DS1: Was the Weimar Republic doomed from the start?

Question 1

What was the impact of the naval blockade in Germany? [2]

Answer 1

• Many civilians died from malnutrition
• Iron and steel shortages
• Less food for animals causing food shortage

Question 2

What was going on in September 1918? [3]

Answer 2

• The British blockade was causing food shortages
• Potato shortage in 1917 meant people were living on turnips
• Less support for the war due to this
• Flu epidemic killing thousands

Question 3

What was going on in October 1918?

Answer 3

• Final suicidal attack on the royal navy in which 3 ships mutinied
• Naval mutiny in Kiel

Question 4

When was the Armistice signed and when did the Kaiser flee?

Answer 4

• 11th November 1918
• The Kaiser fled on the 9th

Question 5

What was the political situation in Germany post-WW1

Answer 5

Bad; there was unrest in Berlin, the Kaiser had fled, and there were numerous attempted coups.

Question 6

What impacts did WW1 have on Germany? [3]

Answer 6

• Humiliated, loss of the Germany army pride
• 2 million fatherless children
• Industrial production at 2/3rds of 1913
• “Dolschtoss” myth made people hate the Weimar Republic

Question 7

How did German people react to the new Republic? [4]

Answer 7

• Ebert was opposed by the right wing
• Right-wing judiciary, civil service, army, loyal to the Kaiser
• “Dolschtoss” myth against Ebert
• Communists wanting a revolution(like the Bolsheviks in 1917) also didn’t like Ebert

Question 8

What were the main features of the Weimar Constitution? [4]

Answer 8

• Based in Weimar because Berlin was too unstable
• Proportional Representation was the voting system
• Chancellor was appointed from the Reichstag by the President
• President was head of state(mainly ceremonial work)
• Chancellor appointed government ministers

Question 9

What is article 48?

Answer 9

A part of the constitution stating that the President could rule without the approval of the Reichstag.

Question 10

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution? [3]

Answer 10

• Proportional Representation meant that minority, often extremist parties, had a say and so it was hard to maintain a majority.
• It also meant it was hard for one party alone to have a majority so coalition govts. were weak and indecisive.
• President could use article 48 and become a dictator.

Question 11

What were main economic challenges facing the republic when it was established? [2]

Answer 11

• War brought the country close to bankruptcy
• Alsace-Lorraine, rich in iron, was returned to France in the ToV
• Industry had to change from weapon to infrastructure

Question 12

Why did some political groups oppose the Weimar Republic? [3]

Answer 12

• Right wing was loyal to Kaiser and wanted him back
• Left wing wanted a communist revolution and wanted a worker-run Germany
• They were not used to coalition governments and the Weimar Republic were associated with the November Criminals and the ToV and were therefore were disliked.

Question 13

What(and when) was the Spartacist uprising? [4]

Answer 13

• January 1919; led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
• Seized newspaper offices in Berlin and fought in the streets
• Ebert used the Freikorps to crush the uprising as they had WW1 weapons and hated the left
• RL and KL executed on 15th Jan and 100 civilians killed in the fighting.

Question 14

What(and when) were the Bavarian uprising and Red Risings in the Ruhr? [2]

Answer 14

• Bavarian Uprising 1919; Kurt Eisner, leader of Bavaria assassinated and Bavarian Communists declared it a free soviet republic. Crushed again by Freikorps. 600 communists dead.
• Red Rising in the Ruhr 1920; Protests and clashes with police, army, and Freikorps. 2000 casualties.

Question 15

What were the effects of the ToV on Germany?

Answer 15

• Lost 10% of all land
• Armed forces reduced to 100,000
• Supporters of govt. felt betrayed; why punish so harshly if the Kaiser was gone?
• “Dolschtoss” myth began spreading against Weimar Republic.
• Lost 48.5% of iron and steel industry

Question 16

What(and when) was the Kapp Putsch?
Any other notable right wing problems?

Answer 16

• March 1920, Wolfgang Kapp marches 5000 Freikorps(right-wing extremists) into Berlin to take power.
• Army refused to fire on “their own” and so Weimar govt. fled to Dresden.
• They then called a general strike and Berlin was brought to a halt, so Kapp fled within 5 days.
• 1922; Foreign Minister Walter Rathenau assassinated by left-wing extremists.

Question 17

Who were the Freikorps?

Answer 17

• Ex-soldiers, often right-wing extremists who were used by the govt. to put down communist risings.
• Many joined Hitler and the Nazis after 1920.

Question 18

Why was the new Weimar Government unstable up to 1923? [3]

Answer 18

• It’s success was dependent on all the people suddenly switching to autocracy to democracy.
• Spartacists and other communists uprising in early Weimar years posed serious threat.
• Huge economic problems faced and the Ruhr crisis happened when this meant they couldn’t pay reparations.
• Weimar Republic blamed for the harsh terms of the ToV.

Question 19

Why did Germany find it hard to recover economically in the years up to 1923? [2]

Answer 19

• WW1 had been very expensive and ToV was very harsh on Germany as they ran out of trade and harsh reparations were inflicted.
• £6,600million ordered to be paid, 2% per year which was intolerable for German economy

Question 20

What events contributed to the crisis year of 1923? [4]

Answer 20

• French occupation of the Ruhr meant less resources available, so prices rose, causing inflation. This was because Germany failed to pay 2nd round of reparations so they invaded the Ruhr, rich in coal+iron,to take the value in goods.
• German government ordered passive resistance which led to mass money printing and 100,000 expelled people from Ruhr.
• Hyperinflation made money almost worthless(middle class lost out big-time)
• Munich Putsch(8th Nov 1923) reinforced a lack of respect for the Weimar Government and brought Hitler a lot of publicity(and only 9 months in a luxurious prison).

Question 21

How did the Weimar Republic survive 1918-1923? [3]

Answer 21

• Ebert’s actions against communists and Stresemann’s reforms kept the country from tipping
• Most people supported the republic
• Many opponents were very weak(like Nazis) and had little support(Communists had 15% of the vote)

Question 22

How significant were economic problems as a reason for Weimar instability? [2 each]

Answer 22

Significant:
- Germany was virtually bankrupt after WW1; ToV took 48% of its iron industry and their industry was 2/3rds of pre-war levels. Reparations were also set at £6.6billion
- Invasion of the Ruhr(9th Jan 1923) made matters worse as this caused hyperinflation and loss of jobs
NOT significant:
- It was despised by a lot of people and led to “stab in the back” theory, which deepened class divisions, and brought on extremists on the left and right.
- They had to deal with multiple uprisings that were threats to democracy(Spartacists, Kapp Putsch) and were hated because of the ToV where they lost 13% of land

Question 23

How significant were the Spartacists to Germany 1918-1923?

Answer 23

Significant:
- Was a direct threat to German democracy and took over newspaper offices and planned a general strike, engaging in armed street battle.
- Showed the weakness of the government and its heavy reliance on the Freikorps
- Led to more communist uprisings in Bavaria, April 1919, and the Ruhr, March 1920 and permanent communist and socialist hostility
NOT significant:
- Easily crushed by Freikorps and leaders executed, leaving the left wing without leaders and making them much weaker
- More significant factors like harsh ToV and its effects on the economy, weakness of the Weimar Constitution, Ruhr invasion, Kapp Putsch

Question 24

How important were reparations as a cause of Weimar problems 1918-1923? [2]

Answer 24

IMPORTANT:
- The agreement to the harsh £6.6billion reparations led to Ebert’s govt. being seen as the November Criminals, particularly on the right wing, and led to right-wing and army opposition and Kapp Putsch.
NOT IMPORTANT:
- Annual payment was only 2% of output, and other problems were more important, like the territorial losses, the shaky introduction of democracy, and the unjustified Diktat.

Question 25

How significant was political disorder in causing the weakness of the Weimar Republic in its early years? [3]

Answer 25

Significant:
- Spartacists in January 1919, Bavarian uprising in April 1919, Kapp Putsch in March 1920, 1922 assassination of Rathenau, Munich Putsch 1923 Ludendorff, Von Lossow supported and the discomfort between SA and Communists causing continual government problems. The frequency of problems showed the weakness of Weimar.
Not Significant:
- More significant factors, like territorial losses in ToV, War Guilt, the suspicion and opposition of Weimar democracy in the judiciary and civil service still loyal to the Kaiser
- Ruhr Crisis and Hyperinflation of 1923

Question 26

How significant were the military terms of the ToV as a cause of Weimar problems 1918-1923? [4]

Answer 26

Significant:
- Massive reductions in the army (100,000 men, 6 battleships, no U-boats)created unemployment in Germany and led to people joining the right-wing Freikorps or Nazis
- Also created humiliation in Germany and made people resent the Weimar government; “November Criminals” and “Stab in the back” theory
Not significant:
- Territorial terms were also harsh; 13% of land lost and 10% of ethnic Germans which caused economic problems as well; Germany lost Saar coalfields which was economically bad and humiliating.
- Failure to pay harsh reparations led to Ruhr invasion and subsequent economic crisis.

Question 27

Who was Gustav Stresemann? [3]

Answer 27

-German Chancellor from August to November 1923, and had widespread support
- Instituted fulfilment policy(complying with ToV to gain readmission into the international community)
- Managed to solve the hyperinflation and worked with other countries as foreign minister and is responsible for Germany’s international progression in mid-Weimar years.

Question 28

Why was the Dawes plan needed in Germany by 1924? [3]

Answer 28

• Close to bankruptcy in 1919 because of the enormous expense of the war; needed money to restart the industry
• Germany was ruined by the 1923 hyperinflation and had asked to suspend payments temporarily in 1922 but declined; it was obvious they needed loans to keep up and avoid this.
• By November 1923 anew currency needed to be supported by a big loan to stabilise the economic situation
• Needed to increase employment and increase international trade and profits.

Question 29

What were Stresemann’s economic achievements? [4&1]

Answer 29

• Ended the hyperinflation by calling in and burning all the worthless marks
• Restarted industrial production by calling off passive resistance
• 1924 Dawes plan scaled down German reparations and gave 800million mark loan
• By 1928 industrial production was back to pre-war levels
• 1929 Young Plan reduced reparations again
  BUT
• Agricultural sector in enormous trouble and industry growth began to slow by 1927
• The loans could be called back at any time

Question 30

What were the cultural achievements of the Stresemann era? [3]

Answer 30

• Writers, poets, and artists in Berlin flourished
• Bauhaus architecture developed to create exciting new buildings
• Marlene Dietrich and Fritz Lang brought fame to German film industry
• 900 dancebands in Berlin by 1927; booming nightlife
• Censorship removed

Question 31

What was achieved in foreign policy in the Stresemann era? [4]

Answer 31

• 1925 Locarno treaties signed
• 1926 Germany brought into the LON
• Steady work to reduce the harsh ToV terms
• 1929 Young Plan renegotiated reparation settlement
• 1929 Allies withdrew from the Rhineland

Question 32

How much political stability did Stresemann bring to the Weimar Republic? [1&1]

Answer 32

• Democracy seemed to be working and the uprisings stopped
• Extremist opposition declined(Nazis had 12 seats in 1928)
  HOWEVER
• There were 4 different Chancellors and 30% voted for parties opposed to Weimar
• Hindenburg elected in 1926, who was opposed to democracy, showing the political divides in society at the time.

Question 33

How significant was Stresemann in Weimar recovery post-1923? [3]

Answer 33

Significant:
- Overcame the Ruhr crisis and began repaying reparations to increase foreign confidence
- Vibrant German culture growing
- Foreign policy getting better and international community included Germany more
- Reduction in opposition parties and uprisings, and things quietened down.

Question 34

How far did the Weimar Republic recover post-1923? [2&1]

Answer 34

• Stresemann ended hyperinflation and reinstated confidence with the new currency
• He also raised loans through Dawes and Young Plan, and French and Belgian troops left the Ruhr in 1925
• Germany’s international position was improved through LON in 1926 and 1925 Locarno Pact
• BUT the farming suffered from depression in the 1920s due to fall in food prices
• Some argued the new culture and traditions were unpatriotic and didn’t want to lose the old Germany.

Question 35

How important was the ToV in causing the Weimar domestic problems up to 1929? [3&3]

Answer 35

Significant:
- War guilt clause led to humiliation and resentment, and “Stab in the back” myth
- Failure to pay reparations led to Ruhr invasion and hyperinflation
- 13% of land lost led to displaced German families
- Harsh military terms helped extremists gain support and led to things like Kapp Putsch and Munich Putsch.
NOT significant:
- Germany was already massively suffering by the end of WW1; naval blockade, flu epidemic
- Civil unrest was already happening pre-Versailled(Spartacists in January 1919), and democracy was weakened by the powers of the President with article 48
- Reichstag was weak due to proportional representation and coalition governments
- Stresemann dealt with economic problems caused by Versailles through the Young Plan and the Dawes Plan, and solved the hyperinflation.
- Was brought back as internationally recognisable through Locarno Treaty in 1925 and joining the LON in 1926