political instability and extremism 1919-24 Flashcards
Why was it difficult to form a stable Weimar Constitution?
-No party would ever have a majority due to the number of
parties in the Reichstag and proportional representation
-Fragmentation of political parties became more pronounced as
German society became more divided
-Burden placed on Moderate Parties, as they were blamed for
problems
How many coalitions and chancellors were there between Feb 1923 and Nov 23?
10 coalition cabinets and 8 chancellors
Different chancellors and what they faced?
Scheidemann – Treaty of Versailles
Bauer – Kapp Putch
Muller – Poor election Results
Fehrenbach – Reparation payment fault
Wirth – More uprisings
Cuno – Economic Crisis
Stressemann – SPD left his coalition
When were the Spartacist Uprisings?
Jan-March 1919
What were the aims of the Spartacist Uprisings?
To establish a communist regime
What risk did continued working class rebellion have for the Republic?
There was a fear of a ‘Red Revolution’ that frightened the law abiding middle class and led them to support the right wing
When was the Kapp Putsch
1920
What was the cause of the Kapp Putsch?
Under the Treaty of Versailles, the army had to be reduced and
Germany was supposed to get rid of the Freikorps groups.
How did the Republic handle the Kapp Putsch?
Failed to gain civilian support as Ebert’s government called for a
general strike.
How many assassinations were there in 1919-23?
nearly 400
How many assasinations did the left and the right commit as a fraction?
Left: 1/17
Right: 16/17
How were left wing and right-wing assassins punished differently?
Judges lenient to the right but harsh to left.
When was the Munich Putsch?
Nov 1923
What was the plan for the Beer Hall Putsch (munich putsch)?
SA march into Beer Hall to hold Kahr & Lossow at gunpoint to persuade them to agree to a march into Berlin to install
Ludendorff as Commander-in-Chief
Why did the Putsch fail?
Support for Kahr and Lossow lost overnight and SA unable to gain control over Munich army barracks
