Weimar Germany Flashcards
Who led Germany in ww1? And when did he abdicate?
Kaiser Wilhelm II
9th November 1918
Why did the Kaiser abdicate?
Only way to restore order
Initially refused, but had lost the support of the army and people.
What party declared Germany to be a republic?
Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
What was the extreme left communist group in germany after ww1? And what did they want?
KPD- wanted a workers’ revolution
Many Germans feared this
What was the moderate left group in germany after ww1?
SPD - wanted more rights for workers, but not a communist revolution
What was the extreme right nationalist group in germany after ww1? And what did they want?
NSDAP (1920+)
Wanted a right-wing dictatorship
Who became the chancellor after ww1 and when?
9th November 1918
The leader of the SPD became the new Chancellor.
What were the steps in declaring the weimar republic?
A council of people’s representation was created to draw up a new constitution
With support of the army and other politicians moderates were in charge
Agreed to end war (armistice) on 11th November 1918
How did Ebert establish stability?
The army promised to be loyal
He told big businesses there would be no state takeover of industry
Workers and Trade unions were promised reforms (8 hour working day)
Who was the president of germany between 1919 and 1925
Friedrich Ebert (SPD)
What is a constitution?
A set of rules by which Germany would be governed
What were the features of the the president in the Weimar Constitution?
President = head of state
Elected every 7 years.
No role in day-to-day politics
Chose chancellor
Could rule in crisis
What is Article 48?
The president could rule by decree in a crisis
What were the features of the government in the Weimar Constitution?
Chancellor = head of government and chooses government ministers
Cabinet = most important decision makers
What were the features of Parliament in the Weimar Constitution?
Bicameral (Two houses):
REISHSTAG
REICHSTRAT
What were the features of the REICHSTAG in the Weimar Constitution?
Elected every 4 years
Controlled tax
Voted on key laws
What were the features of the REICHSRAT in the Weimar Constitution?
Elected every 4 years.
Represented regions
What were the features of the Electorate in the Weimar Constitution?
Electorate = voters
All men AND women over 21 could vote
Elected Parliament and President
What were the STRENGTHS of the Weimar Constitution?
Article 1 confirmed Germany was a democracy
Voting age reduced from 25
Elected by PR- small parties are represented
Checks and balances
What were the checks and balances within the Weimar Constitution?
President chose chancellor
President and Parliament = elected
Chancellor proposed laws- Reichstag voted on them
Reichsrat could challenge and delay new laws
What were the WEAKNESSES of the Weimar Constitution?
Use of PR = Coalition Governments causing…
Failing governments (9 govts in 4 years)
Slow action
Disagreements
How did the lack of decisive action lead to weakness when responding to a crisis?
Hard to pass laws- chancellor increasingly relied on president’s emergency power from 1930 (ARTICLE 48)
Constitution looked weak- use of article 48 made president seem autocratic
What does autocratic mean?
A ruler that has absolute power
How had the weimar government been established?
By violence, despite being a democracy.
What were the aims of the treaty of versailles?
Allied leaders wanted to punish Germany
What were France’s aims of the treaty of Versailles?
Punishment
Blame
Reparations
Weakened military
Land
What were GB’s aims of the treaty of Versailles?
Punishment
Blame
Security for empire
German trade to be restarted
What were USA’s aims of the treaty of Versailles?
No future wars for US
League of nations
What were the Land terms of the treaty of Versailles?
German land distributed
Not allowed to unite with Austria
Gave Sudetenland to Czech
Rhineland = demilitarised
Captured land and resources returned to France
What were the military terms of the treaty of Versailles?
Navy limited to 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 6 destroyers
No air force
Army limited to 100,000 men
No tanks
No troops in Rhineland
How much money did Germany initially have to pay in reparations? And why?
6.6 Billion
ww1 caused mass destruction to cities in europe.
What were the effects of reparations on germany?
In 1923-24 Germany was printing a lot of money
Caused HYPERINFLATION
German money lost all of its value
What was the Dolchschloss theory?
New government had stabbed the germany army in the back by surrendering and accepting blame
What was Article 231 of the ToV?
The war guilt clause
Total blame for starting the war
What caused the Spartacist uprising?
KPD wanted a communist revolution, funded by USSR and supported by the SPARTACIST LEAGUE
Ebert sacked a popular left-wing police chief in Berlin
Who led the Spartacist League?
Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht
Who were the Freikorps?
Ex-soldiers in germany who still had their weapons
They were very right-wing and were happy to take down communists
What were the events of the spartacist uprising?
W100,000 workers and the spartacist league took over Berlin
They controlled the govt’s newspaper
German army was unable to restore order
Ebert used the Freikorps units to take down the communists
Why did the Spartaist Uprising fail?
Unarmed workers vs battle-experienced men
On 13th Jan streets were cleared of rioters
On 16th Jan Liebknecht shot dead
Luxembourg was beating with a rifle and dumped into a canal.
What were the outcomes of the Spartacist Uprising?
Ebert secured Weimar Republic, but used violence
The Freikorps and right-wing groups were encouraged
When was the SPARTACIST UPRISING?
6th Jan - 16th Jan 1919
What were the causes of the Kapp Putsch?
Ebert disbanded Freikorps as stability had returned
Paramilitaries wanted to keep power and influence
What were the events of the Kapp Putsch?
5000 Freikorps marched on Berlin
Army ordered to stop them but refused and sided with former comrades
Kapp installed as stand-in leader of a new govt
Kaiser invited back
What were the outcomes of the Kapp Putsch?
Left-wing workers went on strike
Gas, electricity, transport, and water stopped
After 4 days Kapp realised he wasn’t popular and tried to flee.
He was arrested and died.
How many politically motivated murders occurred between 1919- 1922?
376
What caused the French occupation of the Ruhr?
German govt was bankrupt, but owed France reparations
France owed debts to USA
In 1922 German govt refused to pay
What happened during the French occupation of the Ruhr?
ToV allowed France to take reparations by force
750,000 heavily armed French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr and German army was limited
France took coal, steel and other products
What was the German govts response to the French occupation of the Ruhr?
Passive resistance - workers in the ruhr went on strike
(Govt still had to pay them increasing debt!)
German govt increased their printing of money to pay wages- HYPERINFLATION
Propaganda
When did the occupation of the ruhr end and why?
August 1925
Stresemann agreed a new deal to pay reparations
What factors caused hyperinflation?
Passive resistance against occupation- Money printed to pay workers
German industry lost money
Lost income from taxes
How was hyperinflation directly caused?
Germany’s wealth based on gold reserves- spent in WW1
Value of German currency plummeted- because money printed to compensate
What is hyperinflation?
Out of control price rises
And a drastic fall in the value of currency
What were the consequences of hyperinflation?
1 loaf of bread = 1 million marks in February 1923
In September 1 loaf > 50 MILLION Marks
Effects of hyperinflation?
Everyday life = impractical
People lit banknotes on fire instead of buying kindling
Money had to be carried in large amounts on trollies
Who benefited from hyperinflation?
People with debts- interest rates couldn’t keep up with inflation
Businesses who took out bank loans
Foreign visitors had huge buying power in Germany.
Who suffered from hyperinflation?
Workers- wages couldn’t keep up with prices
Shopkeepers now exchanged goods instead of taking money
Those with savings
What were the outcomes of hyperinflation?
In 1923 Stresemann appointed chancellor
Stresemann created ‘Rentenmark’ currency in 1923 temporarily
Permanently implemented the Reichsmark currency in 1924
What was the exchange rate between the Rentenmark and the mark?
1 Billion marks = 1 Rentenmark
Who was Gustav Stresemann?
German chancellor and Foreign minister between 1923 and 1929
Died one month before the wall street crash
How did Stresemann solve Germany’s problems?
Reichsmark
Reparations reduced
Ruhr unoccupied
Relations improved
Rebuild Economy
What was the Dawes plan?
(1924)
Reduced the reparations
Germany receives loans from USA
Germany repays GB and France
Allies repay usa for war debt
What was the Young plan?
(1929) American banker Young and Stresemann
Reduces payment to 2 billion gbp.
Germany given 59 years to pay off.
What two plans helped german reparations?
Dawes plan and Young plan
Reparations were now more manageable and less of a threat to german economy
How did Stresemann influence France and Belgium to leave the Ruhr?
Allies were reassured reparations would be paid following Dawes Plan.
Passive resistance ended in 1925
Reparation payments restarted
Why did people hate the Dawes and Young plan?
Many thought Germany shouldn’t be paying any reparations
Stresemann looked WEAK
Why were people against stopping passive resistance and resuming reparation payments?
Extreme right saw this as giving into the French
Very unpopular!
How did Stresemann improve German relations internationally?
1925 Locarno Pact
1926 Germany joined the league of nations
What was the Locarno pact?
Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.
They agreed not to invade each other
Europe = more stable
What was the result of Germany joining the league of nations?
Stresemann got the Noble Peace Price
What were the benefits of the LoN and Locarno Pact?
Germany back on good terms with former enemies
Easier to cooperate economically
War was less likely
What were the drawbacks of the LoN and Locarno Pact?
Stresemann made no attempt to get back German land lost in treaty of versailles
Seen as weak
How did Stresemann rebuild the german economy?
Big loans from USA (Dawes plan)
Boosted German business
Quality of life improved
What were the 1920s referred to in Germany?
‘Golden Twenties’
What were the drawbacks of getting loans from USA?
Germany was no economically dependant on the USA
Not everyone saw improvements
Taxes increased to pay loans
What were the benefits of getting loans from USA?
Quality of life improved for Germans
New homes built
Trade started with European nations (e.g. Britain)
What changes were there in Germany during the ‘Golden Twenties’?
Unemployment and working hours decreased
Wages, housing and war pensions paid to families increased
What changes were there in Germany during the ‘Golden Twenties’ FOR WOMEN?
More women had part time jobs
Women working as doctors doubled between 1925 and 1932
What changes were there in Germany since the Kaiser abdicated FOR WOMEN?
Women were given equal rights and equal voting rights
By 1932 10% of Reichstag deputies were women
WW1 encouraged women to work, women in workplace decreased.
What CULTURAL changes were there in Germany during the ‘Golden Twenties’ FOR WOMEN?
Some maintained traditional roles
New concept of the ‘new Woman’
Role of men in society undermined
What CULTURAL trends were there in Germany during the ‘Golden Twenties’?
Modern art
Art based on objects
Expressionist art
What CULTURAL spreads were there in Germany during the ‘Golden Twenties’?
Government saw value of the arts to economy and happiness.
Money spent on theatres and cinema.
Modernist principles spread- Bauhaus design college popularised the use of simple lines in design.
What NEW ART FORMS were there in Germany during the ‘Golden Twenties’?
Modernist +Expressionist made art more about deeper meanings.
Architecture was effected by Bauhaus design principles
Innovative cinema was encourage by government. By 1932 3,800+ cinemas showed these films with moving pictures and sound.
What backlash did NEW ART FORMS receive in Germany during the ‘Golden Twenties’?
The Left: Communists objected to money spent on art instead of welfare
The Right: Nationalists objected to decline in traditional German art forms
