Germany 1890 - 1939: Democracy and Dictatorship

Question 1

What powers did the Kaiser have?

Answer 1

• Appointed Chancellor, who made all decisions, day to day running of the country. The Kaiser could sack him and choose another whenever he wanted
• Had a Reichstag (Parliament) which had effectively no power (could only pass law, not change them)

Question 2

What was the most powerful state?

Answer 2

Prussia, it had two thirds of the German population and could veto decisions in the Bundestag

Question 3

What were right wing parties keen to do at this time?

Answer 3

Keen to expand the German empire

Question 4

Why were left wing parties gaining support?

Answer 4

There was an increasing number of industrial workers

Question 5

How was parliamentary government developing?

Answer 5

There were now several major political parties so coalitions were forming

Question 6

Talk about Germany’s industry production in 1914

Answer 6

It led the world in chemical and steel industries, as it made twice as much steel as the UK and a third of the worlds electrical goods

Question 7

How did the population grow from 1871 to 1914?

Answer 7

From 40 million to 87 million

Question 8

This increase in population strained what industry, and what did Germany therefore have to rely on more?

Answer 8

Agriculture, rely on imports

Question 9

Due to Germany being traditional, what view did people have?

Answer 9

Conservative, for example upper classes in charge and having more power

Question 10

What other movement was growing at the same time?

Answer 10

Socialist

Question 11

How did the government attempt to meet the demands of the new workers?

Answer 11

Introducing multiple pension schemes and sickness and accident scheme. This was more advanced than in many other countries

Question 12

Support for the Socialists increased. How many seats did it have in 1912?

Answer 12

30%

Question 13

Which army swore obedience to the Kaiser?

Answer 13

Prussia

Question 14

Whose army and navy did the Kaiser want to match, why, and how did he try to match theirs.

Answer 14

Britain’s, large empire, naval laws and weapons race

Question 15

What did wanting a large oversea empire cause?

Answer 15

Tension with Britain and France. This was one of the causes of WWI

Question 16

How were people suffering from war weariness?

Answer 16

• Living standards were low
• 600,000 widows and 2 million fatherless children
• Country was virtually bankrupt
• Divisions in society, rich were not as worse of as the poor
• Regular food and water shortages, rationing

Question 17

When did it become clear that Germany were going to lose?

Answer 17

After the Allies counter attacked the Spring offensive in August 1918

Question 18

How did German people make the war end quicker?

Answer 18

Sailors mutinied, the socialists had an uprising (making Bavaria a socialist republic)

Question 19

When did the Kaiser abdicate, and to where?

Answer 19

9 Nov, Netherlands

Question 20

When did the war end?

Answer 20

11 Nov

Question 21

Who took control of Germany after they lost, and why, and what changes did he make to the Government

Answer 21

Ebert, he was leader of the Reichstag, and he set up a new constitution which was very democratic, where the Reichstag chose the chancellor and the president had to keep the support of the Reichstag. He allowed free speech and fairer judges

Question 22

What was one exception to this very democratic system?

Answer 22

Article 45, where the president could do what he wanted in an emergency.

Question 23

What was this new Government called and why?

Answer 23

Weimar, due to being set up in the city of Weimar as Berlin was unsafe due to riots.

Question 24

Why was there political unrest after the war?

Answer 24

Many dissatisfied soldiers return from the war, and many parties fought for command

Question 25

What two attempts at power did the socialists crush?

Answer 25

A right wing revolt on the 6th of Dec, and the left wing Spartacus revolt on the 5th of Jan, 1919

Question 26

What treaty did Ebert HAVE to sign that made his government look bad and why?

Answer 26

Treaty of Versailles, which made Germany take the blame and came with huge reparation payments

Question 27

Hyperinflation

Answer 27

-The war made German industries weak
-Germany’s pre-war trade deals had disappeared
-They had to pay massive reparations (6.6 billion pounds to the winners)
-They paid the first instalment two years later
-French and Belgian troops seize raw mats from the Ruhr (industrialised part of Germany)
-German workers went on strike in protest of these issues, factory production collapsed
The government, who ran out of money printed more to meet the demand, causing hyperinflation
-This damaged the Weimar republics reputation

Question 28

Spartacist revolution, first putsch

Answer 28

Communists in Jan 1919 tried to follow in Russias footsteps, make Germany a commie country, failed as their leaders Liebknecht and Luxemberg were arrested and killed by the Freikorps, former soldiers who hated the idea of communism

Question 29

Kapp Putsch

Answer 29

Wolfgang Kapp leads 500 freicorps to try and push for the old style of government. Defeated by workers who declared a general strike. March 1920

Question 30

Beer hall Putsch, or Munich

Answer 30

• Hitler, leader of small Nazi party, announces he and the Nazis will take power at a beer hall
• He marches to the Munich government building, where they were stopped, killed or arrested by feds. Hitler was locked. 1923

Question 31

How did Stresemann save Germany

Answer 31

• New currency, Rentenmark, stabilised economy and prices
• Dawes plan, Germany loaned 800m from USA, repartion spread over long period time. 1924
• Young Plan reduced to 2.2 billion, spread out again. 1929
• Signed national agreements with former enemies, not to war again.
• 1926, Germany joined Leauge of Nations, respect and pride and power

Question 32

What still rose during his time?

Answer 32

Unemployment