KQ1 - Was the Weimar Republic doomed from the start Flashcards
When was the Spartacist Uprising?
January 1919
Who led the Spartacist Uprising?
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
What were the weaknesses of The Weimar Constitution?
- In 1919, it had enemies so it was not sensible to give people who wanted to destroy it a right to vote
- There could never be a strong government because proportional representation meant that small governments could form coalitions and gain seats in the Reichstag
- There was a president who had too much power so could become a dictator
- The states could be hostile and try to overthrow the national government
What problems remained by 1929?
Economic
- Value of land rose by 700% in Berlin during the economic boom
- 6% of the population was still unemployed
- Peasant farmers had loans they could not pay back
Political
- Nazis and communists both grew their influence in the Reichstag
- DNVP and Nazis formed a coalition
Culture
- Many felt that the new culture was a moral decline
- The Wondervogal movement for more traditionality was very powerful
Foreign Policy
- Nationalists attacked Stressemann for signing the Locarno pact because it was viewed as accepting the Treaty of Versailles and looked like a plot against the USSR
How did the French/Belgian occupation of the Ruhr cause hyperinflation?
- To combat the French taking their resources, the German government ordered a workers strike
- This meant that the workers were not earning any money so the government printed money to give to them which decreased the value of the mark
- Goods became more difficult so their value was increased
- This caused hyperinflation
What was the nature of The Weimer Constitution?
- Representative democracy
- Allowed freedom of expression
- Allowed vibrant and colourful culture
- Gave German’s artistic license
How did the Spartacist uprising come about and fall apart?
- Regular clashes between the government and revolutionaries in December 1918
- Some Spartacists staged an attempted revolution in January 1919
- Spartacists captured the HQ of the government’s newspaper on the 5th of January 1919
- The uprising failed because there was no support from the other left-wing groups
- Rising crushed by Freikorps and Spartacist HQ taken over on the 10th of January 1919
- 100 Spartacists killed vs 13 Freikorps by the 15th of January
- Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were assassinated so Spartacists were crushed
What was the Kapp-Putsch?
- An attempted overthrowal of Eberts government in 1920 by a man named Wolfgang Kapp
- He sought a military government
- He was right-wing
- The putsch ended due to strikes
What were some key terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- Army limited to 100,000 men
- Navy must not exceed 35% of Britain’s
- No tanks, battleships or aircraft
- Rhineland demilitarized
- Alsace-Lorraine given to France
- £6.6 billion in reparations
Why did the French invade the Ruhr?
- In 1922 Germany defaulted on its annual £50,000,000 reparations installment
- The Treaty of Versailles stated that France could take what it was owed in raw materials if this happened
- So in 1923, France invaded the Ruhr
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28th of June 1919
What were the strengths of the Weimar constitution?
- All Germans had equal rights
- Proportional representation allowed for fair elections
- There was a strong president appointed to protect the country when in crisis
- Each state kept control of their own culture and traditions
How was Hyperinflation solved?
- Chancellor Stressemen created a new currency called the Rentenmark
- Stressemen called off Passive Resistance in the Ruhr so that workers could work again
- Dawes plan was agreed whereby the USA loaned Germany 800,000,000 (million) marks to be invested in German industry
When was the Kapp Putsch?
March 1920
When was the invasion of the Ruhr?
January 1923
