Weimar Flashcards
What are the key events that led to German defeat in 1918?
March 1918 supreme command of the Imperial German Army launched attack against British + French troops in France.
At first = successful, made some significant gains. However, sheer war weariness of German Army + growing strength of allies (could draw on American troops) = German advance ground to a halt.
Then allies turn to advance, by September, Germans = full retreat.
Who is Erich Von Ludendorff?
A general/ army’s chief of staff, who told Field Marshal Von Hindenburg and the German chancellor that the war was lost
What did Ludendorff want out of the armistice?
Urged the creation of a more democratic regime
He hoped it would convince Washington that the German’s were serious about making peace
What happened during negotiations of the armistice?
Many Germans welcomed peace
Some sections of army still fighting- led to widespread uprisings across Germany
Workers and soldiers councils made
Kaisers government rapidly losing control of situation.
Who was Wilhelm II?
A German emperor who abdicated on the 9th November
What happened after Wilhelm II was abdicated?
The power was passed to a council of People’s Representatives under Friedich Ebert, leader of the SPD (Social Democratic Party)
What were the priorities of the council of People’s Representatives?
Sign the armistice
Restore order and avoid a full scale revolution- they felt that getting rid of the Kaiser and ending war was enough
Change the way Germany is governed in order to make it a Democratic Republic
When was the armistice signed and by who?
11th November 1918
Representatives of Ebert’s council alongside the allies were responsible for signing the armistice- ending WW1
‘The November Criminals’
What was suggested as a basis for the armistice?
Woodrow Wilson’s ‘14 Points’
Germany were not involved in deciding the terms
The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for world peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. The principles were outlined in a January 8, 1918 speech on war aims and peace terms to the United States Congress by President Woodrow Wilson.
What is proportional representation?
the % of votes = number of seats in the Reichstag
What were some of the key strengths of the Weimar Republic, despite it’s weaknesses?
All Germans aged 20+ could vote (even women!)- better than Britain
Proportional representation can be considered negative, although it did demonstrate democracy, which is what Germany had to do after losing the war
What are some of the key weaknesses of Weimar?
Article 48- can be misused and cause issues due to it’s lack of rule around it and can only be used by the president
Proportional Representation- too many small parties and no overall majority
When were the German delegations to the peace treaty summoned to Paris?
7th May 1919- essentially draft terms of the treaty
How long were Germany given to respond to the Diktat?
21 days
What is a Diktat?
A dictated peace- signed on the 28th July 1919
What were the key elements of the TOV?
When is the treaty signed?
LAMB - Treaty of Versailles- June 1919
Land- Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
Germany split into two to give Poland access to the Baltic Sea
Saar coalfield was under control of the League of Nations for 15 years before a plebiscite (referendum)
Upper Silesia coal and steel works given to Poland
Danzig made a free city
Armaments- reduced to 100,000 soliders no air force no submarines and tanks no conscription 15,000 sailors 6 battleships
Money- Reparations bill to cover family allowances and pensions for the wounded ( for allies! )
Set in May 1921 at £6.6 billion
Blame- Article 231- War Guilt Clause
Germany and her allies were responsible for starting the war
Increase in Communist uprisings during this period
What are the economic consequences for the end of the war and the Treaty of Versailles?
The GB naval blockade had ruined the German export trade
The government was £2507 billion marks in debt by November 1918
War expenditure was financed by loans and printing money rather than taxation
Inflation increased and prices rose by 250%
What are the political consequences for the end of the war and the Treaty of Versailles?
The Weimar Republic was blamed for signing the Treaty of Versailles
November criminals- forever associated with the hatred of the Treaty of Versailles
Reinforced ‘stab in the back’ myth
What are the social consequences for the end of the war and the Treaty of Versailles?
The middle class and those on fixed incomes (pensioners) lost out on interest on the savings
Owners of war industries made lots of money
People looked to extremist groups for solutions
What are the key aspects of the political spectrum?
Far left- Dictatorship- appeals to lower classes (workers) equality, social change, distribution of wealth (communist)
Centre left- Democratic and appeals to everyone
Centre- Democratic and appeals to everyone
Centre right- democratic and appeals to rich or nationalistic
Far right- dictatorship and appeals to rich and nationalistic (Nazis) capitalism, personal liberty, private property
Who were the Red Bavaria and what did they do?
An uprising from the left
7th November 1918, the first anniversary of the Russian October Revolution
Kurt Eisener declared Bavaria a free state and he was a member of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD)
The USPD stood for the creation of a radical socialist society, but within a democratic framework
After the German Revolution of 1918-19, the left-wing movement were in a state of confusion
The moderate socialists of the SPD were committed to parliamentary democracy
The Communists (KPD) pressed for a workers revolution
The USPD stood for the creation of a radical socialist society
The situation became clearer when in 1920, the USPD disbanded and the vast majority of it’s members joined the KPD or SDP
From this time there were two left-wing alternative parties, but with fundamental differences
What was the Sparticist Uprising and what did they do?
left wing uprising
In January 1919, the Weimar Government led by President Friedrich Ebert and his Social Democratic Party, was challenged by a group of revolutionaries called the Spartacists.
The Sparticists were communists who wanted to have Germany run by the working classes
They believed that power and wealth should be shared equally among the population
They wanted to replicate the Russian Revolution of 1917 by:
overthrowing the central government
establishing soviets (workers’ and soldiers’ councils) in place of central government in German towns and cities
using violent methods
The Spartacists were led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.
January 1919, 50,000 workers went on strike and demonstrated in the centre of Berlin. This demonstration was taken over by the Spartacist leadership. Newspaper and communication buildings were seized and the demonstrators armed themselves. However, many protesters returned home frustrated at the lack of planning by the Spartacists.
The Government, which had moved to Weimar to avoid the violence, employed the Freikorps to put down the rising. The Freikorps were ex-army soldiers who hated the communists. Over 100 workers were killed during what became known as ‘Bloody Week’. Afterwards, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg were arrested and executed. The communists and many of Germany’s working class developed a hatred of the Social Democrats.
What was the German October and what did they do?
an insurrection during the Weimar Republic in Germany. It was started on 23 October 1923 by one of the most militant sections of the Hamburg district Communist Party (KPD), the KP Wasserkante. From a military point of view, the attempt was futile and it was over within 24 hours. Rebels stormed 24 police stations, 17 in Hamburg and seven in Schleswig-Holstein Province in Prussia. Over 100 people died during the uprising. The exact details of the uprising, as well as the assessment of its impact, are controversial to this day.
The economic situation of the population was rapidly deteriorating and by autumn 1923 hyperinflation was at its peak, which brought gains in popularity to the Communist Party.
The Uprising claimed at least 100 lives and more than 300 were injured. Of the dead were 17 police officers, 24 rebels and 61 innocent bystanders. There were 1,400 people arrested. I
What was the Kapp Putsch and what did they do?
In March 1920, Wolfgang Kapp, a right-wing journalist, opposed all that he believed Ebert stood for, especially after what he believed was the humiliation of the TOV
Kapp was assisted by General Luttwitz who led a group of Freikorps men. On March 13th, 1920, Luttwitz seized Berlin and proclaimed that a new right of centre nationalist government was being established with Kapp as chancellor
Ebert left the capitial, (shows weakness), and met with gov.t in Dresden. He then called a general strike to paralyse the movement of those who supported Kapp and Luttwitz
Had the support of Ludendorff but not the rest of the German army.
K and L fled Berlin on March 17th
The five days of the Kapp Putsch are of importance as they showed that:
The government could not enforce its authority even in its own capital The government could not put down a challenge to its authority Only the mass power of a general strike could re-establish Ebert’s authority.
However, the success of this strike does indicate that the people of Berlin were willing to support Ebert’s government rather than a right-wing government lead by Kapp. In this sense, it can be argued that Ebert had the support of Berliners. A counter-argument to this is that Ebert was irrelevant to the Berliners thinking – they simply wanted no more trouble in their capital after experiencing the Spartacists/Communist rebellion in 1919. Peace was more important than political beliefs.
What was the Munich Putsch and what did they do?
In November 1923, Hitler tried to take advantage of the crisis facing the Weimar government by instigating a revolution in Munich. It seemed like the perfect opportunity, but poor planning and misjudgement resulted in failure and the subsequent imprisonment of Adolf Hitler.
Hitler collected his storm troopers and told them to be ready to rebel.
But then, on 4 October 1923, Kahr and Lossow called off the rebellion. This was an impossible situation for Hitler, who had 3,000 troops ready to fight.
On the night of 8 November 1923, Hitler and 600 storm troopers burst into a meeting that Kahr and Lossow were holding at the local Beer Hall. Waving a gun at them, Hitler forced them to agree to rebel - and then let them go home. The SA took over the army headquarters and the offices of the local newspaper
The next day, 9 November 1923, Hitler and his Nazis went into Munich on what they thought would be a triumphal march to take power.
However, Kahr had called in police and army reinforcements. There was a short scuffle in which the police killed 16 Nazis.
Hitler fled, but was arrested two days later.
Imprisoned for 5 years but only served 9 months, wrote Mein Kampf
What was set during May 1921?
The Reparations bill at £6.6 billion
Weimar government then resigns and a new Z-SPD-DP coalition determines a policy of ‘fufillment’
What happens in Autumn 1921?
The first reparations payment is made but there are still no plans to stabilise the currency or cut expenditure/increase taxes
It becomes inevitable that Germany will default
What happens in January 1923?
Germany defaults on the payments of timber and coal (failure to pay)
French and Belgium troops immediately occupy the Ruhr and Passive Resistance begins
