Early challenges to the Republic

Question 1

Who signed the armistice?

Answer 1

Mathias Erzberger

Question 2

Why was the treaty unpopular with the Germans?

Answer 2

Germans opposed how the terms of the treaty were imposed, not agreed

Question 3

What is another reason why Germans disliked the treaty?

Answer 3

signing the treaty meant they were to blame for the war so had to pay reparations

Question 4

Why did the Allies insist the German army to be reduced?

Answer 4

prevent war in the future

Question 5

What were the terms of the Treaty?

Answer 5

Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies
- 136,000 million marks

Germany lost all of its colonies

German military strength was cut
- 100,000 men in the army
- navy was limited
- no submarines permitted
- no air force was allowed
- Rhineland was demilitarised

Question 6

What is meant by Dolchstoss?

Answer 6

Germans didn’t believe they were defeated in the war and thought they were betrayed by politicians
‘stabbed in the back’

Question 7

Who were the ‘November Criminals’?

Answer 7

German republic who signed the peace treaty

Question 8

What did Extreme right-wing groups believe?

Answer 8

• supported capitalism
• traditional values
• wanted a strong government, strong army, powerful leader

Question 9

What did Extreme left-wing believe?

Answer 9

• opposed capitalism
• abolish private ownership

Question 10

What does KPD stand for?

Answer 10

German communist party

Question 11

Who were the KPD supported by?

Answer 11

Spartacist League (extreme socialists)

Question 12

Who were the KPD leaders?

Answer 12

Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebkneckt

Question 13

Why did thousands of workers protests in the streets of Berlin?

Answer 13

Ebert sacked a police chief who was popular with the workers

Question 14

How did the Spartacists undermine the government?

Answer 14

called for an uprising and a general strike in Berlin

Question 15

What happened on the 6 January?

Answer 15

100,000 workers protested, seized Government’s newspaper and telegraph offices

Question 16

Who were the Freikorps?

Answer 16

demobilised soldiers

Question 17

How did the revolt end?

Answer 17

Ebert ordered the Freikorps to put down the rebels, they were no match for them and the rebellion was suppressed

Question 18

Who was the leader of the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 18

Wolfgang Kapp

Question 19

Why did Ebert disband the freikorps?

Answer 19

unable to control them

Question 20

What did the Freikorps want?

Answer 20

declaration of a new government and the returning go Kaiser

Question 21

Why did many workers listen to Ebert?

Answer 21

disliked the returning of Kaiser

Question 21

What did Ebert order the workers to do?

Answer 21

urged people to no co-operate and not go on strike

Question 22

Why did the French send troops to Germany?

Answer 22

Germany was unable to pay reparations as they were bankrupt

Question 23

What did the French do in the Ruhre?

Answer 23

confiscated raw materials, manufactured goods and industrial machinery

Question 24

What did the German government ask the Ruhre workers to do?

Answer 24

urged passive resistance

Question 25

What effect did the Occupation of the Ruhre have on Germany?

Answer 25

increased Germany’s debts, unemployment and worsened the shortage of goods

Question 26

What was the cause of hyperinflation?

Answer 26

government printing bank notes in order to pay the Ruhre workers

Question 27

What is meant by hyperinflation?

Answer 27

extreme rise in prices

Question 28

What was the effect of hyperinflation?

Answer 28

• Germans had to carry bundles of money
• crime rates increased as they couldn’t afford good

Question 29

What was another effect of hyperinflation?

Answer 29

German marks were worthless
- foreign suppliers refused to accept so imports dried up and shortages of food worsened

Question 30

Who was affected the most from hyperinflation?

Answer 30

people with savings
- money in back accounts, insurance policies or pensions
- middle class were deeply affected

Question 31

Who benefitted from hyperinflation?

Answer 31

people who had loans as they value of money they owed went down

foreign visitors as they could but much more with their money

people profited by selling goods as prices went up

Question 32

What did German think of the Weimar Republic after hyperinflation took place?

Answer 32

• they were seen as weak
• angered Germans as they suffered