Early Weimar Germany 1919-1924 Flashcards
Government structure of the Weimar Republic
The President was elected every 7 years, using Article 38 he could make laws without consulting the reichstag; the Chancellor was appointed by the President and he had to be supported by the majority of the Reichstag
Reichstag structure of the Weimar Republic
The Reichstag was elected every 4 years, proportional representation meant that even small parties were represented in the reichstag, anyone over 21 could vote, there were 17 local governments
When was the Communist uprising in Bavaria?
Early 1919
What happened at the Communist uprising in Bavaria?
Bavaria was an independent socialist state run by Kurt Eisner, who was murdered in February 1919, so Communists declared a soviet republic. The Freikorps went in in May and 600 Communists were killed
When did the Kaiser abdicate and where did he go?
9th November 1918 and escaped to the Netherlands
Which party was Friedrich Ebert the leader of?
SDP (the largest party in the reichstag at the end of WW1)
When was the Spartacist uprising and who was it led by?
January 1919 and Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknect
What happened at the Spartacist uprising?
The Spartacists joined rebel soldiers and set up soviets in towns- they disagreed with Ebert’s plans for democracy/ The Freikorps went in and Luxemburg and Liebknect were killed
What happened during the Communist uprising of 1920?
Police, army and Freikorps clashed with Communists, there were 2,000 casualties
When was the Kapp Putsch?
March 1920
What happened during the Kapp Putsch?
Wolfgang Kapp, supported by the army and the police, led the Freikorps and marched into Berlin to seize power. The government fled to Dresden, but the Berlin workers went on strike, resulting in failure for the putsch
When were the ToV reparations announced?
April 1921
When did Germany pay its first reparations installment, and how much was it?
April 1921, it was £50 million
What happened about Germany’s second reparations installment?
It was not paid (1922), France insisted on the money
What happened in January 1923?
French and Belgian soldiers entered the Ruhr and took money in the form of raw materials- this was legal under the ToV (80% of Germany’s coal was in the Ruhr)
What did the workers do in response to the Invasion of the Ruhr?
They responded with passive resistance; the soldiers opened fire on them. The Government ordered a strike and printed off more money to pay off debts
How many were killed in the Invasion of the Ruhr?
Over 100 workers
What happened as a result of the government printing more money?
Hyperinflation- as more money was in circulation, people rose the prices of goods and wages; money became worthless, for example in 1918 a loaf of bread cost 0.6 marks and in November 1923 it cost 201,000 million marks
When did Gustav Stresemann become Chancellor of Germany?
1923
How did Stresemann solve hyperinflation?
- He called off passive resistance in the Ruhr 2. He made everyone hand in their marks 3. He handed out a new currency (the Rentenmark) 4. He negotiated the Dawes Plan 5. He renegotiated the reparations
How did the Weimar Republic manage to survive for so long?
- There were still people willing to be Chancellor 2. People still supported ministers and MPs 3. People still wanted improvement, so supported the Reichstag 4. The government had the Freikorps as an ally 5. It was better than before 6. The government acted quickly and effectively against rebellions 7. Opponents were weak- Communists never got more than 15% in the Reichstag 8. New governments in Britain and France (1924) were sympathetic
When was Gustav Stresemann the Foreign Minister?
1924-1929
What was Stresemann’s aims as FM?
Fulfilment- making Germany look more powerful e.g. end allied control of the Ruhr and Rhineland, change terms of ToV
What were the foreign policy aims 1924-1929?
- Restore Germany’s prosperity 2. Avoid fighting with France and UK 3. Trade with France, UK and US 4. Change the ToV due to the countries seeing Germany as an economic asset
What and when was the Dawes Plan?
It was agreed in 1924 and it helped spread the reparations payments out. The USA also loaned Germany 800 marks to help industry
What did the Young Plan do?
It removed troops from the Rhineland
