Was the Weimar Republic doomed from the start?

Question 1

What is dolchstoss?

Answer 1

Many people believed the signing of the armistice was a ‘stab in the back’.

Question 2

Who was in charge of the Weimar Republic and what was Article 48?

Answer 2

The President was elected by the people. Article 48 gave the President the power to make laws without approval from the Reichstag in times of emergency.

Question 3

Who appoints the Chancellor?

Answer 3

The President appoints the Chancellor.

Question 4

Who elected the MPs for the Reichstag?

Answer 4

The German people elected the Reichstag through proportional representation.

Question 5

What new rights were the German people given by the Weimar Republic?

Answer 5

All men and women over 20 years were given the right to vote. The ‘Bill of Rights’ guaranteed all German citizens freedom of speech + religion, and equality under the law.

Question 6

What were the territorial terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 6

• Lost 7 territories➡️Lost 13% of land= 6 million people.
• Lost overseas colonies.
• ‘Polish corridor’ given to Poland.
• Rhineland occupied for 15 years.
• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France.

Question 7

What were the military terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 7

• Army limited to 100,000 soldiers.
• Air force disbanded.
• Navy limited to 15,000 sailors and 6 battleships.

Question 8

What were the economic terms of Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 8

• Lost 15% of agricultural land.
• Reparations of £6,600 million.
• Lost 10% of industry.

Question 9

What is diktat?

Answer 9

Many people believed Germany had been forced to sign and accept the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 10

How was the Treaty of Versailles unfairly harsh?

Answer 10

• Military restrictions➡️Left Germany defenceless.
• Territorial losses➡️Split Germany in two.
• Lost resources➡️Harder to pay reparations.

Question 11

When was the Sparticist uprising and who led it?

Answer 11

January 1919. Luxembourg and Liebnecht.

Question 12

What happened during the Sparticist uprising and why did it fail?

Answer 12

• Aim to overthrow government➡️Make Germany communist.
• Sparticists occupied buildings, organised strikes and created workers councils.
• Government used Freikorps as an armed force➡️equipped with modern weaponry➡️Uprising crushed in 7 days.

Question 13

Who were the Freikorps?

Answer 13

Right wing, anti-communist, ex-army.

Question 14

When was the Kapp Putsch and who led it?

Answer 14

March 1920. Led by Dr Wolfgang Kapp.

Question 15

What happened during the Kapp Putsch and why did it fail?

Answer 15

• Aim to overthrow government➡️Set up right wing government.
• 5,000 led into rebellion➡️Army refused to fire on them.
• German workers declared a strike➡️No transport, power or water.
• Kapp ran, was hunted down and imprisoned.

Question 16

Why did the German Republic need to sign the armistice?

Answer 16

October 1918- Army was weak➡️Starvation and riots.

9th November- Kaiser abdicated. Germany was losing the war.

Question 17

Why did the French and Belgian invade the Ruhr in January 1923?

Answer 17

Germany had fallen behind in reparation payments. They intended to take what was owed to them in the form of raw materials and goods.

Question 18

How did the government respond to the invasion of the Ruhr?

Answer 18

The government told the workers to follow a policy of “passive resistance” (strike). The government still paid the workers, which cost them a lot of money.

Question 19

How did the invasion of the Ruhr cause hyperinflation?

Answer 19

The government couldn’t pay the workers so they printed more money. This made the value ⬇️ and the prices ⬆️.

Question 20

Who were better off from hyperinflation?

Answer 20

• People in debt➡️Paid off debts easily.
• Big businessmen➡️Bought small businesses, benefitted from exporting goods.

Question 21

Who lost out because of hyperinflation?

Answer 21

• People with savings➡️Money they’d saved became worthless.
• Pensioners➡️Pensions stayed the same, value went down.
• Workers paid weekly/monthly➡️By the time they received their pay, the money was worthless.

Question 22

Who was appointed Chancellor in August 1923?

Answer 22

Gustav Stresemann.

Question 23

How did Stresemann stop hyperinflation?

Answer 23

1. Sent the workers back to work.
2. Sept 1923 reparation payments resume.
3. Nov 1923 new currency (Rentenmark) introduced.

Question 24

When was the Munich Putsch?

Answer 24

8-9th November 1923.

Question 25

During Stresemann’s Era, how did the economy improve/fail?

Answer 25

✅Germany given more time to pay reparations.

✅$800 million borrowed from America to boost economy.

✅Introduced the new Rentenmark.

✅Introduced reforms to help people.

❌Depended on American loans.

Question 26

During Stresemann’s Era, how did the foreign policy improve/fail?

Answer 26

✅Germany joined League of Nations in 1926.

✅Stresemann began working on loosening the terms of the T.O.V.

✅Signed Lorcano Treaty➡️Set out borders between Germany and France.

❌Agreed to the loss of Alsace-Lorraine.

❌Nationalists and Communists attacked the Lorcano Treaty.

Question 27

During Stresemann’s Era, how did the culture improve/fail?

Answer 27

✅Developments in architecture, art, books, films and cabaret.

✅’Golden Age’ for cinemas.

✅Sexual liberation and independence for women.

✅Free expression of ideas.

✅Night life.

❌Moral decline in some views.

Question 28

During Stresemann’s Era, how did political opposition improve/fail?

Answer 28

✅Nationalists and Fascists didn’t win many seats.

✅WR became more stable by setting up the Great Coalition.

✅No more attempted uprisings.

✅Less support for the Nazis.

❌Great Coalition collapsed.

❌Nationalists and Fascists still allowed to exist and campaign.

❌30% opposition votes.

❌Nazis became more respectable.