Post First World War Flashcards
Spartacist league / KPD ( founding)
1916, by a more revolutionary minority group from the SPD.
Spartacist league / KPD (leaders)
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
Spartacist league / KPD (aims)
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.
Spartacist league / KPD (support)
Workers would often join their rallies and demonstrations. 5,000 members
USPD (founded)
1917, by a breakaway minority group from the left of the SPD
USPD (leaders)
Hugo Hasse
USPD (aims)
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.
USPD (support)
Grew in strength during 1918 as war-weariness grew. 300,000 members
SPD (founded)
1875, as a Marxist socialist party committed to revolution.
SPD (leaders)
Friedrich Ebert and Phillip Scheidemann
SPD (aims)
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.
SPD (support)
Appealed largely to working-class voters and, in 1912, became the largest party in the Reichstag. 1,000,000 members
Weimar constitution (strengths)
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.
Weimar constitution (disadvantages)
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.
Article 48
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.