Germany.

Question 1

Describe the characteristics fo Kaiser Wilhelm

Answer 1

Kaiser appointed the chancellor and other officials, no decision were to be made without his agreement.

However he did not govern consistently, he was moody and unstable and had violent rages.

Question 2

Under Kaiser Wilhem II what was Germany becoming?

Answer 2

Leadin industrial power, Kaiser wanted to expand its power and influence even more

Question 3

What did the growth of parliamentary government lead to?

Answer 3

It developed, there were several major political parties, none had a majority so governments were coalitions.

Question 4

What were right wing parties keen to do?

Answer 4

Were strong and keen to expand the German Empire.

Question 5

Did support for left wing parties grow?

Answer 5

Yes, they were gaining support from the inceasing number of industrial workers.

Question 6

Describe the idea of prussian militarism.

Answer 6

One of the 25 states Prussia, was more powerful than the others.

It has 2/3 of the population and half the territory, some of the other states felt powerless to influence German policy.

Question 7

By 1914 how was Germany becoming more industrialised and richer?

Answer 7

1914, Germany led the world in chemical and steel industries.

For example it produced twice as much steel as Britian.

Produced 1/3 of the worlds electrical goods.

Popualtion rapidly growing from 40 million in 1871 to 68 million in 1914

Provided manpower for growing industries.

Question 8

Why did food imports increase in 1914

Answer 8

Farmers could not supply all the food needed by growing popualation.

Question 9

How was society like in Germany in 1914

Answer 9

Traditional both in rural and city areas.

Many were conservative in their political views.

For example they expected the upper class to rule.

Question 10

In 1914 what happened to the socialists?

Answer 10

The socialist movement grew, supported by industrial workers who wanted to reform

Governments tried to meet workers demands by introducing pensions and sickness insuarance schemes.

Question 11

How many seats did Left wing social democrat party have in 1912?

Answer 11

It had increased

30% of seats in reichstag

Question 12

What did the Prussian army do the Kaiser?

Answer 12

Swear obedience

Question 13

What did Kaiser Wilhelm II want to do to its navy?

Answer 13

Expand navy to match the British navy.

Question 14

What does it mean by navy laws?

Answer 14

Allowed the building of many more battle ships.

Kaiser wanted Germany to have an overseas empire as France and Britian both had.

Led to an international crises in the years leading up to 1914, and was one of the causes of the First world war.

Question 15

Describe Germany in 1918 after war

Answer 15

German people were suffering from war weariness

Question 16

What were living standards like in Germany 1918 after the war

Answer 16

Living standards were low, especialling in cities.

Food and fuel shortages and major flu epidmemic swept the country.

600,000 widows and 2 million children without fathers.

Question 17

Economically what was Germany like in 1918 after the war

Answer 17

Virtually bankrupt, industrial production was only two-thirds of what it had been in 1913.

Much of that was geared towards fighting the war.

Question 18

During the war what happened to society in Germany.

Answer 18

Divisions in society had deepended, wiht huge differences in living standards between rich and poor.

Question 19

After the war why did support for left wing parties increase?

Answer 19

War shortages, sufferinf and inequality boosted support for left wing who wanted to overthrow the Kaisers governement.

Question 20

Why did the Kaiser abdicate?

Answer 20

When the allies counter attacked in August 1918 it was clear that Germany was losing war.

Riots by German sailors at Kiel and among German workers.

The socialists who were left wingers who hated the Kaisers rule led uprisings in ports and cities. A socialist republic was declared in Bavaria.

9th November Kaiser fled to the Netherlands and abdicated

On 11th November representatives of Social democrat party led by Freidrich Ebert signed the armistice.

Question 21

Who was Friedrich Ebert?

Answer 21

Became leader of new German Republic becasue he was leader of the largest political party in the reichstag.

A new constituion was drawn up quickly which made Germany much more democratic than under the Kaiser.

Question 22

What is a president?

Answer 22

The head of state

Elected by the people every 7 years

Question 23

What is chancellor?

Answer 23

Prime minister

Chosen from the Reichstag by the president but must have Reichstag support.

Question 24

What is the reichstag?

Answer 24

The parliament

Elected by the people by proportional representation, each party gets the same proportion of seats as they get votes

Question 25

What is the people?

Answer 25

The electorate

All Germans over age twenty could vote for the president and the members of the Reichstag.

Question 26

What was one exception to democratic principles ie reichstag, the people, president

Answer 26

Article 48

This said that in a crisis the President could rule the country directly using emergency powers.

This proved to be a very important power in later years.