Rise and Fall of the Weimar Republic Flashcards
When did the last kaiser abdicate? What did this cause?
November 1918. A power vaccum.
When were the (WC) National Assembly elections held?
January 1919
What were the January 1919 National Assembly (NA) elections held for?
To draw up a new constitution.
Which three parties got the majority in the National Assembly of January 1919?
Social Democratic Party (SPD), German Democratic Party (DDP) and Centre who all wanted a new constitution.
What percentage of the vote did SPD, DDP and Centre secure in the Jan 1919 NA?
They polled 76%.
Who became chancellor, and who became president after the 1919 National Assembly?
Scheidemann and Ebert, respectively.
What was the Weimar Constitution and when was it drawn up?
Liberal democratic compromise between most parties. New plan for the political/economic future of Germany. Feb 1919.
What were the four main branches of the Weimar Constitution?
(1) Presidential leadership
(2) Reichstag
(3) Federal system of 17 governments
(4) Protection of civil rights.
What did the WC say about the presidential role?
(1) Elected every 7 years
(2) Pres appoints/dismisses chancellor
(3) Pres overpowers Reichstag (Article 48), dissolves Reichstag
(4) Pres commands the army.
How often was there a new government at the Reichstag?
New gov. every 4 years - w/ use of Proportional Representation
What were the problems with the Reichstag in the WC?
Many parties caused unstable coalitions - no single party had a majority, many governments within a short time lost faith in WR
How many chancellors and cabinets were there in 14 years?
11 Chancellors and 21 cabinets. This caused political chaos.
What were the problems with the federal system created by the WC?
Had many governments: 17.
Describe the hierarchy of governments and the head of state.
In descending power: President, Reichstag, Reichstrat. President could dissolve R.Stag and R.Stag could dissolve R.Strat.
Who governed the federal system put in place by the WC? What could this cause?
The national government and a state of 17 governments co-ruled the federal system. This could cause hostility and lead to overthrowing.
The fourth branch of the WC was responsible for what?
It protected basic human/civil rights, introduced greater democracy, public referendum is used to make decisions with support of Reichstag.
When was the Treaty of Versailes (TOV) signed and by whom, and what was it known as by the Germans?
June 1919 (4 mths aft. WC), signed by the allies without German representation present. Known as ‘diktat’ (dictated peace).
What did the TOV do to Germany’s military?
Germany excluded from agreement, only <100,000 armed forces, tanks, aircraft, submarines and heavy artillery forbidden, 6 battleships.
What did the TOV territorially and economically do to Germany?
Years of economic turmoil and strife due to £6.6billion in reparations. War Guilt Clause blamed Germany entirely. Territorial losses of Ruhr, Polish Corridor (PC), Port of Danzig, Alsace.
Examples of territorial losses for Germany because of TOV.
Ruhr, Polish Corridor (PC), Port of Danzig, Alsace
How was the WR economically unstable following WW1
Industrial and agricultural production drastically declined, increased inflation due to increased money production and borrowing. The income was now 2/3. Value of mark fell to 1%.
What was the left wing threat to the WR?
The Sparticist uprising of Independant Socialist Party (USPD) in January 1919. They were subdued by the Freikorps. Communists takeover of Bavaria in April-May 1919. Red Rising in the Ruhr showed German gov’s firm action on the left - army acted brutally using executions. Communist uprising of 1923 crushed by the army.
Who invaded the Ruhr and 1923 and why?
The French invaded the Ruhr in January 1923 since WR Germany was unable to keep up with reparations - WR failings.
When was Streisemann appointed as Chancellor?
August 1923.
What did the WSC do to the image of WR?
WSC exposed their mismanagement and shortcomings. The weaknesses of the WR could be seen more clearly.
Who was Hermann Muller?
SPD Chancellor of ‘grand coalition’ of 1928.
Who was represented by the ‘grand coalition’?
5 main parties: SPD, DDP, Centre, German People’s Party.
What happened to Muller? What did this mean for German politics?
Muller resigned after being turned away by President Hindenburg, March 1930. This signalled the end of presidential government.
Who was Bruning?
Chancellor of Germany after 1930. He made welfare payment cuts, salary cuts, increased taxation. He used Article 48 sixty-six times by 1932. He dissolved the Reichstag over disagreement.
Who worked to undermine the WR?
Von Schleicher, Von Papen and Hindenburg
What did Schleicher learn about Papen?
Von Papen threatened to dissolve Reichstag and become more military, forceful and authoritarian.
What did Von Schliecher do about Von Papen?
Schliecher told Hindenburg to sack Von Papen. Von Schliecher became chancellor.
When and why did Schleicher resign?
January 1933 since Schliecher begged Hindenburg to dissolve Reichstag.
What did the Enabling Act 1933 do?
Gave Hitler power to pass laws without Reichstag or president.
What did the March, April and July elections do for the WR?
Dissolved trade unions and outlawed SPD
How did Hitler make Germany a one-party-state?
Using Catholic Church to pass Law against Formation of New Parties.
What was the Night of the Long Knives?
30 June 1934 - 2 July 1934, two hundred killed: Schliecher, Rohm and Strasser. To ‘clear out’ enemies. Hindenburg thanked him.
When did Hindenburg die?
2 August 1934
What did Hitler do after Hindenburg died?
Combined role of chancellor and president and became Fuhrer of Germany.
Who left office in November 1918? What did this create?
The kaiser. A power vacuum.
What event caused a power vacuum in late 1918?
The abdication of the kaiser.
Who could vote in the Jan 1919 election?
All men and women over 20
Which parties polled most of the votes in the Jan 1919 election?
Those that were the strongest supporters of the republic.
Who was made Chancellor following the Jan 1919 election?
Schiedemann
Who was made President following the Jan 1919 election?
Ebert
What is proportional representation?
An electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them. (E.g. if they get 10% of votes they get 10% of seats)
What new role replaced the role of kaiser in 1919?
President
What was the intention of Article 48?
‘To protect Germany and safeguard democracy in a time of crisis’.
What was the Reichstrat?
Smaller gov. body, under the Reichstag
What was more powerful, the Reichstrat or Reichstag?
Reichstag. The former could advise or veto legislation but the latter could override that veto. The Reichstag had the final word.
Who voted parties into the Reichstag?
The electorate. Made up of men and women >20 yrs. This PR (proportional representation) was fairer to smaller parties and more democratic.
What were the consequences of PR use in voting?
Prevented one single party ruling over others. Caused unstable coalition govs. 11 Chanc., and 21 cabinets in 14 years = loss of faith in WR.
How could the chancellor and his ministers be removed?
The Reichstag giving vote of no confidence.
Who was Hermann Muller?
A member of SPD (social dem) who was
(1) Foreign Minister (1919-1920)
(2) Chancellor (1920, 1928-1930)
Who did Bruning replace as Chancellor in 1930?
Muller
When was the Enabling Act of 1933 brought in?
23 March 1933, two months after Hitler became Chancellor
When was Ernst Rohm killed? Why?
1 July 1934. Rohm tried to secure more power for the SA, which worried the German Army. Hitler saw him as a threat.
When was Von Schleicher killed? Why?
30 June 1934. Hitler said that Schleicher and Rohm were planning to overthrow him.
When was Gregor Strasser killed? Why?
30 June 1934. After conflicts with Hitler, renouncing the Reichstag and leaving politics, Strasser, a Socialist, was killed in the purge.
Why did the Night of the Long Knives (NLK) take place?
Encouraged by Himmler and Goring, Hitler carried out a political purging by executing his rivals, between 30 June 1934 - 2 July 1934. This was done to consolidate power and relieve the German army’s worries about the SA’s power.
When was the Rentenmark introduced?
Nov 1923
