Germany 1918-1923

Question 1

The effect WW1 had

Answer 1

Food:
- Britain blockaded Germany and people began to starve due to lack of food.
Money:
- Economy was ruined because the cost had been £37 billion.
Protest:
- Ex-soldiers protested when they returned from the fighting. They demanded a change in the government.

Question 2

Why does the Kaiser step down

Answer 2

Kiel:
- One month before the end of WW1, soldiers in Kiel refused to fight for the Kaiser anymore.
Communism:
- Groups of workers began to demand for a Communist takeover of the country.
Realisation:
- The Kaiser realised he needed to go to avoid a violent Communist takeover.

Question 3

Causes of 1918 Revolution

Answer 3

Food:
- Food shortages caused by the blockade made people hungry and convinced Germany would lose the war.
Anger:
- The Kaiser’s final attempt to win the war (The Spring Offensive) ended in defeat.
Russia:
- The people of Germany were inspired by the Russian Revolution.
Need to avoid Communism:
- A new democratic government was quickly set up in November 1918 to avoid a Communist revolution.

Question 4

Weaknesses of Weimar’s Constitution

Answer 4

1:
Voting system (PR) meant that it was difficult for a strong government to be formed.
2:
Political Parties that wanted to destroy the Weimar Republic got a say in running it!
3:
Article 48 meant that the President could take over at any point of crisis. This wasn’t actually democratic.

Question 5

Strengths of Weimar’s Constitution

Answer 5

1:
Anyone over 21 was allowed to vote in elections for the Reichstag.
2:
Laws were checked and balanced out by the fact that two parts of the Reichstag had to agree to them.
3:
If any one Political Party received roughly 60,000 votes, they were guaranteed a seat in the Reichstag.

Question 6

Why the Weimar Republic was so unpopular

Answer 6

1:
Democracy had been set up in hurry in order to avoid what lots of people wanted - Anarchism or Communism.
2:
Autocracy
The army, judges and office workers of the government wanted the Kaiser and his form of rule to keep going.
3:
The Weimar Government were quick to sign up to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 7

Treaty of Versailles

Land, military, blame, money

Answer 7

Land

• Alsace-Lorraine given to France.
• Loss of the Sar which was rich with coal.

Military

• 100,000 soldiers only.
• No airforce or submarines.

Money
- £6.6 billion owed to Britain and France.

Blame
- Clause 212 forced Germany to accept all blame for starting WW1

Question 8

Treaty of Versailles affect on the republic.

Answer 8

Weimar:
- People regretted ever ending WW1 and the Weimar Government became “November Criminals”
Pride:
- The money owed and Clause 212 was a national humiliation.