general 1914-1929 Flashcards
obtain a general understanding of things which occurred in this time period
define Burgfriede
castle peace
define Schlieffen Plan
Germany’s plan to get to Paris through Berlin
when did the US enter the war?
April 1917
define Siegfriede
victory peace
when did the anti-war movement develop?
1916
what did Bethmann-Hollweg persuade the Kaiser to do in order to keep the socialists on side?
he persuaded him to amend the Prussian constitution. The SPD had always hated the Prussian constitution which favoured the votes of Junkers in a three tier voting system
list reasons for the growing divisions in Germany during WWI:
- worsening conditions in Germany. Foot shortages, poor living conditions, civilian deaths. Criticism of war begins to grow
- Russian revolution was an inspiration to the discontent and those who opposed the war
why did popular disturbances increase?
- there were calls for reform of the German constitution and of the government of Prussia and Lander. These escalated after the ‘turnip winter’ of 1916 to 1917 and the Russian revolutions of 1918
how did the SPD split in April 1917?
a breakaway minority formed the Independent Socialist democratic party with a commitment to end the war
what was the peace resolution of July 1917?
the first Reichstag intervention of the war. It was a passage that called for an end to war, without annexations. It passed 212 votes to 126
why was Bethmann-Hollweg replaced?
he was accused of being unable to control the Reichstag. He was replaced by Michaelis who got around the peace resolution by accepting it and thus persuading the Reichstag to vote for more war credits. He lasted until November 1917
what was the fatherland party?
supported by donations from the industry and attracted conservative, right wing liberals, middle classes, and the Army High Command
what happened on the 29th September 1918?
Lundedorff informed Wilhelm and Hertling that the war was lost
why did Lunderdoff advise the Kaiser to hand over power to a civilian government and transform the second reich into a parliamentary democracy?
- to achieve more favourable peace terms from the allies. They hoped the peace terms would be based on US President Wilson’s 14 points
- to limit the full scale of revolution, as seen in Russia in 1917
- it would be the new government that would sign the armistice not the army generals. This allowed the myth to develop that the German army had been ‘stabbed in the back’ and shifted the blame away from Hindenburg and Ludendorff
what was the obstacle Prince Mac faced on 3rd October 1918?
Wilson said the German government was based on an autocratic dictatorship and nothing but a complete surrender and change of regime would be accepted by the allies
why was Ludendorff forced to resign on the 26th October 1918?
he unilaterally tried to order army generals to resist surrender. Max reassured Wilson that the military authorities had been placed under the control of the German government
incident in late October/early November 1918 in Kiel and Wilhelmshven
crews of the two naval vessels moored at Wilhelmshaven and mutinied, when ordered to make a suicidal attack against the British shops blockading the North Sea Port. The sailors raised the communist flag instead
what did Prince Max of Baden do to prevent a full scale revolution?
announced Wilhelm’s abdication and transferred political control to SPD leader, Friedrich Ebert
who was Ebert?
- Humble background as a saddler, became head of SPD in 1916
- became Chancellor of the provisional government when Imperial Germany collapsed
- his main worry was that the extreme left would gain the upper hand
- he was extremely worried about the threat of civil war
when was the first elections for a national constituent assembly held?
19th January 1919
what could the president do in the Weimar constitution?
- takes no part in day to day government
- chose the chancellor (usually the leader of the largest party) and he could dismiss the chancellor
- could dissolve/dismiss parliament and call new elections
- commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and could use them to suppress revolts
what could the chancellor do in the Weimar constitution?
- appointed by the President
- usually the leader of the party with the most seats in the Reichstag
- chose ministers to help run the country
- could pass laws but needed the support of the majority in the Reichstag
what powers did the Reichstag in the Weimar constitution?
- controlled taxation
- had 160 members
- al members elected every 4 years by universal suffrage using a secret ballot
- proportional representation
what powers did the Reichsrat have in the Weimar constitution?
- members were appointed by the local government
- the number of members sent gtom each region depended upon its size
- had powers to delay new laws unless overruled by a 2/3 majority in the Reichstag
what kind of peace did France want?
Carthaginian Peace
what happened when Scheidemann saw the treaty of Versaille?
He was horrified by the terms of and resigned on the 20th June rather than accept it
when and where was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28th June 1919 in the Hall of Mirrors
How much territory did Germany lose under the ToV?
13%
how much of Germany’s population did they use ToV?
12%
what was the army limited to under the ToV?
100,000
when was the Sparticist uprising?
5th January 1919
who lead the Sparticist uprising?
Liebknecht and Luxemburg
how many workers went on strike and where during the Sparticist uprising?
100,000 went on strike and demonstrated in the centre of Berlin
how were the Sparticists dealt with?
the Freikorps (a far right paramilitary group) and the army were employed to fight them
what happened to Luxemburg and Liebknecht after the failed revolution?
They were seized by the Freikorps on the 15th January and were both murdered
what were the consequences of the Sparticist uprising?
- due to the use of the Freikorps by the SPD government , those on the left now felt that the SPD were now an enemy and felt betrayed
- whilst Ebert lost support from the left, he was able to begin relations with the right through his use of the Freikorps and simultaneously gained support from the army
- there was no support for Communism in Germany
- the use of force increased the growth of the counter-revolution
- the Sparticists Revolt also allowed for the growth of right-wing due to the fact it fostered fears if a Bolshevik style revolution
what was the Kapp Putsch?
an attempted coup against the German national government in Berlin in 1920
who led the Kapp Putsch?
Wolfgang Putsch
what were the causes of the Kapp Putsch?
The Weimar government began to reduce the size of the army and Defence Minister disbanded some Freikorps units
what happened in the Kapp Putsch?
During 13-17th March 1920, Wolfgang led a Freikorps takeover in Berlin of 6000 soldiers. there was success at first since the Weimar ministers fled to Stuttgart and the regular army refused to attack the Freikorps
How did the Kapp Putsch end?
the workers of Berlin went on strike and refused to cooperate with him
what was the significant of the Kapp Putsch in relation to the stability of the Weimar government?
- powers and influence of trade unions revealed
- the people still wanted a democratic left leaning government
- elements of the army could not be trusted and were disunited
- influential law makers and courts were far more rightward leaning, only one person faced imprisonment
When was the Munich Putsch?
On the 8th November 1923
What happened on the 8th November 1923?
Hitler marched into a beer hall in Munich where von Kahr was giving a speech. Hitler then declared his intention to tale over the government and start a national revolution
what happened on the 9th November 1923?
Hitler led a demonstration through the streets of Munich with the hope of taking control of the war ministry building. Armed police blocked their route and violence broke out on both sides. Hitler was arrested two days later and put on trial for treason. He was found guilty but was only sentenced to 5 years in prison due to a sympathetic judge.
