The Weimar Republic Flashcards
What is a republic?
a country without a king or queen
What is the Reichstag?
the German parliament
What is a democracy?
where the government is elected
What is a constitution?
the way a government is set up
When Germany dropped out of the First World War, what did Kaiser Wilhelm ll do?
Abdicated and fled the country
What happened in January 1919?
Elections held for a new Reichstag
What then happened in February 1919?
In Weimar, a new government was agreed
After 1919, what type of government did Germany get?
parliamentary democracy
What were the 5 great difficulties at the beginning of Weimar?
1) left wing rebellions
2) all people were angry with it
3) right-wing rebellions and terrorists
4) invasion and inflation
5) Munich Putsch
Who was Gustav Stressemann?
the new chancellor of Weimar
When Stresemann was chancellor, what did he do well? 3
1) economic prosperity
2) foreign policy successes
3) cultural flowering
When was the Wall Street Crash?
1929
After the Wall Street Crash, what happened in Germany? 3
1) unemployment
2) Nazi party grew more powerful
3) In 1933, Hitler became chancellor
Before the Weimar republic came in, who could vote?
Men over 25 only
Before the Weimar republic, who did the electors vote for?
Reichstag
Before the Weimar republic, who controlled the army, appointed the government and called the reichstag?
The Kaiser ( head of monarch)
After the Weimar republic, who could now vote?
men and women over 20
After the Weimar republic, who did the electors vote for?
The president and the Reichstag
After the Weimar republic, who controlled the army?
the president
After the Weimar republic, from the Reichstag what is selected?
the government
what was fair about the way seats were allocated in the new Weimar constitution?
political parties were given seats depending on how many votes they got
What is proportional seating?
partied got reichstag seats in proportion to the amount of votes they got nation-wide
Who were the Freikorps?
bands of right-wing ex soliders
What were the 5 problems of the Weimar repubic in 1919-23? ILRIM
I-ineffective L-left-wing rebellions R-right-wing terrorism I-invasion/inflation M-munich putsh
what made the constitution ineffective? 5
article 48
proportional voting
German states ignored government
the army was not under full government control
most government officials wanted to destroy the government.
What did article 48 say?
in an emergency the president had sole power
Whats the problem with proportional voting?
impossible to establish who had the majority
Explain the Spartacists uprising
Jan 1919- Spartacists rebelled in Berlin led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Leibknecht- they wanted to follow in the Russians footsteps
Explain another left-wing rebellions act
1919- communists workers council took power over all of Germany and a communist people’s government took power in Bavaria
What happened at the Kapp Putsch?
1920- Freikorps brigade rebelled against the treaty led by Wolfgang Kapp, took over Berlin and tried to bring back the kaiser.
Who murdered Rathenau and why?
national terrorist groups because he made a treaty with Russia
what was the Kapp Putsch and the assassination of Rathenau example of?
right-wing terrorist attacks
what was the cause of inflation?
reparations
why did hyperinflation happen?
When Germany failed to make a payment, France invaded the Ruhr, the government who was humiliated by this ordered a strike, he then payed the strikers by printing more money
What are the Nazis also called?
the nationalist socialist german workers party
what does Mein Kampf mean?
my struggle
In Hitlers book, what 4 things did he write about?
1) national socialism
2) racism
3) lebensraum
4) strong government
What does national socialism mean?
loyalty to Germany, racial purity, equality and state control of the economy
Explain an “aryan”
master, pure race thought of by Hitler, any other race was inferior to the Aryans (pure Germans)
Name 4 things the Nazis stood for
1) unity of all German-speaking peoples
2) the abolition of the ToV
3) Land and colonies to fee Germany’s population
4) only German citizens
what happened at the Munich Putsch (beer hall putsch)
Hitler interrupted the meeting and forced Kahr at gunpoint to agree to support him. Kahr, when released, called in the police and army reinforcements. A day later the Nazis marched on Munich, got stopped by police some were killed, Hitler fled and got arrested 2 days later
Why Nazis Supported Munich Battle
Weimar weakness-inflation Nazi party growing Stresemann called off strike Mussolinis example Bavarian rebellion fails
What was the result for the Munich putsch? DTMS
disaster- Nazis defeated
trial- Hitler turned his trial into an opportunity and gave
long speeches
Mein Kampf- Hitler wrote it while in prison
Strategy- no power gained by rebellion, gain power by being elected
Who is Gustav Stresemann?
the man who led the government and later became chancellor of Weimar
What 6 things did Stresemann achieve during his time as leader of Weimar? DIFFER
Dawes plan Inflation control French leave the Ruhr Foreign affairs Economic growth Reforms
What was the Dawes plan?
American gave loans to Germany in order for them to rebuild industry as to support themselves
What was the new currency called?
Rentenmark
Why did the French leave the Ruhr?
Stresemann called off the strike in the Ruhr and persuaded the French to leave
What was the locarno treaty an example of?
foreign affairs
What was the locarno treaty?
Germany had agreed to Western boarders set at Versailles but nothing was said about the Eastern boarders
What year was Germany allowed to join the league?
1926
How much money was borrowed to Germany?
25000 million gold marks
What did Germany use this money for?
building roads, railways and factories
What two other things did he do that are example of reforms?
Labour exchanges and unemployment pay
Why did the Nazis lose support when it came to Stresemann?
Because he was doing so good with Germany and the Nazis ideas became less appealing
What were the SS?
Personal bodyguards to Hitler
When Hitler came out of jail what did he do to reorganise the party?5
Set up the SS
Merged with other right-wing parties then over took them
Set up Hitler Youth
Joseph Goebbles was put in charge of propaganda
Got support by telling people he wanted to destroy communism
Why did the Nazis do so badly, for votes during 1924-1929?
It was the golden age, the people of Germany didn’t need anybody to vote for because they were in the good times
Why did Hitler come to power? BIMP PAP
bitterness Ineffective constitution Money Propaganda Programme Attacks on other parties Personal qualities
Why was Hitler bitter?
Deep anger about the first WW and ToV- people gave him support
How did Hitler get the money to run propaganda and election campaigns?
From wealthy businessmen
What two things did propaganda focus most on?
Jews to be blamed for all this and Hitler was people’s last hope
Why did people vote Hitler?
Because he promised them something
Who attacked opposition to Hitler?
Storm troopers
What was Hitlers main quality that made him so appealing to many?
He was striving- never gave up
What bought Hitler to power? ER
Economic depression
Recruited by Hindenburg
Explain the economic depression
After the Wall Street crash, America called in loads to Germany and the German economy collapsed. Unemployment grew, people starved on streets. People needed someone to blame and needed solutions- Hitler gave them both.
What role did Franz Von Papen play?
Chancellor
When was Hitler made chancellor?
1933
What were the 8 steps to becoming Fuhrer (dictator)? REEG TONF
Reichstag fire
General election
Enabling act
Gestapo
Trade unions banned
Night of the long knives
Fuhrer
Who caused the Reichstag fire?
Van der Lubbe, he was found with matches and fire-lighting material
When Hitler only managed to receive 44% of th people vote for Nazi, what did he do to get more?
Arrested 81 communist deputies
What was the enabling act?
It made Hitler the dictator of Germany with power to do anything he liked- legally.
Who were the Gestapo?
The secret police
What did the Gestapo do?
Helped and encouraged people to rat on people who were against Nazis and did stuff wrong
When the trade unions were banned, what went in their place? And what did they do?
German labour front which reduced workers pay and took away the right to strike
What was the night of the long knives?
Hitler turned on the SA, because he felt they were an embarrassment and the only opposition left. The leader Rohm was talking about overruling the army, so Hitler sent the SS to kill them including Rohm
So how did Hitler be Fuhrer?
Hindenburg diced and Hitler took over his place and combined the two jobs-the army had to swear solemnly to Hitler.
What was the Dawes plan?
US loans to aid German Economic recovery which in turn they use to pay reparations
