The Weimar Republic Flashcards
Results of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany
- Germany had to take the blame for the war
- Germany’s armed forces reduced
- Forced to pay reparations
- Lost its empire
- Germany military banned from the Rhineland
How were Germany’s armed forces reduced in the Treaty of Versailles?
Reduced to 100,000 men, only volunteers, without armoured vehicles, aircraft and submarines, and only 6 warships.
How much in reparations did Germany have to pay?
£6600 million
Why did the Germans not like the Treaty of Versailles?
- They didn’t accept defeat
- They were blamed for the war
- They lost colonies
- They couldn’t afford reparations and suffered an economic crisis
- Some had to live under foreign rule
- They lost their armed forces
When did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate?
November 1918
Who set up the new government in 1919?
Friedrich Ebert
Where was the new 1919 governement set up and why?
Weimar because there was too much violence in Berlin
What involvement did the Weimar Republic have in the Treaty of Versailles?
None. The government wasn’t invite to the peace conference and had no say in the Treaty. Ebert refused to sign the treaty but then had no choice.
What is proportional representation?
The number of seats a party wins in parliament is proportional to the number of votes that they win.
How was the Weimar Constitution structured?
Reichsrat -upper house could delay measures passed by the Reichstag
Reichstag -the parliament elected by proportional representation
President -elected every 7 years. Head of army and chooses chancellor
What were the problems with the Weimar Government?
- PR meant that there were many parties in the Reichstag so it was difficult to pass laws. This also meant picking a chancellor that the whole Reichstag supported was difficult.
- Article 48 said that in an emergency the president didn’t need the agreement of the Reichstag and could make emergency laws.
