DS1: Was the Weimar Republic doomed from the start? Flashcards
What was the impact of the naval blockade of Germany in 1914?
-Daily rations drop to 1000 calories per person (many die of malnutrition)
-Imports of fodder for animals and supplies of nitrates cut off
-Lack of nitrates affected production of fertilisers and explosives
-Shortage of iron and steel
-Govt. had to slaughter 1/3 of all pigs in 1915 - no fodder for them
-German people therefore less keen to support war effort - want this to end
What events took place in Germany between September 1918 and the signing of the Armistice in November 1918?
-German Revolution:
-By Sep, Blockade of German ports caused food shortages. People surviving on bread and turnips
-Flu epidemic sweeping through country, killing thousands
-Oct 1918: von Hipper and von Scheer planned final attack on RN. Sailors at Wilhelmshaven mutinied - some crews refused to obey orders, and on 3 ships there was sabotage and mutiny
-4 Nov: Kiel mutiny - sailors mutinied led to setting up a soldiers council. By evening, 40,000 soldiers, sailors and workers were controlling Kiel
-6 Nov: Wilhelmshaven fell to mutinous soldiers
-7 Nov: Kurt Eisner declared Bavaria to be a socialist republic. Hanover, Brunswick, Frankfurt and Munich had fallen to the revolution
-In Munich, a Workers’ and Soldiers’ Council forced the King of Bavaria to abdicate
-9 Nov: Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated and went into exile in the Netherlands. Friedrich Ebert (leader of SPD) announced G a republic with himself as president. The new govt. signed the Armistice on 11 Nov
-Council of People’s Representatives was formed to establish the way forward headed by E. Spartacists decided to found the Com. party of Germany to achieve their aims
What was the political situation in Germany at the end of WW1?
-Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated and fled the country
-Ebert announced G was now a democratic republic
-Attempted coups from left and right
-Due to unrest in Berlin, National Assembly met at Weimar to draw up new constitution - the Weimar Constitution
What impact did WW1 have on Germany?
-Depressed and humiliated
-Proud Germany army defeated
-Severe food shortages - surviving on turnips and bread, and mixing flour with sawdust to make it go further
-Flu epidemic killing thousands
-War left 600,000 widows and 2 million children without fathers
-1/3 of state budget went on war pensions
-Industrial production dropped to 2/3 of 1913 levels
-Made German society more divided - workers had restrictions on wages while factory owners made vast fortunes
-Many despised the new leaders of the Weimar Republic, believing army had been betrayed by them
How was the Weimar Republic born?
-Naval mutiny at Kiel in North Germany triggered other revolts
-Uprisings by workers and soldiers in other G ports led by Socialists
-Independent Socialist Republic declared in Bavaria
-9 Nov: Kaiser abdicated and left G
-Ebert, leader of Socialists, became new leader of Republic. Immediately signed an Armistice with the Allies and made plans to draw up a new constitution
How did German people and politicians react to the new Republic?
-Ebert opposed by RW politicians, many of whom hoped for return of the Kaiser
-Many of the Kaiser’s former advisers stayed in post in the army, judiciary and civil service. Tried to restrict what the new govt. could do
-‘Stab in the back’ myth developed - Ebert stabbed G in the back by signing armistice
-Communists opposed Ebert - argued G needed a Com. revolution like Russia in 1917
-Jan 1919: free elections held. Socialists won majority and Ebert became first president of WR
What were the main features of the Weimar Constitution?
-Named Weimar as new govt. met at Weimar - Berlin too violent and unstable
-All Germans over 20 could vote for members of Reichstag
-Proportional Representation - number of votes won directly proportional to number of seats in Reichstag
-Chancellor: appointed by President, head of government, needs support of half of Reichstag, appointed government ministers
-President: head of state, in charge of armed forces, appointed judges, could rule without consulting Reichstag - Article 48 (emergency powers)
-17 local governments - Prussia, Bavaria, and various other Germany regions. But Constitution limited their power as much as possible
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?
-Parliamentary democracy - German people not used to this
-Proportional Representation - led to many elected parties. Difficult for any party to maintain a workable majority, so frequent changes in govt. and many elections, and succession of coalition governments was inevitable
-Article 48 - President could suspend civil liberties and even use force in emergencies. Could abuse this power
-Introduced in difficult political, social and economic circumstances
What were the main economic challenges facing the Weimar Republic when it was established?
-G close to bankruptcy - enormous expense of WW1, which continued much longer than many expected. Heavily in debt, and people living a life with nothing beyond basic necessities
-Saar removed from G control for 15 years - major coalfield
-Alsace-Lorraine returned to France - rich in iron ore
-Threats that G would have to pay huge reparations
-Industries had to convert from war production to producing materials for new infrastructure and consumer goods
-Signs of rising inflation (however small compared to 1923). Question of how genuine the mark was
Why did some political groups oppose the Weimar Republic?
-Not used to coalition govt. - right wanted strong one party govt. and hoped for a return of the Kaiser; left wanted Communist style govt., ruled by workers councils or Soviets
-Republic associated with ToV, weak economy, high inflation, and letting Fr and Bg invade
-Nazis associated them with ‘November Criminals’
What threat to the Weimar government did the Spartacists Uprising in 1919 present?
-Communist party, led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
-Wanted Com. revolution like USSR and encouraged, dislike democracy, food shortages, Spanish flu, Kiel Mutiny, saw opportunity with problems facing G after WW1
-Seized newspaper offices in Berlin
-General strike organised and Ebert forced to leave Berlin (looks weak)
-Barricades in street and armed street fighting
-Spartacists supported a military coup over Ebert’s government. Some attempted to army regiments in Berlin to join them, hoping they’d instigate fighting, but were unsuccessful as most soldiers had either gone home or remained loyal to their regiment
-Eberts govt. had few troops (army disbanded after war). So Spartacists were attacked by Freikorps
-Both sides heavily armed, so casualties high. However Freikorps still had weapons from war so they had an advantage
-Failed as revolution committee could not agree on course of action, RL and KL lost control and were executed, did not gain support of army regiments to join revolt
-Evidence of support for Ebert/Republic: Freikorp helped Ebert, revolt largely confined to Berlin, Ebert elected president in January elections
What threat to the Weimar government did the Bavarian Uprising in 1919 present?
-Bavaria was still an independent socialist state, led by Ebert’s ally Kurt Eisner.
-Eisner was assassinated, and Bavarian Communists took the opportunity to declare a soviet republic.
-Ebert used Freikorps again to crush the revolt
What threat to the Weimar government did the Red Rising in the Ruhr in 1920 present?
-Further Communist agitation
-Clashes of Communists with police, army and Freikorps
-2000 casualties
What was the impact of Ebert’s suppression of these Communist threats?
-Gained popularity from many Germans
-However created lasting bitterness between Socialists and Communists
What effect did the Treaty of Versailles have on Germany?
-Lost 10% land, all overseas colonies, 12.5% population, 16% coal, 48% iron and steel industry, most of armed forces
-Most Germans humiliated, embarassed and bitter
-Supporters of govt. felt betrayed by Allies - they shouldn’t have been punished harshly
-Opponents of govt. furious with Ebert
-‘Stab in the back’ myth begins. Idea that German army could’ve fought on and won, but been betrayed by leaders of the Weimar Republic
