Establishment And Early Years Of The Weimar Republic Flashcards
When did the Kaiser abdicate
9th November 1918
What is an armistice
An agreement to suspend fighting in order to allow a peace treaty to be negotiated
What were Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points
Wilson devised 14 points as a means of dealing fairly with the aftermath of war
What are some of the points in the fourteen points
There were some specific to Germany such as the return of Alcase Lorraine to the French
However there were some general ones such as the establishment of the League of Nations
What were the ‘October reforms’
A series of reforms by the Kaiser to end his autocratic rule
What were the features of the October reforms
-Prince max of Baden appointed as chancellor
-Chancellor responsible for Reichstag and established new goverment based on majority parties in the Reichstag
-Armed forces put under the control of the civil goverment
What did the October reforms lead to
They were a major constitutional change,However led to a ‘revolution from above’ where the German Goverment was restructured to make the Kaiser and Chancellor accountable to the Reichstag
What was the ‘peace note’
A letter from Prince Max to president Wilson asking for an armistice
What was the allies response to the ‘peace note’
They demanded that for an armistice to happen Germany must evacuate all occupied territory,end submarine warfare and fully democratise its political system
After the allies demands after the peace note what did Ludendorff do
Due to these demands essentially demanding a German surrender and the Kaiser Abdication,Ludendorff attempted to gather a last ditch millitary effort to resist but it didn’t work and he fled to Sweden
What was the impact of the peace note on the German people
The news that the Germans had asked for an armistice was a shattering blow to the people who had been told throughout the war that they were winning.Undermining their respect for the Kaiser and political leaders
What started the November revolution of 1918
Unrest in the navy led to a revolt in the naval base of Kiel,The next day this spread to the city and many workers and soldiers councils were created.This continued in many cities
What was the ‘decisive moment in the German revolution’
A republic being claimed in bavaria and the Bavarian monarchy being deposed successfuly
What did the SPD do in the November revolution in Berlin
They called on workers in Berlin to strike in order to force the Kaiser to abdicate and threatened to not support Prince Max’s new goverment if the Kaiser didn’t abdicate
When the Kaiser failed to abdicate after the strike in Berlin what did Prince Max do
He took matters into his own hands announcing the Kaiser had abdicated despite him having not and he also stepped down as chancellor,handing it over to Ebert
What happened after Prince Max announced the fake abdication of the Kaiser
General Groener told the Kaiser the army woulden’t fight for him and Phillip Scheidemann a leading figure of the SPD announced that the German Republic was now in existence.The Kaiser having lost all control was forced to abdicate
Why did the new Weimar Republic goverment lack legitimacy
He had come to power through the November revolution
What was the problem after the armistice before the creation of a new constitution
Ebert urged Germans to keep essential services running however his authority didn’t extend much past Berlin,This meant there were many demonstrations,strikes and armed clashes in particular by ex soldiers who had been in the war
What were the socialist groups and parties in 1918
Sparticist League (Later KPD/Communists)
USPD
SPD
What agreement was reached between Berlin’s workers and soldiers councils in the early years of the Weimar republic and when
On 22nd November 1918 the goverment agreed that it only exercised power in the names of the councils
Why were many army soldiers against democracy
Many came from aristocratic backgrounds and had been fiercely loyal to the 2nd Reich and the Kaiser in the first world war
What was the Ebert Groener pact and when was it
10th November 1918,It was an agreement between the army and government where the army would support the goverment so long as the army wasn’t democratised
How was the struggle for power shown after the Ebert Groener pact
6th December-Sparticist demonstration put down in Berlin by army killing 16
23-24th December-Sailors revolt against goverment put down in Berlin,Three ministers in goverment resign in protest
6th January-Sparticist uprising leads armed revolt against goverment,Revolt crushed after a week of heavy fighting in Berlin
What was significant about the first election
Women allowed to vote for the first time
What happened in the first Weimar Republic election
SPD secured largest share of the vote however was unable to gain a majority and so would have to compromise with other parties in order to get laws passed and establish a new constitution
How was the first Weimar republic’s leaders decided
It was decided by the SPD in coalition with the Centre and German Democratic parties,With Ebert as president and Phillip Schidemann as Chancellor
What were the strengths of the Weimar Constitution
-It provided a wider right to vote as women were able to vote on the same terms as men and they were allowed to become deputies in the Reichstag and state parliaments
-System of proportional representation enabled smaller parties to win seats in the Reichstag and influence goverment decisions
-There was a full democracy in local and central goverment
-Constitution clearly set out the rights of an individual
-Referendums could be called for by the president,Reichstrat or by people’s request
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution
The proliferation of small parties-Smaller parties could gain representation meaning many who were anti republic could exploit the parliamentary system to gain publicity
Coalition Goverments-Due to none of the larger parties being able to gain a majority due to the proliferation of smaller parties,This meant goverments had to compromise and come together in order to pass laws
What is the Reichstrat and what could they do
The second chamber of the German parliament made up of 67 representatives from the seperate 17 states
Each state was represented in proportion to its population
They could provide advice on laws but could be overridden by Reichstag
What was article 48
The power of the president to rule by decree in an emergency without the Reichstag’s consent
What undemocratic institutions still survived
The army,the civil service,the judiciary
How did the army survive as being undemocratic
Through the Ebert-Groener pact the previous army system from the second Reich was allowed to stay and was loyal to the timeless Reich instead of the republic
How did the civil service remain undemocratic under the Weimar constitution
Under the Weimar constitution civil servants were given a guarentee of their rights and were allowed their own political opinions and expressions
How did the judiciary keep being undemocratic
Through article 102 that allowed independence of the judges
