The Weimar Republic

Question 1

EVENTS OF GERMAN REVOLUTION 4:When and why did kaiser Wilhelm abdicate the throne?

Answer 1

9th November November because the allies said they would only negotiate with representatives of the people

Question 2

What was a strength of the Weimar government?

Answer 2

Everyone over 20 was given the vote

Question 3

What happened due to food shortages caused by men being away at war?

Answer 3

Germany was producing 50% less milk and 60% less butter and meat, 3/4 of a million people died of starvation

Question 4

EVENTS OF GERMAN REVOLUTION 1: What happened on 29th October 1918?

Answer 4

German sailors at the naval base of Wilhelmshaven refused to set sail and this mutiny spread to the base at Kiel

Question 5

Which party took over the running of Germany and how did they end the war?

Answer 5

Social Democrats, they signed the armistice

Question 6

What did the treaty of Versailles involve? (9 terms)

Answer 6

£6.6billion reparations, German colonies handed over to the League of Nations, German troops were allowed to be placed in the Rhineland, wealthy German areas given away such as the coalfields of Silesia, no submarines, no Air Force, army of 100,000, navy of 6 ships and 15000 men

Question 7

According to the Weimar constitution, how often was a president elected and what would they control? (4)

Answer 7

Every 7 years, controlled the army, navy, Air Force, proportional representation

Question 8

Why was hyperinflation triggered?

Answer 8

German goverment had to print more money to pay strikers which decreases its value if the country does not have that amount in gold supplies, fewer goods produced due to invasion of the Ruhr, more money printed to pay reparations

Question 9

In 1929 how much did an egg cost?

Answer 9

80 million marks

Question 10

What were the 6 positive impacts of hyperinflation?

Answer 10

People with debt or mortgages could pay them off easily, businessmen with loans could pay them off easily, foreigners could exchange dollars or pounds for millions of marks and could afford things ordinary Germans could not, the value of payments for people who rented property fell, exporters goods became cheaper for their customers, farmers could increase the price of their goods, wages rose

Question 11

What did the Greater Berlin Act involve and when was it?

Answer 11

1920. Made Berlin third largest city in the world and established it as the centre of German culture

Question 12

What did Germany lose due to its land loss?

Answer 12

50% of its iron and 15% of its coal reserves

Question 13

What percentage of seats did extreme left wing and right wing parties have in the Reichstag in the 1920 elections?

Answer 13

20% of seats each

Question 14

What percentage of seats did the three main moderate parties (democrats, social democrats and centre party) have in the Reichstag in the 1920 elections?

Answer 14

45% down from 77%

Question 15

Why did the French invade the Ruhr?

Answer 15

In December 1922 Germany failed to send coal to France from the Ruhr coalfields as they were supposed to do under the reperations agreement

Question 16

What 3 things did the invasion of the Ruhr increase?

Answer 16

Unemployment, shortage of goods, Germany’s debts

Question 18

What was the equivalent in marks to 1 dollar in 1914?

Answer 18

4 marks

Question 19

What was the equivalent in marks to 1 dollar in January 1923?

Answer 19

17,972 marks

Question 20

What were two weaknesses of the Weimar government?

Answer 20

It was a coalition meaning there was more than one ideology (making it difficult to pass laws), republic made no attempt to change traditional institutions like the army and judiciary (therefore lacked legitimate strength because the government needs support of the army to be strong)

Question 21

What was the equivalent in marks to 1 dollar in November 1923?

Answer 21

4.2 billion

Question 22

EVENTS OF GERMAN REVOLUTION 2: What happened on 4th Nov 1918?

Answer 22

40,000 sailors there set up a workers and soldiers council and took over the dockyard which sparked similar revolts in Hamburg, Brennan and Lübeck

Question 23

EVENTS OF GERMAN REVOLUTION 3: What happened on 7th November 1918?

Answer 23

In Bavaria thousands of workers led by Kurt Eisner marched on Munich. King Ludwig III left the country. Eisner set up a workers and peasants council.

Question 24

How many kings, princes and dukes across Germany feared similar revolts to that led by Kurt Eisner?

Answer 24

Four kings, five dukes, twelve princes

Question 25

How many German troops died since 1914?

Answer 25

2 million

Question 26

Who were the Allies?

Answer 26

Britain France Russia USA

Question 27

What were the 2 causes of the German revolution?

Answer 27

Public hardship, defeat in war

Question 28

What 3 things did public hardship involve?

Answer 28

Allied navies blockading German coast, preventing imports of basic supplies (food), deadly influenza infection spread through Europe in August 1918

Question 29

What were two effects of the German revolution?

Answer 29

Armistice, new government

Question 30

What 4 things did the armistice involve?

Answer 30

Forced Germany to withdraw from all land they had won in the war, pull its troops 48km back inside its border with France, surrender its munitions and put its navy under Allied control

Question 31

What did the new government involve?

Answer 31

Social democrat party formed a new government and Friedrich Ebert became chancellor, by mid 1919 new rules for governing the country were agreed and the new German state became known as the Weimar Republic

Question 32

What percentage of its land did Germany lose due to the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 32

10%

Question 33

Who was the area ‘Alsace-Lorraine’ given to?

Answer 33

France

Question 34

What did proportional representation involve?

Answer 34

Political parties were allocated the same proportion of seats to the number of votes they got

Question 35

In what 4 ways did German workers react to the occupation of the Ruhr?

Answer 35

Passive resistance (not cooperating, refusing demands), strikes, factories set on fire, sabotaged pumps in mines so they did not work

Question 36

What were the 4 negative effects of hyperinflation?

Answer 36

Pensions became worthless, savings lost all value, wages could not keep up with the price rise of goods, people burnt notes because it was cheaper than buying coal

Question 37

What were the three options for the Weimar government to deal with inflation?

Answer 37

Raise taxes, print more money, borrow more money