political authority 1914-1919 Flashcards
what was kaiser wilhelm 2 war time contribution
shadow monarch during the war and allowed germany to become a military dictatorship in 1916
he thought that blood relations would be enough to keep peace
what was chancellor bethmann hollweg wartime contribution
thought britain would be neutral when war broke out
he allowed unrestricted submarine warfare
argued for social reforms in 1917
what was chancellor michaelis wartime contribution
tried to moderate germanies war aims polices in favour of moderate piece
what was chancellor von hertlings wartime contribution
exercised very little power as chancellor but believed in ultimate german victory
stepped down when german collapse was imminent
what was feild marshal hindenburgs wartime contribution
1916 given command of all german land forces
tried to starve britain with submarine warfare but this drew america into war
let ludendorf take the blame
what was ludendorfs wartime contribution
nervous in times of crisis
victory at tannenburg
had supreme military control
what was eberts wartime contribution
weimar constitution
aimed to resort peace and establish democracy
what was siegfriede
pan german properganda which translates to “the blessed peace of victory”
aristocrats and middle class were enthusiastic of the doctrine which promised new farming land , new industrialised sites and colonies
why were the SDP against territorial expansion during the war
they believed that germany was fighting a defensive war
what political change did the kaiser make in 1916
he appointed hindenburg and ludendorff his deputies and surrendered supreme control to hindenburg giving him superiority over the chancellor
what were the results of the 1916 political dictatorship
increasing strikes and clamours for peace
calls to reform the constitution
turnip winter and russian revolution didnt help
split in the SDP in 1917 created the USDP who promised to end the war
when was the peace resolution and what did it say
july 1917
to end the war without annexation
when did ludendorff suggest the chancellor seek and armistice and why
when the spring offensive failed in march 1918
what were the key events of the revolution from above
30 september - kaiser proclaims a parliamentary government
1 october - prince max von baden makes a government with ministers chosen by the reichstag not kaiser
3 october - prince max von baden askes wilson for an armistice
24 october - wilson said that germany was an autocratic dictatorship so they would have to surrender with a change in regime
26 october - ludendorff resigns
28 october - germany becomes a parliamentary monarchy:
chancellor and ministers are responsible for bundesrat
kaiser loses power over military and navy
prussian three class voting is abolished
what were the key events of the revolution from below
29/30 october - crews on two navy vessels ordered to make a suicide attack mutilated
spartacists plan an uprising in berlin
3 november - sailors mutinate in keil
6 november - elected councils were established in major cities
7 november - bavaria is proclaimed a socialist republic
9 november - demonstrators take to the streets in berlin
kaiser abdicates and ebert is given political authority
why were spartacists disappointed after the revolution
it had not been as revolutionary as they wanted because they wanted to form a communist style dictatorship
what was the president’s role in the weimar constitution
elected every 7 years by men and women over 20
appoint and dismiss ministers and reichstag
supreme commander of armed forces
article 48
what was the chancellors role in the weimar constitution
needs to have support of at least half of the reichstag
proposes new laws to the reichstag
what was the reichsrat role in the weimar constitution
second chamber of the gov made up of reps from each state in proportion to their size
could provide advice but could be overridden by the reichstag
what was the reichstags role in the weimar constitution
elected every 4 years by all germans over 20 using proportional representation
chancellors and ministers were responsible for them
voted in budgets and laws had to originate in the reichstag with majority approval
