Weimar and Nazi Germany (The Weimar Republic - pages 1-9) Flashcards
When did WW1 end? (pg. 1)
1918
Who declared Germany a Republic? (pg. 1)
Friedrich Ebert
What party did Ebert belong to? (pg. 1)
Social Democratic Party (became first German President)
What was the impact of WW1 on Germany socially and economically? And what did it lead to? (pg. 1)
- 2 million German troops died
- Government debts increased from 50 billion marks to 150 billion
- 750,000 Germans died due to food shortages
__ - Led to many revolting by striking and rioting
What did Kaiser Wilhelm II do? (pg. 1)
Got abdicated on 9th November 1918
What does ‘Kaiser’ mean? (pg. 1)
Emperor
What was agreed at the armistice? (pg.1)
The Treaty of Versailles - this would become a huge burden for the country
What is in the Treaty of Versailles? (pg. 1) (Think: LAMB)
Land reduced
Army reduced
Money - forced to pay reparations
Blame accepted for starting the war
When was the Weimar Constitution set up? (pg. 2)
31st July 1919
What were the 3 levels of the Weimar Constitution? (pg. 2)
- Head of State (President)
- Government (Chanceller, Cabinet)
- Parliament (Reichstag, Reichsrat)
What did the Chancellor do? Give 2 things (pg. 2)
- Head of government
- Chose all government ministers
What did the Cabinet do? (pg. 2)
-Main decision making body
What did the Reichstag do? (pg. 2)
Control taxation
Give 4 strengths of the Weimar Constitution (pg. 2)
- Women could vote
- Voting age reduced from 25-21
- Proprtional representation ensured small parties had fair share of seats
- No one group or person could hold too much power
Give 3 weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution (pg. 2)
- Unpopular as it wasn’t the choice of the people
- Lack of strong government led to weakness in a crisis that ended up passing laws without Reichstag consent
- Proportional representation led to unstable governments, often falling apart
What made the Weimar Republic weak from the start? What were they nicknamed because of this? (pg. 3)
Treaty of Versailles - many Germans felt betrayed that they signed it
__
- ‘November Criminals’
Who were the left-wing opposition group? Where were they from, led by and backed by? (pg. 4)
The Spartacists
__
- Came from Independent Socialist Party, Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, backed by USSR
What did the Spartacists do January 1919? (pg. 4)
Took over governments newspaper and telegraph bureau to attempt a strike in Berlin
Led to street fighting for a few days, however Weimar government stopped it and shot leaders