the establishment of the Weimar republic and it's early problems

Question 1

why did hitler come to power? 1914 vs 1918

Answer 1

1. 1914 Germans are proud people with one of the finest German army in the world but then the proud German army is defeated
2. 1914 is a golden era, prospering economy, well educated and well fed people vs 1918 much of old Germany is destroyed
3. in 1914 people are optimistic about Germany’s power and strength vs 1918 people are starving on turnips and break and there is a flu epidemic killing thousands

Question 2

impact of ww1 on germany 4

Answer 2

Defeat of the German Army:

• People are no longer as they become very poor
• Thousands of soldiers are dead and the army is defeated, 1.7 million dead and 4.2 million injured.
• The German army was one of the most important aspects for German people.
• No British or French soldier ever entered Germany so some people thought that Germany had never actually been invaded and so could not accept defeat.
• Treaty of Versailles meant that Germany had to reduce their army to only 100,000 men which was 10% of what it previously had been. Furthermore, they had to give up weapons such aeroplanes and ships.
• Britain and France demanded that the Kaiser abdicate in return for no invasion. This angered the nationalists within Germany.

Bankrupt Government:

• Industrial production was only ⅔ of what it had been before the war in 1913.
• National Income was a ⅓ due to a lack of trade
• In 1925, the government was spending ⅓ of its budget on war pensions.

Social Divisions in German society:

• The social divisions between the rich and the poor had deepened during the war as factory owners had amassed huge fortunes but restrictions had been placed on ordinary workers’ wages.
• Women had been encouraged into the workplace and people saw this as a damage to traditional values.

Flu epidemic and Food shortages:

• The German people were undernourished due to a failure in the potato harvest and so had to live off turnips and bread. 1917-1918
• This was also due to the lack of farmers and the British blockade of naval ports.
• Flu epidemic killed 750000 people.

mutiny and unrest
-German revolution

Question 3

strengths of the weimar constitution 6

Answer 3

• All people over the age of 20 have the right to vote including women.
• Both the Reichstag and the President had to be elected
• A Bill of Rights guaranteed the right to freedom of speech, equality under the law.
• This meant that laws were passed fairly by an elected government not a monarch, who could veto laws.
• 17 local governments had more limited power in order to make sure laws were the same across the country.
• The Chancellor needed the support of half the Reichstag. Proportional representation prevented any single one becoming dominant.

Question 4

weaknesses of the weimar constitution 2

Answer 4

• Proportional Representation: Weimar Germans voted for a party and this got a respective number of seats. However, this meant that the government could rarely pass laws as no party was ever strong enough to reach a majority. This made the Government seem inefficient and indecisive.
• Article 48: stated that in crisis the President could pass laws without the Reichstage. This was how Hitler took power legally.

Question 5

the German revolution and formation of the weimar republic

Answer 5

October 1918: Sailor’s mutiny at Kiel and refuse to attack the British Navy blockading the northern German ports. No army was sent to crush the rebellion as it was feared that they would join the sailors. This leads to strikes and demonstrations all over Germany.

9th November 1918: Friedrich Ebert leader of the SPD pleads with the Kaiser to abdicate in order to be allowed to negotiate an armistice with the British and French. Germany becomes a republic however, this angers the Right-Wing nationalists who liked a strong government and leader. Ebert suspends the old Reichstag and formed the Council of People’s Representatives as a temporary measure.

A new constitution is drawn up and Germany holds elections. On November 11th 1918 the Armistice is signed. However, neither the socialists nor the nationalists favour this and so the Weimar Republic is very unstable.

Question 6

(6) why did the germans hate the t o v so much?

Answer 6

The Treaty of Versailles became the permanent symbol of the humiliation and defeat of Germany and became associated with the Weimar Government.

• No more Kaiser meant that the many nationalistic and often wealthy sections of German society were very critical. Also the leadership of armed forces were supposedly weakened.
• Diktat: Germany had been forced to sign the treaty and had had no choice on the terms.
• Military Restrictions made Germany vulnerable to attack from now more powerful neighbour France. Also caused a huge unemployment.
• Loss of Land this plants in many Germans minds the idea that all German land people need to be reunited. Land to the East given to Poland and the West became a demilitarised zone.
• War Guilt: Germany had to accept that it solely caused the war which it thought was very unfair. Psychologically damaging and made Germans feel mistreated and frustrated.
• Reparations:6600 million at a time when Germany was already struggling financially and the country needed as much money to be able to rebuild itself was crippling.

Question 7

Paris peace conference aims of the big three

Answer 7

• woodrow wilson -wanted Europe to be a democracy, didn’t want to punish Germany too harshly to avoid another war, wanted an end to secret diplomacy and a league of nations was created
• George Clemenceau- wanted to weaken Germany to prevent further aggression, wanted the land they had lost ; Alsace-lorraine back, wanted to obtain heavy reparations form germany to repay their war debt, wanted to weaken Germany’s military
• David Lloyd George - wanted to weaken Germany’s navy, wanted German to recover fairly quickly so it could continue trading, felt Britain wanted to make Germany pay

Question 8

what were right wing reactions to the t o v and weimar republic? and impacts 3

Answer 8

The Kapp Putsch:

Kapp Putsch Summary:

March 1920, The Freikorps, Wolfgang Kapp and the foremost minister in the Army Ludendorff entered Berlin and declared a right of centre government. This would be ruled by Luttwitz, leader of the Freikorps.
Ebert called for a general strike which meant that for two days there was no water, electricity or transport in Berlin. This also meant that those who supported Kapp were unable to move around dooming the putsch.

Impacts:
1. The government could not enforce its authority even on its own capital. The government could not put down a challenge to its authority- only a mass power of a general strike could reestablish control. Ebert seemed weak and to have little control over the country.

2. Another impact was that it indicated that the people of Berlin were willing to support Ebert’s government rather than a right-wing take over lead by Kapp. It also showed that the people of Germany wanted more peace and stability.
3. It led to extreme bitterness of the right wing and those who were part of the Freikorps would eventually become part of the Nazi party.

Question 9

(4) why did the right wing oppose the weimar republic

Answer 9

There was opposition from the political Right because

• Hated the democratic government and liked the Kaiser and his dictatorial style of government.
• Blamed the Socialists for defeat of Germany as they had agreed to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Believed that Germany had not been defeated on the battlefield but was betrayed by politicians.
• Felt vulnerable due to the huge diminishing of the Army and again blamed the Socialists for this mistake.
• Wanted large industry but this was weakened by Treaty of Versailles.

Question 10

left wing. opposition to the t o v / weimar republic? and impacts 2

Answer 10

-Spartacist Uprising: (Threat from the left-wing) Did not want Germany to be democratic and to be ruled by communist government.
Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg, the Spartacists began to set up worker’s unions and soviets in many towns across Germany in early 1919. They were crushed by a group of anti-communist soldiers, who had made an agreement with the government. Street fighting ensued; many killed and leaders were brutally killed.

• In February 1919, Bavaria was taken over and declared communist but again removed via Freikorps. 600 dead.
• In the Ruhr Industrial Area, 6000 were killed in communist and Freikorps clashes.

Impacts:

1. This made Ebert seem weak as he was unable to crush the revolutions by himself and had to use the Freikorps, who was radical.
2. Ebert’s ruthless measures against the Communists created lasting bitterness between them and his Socialist party. It made them a powerful anti-government force.

Question 11

causes and impacts of the invasion of the Ruhr were…

impacts 2

Answer 11

The first instalment of the £50 million was paid in 1921 but in 1922 nothing was paid because Ebert wanted to negotiate concessions from the Allies.
So France, who owed huge amounts to America, invaded the Ruhr and took what was owed to them in kind, in raw materials and goods. This was legal under the Treaty of Versailles. The Ruhr was the economic heartland of Germany and so this led to the collapse of the German economy.

Impacts:

1. Economic stagnation of Germany: as not able gain tax income or export goods so unable to pay reparations or support the already poor population. The strikes of 100,000 workers meant there was little consumer demand from unemployment.
2. Hyperinflation: To support the workers of the passive strike and keep the economy running, the government decided to simply print money. This money was worthless as it was not backed by output from industry. This made foreign exchange and trade impossible. In January 1923, 1 dollar as worth 48,000 mark whereas in November one dollar ws worth 4 trillion mark. No foreign trade meant no economic stimulation.

Question 12

impacts of hyperinflation

Answer 12

1. The most significant effect of hyperinflation was the devaluation of the Mark because it had such a destructive effect on the German economy, as well as it led to a growing distrust in the German government to handle the economy.

The Mittelstand and those who had savings found that these were now worthless. The prices of everything rocketed yet wages could scarcely keep up. As well as people’s savings could could barely keep up. Created greater social division as the rich who had property and goods were protected.

2. Second impact of hyperinflation on Germany was that the new chancellor, Stresemann, introduced a new currency to Germany. He called off the Resistance in the Ruhr to get industry going again as well as resuming reparation payments to get France out of the Ruhr. He collected in and destroyed the old Mark and issued the new Rentenmark in their place. He also managed to negotiate lawns for the Dawes Plan and recommending production in the Ruhr got the German economy back on its feet again relatively quickly. Quickly solved the crisis.