Germany 1: Weimar Repbublic

Question 1

Abdication of Kaiser

Answer 1

• 9th November 1918
• Prince Max of Baden announced the abdication
• 11th November armisitice signed

Question 2

Reasons for abdication

Answer 2

Revolution from above - Ludendorff conviced the Kaiser to hand pver power to a government
Revolution from below - Various Mutinies and unions made it seem a revolution was likely unless Kaiser abdicated

Question 3

Stab in the back

Answer 3

• Idea that Germany was winning the war and was betrayed by weak Weimar politicians
• Dolchstoss

Question 4

Weimar Government features

Answer 4

• 19th Januay 1919 election 82% voted
• Freedom of speech, religion and equality
• Head of Government was president, elected every 7 years
• Split into 18 states each with individual power

Question 5

Weimar Strengths

Answer 5

• Democracy
• Proportional representation
• Strong president
• Chancellors appointment democratic
• Federal system

Question 6

Weimar Weaknesses

Answer 6

• Democracy was different and unpopular
• Very hard to get a majority
• Article 48 was open to abuse, overided Germans rights
• Federal states could rebel against central government

Question 7

ToV Blame

Answer 7

Clause 231 said the war was exclusively Germanies Fault

Question 8

ToV Reperations

Answer 8

• Germany had to pay £6.6 billion to Allies
• Damaged the economy (1922 Ruhr)

Question 9

ToV Army

Answer 9

• Limited to 100,000 soldiers
• No conscription
• No tanks, air force or submarines
• Six battleships only
• Demilitarised the Rhineland

Question 10

ToV Territory

Answer 10

• Germany lost land in East Europe (polish corridor, estonia)
• Lost all of its colonies
• Anschluss with AH forbidden

Question 11

ToV Overrall

Answer 11

Germany lost:
* 13% of its land
* 12.5% of its population
* 50% of iron and steel industry

Question 12

Sparticist uprising

Answer 12

• 5th January 1919
• Lena Luxembourg + Karl Leibknicht
• Mass strikes + telegraph office occupied
• Gov created the Freikorps to handle the Spartcists
• 4,000 friekorps put it down in 5 days

Question 13

Kapp Putsch

Answer 13

• March 1920
• 5k Freikorp led by Kapp marched on Berlin to overthrow government
• Army refused to help government
• Left wing organised a strike that crippled the Putsch
• Weimar once again too weak

Question 14

French Occupation of Ruhr

Answer 14

• Germany paid £50 Million by 1922 but could not pay more
• French occupied Ruhr to take the wealth themselves
• Killed 100+ civilians
• German workers strike
• Government prints money to pay striking workers

Question 15

Hyperinflation

Answer 15

• 1919-1923 German income was 1/4 of what it needed to be
• Nov 1923 a loaf cost 200 billion marks
• Middle classes, savers, poor, pensioners hit hard
• Farmers, debters, bussinessmen did well