Key Issue 1 - Weimar Republic Flashcards
On what day was the armistice which ended the First World War signed?
11 November 1918
On what day was the armistice which ended the First World War signed?
11 November 1918
Where did the government decide to meet in 1919 because they thought Berlin was too dangerous?
Weimar, hence the eventual name of the new republic
What type of government did Germany have in 1919
A democratic, coalition government
How often was a new president elected?
Every seven years
What was Article 48?
Article 48 meant that the President could suspend the Constitution in an emergency. He could make laws and keep the Chancellor without the support of the Reichstag. Basically it allowed the President to rule by decree without parliament, just like a Kaiser
Who could vote?
Men and women over the age of 20
Who was the supreme controller of the army?
President
How many people formed the Reichstag in 1919?
421
How many people formed the Reichstag in 1933?
647
What could the President do?
Dismiss and call new elections, choose the Chancellor, activate Article 48 and control the army
What were the effects of proportional representation?
This produced a large number of parties, which made it difficult to create political stability - no party was able to win a majority
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28th June 1919
What did the politicians who signed the treaty become known as?
The November Criminals
What were some of the territorial terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- all colonies had to be given to the Allied Powers
- Alsace Lorraine was returned to France
- Eupen Malmedy was given to Belgium after a plebiscite
- Saar to be administered by the League of Nations
- Posen and West Prussia given to Poland
- Danzig created a Free City
- no union with Austria (Anschluss)
What were some of the military terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- army not to exceed 100000
- no tanks, armoured cars and heavy military permitted
- no military aircraft or submarines permitted
- no naval vessel to be greater than 10000 tons
- Rhineland demilitarised
What were some of the financial terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- coal to be mined by France in the Saar
- reparations fixed at £6 billion
Which groups hated the Weimar government?
Socialists, communists, nationalists, army leaders and those who had run Germany before 1918
Why did Germany need a new government?
Germany was starving and could not carry on with the First World War and needed to make peace. The Allies would not make peace unless they got rid of the Kaiser and set up a democracy.
October 1918- Germany navy refused to fight,
10th Novermber 1918- Kaiser fled to Holland,
Ebert signs the Armistice.
What part did the army play in controlling uprisings?
The army agreed to support the government against revolution, and in return the government would support and supply the army. Thus Weimar became dependent on the army
Who were the Spartacist League?
Led by Karl Liebernecht and Rosa Luxemberg, the Spartacists were a radical communist group who sought to establish a state based on communist ideals
Which government party did the Spartacists eventually become?
The German Communist Party - KPD
When was the Spartacist Uprising against Ebert and the Weimar Gorvernment?
6th January 1919
How was the Spartacist Uprising dealt with?
Ebert used the regular army and the Friekorps (his private illegal right wing army) to put down the communist rebellion. The leaders of the Spartacists were killed without a trial
What caused the Kapp Putsch in March 1920?
The Weimar government announced measure to reduce the size of the army and disband the Friekorps
When rebelling, what did the leader, Wolfgang Kapp, stress?
The communist threat, the act of being stabbed in the back by the politicians who signed the Treaty of Versailles and the severity of the treaty
How successful was the Kapp Putsch?
The regular army supported the Friekorps and so they managed to seize Berlin. However Ebert asked the people of Berlin to go on strike, meaning the Putsch had no support, as it collapsed. Very few people were punished for it.
Were there other uprisings?
Soon after the Kapp Putsch there was a communist uprising in the Ruhr, which was brutally put down by the army. Two leading Weimar ministers were assassinated in 1921 and 1922. A putsch in Munich les by Hitler occurred in 1923.
