Weimar Constitution Flashcards
What was Eberts first action as chancellor?
Signed armistice 11th nov
What was the reaction to the armistice?
Right wing thinks he is a coward and that they can’t win the war. New government ministers that were involved are commonly referred to as the November criminals by opponents of the new government
What were Eberts aims following the armistice?
Left wing wants full scale revolution , he wants to avoid this. Right wing do not want democracy, but he planned to reform Germanys political system and make it a democratic republic
Why was his position as chancellor difficult?
Lacked legitimacy as he gained power through the November revolution, was chosen by max of Baden and he stood for democracy yet was not voted in as leader. Lacked authority he had little influence outside Berlin.
What happened to the army post armistice?
Demobilised
Why was the army demobilised?
War over, so there was nothing to do
What was happening to many ex soldiers?
Roaming streets unemployed and disillusioned (not interested in what going on), causing havoc
Who were the uspd and spartacists?
Extreme left wing groups
What didn’t the left want Ebert to be doing without them?
Making decisions (want him to be democratic)
When did Ebert agree to make decisions also be in the authority of the workers and soldiers councils?
22 November 1918
What was wrong with the agreement Ebert made with the councils?
Only Berlin councils, only paying attention to Berlin, only temporary, still needs right wing support
What kind of background did most army officers come from?
Aristocratic
What would the army officers be scared of?
The councils
Who relied on the army now?
The new government
Who made the Ebert-Groener pact?
General Groener and Ebert
What were the terms of the Ebert-Groener pact?
The army would support Eberts government and the government would resist the demands of the councils.
Who didn’t like the groener-Ebert pact?
Leftists, didn’t want Ebert agreeing with the army
What did the Ebert groener pact lead to
Anger! The spartacist uprising January 1919
How many workers went on strike after the Ebert groener pact?
100k
When was the Weimar Constitution introduced?
January 1919
What groups were in a coalition?
SPD, DDP, Centre
What did Ebert become?
President
Who became the new chancellor?
Philipp Scheidemann
How often was a new president elected?
Every 7 years, bad, can’t change for a long time if leader is bad
Who was head of the army?
President
What did article 48 mean?
The president had emergency powers, could pass laws in an emergency without the agreement of the reichstag - not very democratic 😡
How many times did Ebert use his emergency powers from article 48?
136
Who would choose the chancellor?
President
What did the chancellor do?
Pass laws
What did the chancellor need in terms of votes?
The majority
How often were elections?
Every 4 years
Who could vote?
Men and women over 20 (universal male suffrage)
What voting system did the reichstag have?
Proportional representation
What was proportional representation?
Percent votes = percent seats in reichstag
Why was proportional representation good?
All votes counted
Why was proportional representation bad?
Small parties can get in more power -> fragmented!
Which undemocratic institutions survived?
Army, civil service, judiciary
