Political and government change 1918-33 Flashcards
What happened between 1871 and 1918?
Imperial Germany.
Germany had a authoritarian political system with the Kaiser and elites controlling the state.
There was an elected parliament but its powers were very limited.
What happened during September 1918?
The Revolution from Above
The kaiser was persuaded to make Germany into a constitutional monarchy.
It was felt that a civilian government would be able to extract more favourable peace terms.
The new government would be blamed for failure during the war.
What happened during November 1918?
There was a provisional coalition government led by the SPD leader, Ebert.
What happened during February 1919?
There was national constituent assembly formed at Weimar. Ebert was selected president
What happened during August 1919?
The Weimar constitution was agreed. First elections were June 1920
What happened during 1923?
Ebert used emergency powers over 100 times to manage the hyperinflationary times.
What happened during 1925?
Hindenburg was elected president of the republic m(re-elected 1932)
What happened during 1928?
Muller’s Grand Coalition moderate parties dominated after this election.
What happened from 1930-32?
Brüning acted as chancellor but then depression worsened.
Extremist parties increased there share of votes.
What happened from 1932-33?
Von Papen replaced Brüning as chancellor and formed his ‘cabinet of Barons’.
He used emergency powers to pass laws and suspend the state government in Prussia.
He resigned in November 1932 to be replaced by Von Schleicher until the appointment of Hitler in March 1933.
What is a constitution?
A constitution may be defined as a set of principles, which may be written or unwritten, that set out the distribution of power within a political system, the relationships between political institutions, the limits of the jurisdiction, the rights of citizens and the method of amending the constitution itself.
What are some characteristics of the right?
Value tradition, authority and personal freedom.
Believe that freedom is more important than equality.
Low taxation
Private enterprise and free market economy.
Less welfare because it creates dependency.
Generally seen to support the middle and upper class.
What are some characteristics of the left?
Progressive in nature.
Belief in promoting equality.
High taxation.
State ownership and control of the economy.
Strong emphasis on welfare-to support those who cannot look after themselves.
Generally seen to represent the working class.
What were the SPD?
Social Democratic Party
Friedrich Ebert
Represents the working class Strongly supports Parliamentary democracy, opposed extreme left wing ideas.
Supports social reform.
Supported the policy of fulfilment with the ToV.
Who were the USPD?
Rosa Luxemburg
Karl Liebknecht
Broke away from the SPD in 1917
Industrial workers disillusioned SPD.
Rejected parliamentary democracy; wanted workers soviets.
Opposed ToV, influenced by USSR.
Who were the German communist party?
KPD
Ernst
Thalman
Mainly working class, including many ex-members of the USPD.
Hostile to the republic.
Committed to overthrow the republic by revolution and the destruction of capitalism.
Who were the centre party?
Matthias Erzbegerger Heinrich Bruning Franz Von papen
Represent Germany’s catholic’s
supports the republic
Supports social reform but is socially conservative (against aborting, contraception)
Supported the fulfilment with the ToV
Who were the German Democratic Party?
Hugo Pruess
Founded in 1918
Represents business interest, middle class and intellectuals.
Supports the republic.
Supports social reform.
Supported the policy of fulfilment with ToV.
Who were the Germans people party?
Gustav Stressemann
Founded by Stressemann in 1918 (a conservative and monarchist).
Initially auspicious of the Republic, but strongly supports it after 1924.
Represents business, industrialists, white collar workers.
Hostile to the ToV but committed to the policy of fulfilment.
Who were the German National People’s Party?
DNVP
Alfred Hugenburg
Founded in 1918.
Hostile to the republic, wanted monarchy to return.
Conservative, anti-socialist, anti-Semitic.
Reject ToV, very nationalist, proposed union with Austria.
Who were the National Socialist German Workers Party?
NSDAP
Adolf Hitler
Extreme right wing.
Anti-republican
Anti-Semitic
Strongly nationalist.
What was the head of state like within the old constitution?
Kaiser-inherited position.
Appointed and dismissed chancellor and other ministers.
Could declare martial law detail and rule without the Reichstag if ‘public security’ was threatened.
What was the head of state within the Weimar constitution?
President; had to be over 35
Elected by men and women over 20, every 7 years.
Could be re-elected.
Could appoint and dismiss chancellor and other ministers.
Could dissolve the reichstag.
Could rule without the Reichstag using article 48.
What was the Reichstag like within the old constitution?
Elected by men 25 or over.
Laws needed approval of majority of Reichstag deputies.
Shared power with Bundesrat which represented the German states.
Had no power over ministers.
What was the Reichstag like within the Weimar constitution?
Elected by men and women aged 20 or over.
Laws required approval of majority or Reichstag deputies.
Reichstag could overrule Reichsrat but a 2/3 majority.
Chancellor and other ministers were responsible to the Reichstag-vote of no confidence could force a resignation.
What were the states like under the old constitution?
Laws had to be passed by Bundersrat.
Right to vote in many states was based on wealth.
What were the states like und the Weimar constitution?
Reichsrat replaced the Bundersrat, they still represented the states but had less power.
Reichsrat could be over ruled by the Reichstag or by referendum.
Everyone aged 20 or over could vote in state elections.
What were civil liberties like under the old constitution/
basic rights:
Common citizenship
Nominal equality
No mention of social rights.
What were civil liberties like under the Weimar constitution?
‘All germans equals before the law’
Social rights eg. Travel, free speech, religious freedoms
How did president ebert strengthen the Weimar?
He was an effective democratic politician.
Made compromises with the army.
Was prepared to work with largely right wing civil service and judiciary.
However the compromises untimely undermined democracy in the long term but in the short term he kept the republic going through the crisis years of 1919-24.
How did president ebert weaken the republic?
His acceptance of Versailles and repetitions was unpopular.
He arguably gave the army too much independence.
He used article 48 many times between 1923-24 bypassing the Reichstag.
How did Gustav Stressemann (chancellor) strengthen the Weimar?
Persuaded many to support the new constitution.
Over saw major economic reform between 1923-24.
He stopped a policy of cooperation with France and Britain and was prepared to use German economic influence to gain concessions from other countries. He hoped that this would reduce the impact of reparations and that German borders would be revised.
How did Gustav Stressemann (chancellor) weaken the Weimar?
His forgiven policies were not popular with the right wing.
The people’s party wasn’t fully committed to supporting democracy.
How did president Hindenburg strengthen the Weimar?
Not an extremist.
From 1925 he used his power continually.
In the short term the regime became stable because of his influence.
He appointed and SPD chancellor (muller) which suggested that the splits in government could be overcome.
How did president Hindenburg weaken the Weimar?
He was never fully convinced that democracy was a good term of government.
He dissolved the Reichstag twice.
How did Hermann Muller (chancellor) strengthen the Weimar?
Was a leader of a moderate coalition in 1928
Some successes such as nation wide state controlled unemployment insurance, reduction in reparations.
How did Hermann Muller (chancellor) weaken the Weimar?
His coalition lasted only 2 years.
His reputation was weaken by the fact he signed the Versailles treaty and had been foreign minister.
How did Heinrich Bruning (chancellor) strengthen the republic?
He was a support of the republic for most of the 1920s.
How did Heinrich Bruning (chancellor) weaken the Weimar?
He implemented deflationary policies cutting unemployment benefits.
Introduced spending cuts which worsened the economic crises in 1930.
Relied on article 48 which undermined the Reichstag.
Ultimate goal was to resort government back to monarchy.
How did Franz Von Papen (chancellor) weaken the Weimar?
Used emergency powers to take over the state government in Prussia.
Never commanded support in the Reichstag and lost a vote of no confidence in September 1932.
He lifted the ban on the SA to win Hitlers support.
He disliked Schleicher and undermined his chancellorship, persuading Hindenburg to appoint Hitler instead.
How did Kurt Von Schleicher (chancellor) weaken the Weimar?
Wanted to end the power of the Reichstag.
View the Nazis as popular support.
Used the SA against the KPD and the red front.
What is meant by institutions?
Institutions are parts of a state which carry out the policies and purposes of government.
The army is the institution which defends the state.
The judiciary is the institution which organised laws and courts.
The civil service is the institution which carries out government administration such as drafting policies and organised taxes.
How did the army and the Freikorps lead to the failure of the institution?
The popular respect for the army became an obstacle to the acceptance of democratic values. (Hierarchy, traditionalist)
Government jobs were dominated by former soldiers.
The Freikorps were motivated right wing nationalist.
Fought alongside the army.
Saved the republic in the short term.
