Weimar Germany Flashcards
What government came into power after WW1 in Germany?
The new Provisional Government led by Freidrich Ebert of the Social Democratic Party.
What was the first action of the new government?
To agree on Germany’s unconditional ceasefire on 11 November 1918. This brought WW1 to an end.
What did the new state become known as after the German national assembly met in Weimar?
The Weimar Republic.
A new constitution was drawn up in Weimar. What were the terms under the constitution?
- Germany formally became a democratic republic.
- A President would be elected by universal suffrage and would remain in office for a seven-year term. The President would be responsible for appointing the Chancellor (Prime Minister).
- The German Chancellor would lead the government and select the cabinet of ministers.
- Parliament was represented under two houses:
-Reichstag:Lower house, served as the national assembly and was responsible for legislation.
-Reichstrat: Upper house, members were appointed by the governments of various German states. - Article 48 granted the President emergency decree powers.
Under Article 48, the President was granted emergency decree powers. Why was this an issue?
Emergency decree powers allowed the President to introduce emergency measures in certain situations without the consent of the Reichstag. This greatly undermined the legitimacy of the Reichstag and contribvuted to the instability of democracy in the Weimar Republic.
Who was the first president of the Weimar Republic?
Freidrich Ebert.
6 points
What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and why was it despised by the German people?
- Germany lost all its colonies.
- The German army was reduced to the level of a defensive force
- Territory was given to France and Belgium in the West.
- In the East, Poland was given West Prussia to allow it access to the sea, known as the Polish Corridor. This meant that East Prussia was cut off from the rest of Germany.
- A War Guilt Clause insisted that Germany was responsijble for starting the war.
- Because of its war guilt, Germany would be required to pay reparations for the damage caused during the war.
The Treaty of Versailles was designed by the Allies (particularly the French) for what purpose?
To keep Germany weak. The Germans referred to it as ‘diktat’ (dictated peace).
What were some of the political difficulties that followed after WW1?
- Proportional representation led to many political parties and frequent changes of government.
- It was very difficult to establish stability or even get laws passed.
- Although it wasn’t their fault, the Weimer government tended to get the blame for the Treaty of Versailles.
- The discontent gave rise to political extreme groups
What were some of the economic problems that Germany faced after WW1?
- After 4 years of war, Germnay was devastated. The country needed to be rebuilt.
- Returning soldiers needed jobs but there was poverty and unemployment.
- After the war, Germany was bankrupt and in debt.
- The rate of inflation rose and the value of the German mark fell.
What was the name of the Communist revolutionary group that emerged after WW1 and who was it led by?
The Spartacist League, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
What happened on the 4th of January 1919?
The Spartacists, led by Rosa Luxemurg and Karl Liebknecht, held demonstrations in Berlin, in the hope of toppling Ebert’s government. However, the Minister of Defence, Gustav Noske used the Freikorps (hired ex-soldiers) ro crush the spartacists. By 15 January the uprising was over and Luxemburg and Liebknecht had been arrested and killed by members of the Freikorps.
What happened in March 1920?
A group of right-wing nationalists and military officers attempted to overthrow the Weimar Republic. Led by Wolfgang Kapp, the Kapp Putsch (coup) secured the support of several groups of Freikorps and parts of the army. On 13 March, members of the Putsch marched on Berlin. In response, Ebert and Noske called on Berlin’s workers to support a general strike and bring Berlin to a halt. This left the putsch leaders powerless: they were unable to govern the city, and Kapp fled to Sweden.
Why was the Ruhr occupied by the French and Belgian governments in 1923?
With Germany unable to repay reparations in hard currency, the French and Belgian governments demanded the value of reparations in raw materials, such as coal and iron. The French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré, with the support of the Belgian government, occupied the industrial region of the Ruhr with the French and Belgian armies in January 1923.
What is hyperinflation?
Situations where the prices of all goods and services rises uncontrollably over a defined time period.
Why did hyperinflation occur in Germany after WW1?
As the Weimer government was struggling to pay the reparations, it began to print money to meet the bill. As well as that, after the occupation of the Ruhr, the Weimer government ordered workers in the Ruhr to go on strike and continued to pay them by printing more money. This led to hyperinflation.
What happened in November 1923?
A small right-wing nationalist movement, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis) launched an unsuccessful putsch in Munich.
5 points
The Stresemann Period 1923-1929
- The golden years of the Weimer Republic.
- In August 1923, Gustav Stresemann became the new Chancellor of the Weimer Republic.
- He wanted to portray himself as a ‘good’ German.
- He wanted to fulfill the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
- From this he hoped Britain and France would revise the Treaty.
The Dawes Plan, 1924
- The Dawes Plan brought an official end to occupation of the Ruhr and allowed Germany a longer period to repay reparations.
- Helped to kick-start Germany’s economic recovery and ensured that reparations were paid on time.
- This restored some international confidence in Germany’s economy and encouraged greater foreign investment.
The Locarno Pact, 1926
- In this pact, Germany agreed to respect its borders with its Western European neighbours.
- The pact also stated that Germany’s eastern border with Poland could be reviewed in the future, leaving the possibility of recovering the Polish Corridor.
The Young Plan
- In 1929, Stresemann helped to negotiate the Young Plan (to succeed the Dawes Plan), which secured a reduction in reparations repyments and allowed Germany a period of 59 years to complete the repayments.
- This helped to ease the anuual burden of reparations payments and allowed the government to defer up to two-thirds of the annual payment, if needed.
8 points
Economic recovery under Stresemann
- Stresemann urged workers in the Ruhr to return to work.
- The new German currency (the Rentenmark) established by Stresemann and regulated by the central bank solved the problem of hyperinflation.
- Confidence returned to the German economy.
- Worldwide economic recovery meant that there were new marktes for German goods abroad.
- The economy prospered and unemplyment was low.
- As prosperity increased, support for the extremists like Communists and Nazis declined.
- Moderate pro-Weimer parties tended to win elcetions.
- Dawes Plan 1924 made reparations payments easier (French troops left the Ruhr as a consequence).
How did the German economy collapse again after the Stresemann Period?
- Stresemann died in October 1929.
- Three weeks later, the Wall Street Crash caused a worldwide economic crisis.
- American banks recalled their loans to Germany.
- The German economy was plunged back into crisis.
What was the Depression?
The Depression, also known as the Great Depression, refers to the wodespread economic and industrial decline following the Wall Street Crash in October 1929. The crash saw the value of stocks collapse, wiping out the savings of millions of people. Many companies were forced to close and world trade went into steady decline. By 1931, the Depression ahd hit Europe and many banks collapsed. To limit the impact of the Depression, governments cut spending, increased taxes, and introduced protectionist trade policies. This led to increased hardship for many people. It was only in the years after WW2 that the world economies started to fully recover.
