Germany and the Growth of Democracy

Question 1

Who was the Kaiser of Germany?

Answer 1

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Question 2

Define bundesrat

Answer 2

A group of German state representatives who support the Kaiser

Question 3

Define reichstag

Answer 3

The main elected German parliament

Question 4

Define chancellor

Answer 4

Chief minister, or Prime minister in the government

Question 5

What were some of the problems faced by the Kaiser and his government?

Answer 5

• growing demands for social reformation and socialism
• rapid industrialisation: drop in agriculture = not enough food
• desire for empire, caused the naval laws –> lead to disagreements with the army

Question 6

Why and how was the Kaiser forced to abdicate?

Answer 6

Why: lost military support
How: - sailors within the German navy refused to follow orders
- the soldiers were sent to ease the protests but they ended up joining the protests instead
- they took over towns and set up special councils to run them, country in chaos + Kaiser lost control

Question 7

What was the impact of war on Germany?

Question 8

What was the name of the government that came after the Kaiser’s abdication?

Answer 8

Weimar government

Question 9

Who were the November Criminals?

Answer 9

The politicians who signed the treaty of Versailles

Question 10

How did the Germans feel about the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 10

Angered; called it a ‘diktat’: forced peace

Question 11

What were some of the terms of the ToV?

Answer 11

• war guilt: Germany taking full responsibility
• reparations: Germany had to pay £6600 million to allies; 10% of industry and 15% agricultural land taken away
• military restrictions: German army limited to 100,000 soldiers, 6 battleships, no submarines, Rhineland demiliterised + under French occupation
• territorial loss: Alsace-Lorraine returned to France, lost overseas colonies and Austria separated

Question 12

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar government?

Answer 12

• article 48
• proportional representation: many small parties + no one winning majority votes, causing formation of coalition governments
• decision making slow
• democracy seen as the result of the ToV
• would always be associated with the ToV + anger

Question 13

What was article 48?

Answer 13

Allowed President of Weimar gov. dictatorial power in emergencies

Question 14

What problems did the Weimar government face from the left?
Include:
- dates they occured
- key people
- how they began
- how they ended
- their names (names of the revolution)

Answer 14

• Jan 1919: Spartacist Revolution
• led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemborg
• took over government newspaper and telegraph offices in Berlin and tries to start a general strike
• gov. couldn’t stop this and sent the Freikorps to stop it
• stopped after several days + executed

Question 15

What problems did the Weimar government face from the right? Include:
- dates they occured
- key people
- how they began
- how they ended
- their names (of the revolution)

Answer 15

• March 1920: The Kapp Putsch
• rebel Freikorps troops marched to Berlin led by nationalist politician Wolfgang Kapp
• gov. had to flee Berline + ask left wing workers to strike which caused enough chaos to end the revolut

Question 16

Why did French and Belgian troops invade the Ruhr?

Answer 16

Germany failed to pay reparations

Question 17

What did the German government order the workers to do?

Answer 17

Ordered them to go on passive resistance

Question 18

How did this lead to Hyperinflation?

Answer 18

Gov. continued to pay workers, despite them not working. This lead to them spending more money -> shopkeepers increased prices –> cycle continued causing money to lose its value

Question 19

How was Hyperinflation controlled and by who?

Answer 19

Stressman: called off passive resistance and negotiated Dawes and Young plan. Also introduced new currency called Rentenmark

Question 20

What was the Dawes plan?

Answer 20

Reparations reduced to 2.5 billion per year + USA gave Germany a loan of 800 million marks

Question 21

What was the Young plan?

Answer 21

Reparation figure reduced from £6.6 billion to £1.8 billion

Question 22

Who benefitted from hyperinflation?

Answer 22

• aristocracy - had money ties up in property
• political extremists: got more votes
• Jews: didn’t save money in German banks
• people who were in debt

Question 23

Who lost out due to hyperinflation?

Answer 23

• people with savings
• old people who relied on pensions
• workers - had to live in poverty

Question 24

What triggered the Munich Putsch?

Answer 24

Stressman called off passive resistance in the Ruhr

Question 25

What happened during the Munich Beer Hall Putsch?

Answer 25

Nazis attempted revolution - Hitler and the Nazi party marched onto Munic. Hitler dislocated his shoulder + arrested two days later

Question 26

How was the Munich Putsch a success?

Answer 26

• launched Nazis onto national scene
• Hitler pleaded guilty @ trial + used it as a podium to promote his speeches } propoganda
• he also spent his time writing Mein Kampf

Question 27

How was the Munich Putsch a failure?

Answer 27

• easily crushed = showed Nazi weakeness
• Hitler arrested and imprisoned

Question 28

How did art change during Germany’s Golden Age?

Answer 28

Focused on society + making a political statement

Question 29

How did literature change during Germany’s Golden Age?

Answer 29

rose to popularity - 120 newspaper companies

Question 30

How did cinema change during Germany’s Golden Age?

Answer 30

rose to popularity

Question 31

How did architecture change during Germany’s Golden Age?

Answer 31

Bauhaus: began to use more radical designs + challenge the norm

Question 32

How was the Golden Age caused?

Answer 32

Based on money borrowed from the US

Question 33

What were the treaties that improved Germany’s foreign relations?

Answer 33

Locarno treaty and Kellog-Briand Pact

Question 34

When did the French invade Rhineland?

Answer 34

11 January 1923

Question 35

When was the Munich Putsch held?

Answer 35

8-9 November 1923

Question 36

When did Stressman call off the passive resistance?

Answer 36

September 1923