Weimar Germany: 1919 - 1929 (Topic 1) Flashcards
When did the fighting end with the Armistice?
November 11th 1918
Who set up naval blockades and what did they do?
- The allies
- Naval blockades prevented imports of food and essential goods. By 1918 many people faced starvation
Who ruled the German empire?
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Why was there widespread unrest?
Germans wanted a democracy and an end to the war
Who was Kurt Eisner and what did he do?
- Jewish communist
- Encouraged general uprising which sparked mass strikes in Munich
When was there a public protest in Berlin and what happened?
- November 1918
- Members of SPD (Social Democratic Party) called for the Kaiser’s resignation
When did Kaiser Wilhelm resign?
-Abdicated on the 9th November 1918
Name the temporary national government and what they did after the Kaiser abdicated?
- Council of People’s Representatives
- Made up of the SPD and USPD
- Controlled Germany until January 1919 when elections were held for a new reichstag
Who was the first president of Germany and who was the chancellor?
- President: Friedrich Ebert
- Chancellor: Philip Scheidemann
What was in the Weimar Constitution?
- President: elected every 4yrs. They choose the chancellor and is head of the army. Can call new elections and suspend the constitution
- Reichstag: new German parliament. Members elected every 4yrs using proportional representation
- Reichstrat: less powerful house of parliament. Can delay measures passed by the reichstag
What is proportional representation?
The proportion of seats a party wins in parliament is the same as the proportion of the total votes they win
What 2 key things did the Weimar constitution include?
- Women could vote for the first time
- Voting age lowered to 20: more Germans could vote meaning German public had greater power
What was a weakness of the constitution?
When a decision couldn’t be reached the president could suspend the constitution and pass laws without the Reichstag’s consent.
This power was only to be used in emergencies however it was used to get out of disagreements that took place in the Reichstag.
This meant it undermined the democracy.
What is Article 48?
The presidents ability to force his way through his own decision
When was the treaty of Versailles signed?
June 1919
How did the Germans react to the treaty of Versailles being signed?
They resented the new government for accepting its terms
Who signed the treaty of Versailles?
Ebert
Which ally leaders signed the treaty of Versailles?
- David Lloyd George (Britain)
- Georges Clemenceau (France)
- Woodrow Wilson (USA)
What was article 231 of the treaty?
Germany had to take the blame for the wear (WAR GUILT CLAUSE)
What did the treaty say about a Germany’s armed forces?
- Armed forces: reduced to 100,000 men
- Weren’t allowed armoured vehicles, aircraft or submarines
- Can only have 6 warships
How much money was Germany forced to pay?
- £6600 million in reparations
- Destroyed Germanys economy
What’s a Diktat?
- A treaty forced upon Germany
- Many Germans blamed Ebert for accepting the terms
Who were the ‘November Criminals’?
Weimar politicians involved in signing the armistice.
-Many Germans felt stabbed in the back by Weimar politicians
After the treaty of Versailles, in 1919 what happened?
- Influenza epidemic killed thousands of Germans
- Germans were poor and starving
- The government was weak and ineffective
- Treaty of Versailles made living conditions worse for Germans
