Origins Of The Republic 1918-29 Flashcards
When did WW1 start?
August 1914
Name the allies
Britain
France
Russia
Name the Central Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Turkey
When did the USA join the allies ?
April, 1917
What happened in the Early Autumn of 1918?
German army was pushed back on the Western Front in France
British naval blockade resulted in shortage of food for the German people
Why did the British Naval Blockade cause starvation?
With the naval blockade they were unable to ship essential supplies
Why did Woodrow Wilson decline Prince Max’s approach on discussing peace terms?
Woodrow Wilson wouldn’t discuss peace terms while the Kaiser and his military advisers were in control
Why did the Kiel sailors refuse to attack the British Navy?
They felt that it was a foolish move
Why did the Kaiser abdicate?
He realized he had little to no support and lost control of the German army
Elections for a Constituent Assembly
19 January 1919
What happened at the January Elections ? 1919
No party has the majority of seats therefore a coalition government was formed
Which parties did Phillip Scheidemann choose to form a coalition ?
Catholic Centre Party
German Democratic Party
What were the two tasks members of the Assembly had ?
Drawing up a new constitution
Form a peace treaty with the allies
When was Friedrich Ebert elected president of the Weimar Republic ?
November 1919
When was the Weimar Constitution finalized ?
August 1919
Describe the organization of the Constitution
President - elected every 7 yrs
Chancellor - chosen by president
Reichstag - elected every 4 yrs and could make laws
Reichsrat - couldn’t make laws but could approve laws
Army - president was the supreme commander
Strengths of The Weimar Constitution
Democratic - women and men were allowed to vote
Chancellor had to have the support of the majority of the Reichstag
A strong president was necessary to keep control
Voting by PR meant that - number of seats = number of votes
Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic
Army leaders - wanted the Kaiser back to higher their status
Article 48 - president could turn into a dictator
PR - difficult to create political stability ( many coalition governments)
Judges and civil service - disagreed with its liberal political views
