the weimar republic Flashcards
When was WW1 and how did it end?
WW1 was from 1914-1918. Ended with the armistice in November 11th 1918.
Why were the German people facing starvation by 1918?
The Allies had set up naval blockades to prevent imports of food and essential goods.
When and why did Kaiser Wilhem 2nd abdicate?
When:
9th of November 1918
Why:
By 1918 the country was on the verge of a civil war and many wanted democracy as well as an end to the war.
He was blamed for the war.
Was paranoid he would be assassinated.
10th of November 1918?
All state leaders that had been appointed by the monarchy left their posts and monarchy was abolished.
Whenwas the Armistice signed?
Agreed on 11th of November 1918
What was the political state after the abdication?
A temporary national government was established consisting of the USPD and SPD. It controlled Germany until January 1919 when elections for the new Reichstag were held.
Who was the first president?
Friedrich Ebert was the first President with Philip scheidmann as Chancellor.
How did the new system work?
The President:
-elected by the people
-had the most power
-elected every 7 years
-chooses the Chancellor
-can dissolve the Reichstag, call new elections and suspend constitution
Reichstag;
-the new German parliament
-members elected every 4 years
-uses Proportional Representation
Reichsrat:
-second less powerful parliament
- can delay measures passed by the Reichstag
Constitution (how things would be run)
-0.4% of the vote was needed to get a seat at the Reichstag
-women could now vote and the age was lowered to 20
The German people now had more power but…
-Proportional representation meant it was hard to make decisions
- if a decision couldn’t be reached the President could use Article 48 (this undermined the new democracy)
What is Article 48?
In the case of an emergency the President can force their own decision through the Reichstag. However it became an easy way of getting around disagreements in the Reichstag which undermined the new democracy
What was the Treaty of Versailles?
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 1919. The Germans resented the new government for signing it and most of its terms were made by the Allied leaders (USA, France and Britain)
What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
1) The War Guilt Clause. This meant that Germany had to take the blame for the war.
Consequence- Humiliated
2) Armed Forces reduced to 100,00 men
Consequence- Vulnerable
3) £6600 million in reparations.
Consequence- Unfair and long lasting damage
4) Lose its empire. Areas that belonged to Germany were given to the countries on the winning side of the war by the League of Nations.
Consequence- Those in colonies forced to become part of new regions.
5) German military was banned from the Rhineland, an area on western boarder with France.
Consequence- Open to attack from West
What did the Germans call the Treaty of Versailles?
A Diktat which is a harsh settlement imposed on a nation. This reflects their resentment.
November Criminals
Some Germans believed they could’ve won the war and believed the Armistice was a mistake. Many felt stabbed in the back by the Armistice and called those that signed it, on 11th of November 1918, The November Criminals
How did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to the failure of the Weimar Republic?
It harmed the Republic’s popularity and created economic and political unrest that hindered the government for years.
Why had the unrest worsened by 1919?
Many were angry with the new government, Germans were poor, starvation and an influenza epidemic had killed thousands
How was the government threatened by the left wing?
The Spartacist Revolt:
In January 1919, communists led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg tried to take over Berlin. They took over important buildings like newspaper headquarters and 50,000 workers went on strike.
The rebellion was stopped when Ebert asked Freikorps (ex-soldiers) to stop the rebellion. over 100 killed.
How was the right government threatened by the right wing?
The Kapp Putsch:
In March 1920, some of the Freikorps took part in the Kapp Putsch led by Wolfgang Kapp. They wanted to create a new right wing government. German workers opposed and staged a general strike. Germany was paralysed and Kapp was forced to give up.
What was the occupation of the Ruhr?
By 1923 Germany couldn’t keep up with reparation payments so France and Belgium decided to occupy the Ruhr which was the richest industrial part of Germany. This gave them access to Germany’s iron and coal reserves. This enraged Germans causing a huge strike in the Ruhr. German industry was yet again devastated. The strike ended in September 1923 by Stresemann which reduced tensions and meant the government could stop paying compensation payments to strikers.
What did Germany do to ty solve their debt problem in 1923?
Germany started to print more money causing hyperinflation. An egg in 1918 costed 1/4 of a mark but by November 1923 it costed 80 million marks.
Who was Gustav Stresemann?What did he do?
Gustav Stresemann was chancellor from August 1923- November1923 after which he became foreign minister. As Chancellor he helped the economy to recover with his domestic and international policies resulting in The Golden years (1923-1929). In November of 1923 he replaced the German Mark with the Rentenmark to stabilise Germany’s currency. Stresemann created the great coalition- a group of pro-democracy socialist parties in the Reichstag that agreed to work together.
What did Gustav Stresemann do as Foreign Minister to improve international relations?
The Dawes Plan, The Young Plan, The Locarno Pact, join the League of Nations and the Kellog-Briand Pact. These plans restored faith and popularity to the republic which was very strong in the 1928 elections (Nazi’s only got 12).
What was the Dawes Plan?
The Dawes Plan was signed in 1924. Stresemann secured France and Belgium’s withdrawal from the Ruhr and agreed more realistic payment dates for the reparations. The USA lent Germany £40 million to pay off debts.
What was the Young Plan?
The Young Plan was agreed in 1929. The Allies agreed to reduce the reparations to a quarter of the original amount and Germany was given 59 years to pay them.
