Post First World War

Question 1

Spartacist league / KPD ( founding)

Answer 1

1916, by a more revolutionary minority group from the SPD.

Question 2

Spartacist league / KPD (leaders)

Answer 2

Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg

Question 3

Spartacist league / KPD (aims)

Answer 3

Wanted republican government controlled by workers and soldiers councils, welfare benefits, nationalisation, workers control of major industries, disbanding of the army and creation of local workers militias. Opposed to First World War.

Question 4

Spartacist league / KPD (support)

Answer 4

Workers would often join their rallies and demonstrations. 5,000 members

Question 5

USPD (founded)

Answer 5

1917, by a breakaway minority group from the left of the SPD

Question 6

USPD (leaders)

Answer 6

Hugo Hasse

Question 7

USPD (aims)

Answer 7

Wanted a republic with national Reichstag working with workers and soldiers councils, welfare improvements, nationalisation of industry, breaking up of the large estates, reform of the army and creation of a national militia, opposed to the First World War.

Question 8

USPD (support)

Answer 8

Grew in strength during 1918 as war-weariness grew. 300,000 members

Question 9

SPD (founded)

Answer 9

1875, as a Marxist socialist party committed to revolution.

Question 10

SPD (leaders)

Answer 10

Friedrich Ebert and Phillip Scheidemann

Question 11

SPD (aims)

Answer 11

Wanted moderate socialist republic with democratic elections and basic personal freedoms, welfare improvements and gradual nationalisation of industry. Wanted continuity and order. Supported Germanys entry into First World War.

Question 12

SPD (support)

Answer 12

Appealed largely to working-class voters and, in 1912, became the largest party in the Reichstag. 1,000,000 members

Question 13

Weimar constitution (strengths)

Answer 13

Wider right to vote than in other European countries. Women able to vote and become politicians.
Proportional representation implemented
Full democracy in local government
Clearly set out the rights of the individual. E.g (freedom of speech and freedom of religion)
Referendums could be called by the president, reichsrat, or by peoples request.

Question 14

Weimar constitution (disadvantages)

Answer 14

Proliferation of small parties meant that more extreme parties could gain a seat and therefore gain much more publicity than they usually would have.
Coalition governments became popular as none of the larger parties could gain an overall majority. Many governments were short-lived coalitions.

Question 15

Article 48

Answer 15

Article 48 gave the president power to rule by decree in exceptional circumstances. Although there were no effective safeguards and eventually this was exploited by friedrich ebert and he used it on 136 occasions.

Question 16

Ebert-Groener pact

Answer 16

This was between the president of the Weimar Republic and General Groener. They decided to not democratise the army as Ebert needed the support of the armed forces. This would keep aristocracy in power and anger the left wing.