Germany Booklet 1: Political and governmental change 1918-33 Flashcards
Outline the creation of the second reich
Otto von Bismark worked from 1862 to create a state under Prussian leader ship through a series of wars of unification. In January 1871, King Wilhelm I of Prussia was proclaimed Kaiser of Germany
Outline the government structure of the second Reich
The Kaiser was the leader and he appointed the chancellor and ministers. There was a reichstag that was elected, but the Kaiser had the power to dissolve this.
Why was the Weimar republic created?
It was hoped that this change to democracy would encourage sympathy from the allies and so Germany would be treated more fairly in the peace negotiations.
What are some basic left wing ideals?
Progressive in nature
belief in promoting equality
High taxation - redistribution of wealth from the richest to the poorest
state ownership and control of the economy
represent the working classes
emphasis on welfare
What are some basic right wing ideals?
value tradition, authority and personal freedom
freedom is more important than equality
low taxation
private enterprise and free market economy
support the middle and upper classes
What were the names of the 8 main German political parties 1918?
Social Democratic party Independent socialists German communist party Centre party German democratic party German people's party German National people's party National socialist German Workers Party
When was the Weimar constitution adopted?
31st July 1919
What was the voting system of the Weimar republic?
Proportional representation
Outline Emergency powers (article 48) in the Weimar republic in theory
The president could suspend the constitution, including civil rights and rule by decree for a limited period in a state of emergency
What are some examples of strengths of the new Weimar constitution in 1919?
Universal suffrage from 20 Men and women were considered equal citizens Democratic freedoms were provided for German people - speech, protest and the press
What were some examples of weaknesses in the new Weimar constitution?
The proportional representation led to many weak coalition governments which never lasted long
The emergency powers were easy to abuse and therefore could easily undermine the the democratic process of the reichstag.
How did Ebert use article 48?
He used it to supress uprisings by workers and it was a great stabilising factor in the Weimar Republic
He used them over 100 times in the economic crisis of 1922
How did Hindenburg use article 48?
He abused them, using them to remove the democratic state government Prussia in 1932, then used them 5 times in 1930, 44 in 1931 and 60 in 1932
Outline the SPD socialists
Largest socialist party - it led most of the coalition government from 1919-1933 and were the most popular party.
During 1919-1930 how many coalition governments were there in the Weimar republic?
20
What were the 4 main reasons that political parties could have been responsible for the failure of Weimar?
Political divisions
Moderate parties were weak
Several parties did not support the republic
Extreme parties undermined democracy
Who were the SA?
The NSDAP paramilitary wing - also known as the brown shirts. They had a reputation of undisciplined violence. They were prepared to kill those who got in their way and attacked opposing political parties in the streets.
What made the NSDAP so popular?
It was a strange mix of traditional German values and new radical political ideals - they preached national rebirth and the party was modelled off of the German army which was extremely popular
What percentage of the votes did Hitler achieve in the election of 1932?
30%
What did Germany begin do under Herman Muller’s administration?
It began a naval construction program and he negotiated the young plan which reduced reparation payments imposed at Versailles.
Who was president Hindenburg?
He was a respected military general and was viewed as a hero - elected president after Ebert’s death
How did Bruning weaken Weimar?
He implemented deflationary policies cutting employment benefits and introducing spending cuts which worsened the economic crisis in 1930
How did Von Papen weaken Weimar?
He lifted the ban on the SA to gain Hitler’s support
He persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor
How did Von Schleicher weaken Weimar?
He offered Hitler position of vice chancellor and was responsible for Bruning and von Papen gaining power
He wanted to end the power of the Reichstag and create a presidential government
What are ‘institutions’?
They are parts of a state which carry out the policies and purposes of government
What were the main three institutions with power in the Weimar republic?
The army, the Judiciary and the civil service
Why was the army an issue in the Weimar republic?
It contained many people who despised democracy and and worked throughout this period to undermine and ultimately overthrow the political system
Why was the civil service an issue in the Weimar republic?
They were never considerably loyal to the government they were meant to help function and they tried to overthrow and undermine the political system
Why was the judiciary an issue in the Weimar republic?
The judges from the Kaiserreich still held their positions, they despised Weimar and frequently interpreted the law in a manner that allowed violent, right-wing fanatics, who assassinated politicians or mounted attempted coups to either go free or face little punishment
How many political murders were there in Germany between 1919 and 1922 and what are the stats of left and right wing convictions?
376 political murders
only 4 out of 22 murders committed by the left were unpunished but 326 out of 354 on the right never faced justice for their crimes.
Why were the institutions able to act independently from the government?
It was enshrined in the constitution that they should be given this freedom.
What did Hindenberg do to benefit Weimar?
His presidency gave the German right a reason to support the republic so in the short term he stabilised it.
How did Stresemann weaken Weimar?
His foreign policies were not popular with the right wing at home
How did Ebert weaken Weimar?
His acceptance of Versailles and reparations was unpopular
He used emergency powers many times 1923-24, bypassing the Reichstag
Ebert-Groener Pact arguably gave army too much independence
How did Muller weaken Weimar?
His coalition only lasted 2 years as he failed to get agreement over unemployed payments in 1930, resulting in another election in which extremists did well. His reputation was weakened by the fact that he signed the treaty of Versailles.
How did Muller strengthen Weimar?
as leader of a moderate coalition in 1928 he had some successes such as nationwide state controlled unemployment insurance, reduction in reparations and introduction of the young plan
How did Stresemann strengthen Weimar?
Oversaw major economic reform in 1923-24 which effectively saved Germany’s economy
He adopted a policy of co-operation with Britain and France and he was prepared to use German economic influence to gain concessions from other countries
persuaded many people to support the republic.
How did Ebert strengthen Weimar?
He made compromises with the army and was prepared to work with the largely right wing civil service - this undermined German democracy in the long run but short term it brought stability to the regime.
