Weimar Constitution

Question 1

German left-wing parties

Answer 1

SPD - moderate, USPD - raices
dical, KPD - communist
working class typically voted for these parties
greater economic and social equality
wealth redistribution
more taxation to spend on public services
greater workers’ rights

Question 2

German centre parties

Answer 2

DDP, BVP, Zentrum (Z) - catholic parties with wide range of supporters who were generally pro-Weimar
liberal ideas - individual and economic freedom
equal distribution of wealth
some taxation on public services

Question 3

German right-wing parties

Answer 3

DVP, DNVP
conservative
preferred authoritarian leaders
low taxation
traditional values
less equality
most supported monarchy

Question 4

spartacist revolt

Answer 4

USPD - left government in Dec 1918
Spartacist revolt - took Berlin from 4th to 15th of Jan, 1919
it was suppressed by the army and freikorps, supported by Ebert - over 100 workers killed
Ebert’s actions - divided left wing parties
KPD never forgave SPD
USPD split, with some going SPD and others KPD

Question 5

Elections - Jan. 1919

Answer 5

for German Constituent Assembly
boycotted bt KPD
77% voted in favour of the constitution
SPD - 38%
Z and BVP - 20%
DDP - 19%

Question 6

Reichstag = parliament

Answer 6

democratic, parliamentary republic

everyone over 20 could vote every 4 years for new parliament, and every 7 for new president

Question 7

Political Representation

Answer 7

gave influence to minority views, encouraged political participation - usually resulted in coalition

Question 8

government changes

Answer 8

more frequent than every 4 years, and government change didn’t necessarily mean an election

Question 9

Lander (local states)

Answer 9

ran major services, e.g. eduction and police

federal government could intervene in Lander in an emergency

Question 10

Reichsrat

Answer 10

second chamber of federal government
67 members from 17 lander
Reichsrat advised reichstag and rejected new law
could be overruled by reichstag

Question 11

Chancellor

Answer 11

party leader
could persuade other parties to work with them
lots of compromise involved
deals could break down

Question 12

President

Answer 12

elected every 7 years

powers - appointing/dismissing chancellor, dissolving reichstag, calling new elections, commanding army

Question 13

Article 48

Answer 13

in emergencies, article 48 was invoked, allowing president to rule by decree
reichstag had to be informed of measures taken under article 48 and could revoke them
‘emergency’ was never defined or specified