The Weimar Constitution

Question 1

What is a constitution?

Answer 1

A set of laws for how a country is governed

Question 2

What was the main difference between the President and the Chancellor?

Answer 2

The President was the head of state, and mostly did ceremonial work (a bit like the Queen). The Chancellor was involved with the day-to-day work of government (like the Prime Minister)

Question 3

How often was the President elected?

Answer 3

Once every seven years

Question 4

What was the Reichstag?

Answer 4

The German parliament

Question 5

How did someone become Chancellor?

Answer 5

The President had to appoint them from the Reichstag

Question 6

What voting system was used to elect the Reichstag?

Answer 6

Proportional representation

Question 7

What were some of the problems of proportional representation?

Answer 7

1) Proportional representation meant lots of small parties got into the Reichstag. These could often be extremist parties. 2) No one party could get a majority of the seats, which meant governments were often weak and indecisive

Question 8

What is a coalition?

Answer 8

A coalition is a government made up of two or more parties

Question 9

Why do coalitions not necessarily make strong governments?

Answer 9

They can be slow and indecisive

Question 10

Who could vote in German elections?

Answer 10

All adults (men and women) over 20

Question 11

What was Article 48?

Answer 11

Part of the constitution that gave the President power to rule in an emergency. It meant he did not have to consult the Reichstag.

Question 12

What did the Chancellor need from the Reichstag?

Answer 12

Support of over half the Reichstag - otherwise he could not pass laws

Question 13

What fundamental problem did the Weimar Republic face?

Answer 13

There was no history of democracy in Germany. Since Germany became a nation in 1871, it had been ruled by strong, male leaders. Many were unconvinced democracy could work - and the Republic faced huge problems that required decisive leadership to deal with.

Question 15

The Threats from the Left:

Answer 15

The Spartacist Rising, Jan 1919:

Revolution in Bavaria, 1918-19:

The Red Rising in the Ruhr, 1920:

Question 16

The Threat from the Left:

1. The Spartacist Rising, Jan 1919:

Who?

Answer 16

A Communist group set up by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.

Question 17

The Threat from the Left:

1. The Spartacist Rising, Jan 1919:

Why?

Answer 17

They wanted a Russian-style Communist revolution to improve the lives of working people.

Question 18

The Threat from the Left:

1. The Spartacist Rising, Jan 1919:

What happened?

Success?

Answer 18

The Spartacists tried to take advantage of workers’ protests and stage a revolution in Berlin. The government ordered the army and units of the Freikorps (ex-soldiers who were anti-Communist) to put down the revolt. Over 100 workers were killed in the fighting that followed.

The revolt was badly planned and the Spartacists did not get support from other left-wing groups. Liebknecht and Luxemburg were murdered by the Freikorps.

Question 19

The Threat from the Left:

2. Revolution in Bavaria, 1918-19:
   Who?

Answer 19

The Independent Socialist Party and the Communist Party.

Question 20

The Threat from the Left:

2. Revolution in Bavaria, 1918-19:
   why?

Answer 20

They demanded and immediate end to the war, an 8-hour working day, relief for the unemployed and proposed the formation of workers’ and soldiers’ councils.

Question 21

The Threat from the Left:

2. Revolution in Bavaria, 1918-19

What?

Success?

Answer 21

Members of the left-wing Independent Socialist party seized control of Bavaria in November 1918 and set up a socialist republic. They were led by Kurt Eisner. Eisner was shot by a right wing nationalist in February 1919 and Bavaria was then taken over by the Communist Party. Bavaria became a Soviet Republic and the Communists began to recruit a “Red Army”. In May 1919 the army and a force of 30,000 Freikorps brutally crushed the breakaway republic. Over 1,000 supporters of Bavarian republic were killed, another 700 men and women were arrested and executed by the victorious Freikorps.

The Republic did last for over six months, but it was unable to survive the assassination of Eisner and the superior firepower and the brutality of the army and the Freikorps

Question 22

The Threat from the Left:

The Red Rising in the Ruhr, 1920:

Who?

Answer 22

Workers led by members of the Communist Party

Question 23

The Threat from the Left:

The Red Rising in the Ruhr, 1920:

Why?

Answer 23

Many workers were angry about poor pay and working conditions.

Question 24

The Threat from the Left:

The Red Rising in the Ruhr, 1920:

What happened?

Answer 24

A “Red Army” of 50,000 workers occupied industrial Ruhr region of Germany. The German army and the Freikorps crushed the rising, killing over 1000 workers.

Question 26

The Threat from the Left:

The Red Rising in the Ruhr, 1920:

Success?

Answer 26

The Communist Party had weak leadership, and had no clear plan about how to take power. They did not have enough support and although there continued to be demonstrations and strikes, they never seriously threatened the Weimar Republic.