The Establishment Of The Weimar Republic, 1918-24 - Impact Of War, The Political Crisis’ And The Establishment Of The Weimar Construction

Question 1

When was the abdication of Kaiser?

Answer 1

9th November 1918

Question 2

What did Kaiser Wilhelm’s companions advise him to do after his abdication?

Answer 2

He should travel northwards towards Holland, as it had remained neutral during the war which Germany had been waging on the western front for the last 4 years against Britain and France.

Question 3

After it became clear to general Ludendorff that Germany was on the brink of defeat, what did he conclude?

Answer 3

Germany’s only hope of a non-humiliating surrender was to ask the allies for an armistice

Question 4

What did US president Wilson’s Fourteen Points offer?

Answer 4

A possible basis for a negotiated peace settlement.

Question 5

What did Ludendorff think about the fourteen points and what did he do?

Answer 5

Ludendorff thought that Germany’s autocratic political system was an obstacle and therefore, advocated a small democratisation of the political system in Germany in order to get better peace terms from allies

Question 6

Armistice

Answer 6

An agreement to suspend fighting in order to allow a peace treaty to be negotiated

Question 7

What were the October reforms and what prompted them?

Answer 7

Following the recommendations of Ludendorff about a more democratic political system, the kaiser began a series of reforms that ended his autocratic rule

Question 8

What did the October reforms contain?

Answer 8

• prince max of baden made new chancellor
• the chancellor was to be responsible to the Reichstag and he established a new government based on the majority parties in the reichtag
• the armed forces were put under the control of the civil government

Question 9

What was the significance of the October reforms?

Answer 9

• major constitutional transformation in Germany
• they amounted to a ‘revolution from above’ which was to save Kaiser’s role and Germany from humiliation

Question 10

What was the Peace note?

Answer 10

Prince max wrote to president Wilson asking for an armistice. Wilson took 3 weeks to reply due to suspicions of Germany using the request for an armistice in order to regroup and prepare a new offensive.

Question 11

What did the peace note demand and what was its effect?

Answer 11

Wilson demanded that Germany must evacuate all occupied territories and they must call an end to submarine warfare and fully democratise its political system

These terms effectively demanded a German surrender and the kaisers abdication - Ludendorff didn’t accept this but failed to gather support for a military effort to resist

Question 12

What was the effect of the peace note on the German public?

Answer 12

It shattered moral and signified the loss of the war. Officers lost respect as well as the Kaiser and political leaders and the kaiser was seen as an obstacle

Question 13

How did the November revolution 1918 begin?

Answer 13

3rd - 6th November - Unrest in the navy spread to the main German naval base, sailors there mutinied against their officers and took control of the base. On the following day, the revolt spread across the city and workers + soldiers councils were established - most members wanted the kaiser abdicated and a democratic republic to be established

Question 14

What happened on the 8th November (Revolution)?

Answer 14

A republic was claimed in Bavaria and the Bavarian monarchy was deposed

Question 15

What happened on the 9th November (Revolution)?

Answer 15

• The SPD called on workers in Berlin to join a strike to force the Kaiser to abdicate
• they threatened to withdraw support from prince max’s government if kaiser didn’t abdicate - this caused max to say himself that the emperor had abdicated
• Prince Max resigned as Friedrich Ebert became chancellor
• general Groener told the kaiser the army wouldn’t fight for him and the Kaiser finally abdicated

Question 16

Why was there a struggle for power?

Answer 16

• eberts government lacked legitimacy as he came into power through revolutionary act therefore he was determined to establish a new constitution as soon as possible
• he urged Germans to keep essential services running and maintain law and order however this authority didn’t extend outside Berlin where there was violence and disorder
• there were common street demonstrations, strikes and armed clashes after the armistice and demobilisation of the army

Question 17

Who were the socialist groups and parties in 1918?

Answer 17

• spartacist league - wanted republican government controlled by workers and soldiers councils, welfare benefits, workers control of industry - opposed to First World War.
• USPD - similar to ‘spartcist league’ - nationalisation of industry
• the social democratic party - wanted moderate socialist republic with democratic elections and basic freedoms, nationalisation of industry, supported Germany in the First World War, wanted welfare improvements

Question 18

What was the ‘pressure from the left’?

Answer 18

• The USPD and Spartacists had established a foothold and were not going to allow Ebert’s government to take on key decisions without referring to them.
• On 22nd November, an agreement was reached between the new gov and the workers’ and soliders’ councils where the gov said they only exercised power in these councils name.

Question 19

What was The Groener Pact?

Answer 19

General Groener phoned Ebert to assure him that the army leadership would support the government. In return Groener demanded that Ebert should resist the demands of soliders’ councils to democratise the army and defend Germany against communism

Question 20

What were elections like in the constituent assembly and when were they?

Answer 20

• on the 19th January 1919
• women were allowed to vote
• the establishment of the Weimar constitution in 1919

Question 21

What were the results of the elections?

Answer 21

• SPD got the largest share of votes and number of seats but not overall majority so would have to compromise with other parties to govern the country
• Ebert was elected by the assembly as president of the republic and a new government led by PHILIPP SCHEIDEMANN was formed
• workers’ and soliders’ councils handed their powers to the constitute assembly
• there was a general agreement among representatives that the new constitution should be a clear break with the autocratic constitution drawn up by OTTO VON BISMARCK

Question 22

What was the Weimar constitution designed to do?

Answer 22

Enshrine and guarantee the rights and powers of people, mark a clear break with Germany’s autocratic past, proportional representation was designed to ensure all shades of political opinion were represented in the reichstag

Question 23

Strengths of the Weimar constitution:

Answer 23

• provided a wider right to vote than other countries. Women could vote on the same terms as men and become deputies in the reichtag
• system of proportional representation enabled smaller parties to win seats in the reichtag
• full democracy in local government + central government
• clearly set out the rights of the individual e.g. ‘all Germans are equal before the law’, ‘personal liberty is inovoidable’
• referendums could be called for by the president or peoples request if 1/10th of the electorate applied for one
• illegitimate children had same privileges as legitimate ones

Question 24

Weaknesses of the Weimar constitution:

Answer 24

• the proliferation of smaller parties - smaller parties could gain representation in the reichstag. This enabled smaller parties - many anti-republican, to exploit the parliamentary system to gain publicity
• coalition governments - due to the proliferation of small parties, none of the larger parties could gain an overall majority in the Reichstag. Governments had to command major support

Question 25

What was the role of the president?

Answer 25

• elected every 7 years by men and women over 20yo
• appointed and dismissed ministers
• could dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections
• supreme commander of armed forces
• rule by decree in an emergency without Reichstag consent

Question 26

What was the role of the chancellor?

Answer 26

• Had to have support of at least half of Reichstag
• proposed new laws to the Reichstag

Question 27

What is the reichstrat?

Answer 27

• The second chamber of the German parliament
• each state represented in proportion to its population - no state can have more than 40% of seats (prevents domination)
• provides advice on laws but can be overridden by Reichstag

Question 28

What is The reichtag and how is it elected?

Answer 28

• elected every 4 years by all Germans over 20 with proportional representation
• chancellor and ministers were responsible to the Reichstag
• they voted on the budget and new laws had to originate in the Reichstag and be approved by deputies

Question 29

Features of voters rights:

Question 30

What is Rule by presidential decree (article 48)?

Answer 30

Article 48 of the constitution gave the president the power to rule by decree in exceptional circumstances. It also allow the president to suspend civil rights

Question 31

Why was the agreements made from ‘pressure from the left only a temporary compromise?

Question 32

How many times did Ebert use article 48?

Answer 32

136 times out of

Question 33

How did Ebert abuse article 48?

Answer 33

He used it in non-emergency situations if he wanted to override the Reichstag & there weren’t any effective safeguards as he could dissolve the Reichstag

Question 34

Why were the army, civil servants, and judges undemocratic?

Answer 34

They were recruited from the aristocracy, supported the autocracy and looked with disdain on democratic politicians

Question 35

How were the army undemocratic?

Answer 35

The officer corps from the second Reich remained,Leaving the army far from neutral,They believed they didn’t have loyalty to the republic which was temporary but to a timeless Reich

Question 36

How were the civil service undemocratic?

Question 37

How were the judiciary undemocratic?