Stability of the political system in Germany after the First World war

Question 1

When was germany formed and by who?

Answer 1

Germany was formed in 1871 by a a prussian named Otto von Bismark

Question 2

What was 1st Reich?

Answer 2

The 1st reich was the Holy Roman Empire,

Question 3

Who ruled the Holy Roman Empire?

Answer 3

THe habsburgs(they were German in ethnicity)

Question 4

The 1st Reich lasted untill?

Answer 4

1806

Question 5

What was the 2nd Riech?

Answer 5

The 2nd reich was proclaimed in 1871 when prussia united the German states into the German Empire

Question 6

When did the 2nd Reich end and why?

Answer 6

The 2nd Reich ended in 1918 after the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II after the first world war.

Question 7

What was the 3rd Reich?

Answer 7

The 3rd Reich was Hitlers Regime in Germany, calling it the Reich was an attempt to invoke the prestige of the previous Reichs. And along with it the idea of an expansive Germany.

Question 8

What was the period between the 2nd reich and the 3rd reich?

Answer 8

Between the the end of the 2nd Reich in 1918 and the 3rd Reich in 1933 the Wiemar Republic was created

Question 9

What was the revolution from below

Answer 9

The keil Mutiny and The Spartacist Uprising

Question 10

What whas the Kiel Mutinity

Answer 10

Early November 1918 Sailor’s began to refuse to follow orders of the German High Command, and the Kaiser. Revolt spread elsewhere including a general strike in Berlin. Some soldiers sent to end the revolt ending up joining it, overall this weakened the 2nd Reich’s control.

Question 11

The Spartacists Uprising

Answer 11

Following the signing of the Armistice in November two groups of people were fighting for power in post-war-Germany. The Democratic system supporters, SPD and Chancellor Ebert and the Bolshevist/communist Spartacists of Karl Liebknecht and Luxembourg. Ebert used army and paramilitary ‘Freikorps’ to end the uprising, and murdered the Spartacist leaders Luxembourg and Liebknecht.

Question 12

What was the revolution from above?

Answer 12

By Autumn 1918 German generals realised that Germany would soon come to defeat. General Ludendorff, the supreme Commander, persuaded the Kaiser to move to a civilian parliamentary democracy which would declare an armistice.

Question 13

What were Ludendorffs two cynical motives to move to a civilian parliamentary democracy?

Answer 13

He hoped it would provide more lenient terms of peace in any future treaty.
He also hoped the new civilian government would be blamed for Germany’s defeat

Question 14

When was Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated?

Answer 14

He was abdicated 9th November 1918, 2 days before armistice(treaty to end fighting)

Question 15

List(in your head)from top being the most powerful and bottom bing the least powerful the Weimar Constitution

Answer 15

President(head of state) Elected every 7 years

Article 48

Chancellor(head of government) appointed by president, needed the support of the reichstag

commander in charge of armed forces

Reichstag(parliament)

18 state governments

Reichsrat (parliament)

Question 16

What was article 48

Answer 16

In emergency the president could make laws without the Reichstag consent.

Question 17

During the weimar constitution what age were men and women able to vote

Answer 17

Men and women over 20 were able to vote

Question 18

What were the treaties of versailles

Answer 18

Land- 13% of all Germany’s land taken away, demiliterization of the rhineland.
Army- Limited to 100,000 men, 6 battles ships, no submarines, no ludenworf(air force).
Money- 6.6 billion to be payed as war debt.
Blame-Germany had to accept full blame for the war.

Question 19

Historians have criticised two things about the constitution which is?

Answer 19

In a state of emergency the President could rule as a dictator.
Proportional representation-equal proportion of Reichstag seats to votes- encouraged lots of parties resulting in weak coalition governments.

Question 20

The Constitution had three benefits which were?

Answer 20

It was the most democratic in Europe at the time.
Presidential decrees could allow the government to function in a crisis.
Proportional representation was fair and allowed most to fell included.

Question 21

When did the Spartacist Uprising take place, and what were the other left communist revolts at this time?

Answer 21

The Spartacist Uprising took place in january 1919.
Other communist revolts, Ruhr and Saxony 1920-21.

Question 22

What were the right wing threats that the new government faced at the time

Answer 22

Right wing parties that disliked parliamentary democracy won 15% of the vote in 1920
Many state governments, like Bavaria, were right wing.
The Freikorps, relied on to crush the Spartacist Uprising, workers protests wer right wing.
The kapp putsch.
Right wing terrorism.
Economic/Financial problems.

Question 23

What was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 23

Army was reduced in size due to the treaty of versailles. This created tensions within the ranks of the army . Dr Kapp and General Luttwitz tried to exploit the situation. They marched on Berlin with 5000 men and declared the government overthrown. However, workers in Berlin went on strike in support of the wimar government and brought the putsch to an end.

Question 24

What were the right wing terrorism threats facing the new government?

Answer 24

Freikorps disbanded 1920, some members formed murder squads to carry on fighting left. 1919-1922 there were 376 political assassinations of which 326 went unpunished as many right wing judges condoned there crimes.

Question 25

What were the Economic/Financial problems facing the new government?

Answer 25

The Weimar government printed more money fueling inflation. Workers wages did not keep up with prices and they suffered badly. However,not all was bad as it allowed some to pay off debts, farmers earned more due to the increasing food prices, and it meant German products were cheap abroad, which ensured little unemployment in Germany.

Question 26

July 1914 how many marks were a dollar

Answer 26

4.2

Question 27

In January 1919 and July 1919 how many marks was it to a dollar?

Answer 27

January 1919 8.9 marks to a dollar.
July 1919 14.0 marks to a dollar

Question 28

In July 1921 and January 1922 how many marks was it to a dollar?

Answer 28

July 1921 76.7 marks to a dollar
January 1922 191.8 marks to a dollar

Question 29

in January 1923, July 1923, August 1923, September 1923, October 1923, 15 November 1923 How many marks was it to a dollar?

Answer 29

January 1923, 17,972 marks to a dollar
July 1923, 353,412 marks to a dollar
August 1923, 4,620,455 marks to a dollar
September 1923, 98,860,000 marks to a dollar
October 1923, 25,260,208,000
15 November 1923, 4,200,000,000,00

Question 30

Key events in the Weimar period.
1923-?
1923-?
1924-?
1926-?
1928-?
1928-?
1929-?
1933-?

Answer 30

1923-Berlin Riots on Hyperinflation.
1923-Dawes Plan agreed.
1924-Death of Friedrich Ebert.
1926-German joins the League of Nations.
1928-Kellog-Briand Pact signed.
1929-Wall Street Crash.
1933-End of Weimar Republic.

Question 31

Economic and social success during the Weimar Republic?

Answer 31

The Dawes plan did a lot to improve the economy with investments pouring in from abroad, most especially USA. New houses, roads, and public facilities were built. Factories equipped with new machinery due to the investments, which doubled industrial output between 1923-1929.

Wages for workers improved with working hours being shortened as a result. Women particularly benefited, they had much greater equality. However women tended to support the parties that opposed their emancipation that limited attitude changes.

Question 32

Economic and social Failures during the Weimar republic?

Answer 32

Germanys recovery was heavily dependent on loans from the USA. Farmers did not prosper. Farmers made up 1/3 of the German population and their farm prices fell and farm worker earnings were only half the average national wage.
1.3 million Germans were still unemployed even when the economy was performing best!.

Question 33

Political success during the Weimar republic?

Answer 33

In the 1924 and 1928 elections the extremist parties of the right and left lost ground firmly suggesting that the idea of democracy was agreed to by more people than ever.

Question 34

Political Failures during the Weimar republic?

Answer 34

There were 7 governments between 1924-1930 with the longest government lasting only 21 months. This saw a huge inconsistency in policies and little being achieved.

Question 35

Cultural and Artistic Success during the Weimar republic?

Answer 35

1920s was a very creative period with experimentalism in art, architecture, drama, film and music. Berlin was replacing Paris as the cultural centre of Europe with over 40 theatres.

Question 36

Cultural and Artistic Failures during the Weimar republic.

Answer 36

This newfound expression was disliked by the right and left wing parties. Those on the left thought it was only the rich who benefited while those on the right said it was a threat to traditional values and Berlin became sleazy corrupt and sex obsessed.

Question 37

October 1929 crisis.

Answer 37

Wall street crash occurred in America. The value of shares collapsed and many people were ruined. America pulled there investments from Germany, ruining thousands of German businesses in the process. By 1932 at least 6 million Germans were unemployed, whilst millions of others were told to accept much lower wages.

Stresemann died in October 1929 and there was no politician as good to replace him. This led to government scheming to maintain power and make sure government cuts affected their supporters least. President Hindenburg dissolved the Reichstag in 1930 as a result. The 1930 election saw Germans- in desperation- turn to more extreme parties the communists won 77 seats and the Nazis won 107 seats becoming the second largest party behind the SPD.

Question 38

When did Hitler join the German workers party

Answer 38

Hitler joined the German workers party in September 1919. Renaming it to the National Socialist German Worker’s Party(NSDAP) in 1920.

Question 39

What was the Basic Programme of the nationalist socialist German workers party 1925.

Answer 39

1).The unity of all German-speaking peoples.
2).The abolition of the Treaty of Versailles.
3).Land and colonies to feed Germany’s population.
4).Only Germans can be citizens. No Jew can be a German citizen.
5).People in Germany who are not citizens must obey special laws for foreigners.
6).Only German citizens can vote, be employed or hold public office.
7).Citizens are entitled to a job and a decent standard of living. If this cannot be achieved, foreigners(with no rights as citizens) should be expelled.
8).No further immigration of non-German must be allowed.
9).All citizens have equal rights and duties.
10).The first duty of a citizen is to work.
11).All payments to unemployed people should end.
12).All profits made by profiteers during the war must be shared.
13).Nationalisation of public industries.
14).Large companies must share their profits.
15).Pensions must be improved.
16).Help for small shops and businesses; large department stores must be closed down.
17).Property reform to give small farmers their land.
18).An all out battle against criminals, profiteers, etc who must be punished by death.
19).Reform of the law to make it more German.
20).Improve education so that all Germans can get a job.
21).Improve education so that all Germans can get a job.
22).Abolition of the Army, and a new peoples army in its place.
23).German newspapers must be free of foreign influence.
24).Freedom of religion.
25).Strong central government with unrestricted authority.

Question 40

Munich Putsch November 1923?

Answer 40

By paying reparations German officials were admitting Germany started WW1.
Attempt by NSADAP and General Ludendorff to take over Munich through revolution but it failed due to poor planning(Nov 1923).
Hitler was arrested.

Question 41

Hitler re-established the Nazi:

Answer 41

Hitler vowed to win elections, to gain power through majority vote, and then reform the German government, that is-to establish a Nazi dictatorship in Germany.
Hitler used his authority over the party to bypass or override all ideological conflicts in his single-minded pursuit of power in Germany.

Question 42

Bamberg Conference 1926:

Answer 42

Hitler called a Nazi conference to be called at Bamberg, he felt as though the party was splitting in 2.
He suggested those who stood behind Gregor Strasser supported communism so they chose to support Hitler instead.
Gregor Strasser would later try and take control of the Nazi by being Vice Chancellor.