The Weimar Republic 1919 - 1923 Flashcards
To have a working knowledge and understanding of the difficulties facing the Republic in its early years and to consider how these difficulties may have been a basis for future failure.
1
Q
The ‘birth’ of the Weimar Republic: The German Revolution
A
- September 1918 - Allies break through Hindenburg Line.
- British blockade causing serious food shortages in Germany. (Germans starving)
- Mutinies at German Ports - Wilhelmshaven and Kiel (Break down of military discipline)
- Bavaria declares itself an independent Republic!
- Army chiefs accept war cannot be won.
- All leads to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm
- 9th November - German declared a REPUBLIC
- Ebert of the SPD (Social Democratic Party) becomes the first President
2
Q
Weimar Constitution
A
- Constitution - how a state is run / organised.
- Based on democratic principles.
- Elected Reichstag to makes laws.
- All men & women over 20 to vote
- President elected Head of State
- Chancellor Head of Government
3
Q
Potential ‘weaknesses’ of the Constitution
A
- System of voting: Proportional Representation -
- Allowed minority parties a way into the Reichstag.
- PR led to coalition government
- Article 48: Emergency decree - could be abused in the wrong hands
(Talking point: why might this have been ‘bad’ for German at the time?)
4
Q
Initial Problems:
The Peace Treaty of Versailles
A
- Terms were considered ‘vindictive’
- Contributed to further criticism of the new Republican Politicians.
- Republic associated with ‘defeat and humiliation’
- Sparked an uprising by the Freikorps led by Wolfgang Kapp (1920)
- Republic Politicians ‘assassinated’
5
Q
Describe the Spartacist Uprising.
A
- January 1919 Communists
- Staged a revolt in Berlin to seize power
- Suppressed by ‘Firekorps’
- Leaders (Rosa Luxemburg & Karl Liebknecht) executed
6
Q
Initial Problem:
Stab in the Back ‘myth’
A
- The new Republican leaders were faced with agreeing to the Armistice (11th November)
- Gave rise to the belief that they had ‘betrayed’ the German Armed Forces.
- Nationalists especially supported the idea - and the new Republican politicians were labelled as ‘November Criminals’.
7
Q
Key Terms of the Treaty of Versailles
A
- Article 231: War Guilt Clause
- Lost 13% of territory (e.g West Prussia to Poland)
- Armed forces reduced to 100,000,
- Navy to 36 ships, no submarines, no air force.
- Reparations to be paid (commission to establish amount)
8
Q
German objections to the Treaty of Versailles
A
- Diktat - Dictated Peace (Germany not invited to the discussions)
- Felt ‘betrayed’; Had expected a Treaty of be based on President Wilson’s 14 points (No punishment)
- Humiliated - Not permitted to join the League of Nations.
- Wrong people being punished - the Old leadership had ‘gone’.
- The new innocent ‘republic’ was being punished
9
Q
Describe the Kapp Putsch
A
- A rebellion against the Republic by the Freikorps.
- The Republic leaders tried to disband the Freikorps.
- Marched on Berlin - proclaimed Wolfgang Kapp their leader. Army refused to fire on the Freikorp. - Government fled.
- Government leaders called for a general strike of the workers.
- Berlin came to a standstill.
- Kapp fled and the Government was restored.
10
Q
Why did the French and Belgians occupy the Ruhr in 1923?
A
- Reparations had been fixed at £6.6 billion in 1921 by the Reparations Commission.
- Payment also to be made in ‘kind’ including coal, livestock etc
- At end of 1922 Germany defaulted
- France and Belgium occupied the Industrially rich Ruhr (January 1923) with the intention of taking the value of missing payments in goods.
11
Q
How did Germany respond to the Occupation of the Ruhr?
A
- Government ordered ‘Passive Resistance’ (Workers going on strike)
- The Government supported the workers by paying their wages
- This contributed to hyper-inflation
12
Q
Why did the Republic experience hyper-inflation?
A
- Inflation was already a post war issue. (had paid for the war by printing banknotes)
- In paying striking workers by simply printing more banknotes diluted the value of the currency even further.
- Prices rose rapidly - workers demanded higher wages to compensate - currency becoming worthless.
13
Q
How did hyper-inflation ‘hurt’ the Republic?
A
- Pensioners and Middles classes saw the value of the savings wiped out - created resentment towards the republic.
- Wages failed to keep up with prices - people resorted to bartering.
- Hardship widespread.
- Civil Servants on ‘fixed incomes’ became critical / disillusion with the republic
14
Q
Did anyone gain from hyper-inflation?
A
- YES: People who had borrowed large sums of money were able to pay it back with a weeks wages!
- Wealthy Industrialists could buy up failing companies.
15
Q
What did the NSDAP stand for in the 1920s
A
- Nationalism: Like most right wing groups they stood for the ‘revival’ of Germany as a ‘Great’ nation.
- Overthrow Versailles, rearm and if necessary take back what was ‘theirs’ [Saarland & West Prussia.
- Racial: The NSDAP was a racist party and no Jew could be a citizen of the state [even though thousands had died fighting for Germany in WWI]
- Political beliefs Anti-democratic –they wanted to overthrow the republic and create a one party state.
- Anti– communist; the communist movement was seen as a part of Jewish conspiracy’ to take control of Germany & Europe [if not the world!] Not paranoid then!
