Establishment & Weimar Early Yrs (1918-24)

Question 1

Who convinced the Kaiser to do what when?

Answer 1

In September of 1918, General Ludendorff persuaded the Kaiser to hand over power to a civilian government with the support of the Reichstag.

Question 2

Why did the Kaiser agree to the formation of a new government?

Answer 2

• He hoped that it would be able to get better peace terms from allies
• Hoped a new civilian government would be blamed for the loss and would take blame from himself, army elites & ruling classes.

Question 3

What was the role of Prince Max of Baden?

Answer 3

Was the Chancellor in October 1918
- October 3rd, peace note written to President Woodrow Wilson on Armistice
- Letter leaked, admission of war loss
- Morale very low, blamed Kaiser, calls for abdication

Question 4

When and how did the November Revolution of 1918 begin?

Answer 4

• Unrest in Navy spreads to Kiel Naval Base
• 3rd Nov sailors mutiny against officials and take control of the base
• The revolt spreads to the city, and a workers & soldiers council is set up, similar to the USSR Revolution

Question 5

Was the November Revolution a Communist one?

Answer 5

No, it was a patriotic one

Question 6

When does Bavarian do what?

Answer 6

8th November, Bavaria declares itself as a republic

Question 7

When does the SPD call on who to do what?

Answer 7

9th November, SPD calls on workers of Berlin to strike to force Kaiser’s abdication. Threatens to withdraw support of government (which was necessary) to force abdication.

Question 8

How does the government respond to the SPD threat?

Answer 8

• Max desperately announces an abdication without a signed abdication, resigns.
• Philip Scheidemann (SPD) declared a German Republic
• General Gronere tells the Kaiser that the army will not fight for him, and he finally abdicates.
• Communist revolution in Bavaria

Question 9

When is Max succeeded, and by who?

Answer 9

Friedrichu Ebert on the 9th November

Question 10

What did Ebert do?

Answer 10

• Supported war initially
• Signed armistice on 11th November

Question 11

Was Ebert respected?

Answer 11

• He had no legitimacy, nor respect from the army, people ignored him.
• While he was in power, Karl Liebknechtem declared a Soviet State from a different balcony in Berlin

Question 12

What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Answer 12

• Followed Eastern front armistice in December 1917
• Russia loses control of Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Baltic Provinces, and Caucasus Provinces
• Lands lost = 34% of population, 54% of industrial land, 89% of coalfields, and 26% of railways
• Confirmed indie Finnie and peacy Ukrainy
• Massive reparations

Question 13

When was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed, and by whom?

Answer 13

• 3rd March 1918
• Russia and Cntrl Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, The Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)

Question 14

Why did Russia agree to the harsh terms of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk?

Answer 14

• Economy had nearly collapsed under war strain
• Stalemate
• Food shortages in urban centres leading to civil unrest

Question 15

When was the Ebert-Groener Pact struck?

Answer 15

Nov 10th 1918

Question 16

What was the Ebert-Groener Pact?

Answer 16

• Agreement between chancellor Friedrich Ebert and Wilhelm Groener, Quatermaster General of the German Army
• Assurement of loyalty of armed forces, in exchange for quick response to leftist uprisings, military command would remain with the officer corps.
• State-within-state system would be maintained

Question 17

What was the effect of the Ebert-Groener Pact?

Answer 17

• Drove wedge between SPD & Other socialist Parties, claimed of allying with enemy of the Revolution
• Kept military mostly self-governing, future gods. would be dependent on goodwill of military leadership
• Government not threatened by right-wing antidemocratic forces or military
• Military brutally stamped out ppl in Berlin and attacked the Reichsmarinedivision, that rebelled over pay and accommodation.

Question 18

What is a Constituent Assembly?

Answer 18

An elected body with the specific task of drawing up a new constitution, usually in the aftermath of a revolution.

Question 19

What were the parties that supported democracy?

Answer 19

• Centrę Party
• SPD
• DDP
• USPD

Question 20

What were the parties against democracy?

Answer 20

• DNVP
• DVP

Question 21

Who were the men in power at the time of the Birth of the Weimar Republic?

Answer 21

• Ebert would be President
• Scheidemann would be Chancellor

Question 22

What aspects of the Weimar Constitution were made to reassure industrialists?

Answer 22

• Right of property
• Workers called to ‚co-operate’ with employers on wages and working conditions

Question 23

What aspects of the Weimar Constitution were uncontroversial?

Answer 23

• All Germans are equal
• Freedom of opinion, no censorship

Question 24

What aspects of the Weimar Constitution were socialistic?

Answer 24

• Right to unionise
• Route to nationalisation
• Labour is protected by the federation

Question 25

What was enclosed in Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution?

Answer 25

• Was designed to protect the country in times of emergency where typical governance via the Reichstag would be too slow
• No protections in place, could be overused and nobody wanted to change the constitution for concerns of stability
• President Ebert used Article 48 136 times, often when he wanted to override the position of the Reichstag. Proves lack of safeguards

Question 26

What were the undemocratic institutions that remained?

Answer 26

• Army: Previously largely free from political control and determined to retain it.
• Civil Service: Servants given guarantee of political freedom rights as long as it didn’t;t conflict with service, so many remained with an undemocratic outlook
• Judiciary: Constitution guaranteed a judge independence, pre-war judges allowed to remain. Most were very monarchist and anti-democratic

Question 27

What were the referendum rules guaranteed by the constitution?

Answer 27

Referendums can be called by:
- President
- Reichsrat
- By people if 1/10 of electorate applied for one
- The Chancellor

Question 28

What were the strengths of Weimar Democracy?

Answer 28

• New constitution gave wider voting rights than Britain and France. Women could vote on some terms and could become deputies in the Reichstag and state governments.
• Proportional representation - A more accurate representation, more democratic
• Full democracy at the state and federal level
• Larger states (Prussia) could no longer dominate personal rights
• Referendums could be called by President, Reichstag, or by people if 1/10 of electorate applied for one

Question 29

Weaknesses of Weimar Democracy

Answer 29

• Article 48
• Smaller parties could gain representation in Reichstag
• Many small, anti-Republican parties could exploit the Parliamentary system for publicity
• Issues were exacerbated by deep divisions in German society
• Coalition governments had to be formed due to smaller party sizes, often unstable, let to inconsistent gov. policy