Weimar Germany

Question 1

What is proportional representation and how was it utilised in The Weimar Republic

Answer 1

The percentage of votes a party received related to the percentage of seats they got in the Reichstag, for example if a party got 20% of votes they would get 20% of seats

Question 2

What was the role of the president in the Weimar Republic

Answer 2

Head of state and elected every 7 years

Question 3

What was the role of the chancellor in Weimar Republic

Answer 3

Head of government, in charge of day-to-day looking after the country

Question 4

What was the revolution from above

Answer 4

It was when Kaiser Willheilm the 3rd created a democratic government at the end of WW1 in order to be treated more fairly by the allies. Prince Max of Baden was appointed chancellor. It was the first time in German history a government was accountable for the Reichstag.

Question 5

What was the Ebert-Groener Pact

Answer 5

The deal was made by the new chancellor Ebert and the head of the army general groener. The deal was aimed at preventing further revolutionary change and it allowed the army to keep their power and influence. In return the army had to support the new republic. The army helped crush the left wing Spartacist revolt in Jan 1919 but their loyalty was questioned when Germany faced threats from extreme Right wing Freikorp nationalists aitst in 1920.

Question 6

What were the Impacts of WW1 on Germany

Answer 6

2 milllion dead, 6 million injured. The war cost Germany millions and the German currency lost 75% of its value. Supplies were difficult to obtain in Germany. 121,000 civilians died of hypothermia and starvation in 1916. This increased to 293,000 in 1918.

Question 7

What were the strength of the constitution in the Weimar Republic

Answer 7

. Weimar government was a parliamentary democracy
. Chancellor was chosen by the president
. The chancellor and government had to have the support of the Reichstag
. German regions were treated equally
. Proportional representation meant even very small parties still got some seats in Reichstag

Question 8

What were the weaknesses of the constitution in Weimar Germany

Answer 8

. Many political parties were in-capable of working together or even co-operating as a result of huge political differences between them
. Artics 48 gave the president emergency power to pass laws without the permission of the Reichstag

Question 9

What was in the constitution of the Weimar Republic

Answer 9

. Everyone over the age of 20 could vote in elections for Reichstag, president and local elections
The president was elected every 7 years, had the power to dissolve the Reichstag, had the power to appoint and dismiss the Chancellor
. Reichstag was elected every 4 years

Question 10

What impacts did the treaty of Versailles have on the Weimar Republic

Answer 10

. Pay 6,6 billion in reparations
. Rhineland become a dem-militarised zone
. Max 100,000 solider army, no airforce
. Had to take the blame for WW1
. Union with Austria was prohibited
. Large industries were lost 48% iron ore, 16% coal, 15% of agriculture

Question 11

What was the difference between moderate and extreme left wing groups

Answer 11

Extreme left wings groups were referred to as communists, wanted to ban all private ownership of businesses. They wanted a violent revolution to get rid of big businesses. Everyone would be forced top be equal

Moderate left wings groups were referred to as socialists, wanted more power for working class. Wanted higher taxes on rich business owners, wanted business profits to be shared equally. Believed in democracy and freedom of speech. Argued for increased spending on welfare and benefits for poorer people in society

Question 12

What problems did the treaty of Versailles cause

Answer 12

Between 1914-1918 Government borrowed 150 billion marks, could only raise 8 million marks in tax so they couldn’t pay their debt.

By 1919 1,1 million people were unemployed and 6 million people left the army after 1919

Question 13

What occurred during the invasion of the Ruhr

Answer 13

. In 1922 Germany did not pay reparations to France and Belguim
. Belgium and France got impatient and sent troops into the Ruhr
. Germany couldn’t do anything about it and when the French arrived they began to take whatever they wanted
. In response German government told workers to strike, calling it passive resistance
. The German government ended up printing more and more money to pay workers, leading to hyperinflation crisis

Question 14

What were some of the impacts of the hyperinflation crisis

Answer 14

. Savers lost all of their savings
. People on fixed incomes struggled because their income didn’t change but the money they were payed became useless
. People resorted to pithier ways for paying for goods like swapping watches and jewellery for food.
. The rich did quite well from the situation, they could pay of big loans very easily. Many poor and middle class struggled from the crisis

Question 15

What extremist ideas did the Weimar government get from the extreme right

Answer 15

They believed in ‘ stab in the back myth’
Did not like democracy
Wanted a single strong leader
Hated treaty of Versailles
Hated extreme left
Wanted a sterling army

Question 16

What occurred during the Kapp Putsch 1920

Answer 16

.12000 nationalistic Freikorp members marched into Berlin to try and overthrow the government
. Lead by Wolfgang Cap
. The army refused to defend the government saying ‘ troops didn’t fire on troops’
. It only failed due to the government ordering workers in major cities to strike
. The government was restored after 4 days and only 1 person was ever punished

Question 17

What was education like in the Weimar Republic

Answer 17

. School law of 1920 created a single type of elementary school
. Grammer schools were faced out
. Education stayed the Same as it was before the war
. All schools were owned by the state except private schools

Question 18

What was life like for Woman in Weimar Germany

Answer 18

. November 1918 woman were granted the right to vote
. Treated more equally in society
. Had a dominant force in the work place during the war
. After the war they began to get more jobs such as lawyers and doctors
. Payed 33% less than male co-workers
. New woman went to bars and nightclubs, cut hair shorts and smacked cigarettes

Question 19

What was cultural experimentation like in Weimar Germany

Answer 19

.Architecture was influenced by Bahous college
.nightlife was popular
. German expressionism- painting and film making
. Films were made on a low budget

Question 20

What were attitudes towards minorities like in Weimar Germany

Answer 20

. Mainly excepted- their was low level discrimination
. Jewish population was only 1% of total in 1918. Most Jews lived in cities and had big influence on culture and politics
. Jews and communists were blamed for the treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression
. Race theories and eugenics were common
. Nationalists adopted anti-Semitic attitudes

Question 21

Impacts of the Great Depression: unemployment

Answer 21

.Unemployment rose to 6 million in 1932
. Chancellor Müllers government tried to raise unemployment benefits but this fell throw
. The next chancellor Brüning (1930-1932) tried to cut spending and raise taxes, this did not help.

Question 22

Impacts of the Great Depression : rise in extremism

Answer 22

. Many working class Germans were attracted to the idea of the communist party, the KPD. They achieved 13.1% and 77 seats in the 1930 election. The communists wanted to make Germany more equal and take land from the rich. This terrified upper and middle class Germans as they thought they may suffer the same fate as many their Russian counterpoints in 1917, who had been forced to leave or killed. This interim drove up support for the nazi party

. The Nazi vote was 18.3% and 103 seats in the Reichstag in 1930. This increased to 37% and 230 seats in 1932. Hitler was a big reason for this with his speeches and leadership. Goebells lead Nazi propaganda and was very effective. The SA fought the communist on the streets and convinced Germany that only the Nazis could stand up to the communists.

Question 23

Impact of the Great Depression : government fails

Answer 23

. Chancellor Brüning failed too get support of the Reichstag on his decisions often and had to rely on articulate 48s emergency power.