History β | Germany Depth: Was Weimar doomed? π» | 6.1a Flashcards
1
Q
Define Revolution
A
A fundamental transformation in political, economic, and social institutions.
2
Q
Prior to the revolution, who governed Germany?
A
The Kaisers, a monarchial system. (Kaiser Wilhelm 2)
3
Q
What was the Kiel mutiny?
A
When sailors based at Kiel mutinied in defiance to the Kaiserβs orders.
4
Q
Why did the Kiel mutiny happen?
A
Germany was losing WW1 by the end of 1918 and with the army retreating while being attacked by the French and Americans, the Kaiser ordered the Germany navy to attack the allies - but the navy thought that was a suicide mission and disobeyed.
5
Q
When was the Kiel mutiny?
A
3rd of November 1918
6
Q
How did the Kaiser react to the Kiel mutiny?
A
He abdicated as he felt that he could no longer rely on the army.
7
Q
How was the power of Kaiser Wilhelm II passed?
A
Power was handed down to the chancellor, who passed it down to the leader of the largest reichstag party, the social democrats / SPD / MSPD.
8
Q
How were German attitudes like in 1914 to the country and its leadership?
A
- The Kaiser was celebrated
- Businesses were prospering with well fed and educated workers
- There was much optimism on power and strength
9
Q
How were German attitudes like in 1918 to the country?
A
- People were unhappy at the defeat of the army
- Germans were starving: surviving on turnips and sawdust
- The flu epidemic was sweeping the country, causing suffering
10
Q
What was the Ebert-Groener pact?
A
The secret pact between Friedrich Ebert of the SPD and general Groener of the right-radicalized army.
11
Q
What did the Ebert-Groener pact agree on?
A
- For the army to support the new government
- For the government to support the army
- To avoid a revoltution.
12
Q
When was the Ebert-Groener pact?
A
10th Nov 1918
13
Q
When did the German Kaiser abdicate and Fredrich Ebert take power?
A
9th Nov 1918
14
Q
When was Germany declared a republic?
A
9th Nov 1918
15
Q
When was the Germany WW1 surrender and armistice?
A
11th Nov 1918
16
Q
What were the political impacts of the war on Germany by 1918?
A
- Stresses of war, aided by the idea of βDolschtossβ led to fighting between right-wingers and left-wingers
- Ex-soldiers and civilians despised the new democratic leaders
17
Q
Who was the heroic field Marshall that many right-wingers felt had been betrayed by weak politicians in the Dolschtoss?
A
None other than Paul Von Hindenburg
18
Q
What were the economic impacts of the war on Germany by 1918?
Limited to national income and industrial production
A
- The national income was 1/3 of in 1913
- The industrial production was 2/3 of 1913
19
Q
How many children were left without fathers after WW1?
A
2 million
20
Q
By 1925, how much of Germanyβs budget was spent on pensions?
A
1/3rd of the Budget
21
Q
In 1918, how many people in Germany died of starvation and hypothermia?
A
300,000
22
Q
What were the social impacts of the war on Germany by 1918?
A
- The gap between the rich and poor widened
- Many demobilised soldiers returned to society
- There was bitterness over the fact that restrictions were placed on worker earnings as factory owners made fortunes during the war
- There was unrest over the fact that Germany had lost the war.
23
Q
How many demobilised soldiers returned to Germany after WW1?
A
1.5 million
24
Q
What was the MSPD and USPD?
A
In what ended up as the SPD, they were two different parts of the SPD party that split up in 1917 with different levels of left-wing views.
25
What were the ideals of the *USPD*?
They believed in extremist left-wing socialist, soviet ideals.
26
What were the ideals of the *MSPD*?
They believed in starting a republic and becoming more left-leaning, but this only extended to democracy. Also, women's rights.
| This is unlike the USPD who wanted socialism
27
What was the Council of People's Representatives?
The provisional government set up after the abdication of the emperor. It consisted for three USPD representatives, three MSPD representatives.
28
When was the Council of People's representatives created?
9 Nov 1918
29
When did the USPD-MSPD alliance collapse?
| (Council of People's representatives)
28 Dec 1918
30
What was the Ebert-Groener pact?
A pact made between MSPD Friedrich Ebert and General Wilhelm Groener that secured SPD support from military staff.
31
When was the Ebert-Groener pact?
10 Nov 1918
32
Who was the chairman for the MSPD in the Council of People's representatives?
Friedrich Ebert
33
Why did the breakup of the USPD-MSPD alliance happen?
The USPD withdrew due to differences regarding a military operation.
34
What event did the breakdown of the MSPD-USPD alliance lead to?
The *Spartacitst* Uprising
35
What was the Weimar republic?
The democratic government set up after Kaiser Wilhelm's abdication in Germany.
| The Weimar republic lasted from 1918-1933
36
What were the four big power-holders in the Weimar republic?
1. The president
2. The Chancellor
3. The Reichstag
4. The German People *(democracyy)*
37
Who could German people elect in the Weimar republic?
To elect the Reichstag according to proportional representation, as well as the president.
38
Who could elect the Chancellor in the Weimar republic?
The president, with aid of the Reichstag
39
How often was the Weimar president elected?
| And who *could* elect them?
Every 7 years, by those aged 20 or above
40
What power did the Weimar president have?
- He could choose the Weimar chancellor
- He could dissolve the parliment and call new elections
- He could appoint judges
- He was the commander-in-chief of armed forces
- ***Article 48***, but we don't talk about that one
41
What could the Weimar president *not do?*
Be involved in day-to-day governing
42
What was the role of the Weimar Chancellor?
* He led the party with the most Reichstag votes
* He chose ministers to help run the country
* He could pass laws with majority Reichstag support
43
Who was the first Weimar Chancellor?
Friedrich Ebert
44
What was article 48?
A law in the Weimar constitution that meant the president could rule via emergency decree. However what was an 'emergency' was not clearly defined. This could therefore be exploited*
## Footnote
*hem hem hitler, hem hem hindenburg
45
What was proportional representation?
A voting system in which the proportion of assembly seats won by parties closely represents the proportion of votes elected.
| This was used in Weimar Germany's Reichstag
46
Why was proportional representation a flaw for Weimar Germany?
No party was really strong enough to ger a majority, making laws difficult to pass.
47
When was the Weimar republic constitution created?
Jan 1919
48
Define *Dolschtoss*
The belief by ex-military soldiers that they were betrayed by the Weimar republic, who signed the armistice when they thought they were winning WW1.
49
Define "November Criminals"
The Weimar politicians who signed the November 1918 armistice and were framed as criminals for doing so by right-wing soldiers
50
Define "League of Victors"
The phrase used by Hitler to describe how the League of Nation's most powerful were the WW1 victors.
51
What were the ideals of right-wing groups in Weimar Germany?
- Retain the monarchy!
- One ruler!
- Defeat communism and protect private property!
- Maintain a strong government
52
Who were part of the far left-wing Weimar groups?
- The working class
- The poor
- The spartacists
- The KPD
- The USPD
53
Who were part of the center left-wing Weimar groups?
- The working class
- The middle class
- Social democrats (SPD)
54
Who were part of the right-wing groups in Weimar Germany?
- The rich
- Conservatives and nationalists
- Big businesses
- Army and Friekorps
- Those who lost their savings to inflation after 1922
55
What was the KPD?
| What did they believe in?
The Weimar Germany communist party
They believed in class struggle, full government control, and reversal of socio-economic laws
| Far-left
56
When was the KPD founded?
1918
57
What was the SPD?
| What did they believe in?
The social democratic party
They believed in individual freedoms, gradual economic changes by the government, and a government role in healthcare and education
| Left
58
When was the SPD founded?
1861
59
What was the DVP?
| What did they believe in?
The German People's Party
They believed in deregulating the economy, religion having power, private ownership of property, and not creating healthcare and education taxes
| Right
60
What was the DDVP?
| What did they believe in?
The German VΓΆlkisch Freedom Party
They believed in a traditional hierarchy, upholding racial differences, a strong leader, and war & military
| Right
61
What was the NSDAP?
The National Socialist German Workers' Party
*a.k.a. the nazis*
62
What did the NSDAP believe in?
- Supremely strong government with total power
- Complete deregulation of money
- Waging war for nationalism
- Kill minority groups*
| *hem hem the entire Jewish population
63
Why was the NSDAP "Socialist"?
The Nazis wanted 'socialism', as in full government control for fascism, rather than to maintain a communist economy.
64
Who founded the Spartacist League?
Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebneckt
65
Which two communist political parties were created via conflicts within the SPD?
The KPD and USPD
66
How did the USPD differenciate from the KPD?
The USPD was very anti-war, unlike the KPD
67
Which party was formed by the Spartacist League ?
The KPD
68
Who were the Freikorps?
A group of right-wing ex-soldiers in Germany, who after WW1, were suspicious of the left-wing republic.
69
Why did the Spartacists rise up?
They felt that the centre-left SPD wasn't doing enough to serve the interests of the German working class.
70
When was the Spartacist uprising?
5-16th Jan 1919
71
Define Strike
When workers in *one* particular industry refuse to work as a form of protest
72
# Define
General strike
When workers in *all* industries strike at the same time as a form of protest
73
How did the Spartacist uprising manipulate the media?
They seized the HQ, government newspaper, and telegraph bureau to organise a general strike.
74
How did the Weimar Republic's leaders react to the Spartacist uprising?
Ebert and the government fled Berlin for the safety of the Weimar republic, leaving Freikorps to deal with them.
75
When was the *Kapp Putsh?*
13th Mar 1920
76
When were the Freikorps asked to disband?
Feb 1920
77
Why were the Freikorps told to disband?
The allies were not happy with there being so many trigger-happy right-wing Germans. DUe to allied pressure, they were told to disband.
78
Who gave the order for the Freikorps to disband?
Gustav Moske
79
Who refused the order to disband the Freikorp units?
General Walter Von Luttwiz
| He refused to disband *one* of the two Friekorp units
80
How did the Freikorps react to being asked to disband?
Wolfgang Kapp occupied Berlin, setting up a temporary government
81
Who was Wolfgang Kapp?
He was the leader of the fatherland party, and he is the one who set up a government in Berlin as Chancellor during the Kapp Putsch
82
How did Berlin respond to the Kapp Putsch?
They organised a general strike of key industries which made the Putsch a failure, as all important industries were shut down.
83
How did the Berlin population feel about the Freikorps, during the Kapp Putsch?
The majority of the population didn't support their right-wing extremity.
84
How did the German Army react to the Kapp Putsch?
They did nothing. They refused to support the government or the Freikorps.
85
What weaknesses of the Weimar Republic did the Kapp Putsch expose?
- The army wouldn't actively support the SPD
- Only one of the people in the Putsch was actually punished, showing that judges were biased
86
How many political assasinations were there between 1919-1922 in the Weimar Republic?
**376**
87
How many of the political assasinations between 1919-1922 in the Weimar Republic were by the right-wing?
**354**
88
How many assasins in the Weimar Republic between 1919-1922 went unpunished?
**326**
89
How many Freikorps did Wolfgang Kapp and General Von Luttwiz storm Berlin with?
**12,000** Freikorps
90
In how many days did the Kapp Putsch collapse?
4 days
91
Who was Walter Rathneau?
A foreign minister involved in the ToV, with a Jewish background, who was murdered
92
When was Walter Rathneau murdered?
June 1922
93
What was the effect of right-wing assasinations to Weimar politics?
The assasination brought disillusionment and increased right-wing confidence
94
How were "weak coalitions" a weakness of the Weimar reupblic?
The government struggled at creating long-lasting coalitions, making people drift to more extremist parties.
Also, during a time of extremism, weak coalitions increased instability even more than normal.
95
How many governments did the Weimar republic have between 1919-23?
| How long did the longest-lasting coalition last?
**6 coalitons**
| **Six months**
96
When was the Bavarian leader killed?
Feb 1919
97
Who was the Bavarian leader who was killed in 1919?
| By what group was he killed?
Kurt Eisner
| The right-wing killed him
98
When did communists seize power in Bavaria?
March 1919
99
How did Ebert restore order in Bavaria?
He turned to the army, who killed the communists that took power.
100
How many communists were killed in the Bavarian uprising?
**600 communists**
101
When was order restored in Bavaria?
May 1919
