Origins of Weimar Republic 1918-1919

Question 1

Cost of WW1 on Germany

Answer 1

11 Million Germans fought in the war
2 Million died 
4 Million wounded
55% of troops were wounded
750,000 Civilians starved

Question 2

When did the Kaiser abdicat?

Answer 2

9th November 1918

Question 3

Who did Max Von Baden, the German chancellor, hand his job too?

Answer 3

Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democrat Party

Question 4

What did Ebert do when appointed as Chancellor?

Answer 4

Suspended the Reichstag (German parliament) and appointed a council of six men to run the country until a constitution (a document with rules of how a country runs written in law on it) was made

Question 5

What was the first decision Ebert made?

Answer 5

To sign on the armistice on 11/11/1918

Question 6

What was the stabbed in the back theory?

Answer 6

Germans who were angry or ashamed at their defeat in WW1, blamed the new politicians of the Weimar Republic. They called them ‘November Criminals’ as the new government firstyl signed the armistice on November 11th. (Dolschtoss means stabbed in the back in German)

Question 7

Strengths of Weimar?

Answer 7

• All men/women over 21 could vote for the Reichstag (parliament) and vote for the President every 7 years.
• Proportional Representation voting (PR) gave a fair -shares of power to lots of different parties.
• Lots of rules to balance power so different parts of government could check each other.

Question 8

Weakness of Weimar?

Answer 8

• President had power to choose the Chancellor or close the Reichstag and control the army.
• PR meant small parties (29 in 1920s) shared power in coalitions. It made decisions hard and slow. There were 9 elections 1919-23 which worried and frustrated german people. Some parties hated the new Republic.
• Article 48 meant the president could make all decisions in a crisis. This was used lots and made people think democracy didn’t work and strong leaders were better.