POLITICAL INSTABILITY AND EXTREMISM 1919-24

Question 1

What did parties from both the extreme left and extreme right use to attack their opponents?

Answer 1

Paramilitary squads political violence became the norm

Question 2

What did the Spartacus aim for in Germany?

Answer 2

A communist revolution they believe that the November 1918 revolution had been betrayed by Ebert and the SPD
they and their heirs as the KPD attempted the number of armed revolts

Question 3

What happened in January 1919?

Answer 3

The Spartacists staged an armed uprising in Berlin, which is brutally put down by the army and freikorps

Question 4

What happened in March 1919?

Answer 4

The Spartacist attempted another armed rising in Berlin and a communist government was set up in Bavaria
however both were repressed

Question 5

What happened in March 1920?

Answer 5

A general strike in Berlin helped to defeat the kapp putsch
The KPD formed a red army and seized control of the Ruhr
leading to armed clashes with the army and freikorps

Question 6

Where were the other left wing revolts?

Answer 6

Halle
Saxony

Question 7

What happened in 1923?

Answer 7

Due to hyper inflation, there was a wave of strikes in major cities

Question 8

What was the result of these left-wing revolts?

Answer 8

Failed or were ruthlessly crashed, but they engendered a fear of communism among the middle classes driving many to support right wing parties

Question 9

What were the right wing parties for view towards the Republic?

Answer 9

They were hostile towards the Republic, but they did not all share the same objectives

Question 10

Where did nationalist ideas have strong support?

Answer 10

Amongst the old Conservatives for example, landowners industrialist military officers, civil servants and judges
but also had popular support, especially from ex soldiers who joined paramilitary groups

Question 11

Between 1919 and 1923 how many political assassinations were carried out?

Answer 11

354 in the same period the left killed 22 of their opponents

Question 12

What has happened in 1922 in relation to the law?

Answer 12

Law was strengthened to ban extremist organisations and severely punished political assassins right when judges did not apply the law evenly.
Only one right wing assassin was executed in this period compared to 10 left-wing murderers

Question 13

What is an example of an assassination during this period?

Answer 13

Hugo hasse leader of the USPD was gunned down in front of the Reichstag building in October 1919

Question 14

When was the Kapp putsch?

Answer 14

In March 1920 in Berlin

Question 15

What was the kapp putsch?

Answer 15

An armed revolt against the government by Freikorps units

Question 16

What did general luttwitz refuse to do?

Answer 16

Disband one unit and marched his troops to Berlin

Question 17

What did Eberts government do?

Answer 17

Withdrew to dresden for safety
ordered the army to crush the putsch which its commanders refused to do

Question 18

How did the Kapp putsch end?

Answer 18

It collapsed after four days it had failed to win widespread support.
Its leaders were divided
civil servants refused to obey its orders and trade unions in Berlin organised the general strike.

Question 19

What was the Munich beer hall putsch?

Answer 19

Attempt by the small NSAP a.k.a. Nazi party led by Adolf Hitler
To seize power in Bavaria and lead a March in Berlin to overthrow the government

Question 20

When was the Munich beer hall putsch?

Answer 20

November 1923 in Munich

Question 21

Why did the Munich beer hall putsch occur?

Answer 21

Occupation of the ruhr create the anti-French feeling and national unity
the right wing was outraged with passive resistance
Middle-class, who valued hard work were shattered by hyper inflation damaging confidence in the government

Question 22

What happened during the Munich putsch?

Answer 22

Hitler and his storm troopers a.k.a. SA took over a Munich beer hall
where a right wing political meeting was taking place
forced the state commissioner (von Kahr) and the local commander ( von Lossow) to agree to join a march on Berlin

Question 23

Why did the Munich putsch fail?

Answer 23

Hitler fail to secure the support of the police and the army commander change sides
Nazi march through Munich on the 9th of November was fired on by the police and Hitler was arrested.
The Nazis were banned and Hitler was imprisoned but only for nine months.

Question 24

Who were the nazi party ?

Answer 24

Found it 1919 Hitler joined in 1920
a 25 point program set out its beliefs which included anti-Semitism anticapitalism anti Weimar ultra nationalism and pro dictatorship.
Hitler became undisputed leader in 1921
limited support in Bavaria and unknown in rest of Germany.

Question 25

Why did coalition governments fail?

Answer 25

Under proportional representation many small parties gained representation in the reichstag
no one ever gained enough seats to command majority
many parties were dedicated to overthrow the Weimar Republic
society became more polarised and more extreme parties on the left and right gained support

Question 26

What was the state of Weimar by 1924?

Answer 26

Beset by economic social and political challenges
stable government was difficult to achieve and there were a number attempts from the left and right to overthrow the Republic