Germany topic 1: Weimar - Raees

Question 1

Pre abdication

Answer 1

• Second half of 1918 less than 1000 calories/day
• Thousands dying of Spanish flu
• 1918 1 mil fighting + 4 mil wounded

Question 2

Revolution from above/ below

Answer 2

Above:
* Ludendorff persuaded Kaiser to abdicate in Sept 1918
* Hoped new Gov take blame + get easier treaty

Below:
* Kiel + Wilhelmshaven mutinies October 1918.
* Encouraged creation of democracy/ sailors, soldiers + workers council
* Prince Max of Baden announced abdication to prevent full revolution

Question 3

Events days after Kaiser abdicated and reasons for discontent towards them

Answer 3

• 9th Nov 1918 Kaiser abdicated
• 10th Nov 1918 Ebert elected as president of temporary new republic
• 11th Nov armistice
• Propaganda made people believe Germany was winning
• Dolschtoss
• November Criminals

Question 4

First Weimar Elections

Answer 4

• 9th Jan 1919
• 82% of electorate voted
• 40% voted for Eberts SDP

Question 5

Weimar constitution

Answer 5

• Freedom of speech and religion
• Everyone over 20 can vote
• Reichstag elected every 4 years + made laws
• President elected by Reichstag every 7 years
• President had Article 48
• President elected chancellor every 7 years
• 18 states

Question 6

Weimar positives

Answer 6

• All parties had representation
• Everyone over 20 could vote - reflected wants of the people
• President could protect country during crisis
• States cater to own needs

Question 7

Weimar negatives

Answer 7

• Extreme parties had representation
• People who opposed democracy could vote
• Article 48 override consitutional rights
• States could oppose Gov

Question 8

TOV

Blame

Answer 8

• War guilt clause 231 - Germany to accept all blame for the war
• Germans believed it was self defence - preemptive strike

Question 9

TOV

Reparations

Answer 9

• 1921 announced they had to pay £6.6 billion
• Anschluss with AH banned
• Couldn’t join LON but accepted terms
• Damaged economy - 1922 Ruhr

Question 10

TOV

Army

Answer 10

• 100k soldiers
• No conscription
• No tanks, aircraft or submarines
• 6 battleships
• Rhineland demilitarised
• Defenceless
• Pride taken
• French invaded Rhineland

Question 11

TOV

Territory

Answer 11

• Lost Alsace Lorraine, Posen + Saar
• Lost all 11 overseas colonies
• 10% land, 12.5% pop, 16% coal, 48% iron
• Heavy economic impact
• 1919-23 german economy 1/4 of required
• Called it “Diktat”

Question 12

Spartacist uprising

Answer 12

• 5th Jan 1919
• Rosa Luxembourg + Karl Liebknecht
• Mass strikes + took over telecommunication office in Berlin
• Crushed by 4,000 Freikorps in 5 days
• Goods stopped, close to working, gov couldn’t control people

Question 13

Kapp Putsch

Answer 13

• 12 March 1920
• Wolfgang Kapp + 5,000 Freikorps marched on Berlin
• Crushed by strikes - no food, money, tanks
• Gov own Freikorps, V. close

Question 14

French Occupation of Ruhr

Answer 14

• Germany paid £50 Million in 1922 but could not pay more
• French occupied Ruhr to take the resources themselves
• German workers strike - passive resistance
• 100+ civilians killed by occupying forces
• Government prints money to pay striking workers
• Left in 1925
• Gov income 1/4 of required

Question 15

Hyperinflation

Answer 15

• Money value linked to gold- value decreased as more was printed
• 1923- 300 paper mills + 200 printing shops
• Nov 1923 bread = 200 billion Marks

Question 16

Hyperinflation benificiaries + people who lost out

Answer 16

• Debt paid easily
• People with money in land still had their land
• Farmers sold food for more
• Pensioners on fixed income couldn’t afford anything
• People who saved money couldn’t buy bread with money that could buy a house
• Workers wage rose slower than inflation
• Blamed Weimar - Middle class plunged into poverty