Germany - Weimar Republic: The Early Years (1918-1919) Flashcards
Who abdicated at the end of WW1 in November 1918?
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Why did the USA enter WW1?
To avenge the loss of American merchant vessels, from Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare
Which two men were in charge of the military High Command
Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg and General Erich Ludendorff
What was the name of Germany’s final offensive in 1918?
Spring Offensive (or Ludendorff Offensive)
What was the conclusion Hindenburg and Ludendorff came to in September 1918?
The war was lost and Germany must negotiate an armistice with the Allies
What did the military do in the face of defeat?
Shift the responsibility for losing the war to the civilian government (the gov. was blamed for the loss) - ‘stab in the back’ myth
What was the event that triggered the so-called November Revolution?
Kiel Mutiny
What was the date of the Armistice?
11 November 1918 (Remembrance Day)
Explain the Ebert-Groener Pact
In return for maintaining discipline and order in the army, the military was prepared to put itself at the government’s proposal.
Explain the Stinnes-Legien Agreement
Employers accepted the concept of an 8hr day for German workers and workers were also given the right to collective bargaining with their employers.
What is the Spartacist Uprising?
A movement by the extreme left that was suppressed by the Freikorps.
Name the political parties of the left
Social Democratic Party (SPD), Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD) and Communist Party of Germany (KPD)
Name the political parties of the centre
German Democratic Party (DDP) and Centre Party
Name the political parties of the right
1 German People’s Party (DVP)
2 German National People’s Party (DNVP)
3 National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi)
When did Germany become a democracy?
1919
What did the constitution ensure for the German people?
A series of clauses guaranteed the basic rights of the German people.
Explain Article 48
This allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take emergency measures without the prior consent of the Reichstag.
Explain the voting system
The Germans used proportional representation as their system of voting which allowed even small parties to gain seats in the German parliament.
Name the military provisions of the Treaty of Versailles
1 The German army was to be reduced to 100 000,
2 The navy was reduced to a few ships for coastal patrols.
Name some territorial provisions of the Treaty of Versailles
1 Alsace and Lorraine would be returned to France
2 Austria became a separate country and any union with Austria was forbidden
Name the colonial provisions of the Treaty of Versailles
Germany lost all her colonies to the Allied nations
Explain the reparations of the Treaty of Versailles
Germany had to pay for the cost of the war, which was deemed ‘unpayable’. The final reparation figure of 132 000 million gold marks ($US 32 billion), was not arrived until 1921.
Assess the ‘War Guilt Clause’
Germany was to accept responsibility for the war.
What was the German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?
1 The immediate reaction to the terms of the treaty was shock and anger
2 Hatred of the treaty cut across all classes in Germany.
3 The treaty created a legacy of long-term bitterness in German society.
What date was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28 June 1919
Why was the Weimar Republic immediately disliked?
It was forever associated with the military defeat and international humiliation. This was a constant theme used by those who opposed the republic and the democratic system.
