The Weimar Republic Flashcards
What was the Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic was Germany’s government from 1919-1933, the period after the first world world until hitlers rise to power
What challenges did the Weimar Republic face?
The main problems were the French invasion of the Ruhr, a general strike, hyperinflation, a number of communist rebellion and an attempted putsch by the Nazis
Why did Germany experience hyperinflation in 1923
Hyperinflation was due to the amount of money had to pay back for the reparations of the war. Also due to a workers strike in the Ruhr they were losing money which resulted in printing more money. When too much money is printed it loses value
What was the french occupation of the Ruhr
In January 1923, the french and Belgian armies sent 60,000 soldiers into the Ruhr(a part of Germany). They wanted to take unpaid reparations for the war and took control of their industries
What were the strengths of the Weimar constitution
One strength was that Germany became a democratic nation, the voting age was reduced from 25 to 21 which meant voting turnout was higher. The Reichstag is selected using a system called proportional representation which means, a party gets one representative for every certain number of votes they get
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution
Due to proportional representation it was easier for smaller parties to gain seats, if there are to many parties it means there is no majority government(where one party holds more than half of the seats)
What is a coalition government
A government where 2 or more parties have joined together to gain a majority in parliament
When was the treaty of Versailles signed
The treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919 to end the First World War
What year was the Spartacist Putsch and why did it happen
It took place in 1919, it happened because the SDP was leading in the Reichstag. They were the moderate left, there where a more extremist left group called the KDP who felt the SDP wasn’t making enough changes to the government. They then attempted a revolt which was unsuccessful
What was the Munich Putsch and when did in take place
The Munich putsch took place on November 1923. The Nazi party and Adolf Hitler led a coalition group in order to overthrow the government. It was unsuccessful and hitler was jailed after attempting escape. But this put Hitler on the political scene for the first time
Who was Gustav Stresemann and how did he help Germany
In 1923 Stresemann took over as Chancellor and made fixes in Germany. He introduces the Rentenmark(a new currency) to reduce hyperinflation, he also convince the French to leave the Ruhr
What was the Dawes plan and what year did it take place
The Dawes plan was made in 1924, it reduces the reparation payments Germany had to make for the war. The allies also let Germany regain all its taken land, the US also loaned Germany 5 billion dollars to help rebuild its economy
What was the Locarno Pact and what year did it take place
The Locarno pact was introduced in 1925, it was an agreement between Germany, France, the Uk, Italy and Belgium not to fight each other anymore
I’m what year did Germany join the League of Nations
Germany joined in 1926
What was the Kellogg- Briand pact and what year did it take place
It was made in 1928, in which France, Germany and the US agreed not to fight each other and solve all disputes peacefully
