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History Edexcel GCSE Weimar & Nazi Germany > The Weimar Republic: 1918 - 1929 > Flashcards

The Weimar Republic: 1918 - 1929 Flashcards

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1
Q

What were the three reasons why Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated his throne in November 1918?

A
  1. Germany was close to defeat in WW1
  2. Germans rose up in rebellion
  3. Kaiser lost support from important groups in Germany
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2
Q

What was the impact of the First World War on Germany?

A
  • 2 million German troops died
  • Government debt increased to 150 billion marks
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3
Q

What did the devastating effects of the war cause people to do?

A

The public lost trust in the Kaiser’s ability to rule, so many resorted to striking and rioting.

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4
Q

What was the German Revolution?

A

In 1918, German workers and the navy rebelled against the rule of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

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5
Q

How and when did the Kaiser lose support from powerful groups in Germany?

A

In November 1918, the Kaiser’s ministers in the government put pressure on him to resign. The leader of the army also refused to support the Kaiser.

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6
Q

When was the German Republic officially declared?

A

After the abdication of the Kaiser, on 9 November 1918.

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7
Q

What happened on 10th November 1918?

A

Friedrich Ebert suspended the old Reichstag and formed a new council.

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8
Q

Who was Friedrich Ebert?

A

Leader of the Social Democratic Party and first German President.

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9
Q

What were 3 strengths of the Weimar Constitution?

A
  1. Turned Germany into a democracy
  2. Women were able to vote
  3. No individual group had complete power
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10
Q

How did the Weimar Constitution turn Germany into a democracy?

A

This meant the people had the power to vote for members of the Reichstag (German Parliament) every four years. Proportional representation made sure small parties had a fair share of seats.

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11
Q

How did the Weimar Constitution prevent individuals from having complete power?

A
  • The President had the power to choose the Chancellor, although the Germans could vote the President out of power every 7 years
  • The Chancellor could choose which laws to pass, but they had to be supported by a majority in the Reichstag
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12
Q

What were 3 weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?

A
  1. Coalition governments
  2. Article 48
  3. Opposition groups
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13
Q

Why did coalition governments form so often in the Weimar Constitution?

A

Due to proportional representation, no single party could win a majority of votes in the Reichstag. This meant that the political parties with the most votes had to form a joint government.

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14
Q

Why were coalition governments seen as a weakness of the Weimar Constitution?

A

Coalition governments were unstable due to their conflicting ideas, so they often fell apart.

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15
Q

Why did Article 48 weaken the Weimar Constitution?

A

This article stated that in times of emergency, the President could pass laws without the support of the Reichstag. This undermined Germany’s democratic system and showcased their weakness in a crisis.

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16
Q

Why did opposition groups weaken the Weimar Constitution?

A

Communists and the National Party were anti-democratic, meaning there was a lack of popular support for the constitution. This also made Germans have doubts about the new government’s abilities.

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17
Q

What were the leaders of the Weimar Constitution labelled as for signing the Treaty of Versailles?

A

The ‘November Criminals’.

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18
Q

What 4 reasons caused the Germans to oppose the Treaty of Versailles?

A
  1. It was seen as a ‘Diktat’
  2. ‘War Guilt’ clause reparations
  3. Weakened military
  4. Loss of land
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19
Q

Why was the Treaty of Versailles seen as a ‘Diktat’?

A

Many people believed that Germany had not been defeated in the WW1 and they had been forced to surrender. Therefore, critics thought that they were ‘stabbed in the back’ by politicians.

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20
Q

What was the ‘War Guilt’ clause?

A

It made Germany accept full responsibility for the war. It stated that the Allies were entitled to £6.6 billion of reparations for war damage. This immense debt significantly weakened Germany’s economy.

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21
Q

How did the Treaty affect Germany’s military forces?

A
  • The army was limited to 100,000 soldiers
  • Germans weren’t allowed an air force
  • Rhineland (are where Germany shared a border with France) was demilitarised
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22
Q

How did the Treaty of Versailles impact Germany’s colonies and what were people’s reactions?

A

Germany lost 10% of its population and 13% of its European land. For example, Alsace and Lorraine was given to France. Germans were angered by this as their country had less land and resources.

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23
Q

What opposition did the Weimar Republic face from the left?

A

The Spartacist League who wanted to establish a communist government in Germany.

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24
Q

Who were the leaders of the Spartacist Uprising?

A

Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.

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25
Q

What triggered the Spartacists Uprising?

A

Ebert (Germany’s President) sacked a popular police chief in Berlin.

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26
Q

What and when were the events of the left-wing uprising?

A

In January 1919, 100,000 Spartacists took over the government’s newspaper and telegraph offices in Berlin.

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27
Q

How was the Spartacist Uprising defeated?

A

The Freikorps shot Luxemburg and Liebknecht and put down the revolt.

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28
Q

What opposition did the Weimar Republic face from the right?

A

The Freikorps made up of 250,000 ex-soldiers who had kept their weapons.

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29
Q

Who was the leader of the Kapp Putsch?

A

Right-wing politician Wolfgang Kapp.

30
Q

What triggered the Putsch?

A

The Weimar government announced that the Freikorps were going to be disbanded, leaving the ex-soldiers unemployed.

31
Q

What and when were the events of the right-wing uprising?

A

In 1920, 5000 armed men marched in Berlin, declaring a new government and inviting the Kaiser from exile.

32
Q

How was the Kapp Putsch successful?

A
  • The army refused to fight the Freikorps as they were fellow soldiers
  • Weimar politicians fled to Berlin
33
Q

How was the Putsch defeated?

A

The government called for support from trade unions, bringing about a national strike. Kapp realised he couldn’t govern without essential services such as electricity, so he fled. He was soon captured and died in prison.

34
Q

How was political violence a challenge to the Weimar Republic?

A

In their early years, nearly 400 political assassinations took place.

35
Q

What is hyperinflation?

A

When the prices of goods increase spectacularly.

36
Q

What were the three main causes of hyperinflation?

A
  1. WW1
  2. French invasion of the Ruhr
  3. Printing more money
37
Q

How did WW1 worsen Germany’s economic situation?

A

As there were resource shortages and Germany needed to pay off their debt, the government started printing more money. However, this failed and Germany didn’t pay their instalment of reparations by the end of 1922.

38
Q

How did the French respond to the Germans not paying their reparations?

A

In January 1923, the French sent troops to the Ruhr (Germany’s industrial region) to take what they were owed in machinery and goods.

39
Q

How did the Weimar Republic respond to the French invasion of the Ruhr?

A

The government ordered German workers to go on strike, but this caused further shortages as fewer goods were being produced. Instead, they printed more money to pay strikers to make up for the lost production.

40
Q

What did the Weimar Republic’s excessive printing of money do?

A

It caused the currency (the mark) to become worthless as prices rose uncontrollably.

41
Q

What was the price of bread in 1919 and 1923?

A

1919: 1 mark
1923: 200,000 billion marks

42
Q

What were the consequences of hyperinflation?

A
  • Living standards dropped as prices rose faster than wages
  • Savings and pensions became worthless - mainly affected middle class
  • People blamed the Weimar Republic
  • Imports decreases and food shortages worsened
43
Q

What three types of people benefited from the hyperinflation crisis?

A
  • Farmers benefited as they were paid more for food
  • Foreigners could buy more as the mark had weakened in value
  • People with loans could pay them off more easily
44
Q

Who became Germany’s new chancellor in 1923?

A

Gustav Stresemann.

45
Q

What were Stresemann’s three aims for Germany from 1923?

A
  1. To overcome Germany’s economic problems
  2. To boost Germany’s international reputation
  3. Increase support for the Weimar Republic
46
Q

What 3 policies did Stresemann implement to improve Germany’s economy?

A
  1. New currency
  2. Dawes Plan
  3. Young Plan
47
Q

What was Stresemann’s policy of introducing a new currency?

A

In November 1923, Stresemann set up the Rentenbank and issued the new currency called the Rentenmark (later renamed the Reichsmark). The supply of money was tightly controlled and backed by Germany’s gold reserves.

48
Q

How successful was introducing a new currency help Germany’s economy recover?

A
  • It ended the problem of hyperinflation
  • Restored confidence in German currency at home and abroad
49
Q

When and what was the Dawes Plan?

A

In 1924 with the help of American banker, Charles Dawes, Germany’s reparation payments were temporarily reduced to £50 million a year. US banks also agreed to give loans to the German industry.

50
Q

How successful was the Dawes Plan?

A
  • Germany was able to manage its debt, encouraging the French to leave the Ruhr
  • However, the economy was now reliant on America’s loans
51
Q

When and what was the Young Plan?

A

In August 1929, the Young Plan reduced reparations from £6.6 billion to £2.2 billion. Germany was also given an extra 59 years to pay back the reparations.

52
Q

How successful was the Young Plan?

A
  • Spending increased and the Weimar Republic became more popular
  • Extremist parties accused the government of burdening the future generations with debt
53
Q

What was Stresemann’s role after Chancellor?

A

Foreign Secretary.

54
Q

What three foreign policies did Stresemann use to improve Germany’s reputation?

A
  1. Locarno Pact
  2. The League of Nations
  3. Kellogg-Briand Pact
55
Q

What was the Locarno Pact?

A

It was an agreement between 5 European countries in 1925, where Germany accepted its new border with France and that the Rhineland would be permanently demilitarised.

56
Q

How successful was the Locarno Pact?

A
  • Improved relations with France
  • Germany was now being treated equally
57
Q

What was the League of Nations?

A

This was an international body set up in to discuss world problems. Germany was initially excluded, but became a member in 1926.

58
Q

How successful was the League of Nations?

A
  • Boosted confidence in the government
  • League of Nations was a symbol of the Treaty of Versaille
59
Q

What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?

A

It was an agreement in 1928 between many countries to not use war as a method to rule.

60
Q

How was the Kellogg-Briand Pact successful?

A
  • Showed Germany was a major power
  • Pact didn’t remove damaging terms from the Treaty of Versailles
61
Q

How did work and wages improve after 1924?

Living Standards

A
  • Working hours reduced
  • Wages rose
62
Q

How did unemployment change after 1924?

Living standards

A
  • 3% of worker’s wages were put towards unemployment and sickness benefits
  • Unemployment decreased
63
Q

How did housing change after 1924?

Living Standards

A

Between 1925 to 29, approximately 100,000 houses were built.

64
Q

What showed some lack of improvement in living standards?

A
  • Well-off Germans resented the working class benefiting
  • There was still a housing shortage
  • Unemployment wasn’t completely radicated
65
Q

In what three ways did women’s work change under the Weimar Republic?

A
  1. Increase in part-time work
  2. Not many women entered high status jobs
  3. Women were paid 33% less in the same job role
66
Q

In what two ways did the position of women’s politics change under the Weimar Republic?

A
  1. In 1918 women were given the right to vote, with 90% voting at elections
  2. Weimar Constitution stated men and women had equal rights
67
Q

How did women’s leisure change in the Weimar Republic?

A
  1. ‘New women’ were unmarried women with more independence and freedom
  2. Many Germans worried that traditional roles were disappearing
  3. Number of divorcees doubled
68
Q

What is an example of a cultural change that took place in art from 1924-29?

A

Artists such as Otto Dix made art that commented on problems in society and showed how life really was.

69
Q

What is an example of a cultural change that took place in cinema from 1924-29?

A

Expressionism flourished in film, particularly due to fewer restrictions. For example, a futuristic science fiction film called Metropolis was relased in 1926.

70
Q

What was a cultural change in architecture from the year 1924-29?

A

New designers challenged traditional styles of building. In 1919, Bauhaus school was set up and it popularised futuristic styles.

71
Q

What two groups opposed cultural changes and why?

A

Left-wing groups believed that funding for the arts should be spent elsewehere. Right-wingers believed changes in culture undermined traditional German values.

History Edexcel GCSE Weimar & Nazi Germany (4 decks)

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