Section 1 : 1918-24 Flashcards
Why was Germany in such a mess due to WW1? (BEFORE T.O.V)
- Lost moral (Germans resented the sacrifice)
- Economy ruined
- Social divisions (Black marketeers grew wealthy + elites fine BUT Poor got Poorer) + (1917 strikes)
- Death (2 million Germans)
- Poor living standards (1916, 60k kids starve due to rationing)
What was Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
-Germany gain Russian lands (Poland, Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Austria-Hungary)
What happened in Russia which increased the threat of communism?
-1917 Bolshevik Revolution (small bolshevik revolutionary’s overthrown monarchy)
ELITES SHOOK
Revolutionary winds in Germany
- Mutinies across Germany (Eg KIEL 1918 -> sailors refused to make one last attack on GB Navy)
- People more critical of Gov
- ‘German Revolution’ 1918-19 => (Revolution from bellow)
Why did the Military want a Civilian (democratic) GOV?
Better peace terms
Who did kaiser Wilhelm 2 make Chancellor 1918? And why?
- Prince Max (SPD leader)
- Make SPD into GOV so the LW would be blamed for defeat (Ludendorff’s plan)
What was the Kiel Revolution?
- 1918 November
- Naval base disobeyed commands to launch one last attack on GB Navy
Name 1918 KEY Developments => 29th Sept, 3rd Oct, 31st Oct, 9th Nov, 10th Nov, 11th Nov
- 29th September; Generals recommend Civilian Gov + Armistice
- 3rd Oct; Prince Max chancellor + New Gov
- 31st Oct; Kiel mutiny + Unrest
- 9th Nov; Kaiser abdicates => Republic declared => New chancellor (EBERT)
- 10th Nov; Ebert Groener pact = General guarantees army + civil service support if Ebert supports officer corps + protects food supply
- 11th Nov; New German Gov Armistice
Expectations of Paris Peace conference
- Expected to negotiate based on meeting W.Wilson’s 14 points
Who was in Paris peace conference?
France, Italy, USA, GB
France objective during Paris peace conference?
- Weaken Germany to GUARANTEE FRENCH NATIONAL SECURITY (1871+ WW1 wars)
Who were the ‘November Criminals’ + Why they called that?
- German delegates in Paris Peace Conference (Came to negotiate BUT observed only)
- Germany 0 bargaining power (Army already demoralised, GB navy blockade, Belgium + French troops on boarder)
- Called Diktat + Germans involved called Nov Criminals
TOV Terms
- Army limited 100k
- No Air crafts, tanks, submarines
- Rhineland demilitarised + France occupied for 15Y
- War guilt clause (Germany responsible for WW1)
- Reparations (6.6billion)
- Lost 10 percent of its prewar territory in Europe (Alsace-Lorraine,Saarland, Sudetenland ect)
Impact of TOV
- Damaged national Pride
- Reduced army
- Reparations = Resented
- Fuelled Nationalism
- Weimar blamed
- 7 million Germans living as minorities
- Economically damaged
When was Paris peace conference ?
Jan 1919
Peace note?
- 3rd Oct Prince Max asks Wilson for Armistice
- Wilson responds 3W later (due to being sus of counter attack) asking for complete surrender
What forced Prince Max to announce the Kaisers abdication?
- SPD threatened to withdraw support from him
How does the Kaiser respond after Prince Max announces his abdication?
- Army says they won’t back him so Kaiser Wilhelm dips
Pre-Constituency Assembly turmoil?
- USPD leaves Gov 1918 Dec
- 1919 Spartacist revolt (crushed brutally by Friekorps + Army)
19th Jan 1919 Elections to the constituent Assembly
- First time women voted
- SPD win but not a Majority = Met to agree on a New Constitution
- Representatives didn’t agree on everything BUT shared idea that was to guarantee rights + powers of the people (break from Autocratic constitution)
Weakness of Weimar constitution?
- No experience of Democracy
- Very hard to gain majority = coalition Gov
- Article 48 wasn’t used JUST in emergencies
- Minority parties too powerful
Positives of Weimar constitution
- Very Democratic
- Interests of the people more reflected
- Article 48 checked by Reichstag
- Women voted
- Citizen Rights
- No party dominant without 50%
How many times did Ebert article 48
136
Survival of undemocratic institutions
- ARMY ; loyal to reich not weimar + Brutally crushed LW revolts whilst internally supporting RW revolts
- CIVIL SERVICE ; senior civil servants recruited from aristocracy
- JUDICIARY ; judges had monarchist + anti-democratic views
What were the problems with Coalition governments?
- Couldn’t agree on tough decisions (E.g 1919 June T.O.V signing = Cabinet resigns)
- During economic/political/social crisis extreme RW + LW parties more popular -> Refused to join coalition Gov = Harder to make coalition Gov
- Unsustainable (1919-23 10 coalition Govs)
- ^ Due to that Continuity of policy was impossible
In Weimar 1919-23 how many different coalition governments were there?
- 10 coalition governments in 4 Years
What happened to the main party in formation of Weimar after 1920?
- SPD Popular during 1918-19 BUT
- 1920 No longer took leading role in coalitions
- suffered from internal divisions
SPARTACIST UPRISING 1919 5th-13th Jan
- Armed + Occupied Buildings
- Poorly prepared/supported
- Freikorps brutally crushed them in 7 days
- Luxemburg + Liebknecht executed
- Depend LW divisions
Who led the Spartacus League during the Spartacist revolt?
- Karl Liebknecht + Rosa Luxemburg
1920 Ruhr Uprising?
- 50K Red Army
- Seized Ruhr = Virtual Civil War
- Freikorps + Army struggled to crush
- LW communists
LW Challenge? 1918-24
- 1919 January Spartacist Revolt
- 1920 Ruhr Uprising
- 1921 Saxony Rising
SAXONY rising 1921?
- KPD tried forcing Revolution
- Strike disruption spread to Hamburg + Ruhr
- Police rushed it (145 killed)
Impact of Left Wing revolts on Weimar Republic 1918-24
- Govs never threatened by LW revolts
- BUT frightened + encouraged middle classes into supporting RW parties
RW impact on Weimar
- RW posed major threat
- Hostile towards republic since the beginning
- Against democracy
- Believed Weimar betrayed Germany
- BUT very divided = Weakness
- Many Freikorps, Army, Civil service, Police, Judges, supported RW ideas
1920 Kapp Putsch
- TOV = reduce army size = disband some Freikorps
- Defence Minister orders disband 2 Freikorps units (12K)
- General Von Luttwitz refused
- March to Bavaria in protest
- Supported by officers, Civil servants, Polotician Wolfgang Kapp
- BUT Ludendorff + Von Seeckt don’t back it
- Ebert called army to crush it BUT Von Seeckt said “troops don’t fire on troops”
- Not enough support + general strike = downfall
- Weimar learnt Army couldn’t be trusted
- Weimar weak without army
- RW judges sentenced favourably those involved
Who was Hugo Haase
- USPD member
- Shot + Killed 1919 Oct by RW
Political assignations 1918-24
- Hugo Haase (USPD member)
- Matthias Erzberger (former finance minister assassinated involved in signing TOV)
- Walther Rathenau (Jewish + Leading minister -> death = 700k protestors in Berlin + value of Mark fell)
-1919-23 = 376 political assignations (22LW - 354RW)
-
How did Weimar try stop assignations? 1918-1923
-1922 Protection of the Republic (severe penalties on those involved in murder + banned extremist organisations)
- BUT failed RW judges acted favourably (Rathenaus killers got average of 4y whilst 10 LW murders go death penalty)
-
Political impact of the Ruhr invasion
- Germany swept by anti-French feeling
- Country was most united it had been since WW1
- Middle class support for Weimar damaged
- GOV blamed for hyperinflation + Nationalists accused Gov of betrayal after ending passive resistance
End to Passive resistance effect on Bavaria
- Bavaria, RW gov declared state of emergency
- Gustav Von Kahr appointed (RW)
- Growing agitation = want for ‘March on Berlin to overthrow Gov + establish national dictatorship
When was beer hall putsch?
1923 NOV
Beer hall putsch key eventsb
- Aim; Overthrow Gov + establish dictatorship
- Ludendorff backed Hitler
- Beer hall surrounded by SA + go into beer hall
- Announce Revolution + Ritter Von Kahr and Otto Von Lossow convinced (whilst held at gunpoint)
- Support fades overnight + Hitler can’t convince anyone else
- Nazi fail to control Munich army barracks
- Nazis remain marching and shootout vs police starts
- Nazis lose + Hitler injured + Ludendorff surrenders
Impact of Beer hall putsch
- Showed Weimar needs Army to survive
- Nazis banned + Hitler sentenced (5Y But only served 9m)
