Weimar Flashcards
The German people referred to the Treaty of Versailles as a “Dolchstoss”: what does this mean?
A “stab in the back”: the Weimar politicians betrayed the German army
What nickname was given to the Weimar politicians who took Germany out of the war?
The November Criminals
What percentage of its population did Germany lose as a result of the Treaty of Versailles?
10 percent
As a result of the Treaty of Versailles, which countries took control of:
Alsace-Lorraine
Eupen and Malmedy
Posen and West Prussia
Northern Schleswig
Alsace-Lorraine: France
Eupen and Malmedy: Belgium
Posen and West Prussia: Poland
Northern Schleswig: Denmark
How many men were allowed in the German army in the Treaty of Versailles?
100,000
How many of the following were Germany allowed in the Treaty of Versailles:
Battleships
Torpedo boats
Submarines
6 battleships
12 torpedo boats
No submarines
What did the Treaty of Versailles state about the Rhineland (German land which bordered France)?
The strip of land was to be demillitarized.
How much did Germany have to pay the allies for physical damage in reparations?
£6.6 bilion
What did Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles state?
War Guilt
Which political party was set up in Germany in December 1918 and backed by the Soviet Union?
The German Communist Party (KPD)
How many members did the KPD have in Germany?
400,000
Who were the Spartacist League?
Extreme socialists from the Independent Socialist Party based in Berlin
Who were the Spartacists’ two leaders?
Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht
Who was sacked on 4 January 1919, triggering a protest from thousands of workers?
Emil Eichhorn, the Berlin police chief
What did the Spartacists call for following the sacking of Emil Eichhorn?
An uprising and a general strike in Berlin
How many workers took to the streets of Berlin on 6 January?
Over 100,000
What did the workers do in Berlin when they took to the streets on 6 January to undermine the government?
Seized the government’s newspaper and telegraph offices
Why did Ebert struggle to put down the Spartacist Revolt?
After the First World War, the army was in no shape to put down the revolt
Who did Ebert turn to to put down the Spartacist Uprising?
The Freikorps - right-wing ex-soldiers who strongly opposed the Communists
How many Freikorps were there by March 1919?
250,000
How long did it take after the general strike began for the workers to be driven off the streets?
One week
How did the Treaty of Versailles make Germany’s economic situation even worse?
It deprived Germany of wealth-earning areas, such as the coalfields in Silesia, and made the German government pay reparations
When did Germany miss a reparations payment for the first time?
December 1922
How did the French respond to the Germans missing a reparations payment?
In January 1923, they sent troops into the German industrial area of the Ruhr
