Germany - The Weimar Republic Flashcards
What happened after the kaiser abdicated?
Friedrich Ebert (SPD leader) became the leader of Germany signed an armistice and worked to improve working conditions for unemployed, housing, food, free speech/religion and elections for a democratic republic
What was the spartacists? (and uprisings)
believed in communism and wanted Germany to be run by small councils of workers and soldiers.
6 jan 1919 they tried to take over berlin, thousands of them roamed the streets firing guns
What was the free corps?
group of 2000 tough ex soldiers to attack the spartacists, after 3 days they recaptured buildings and arrested rosa luxenburg and karl liebknecht, beating and killing them
How was the weimar republic born?
Ebert held an election in jan 1919 and the SPD won making him president. the newly elected politicians met up on 11 feb 1919 in Weimar
What was the Weimar constitution?
1919 politicians drew up a formal set of rules for how germany would be governed. it meant all germans were equal including the right to vote
What was the structure of the weimar constitution?
president (head of state) - elected every 7 years, controlled army, navy and air force, stayed out of day to day running but in a crisis he could rule without support by issuing article 48
chancellor (prime minister) - chosen by president, day-day running of country, must have at least half the support to make new laws
reichstag - discussed and introduced laws, MPs elected every 4 years, proportional representation (percent of votes meant no of seats)
german people - elected president, chancellor
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?
proportional representation meant that there was no majority and so no new laws could be made ever
many groups didn’t like this (like old generals, upper class)
Why was the weimar republic in trouble?
they couldn’t pay reparations and so the french and belgium invaded the Ruhr. the german government ordered its worker to go on passive resistance (however 100 were killed and 15,000 were thrown out of homes). the government could not keep paying the workers as germany was short of money, so they printed large amounts of money but workers were spending money quickly and so the shops put their prices up (more money printed and then prices higher), prices were so high a barrel of money couldn’t buy you a meal, savings became worthless
What was the impact of hyperinflation?
money lost all its value and people used it to start fires and people blamed the government
people w savings in the bank lost everything
elderly people w pensions weren’t getting enough money to buy food
small businesses collapsed
people who had debts could pay it off easily
bread was 201 billion marks and 1 egg was 320 billion
