Problems Faced By The Weimar Republic Flashcards
Why did the public blame the Weimar Republic for defeat in the First World War?
- The leaders signed the armistice that ended the fighting
- The German population were told that they were winning the war so they felt betrayed and looked for someone to blame
- This led to the ‘stab in the back’ myth
What is the ‘stab in the back’ myth?
The German people believed they could have won the war if the army had not been stabbed in the back by the weak politicians who lacked the will to carry on fighting.
How did the German people feel about the Treaty of Versailles?
They blamed the Weimar government for signing the treaty and opponent of the Weimar Republic saw the government as weak because of the terms they had agreed to.
What were the terms of the treaty?
- Germany lost 13% of their land and 6 million people living there, including overseas colonies.
- The army was reduced to 10 000, he navy was cut to 15 000 and six battleships. They were decided submarines, tanks and an airforce.
- Germany had to pay reparations most of which would go to Belgium and France . £6.6 billion set in 1921
- The ‘war guilt’ clause stated that they had to accept blame for the war. This enables Allies to demand compensation from Germany for the damage caused.
When did Germany sign the Treaty of Versailles?
The 28th June, 1919 in Paris
What was the Treaty meant to do?
Bring peace to Europe and to help the different countries recover from the effects of war.
When did the Weimar Republic sign the armistice?
11th November, 1918
What was proportional representation?
It was a method of voting that encouraged lots of small parties to be elected into parliament.
What were the disadvantage so of proportional representation?
It threatened the stability of the Weimar Republic because it meant that there were no parties able to get a majority and so each power had small amounts of power. This resulted in the forming of lots of coalitions, which meant that the government was not very strong.
When did the Spartacist uprising occur?
January, 1919
What was the Spartacist Rising?
- A communist group set up by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
- They did not trust the new government and wanted a full scale uprising because they though Ebert would improve the lives of the working class
- They took over government newspapers and telegraph headquarters in Berlin.
- The government order the Freikorps to stop the uprising and 100 workers were killed.
What was the main reason why the Spartacist uprising failed?
They did not have the support they had hoped for from the working class.
What four problems did the Weimar Republic face?
LAMB
- Land
- Army
- Money
- Blame
What was the Kapp Putsch?
A right wing threat. 12 000 Freikorps, led by Wolfgang Kapp, marched to Berlin forcing the government to flee. The Freikorps but Kapp forward as the new leader of Germany.
Why did the Freikorps get involved in the Putsch?
In 1920, the government ordered their brigades to be disbanded as there was little need for them now the left-wing threats had gone. They were angry at this decision.
