The origins of the Weimar Republic 1918-19 Flashcards
What was the revolution?
The German people rebelled and created a new Weimar Republic with no Kaiser
Who was Wilhelm II
The former Kaiser of Germany
When did Wilhelm II abdicate?
He abdicated on the 9th November 1918
What is abdication?
When a ruler decides to step down from power
Who was Friedrich Ebert?
Leader of the SDP and first president of the Weimar Republic
What is an Armistice?
A stop in fighting to sign a peace treaty
What was the SDP?
Social Democratic Party - wanted fair democracy
What was the constitution?
The weimar constitution was made in Weimar and made rules for how the country was to be run
What was the Ebert Groener Pact?
The deal between Ebert and army general Groener for the army to back the new government up in return for old civil servants to keep their jobs
What is communism?
Political ideas about an equal way to run a country with no rich/poor. Russia was an example of communism
What was Germany’s WW1 legacy?
All of the problems left behind in Germany by WW1, Germany’s defeat and the Treaty of Versailles
What was the stabbed in the back myth?
Germans who were ashamed of their defeat in WW1 blamed the new Weimar politicians. The politicians were called ‘November criminals’ as a result of them signing the armistice on November 11th
What is democracy?
A fair way of running a country, where people have to choose the people in power, who make decisions that represent most people’s wishes
Why was the German revolution a limited revolution?
Germany never became a true democracy. Old civil servants kept their jobs in power - especially the army and judges. Some bits of the constitution was not democratic
What part of the constitution was not democratic
President, Article 48
What were 3 strengths of the Weimar Republic?
- All men/women over the age of 21 could vote for the Reichstag and vote for the president every 7 years
2.Proportional representation voting gave fair shares of power to lots of different parties
- Lots of rules to balance power so different parts of the government could check each other
What were 3 weaknesses of the Weimar Republic?
- President had the power to choose the chancellor or close the Reichstag and control the army
- Proportional representation meant that small parties shared power in coalitions. Making decisions hard and slow. There were many elections in 1919-23 which worried and frustrated German people. Some parties hated the new republic
- Article 48 meant that the president could make all decisions in a crisis. This was used a lot and it made people think that democracy didn’t work and strong leaders were better
How many small parties were there in the 1920s?
29
How many elections were there between 1919-23?
Nine elections
How many German soldiers died in WW1?
2 million soldiers - 55% of the army
How much did debt increase for Germany?
Debt was up x3 to 150 billion marks
How many Germans died as a result of the British Naval Blockade?
750,000 Germans died of food shortages
