Germany: Post WWI Flashcards
Post WWI, the Weimar Constitution and the Peace Settlement
1
Q
What was German War Economy like?
A
- The military was prioritised over the public economically, so food, coal and clothing was in short supply
- 80,000 children died of starvation in 1916, and its winter made shortages worse
- The government introduced price ceilings and then rationing
2
Q
Why was there Social Discontent during the War?
A
- Profiteers and Black Marketeers grew wealthy, and the rich didn’t suffer
- This worsened social divisions and generated more anger
- There was a wave of strikes across Germany in 1917
3
Q
How did the War develop during 1917 - 18?
A
- In 1917, the new Russian Government surrendered
- Germany imposed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on Russia in Spring 1918
- However, in 1918, a major spring offensive by the German Army failed
4
Q
What caused the German people to lose morale?
A
- By autumn 1918, the army recognised it needed to sue for peace, and they knew P. Wilson would be more amenable to a civilian government
- The public’s wartime suffering fuelled social and political unrest throughout, even in the armed forces
5
Q
How did the Bolshevik Revolution impact Germany?
A
- The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution alarmed political elites across Europe and led to greater political activity among the working classes
- This small revolutionary group showed it was possible to overthrow an autocratic army and that the army couldn’t prevent revolution.
6
Q
How did the revolutionary winds of Germany begin?
A
- Economic and military failures in 1918 destroyed morale, leading to openness towards revolutionary politics
- Mutinies spread from Kiel across Germany
- Committees were formed, demonstrating the people’s anger
- The unrest in Germany from 1918 - 9 is often called the ‘German Revolution’ - a revolution from below
7
Q
Why was Prince Max made Chancellor?
A
- The military wanted a moderate civilian, left wing government to be formed to admit Germany’s defeat for better peace terms
- Ludendorff persuaded the Kaiser to make Max Chancellor in Oct 1918
- He had credibility with military and civilians, but could also bring the moderate, left wing SPD into government
8
Q
What did Ebert do as Chancellor?
A
- Ebert was the leader of the SPD, an elected deputy of the Reichstag and chair of the Council of People’s Deputies
- He brought members of the more radical USPD into the government
- He made a deal with Groener, supporting the officer corps and protecting the army’s food supplies if he had support from the army and civil service
9
Q
What were Germany’s Left Wing Parties?
A
- SPD (moderate), USPD (radical), and KPD (Communist)
- They attracted more working class voters
- They believed in greater economic and social equality, wealth redistribution, more taxation for public services and greater workers’ rights
10
Q
What were the Centre Parties?
A
- DDP and Zentrum (largely Catholic parties but with a wide range of supporters and views)
- Generally pro-Weimar Republic
- They held liberal ideas such as individual and economic freedom, a more equal distribution of wealth and some taxation for public services
11
Q
What were the Right Wing Parties?
A
- DVP, DNVP
- The right wing was conservative and most were monarchists
- It favoured authoritarian leaders, low taxation, traditional values and less equality
12
Q
What happened with the Left Wing parties during 1919?
A
- The USPD left the government in Dec 1918
- The Spartacist revolt took place in Berlin in Jan 1919, but it was suppressed by the army and Freikorps with Ebert’s support
- 100 were killed
- Left parties were divided over it because the KPD never forgave the SPD
- The USPD split and joined both parties
13
Q
What happened during Jan 1919 elections?
A
- There were elections for the German Constituent Assembly
- The KPD boycotted
- Political parties that voted for the Constitution won 77% of the vote
38% SPD, 20% Zentrum and BVP, 19% DDP
14
Q
Who was the President?
A
- Elected every 7 years by public vote
- They could appoint or dismiss a Chancellor, dissolve the Reichstag, call for new elections and command the army
- Article 48 could be used to rule by decree in ‘emergencies’
- The Reichstag had to be informed of all measures taken under it and could revoke them
15
Q
What was the Reichstag?
A
- The Constitution established a democratic, parliamentary republic where everyone 20+ could vote every 4 years for a new parliament, and every 7 for a president
- Proportional Representation encouraged political participation by giving influence to the minority
- A coalition government was the usual: no one ever had the majority
- Changes of government and elections happened more than every 4 years
- A change didn’t necessarily mean an election
16
Q
What was the Lander and the Reichstrat?
A
- The Lander (local states) ran major services like education and the police
- All state monarchs were replaced in 1918
- In emergencies, the federal government could intervene in the Lander
- The Reichstrat was the second chamber of the government and had 67 members from 17 Lander
- The Reichstrat could advise the Reichstag and reject new laws but could be overruled
17
Q
Who was the Chancellor?
A
- Party leader who could persuade other political parties to work with them
- This involved a lot of compromise, meaning deals could break down
18
Q
What were the Strengths of the Constitution?
A
- It was highly democratic
- No party could dominate without over 50% of the vote
- More people’s interests were reflected in government
- The President’s powers could be checked by the Reichstag
19
Q
What were the Weaknesses of the Constitution?
A
- Germany had no experience of this level of democracy
- Coalitions gave minority parties the balance of power: it needed the traditional elites and imperial civil service who tended not to support the Weimar Republic
20
Q
What were German expectations of the Paris Peace Conference?
A
- Germany had expected to negotiate a peace based on Wilson’s 14 Points. His ideas were:
- Self determination (living well according to own values)
- Free trade
- Reduction in armaments
- A new international body, the League of Nations, for settling disputes
- Peace through collective security
21
Q
Who were the Big 4?
A
- The ‘Big 4’ (Britain, France, Italy, USA) met in Jan 1919
- France, Britain and Italy held the most weight because they had suffered the most
- France had been attacked by Germany twice (1871 and 1914) and wanted it permanently weakened to ensure French national security
22
Q
Who were the November Criminals?
A
- The German delegates arrived in Paris in April 1919 for negotiations, but found they couldn’t
- By then, Germany’s army had been demobilised. Britain’s navy was still blockading its ports while French/Belgian troops stood on their border
- In May, Germany was presented with a list of non-negotiable demands
- The new government signed the Treaty of Versailles in June, named a Diktat by Germans and those who signed it were called ‘November Criminals’
23
Q
Terms of Versailles: Demilitarisation
A
- Army was cut to 100,000 and conscription was banned
- No tanks, air force, submarines or vessels over 10,000 tons
- Rhineland was demilitarised, and Allied troops would occupy its west bank for 15 years
24
Q
Terms of Versailles: Territory
A
- Alsace-Lorraine - Returned to France
- Eupen and Malmedy - Belgium
- Coal-rich Saarland - Given to France for 15 years
- Poznan and West Prussia (polish corridor) - Poland
- Port of Danzig - ‘Free city’ (LoN control)
- Sudentenland - Czechoslovakia
- Overseas colonies - France and Britain
- Anschluss with Austria was forbidden
25
What was the War Guilt Clause?
- Article 231 (War Guilt Clause) made Germany accept responsibility for starting the war and thus all losses because of it
- Led to Germany paying reparations
- A commission decided the amount in Apr 1919 at £6.6B (132B gold marks)
26
What was the Impact of WW1?
- 1.3M French, 1M British and 2M Germans were dead, leaving widows and orphans
- 4M French, 2M British and 6.3M Germans were wounded
- In France, 300,000 buildings and 21,000skm of farmland were destroyed
- Britain and Germany suffered little damage because the war was not fought there
- Belgium desperately needed a hefty loan from the Allies to repair damage done to its economy and infrastructure
27
Would Germany have been less harsh?
- Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg issued a memo in Sep 1914, detailing the annexation of French and Belgian territory to Germany as a war aim
- This memo also said that Germany was aiming for France to be economically dependent on Germany
- The Brest-Litovsk Treaty of Mar 1918 required Russia to give up almost half its European territory
28
What were French attitudes towards Germany?
- 1914 had been the second time in living memory that Germany had invaded France
- They wanted compensation and to make sure it couldn't happen again, so Germany needed to be weakened
- People approved of the reparations, but there was still a strong sense that Germany could still threaten France
29
What were British Attitudes?
- Lloyd-George didn't want too harsh a treaty on Germany because they were an important trading partner
- Public mood, however, was very anti-German
- Lloyd-George was facing re-re-election in Dec so had to pay heed to popular opinion
30
How did the Treaty of Versailles impact Germany?
- Versailles damaged national pride and reduced the size of Germany and its army
- The War Guilt Clause and Reparations were deeply resented
- 7 million Germans found themselves living as minorities in other countries
- The new Weimar Republic was associated with signing it, and were blamed for the defeat (Stab-in-the-back Theory)
