the Nazis after the Munich Putsch?
Hitler and other Nazis were jailed and the Nazi Party was banned for a few years
Was the Munich Putsch a success for the Nazis?
It appeared to be a failure however can be seen as an important turning point in the future
Who was the Treaty of Versailles signed by?
Chancellor Ebert
True or False: The Treaty of Versailles was signed 2 years after Chancellor Ebert took power
False - it was only a few months after
Where was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
Versailles - just outside of Paris where the Paris Peace conference was held