Theme 1: Creation And Collapse Of Weimar Republic

Question 1

Why was there a need for a new constitution?

Answer 1

Kaiser was abdicated in 1918 so a new constitution had to be made

Question 2

What was the hierarchy structure of the Weimar constitution?

Answer 2

• The President
• The Chancellor
• The Reichstag / The Reichstrat

Question 3

How often was the President elected?

Answer 3

Every 7 years

Question 4

What was the role of the President?

Answer 4

Appointed/ dismissed the Chancellor

Question 5

What could the President do (Article 48)?

Answer 5

In an emergency he could make laws without the Reichstag’s consent

Question 6

Who elected the Chancellor?

Answer 6

President

Question 7

What was the Chancellor?

Answer 7

Head of government

Question 8

What could the Chancellor do?

Answer 8

• Work with elected representatives in the Reichstag to pass laws
• they were accountable for the Reichstag

Question 9

How was the Reichstag elected?

Answer 9

• elected every 4 years
• based on proportional representation

Question 10

What was the role of the Reichstrat?

Answer 10

To pass laws

Question 11

What was Article 48?

Answer 11

In an emergency the President could pass laws without the Reichstag’s consent

Question 12

What was the Lander?

Answer 12

Local, regional governments

Question 13

What was the role of the cabinet?

Question 14

What is proportional representation?

Answer 14

Amount of votes you receive equates to the amount of seats you have in the Reichstag

Question 15

What were challenges to the democratic constitution?

Answer 15

• popular militarism
• popular racism
• Treaty of Versailles
• political divisions

Question 16

Challenged faced to democratic constitution: Popular militarism

Answer 16

• German military dominated by aristocracy- hierarchical and had never been democratically accountable
• popular respect for army was an obstacle to the acceptance of democratic views

Question 17

Challenged faced to democratic constitution: Popular militarism- ‘stab in the back’ myth

Answer 17

• undermined new German democracy
• myth asserted that WW1 was not lost by military but the betrayal of socialists, communists, Jews, politicians

Question 18

Challenged faced to democratic constitution: popular racism

Answer 18

• German’s committed to notion that white European civilisation was superior
• Widespread support for colonisation
• anti-semitism

Question 19

Challenged faced to democratic constitution: Treaty of Versailles - L

Answer 19

• Land
• Germany had lost land in Europe and had to give away colonies
• Germany had to give up lots of industrial land
• Germany was not allowed to unite with Austria

Question 20

Challenged faced to democratic constitution: Treaty of Versailles- A

Answer 20

• Army
• Rhineland was demilitarised
• only could have 100,000 soldiers
• not tanks or heavy artillery
• no airforce or submarines

Question 21

Challenged faced to democratic constitution: Treaty of Versailles- M

Answer 21

• money/ reparations
• Germany had to pay the allies so they could rebuild
  132,000 million gold marks

Question 22

Challenged faced to democratic constitution: Treaty of Versailles- B

Answer 22

• Blame
• under the War Guilt Cause (Artivle 231) Germany had to accept full responsibility for starting the war