Weimar Germany

Question 1

What was Germany like before 1919?

Answer 1

Before 1919 Germany had been under the control of Kaiser Wilhelm II and was virtually a dictatorship.

Question 2

What was the issue with the Government?

Answer 2

There was a Reichstag but it could not make laws and did not appointment the Government

Question 3

What led to the abdication of the Kaiser?

Answer 3

The First World War:

Germany sank into great defeat and the government fell apart. The navy mutinied and there were food riots across Germany. German leader were forced to sign the Armistice as a means of ensuring some sort of peace in Germany and in NOV 1918 the Kaiser fled to the Netherlands.

Question 4

What were the first good qualities of the new Weimar Republic?

Answer 4

It was a very good democracy; it had a Bill of Rights to protect the freedoms of the people and it gave the vote to all men and women over the age of 21. Proportional representation meant that MPs elected exactly as people wanted.

Question 5

Who was the first President of the WR?

Answer 5

Frederick Ebert

Question 6

What was the inevitable problem with the new Gov?

Answer 6

It received threats from the left and the right

Question 7

What was the Left Threat?

Answer 7

The communists hated the new Government and didn’t want a democracy. They wanted a dictatorship of the workers which would allow for a Communist Revolution.

Question 8

What happened in 1919 with regard to the Threat from the Left?

Answer 8

In 1919, Sparticists, rebelled against the Government with Luxembourg as leader. INSTABILITY IN EBERT’S GERMANY

Question 9

What was the Right Threat in Germany?

Answer 9

The German army hadn’t surrendered to the Allies; the German government had; many felt they had been betrayed by weak politicians. November Criminals.

Question 10

Why were the right wing revolutionaries even more angry?

Answer 10

They came to learn of the HARSH terms of the Treaty of Versailles inflicted on Germany in June 1919

Question 11

What was the main right wing rebellion?

Answer 11

Kapp Putsch in 1920 in Berlin was a nationalist attack on the government; they attacked politicians and set up parliamentary groups which terrorized their neighborhoods. Kapp and Freikorps seized power in Berlin - army refused to fire on them.

Question 12

How did the German people help defeat the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 12

Factory workers striked which meant that there was no production of gas, water or coal. After 4 days Kapp knew he wouldn’t win so fled.

Question 13

How did Ebert further fail to deal with opposition?

Answer 13

In 1922 the Foreign Minister Rathenau was murdered by extremists and in 1923 Hitler attempted the Munich Putsch.

Question 14

What were the effects of the proportional representation in the new Republic that at first seemed synonymous with peace?

Answer 14

It led to the election of many small parties all of which squabbled with each other and each others aims. No gov got the majority in the Reichstag and so, laws could never be passed

Question 15

What was the impact of the ToV in Germany?

Answer 15

The Treaty of Versailles had a great economic impact in Germany; it meant that Germany in having to pay such high reparations, was weakened and was unable to do so.

Question 16

What was the French invasion of the Ruhr?

Answer 16

Germany fell behind on reparations so Fr and Bel soldiers entered the Ruhr and took what was owed to them in the form of raw materials and goods.

Question 17

How did the German people save Ebert’s Germnay yet again?

Answer 17

They held a passive resistance against the invaders –> no food and economy ultimately ground to a halt

Question 18

How did the French react to this strike?

Answer 18

Harshly; killed about 100 men and expelling 100,000 protesters in reprisal

Question 19

What was the result of the strike in Germany?

Answer 19

It meant that the Germany economy fell into ruins but also that the gov tried to solve situation by printing more money - HYPERINFLATION

Strikes and revolts all over Germany and rebellion of Communists. Even let Nazis test out their power in the Munich Putsch.

Question 20

How did Stresemann help the situation?

Answer 20

He set up treaties with other countries to improve the situation in Germany

Locarno 1925 and Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928

Dawes Plan in 1924 - loans from USA to help deteriorating situation in Germany

Question 21

What was the economic recovery under Stresemann?

Answer 21

Replaced the Mark with the Rentenmark and with the agreement of the Dawes Plan in 1924, industry grew, employment rose, international trade grew and so profits rose.

Germany emerging from its terrible situation after war.

Question 22

How did the Dawes Plan of 1924 help Germany?

Answer 22

Money could be used to build factories, produce goods and increase jobs - RAISE GERMAN STANDARD OF LIVING.

Question 23

What was the issues with Stresemann’s gov?

Answer 23

Ger depended too much on America for loans and the economic boom was precarious; USA could withdraw the loans at any time.

Farming also suffered from depression due to hyperinflation affecting food prices; agricultural income went down in 1925-9

Question 24

Was Ebert’s government the strongest in Germany?

Answer 24

Radical parties were determined to overpower the Weimar Republic and 30% of the vote often went to such parties; in 1925 the Communists had 45 seats which rose to 54 in 1928

Question 25

For what reason did these nationalists claim they were justified in attacking Stresemann?

Answer 25

The attacked him for joining the League and signing the Locarno Pact in 1925 - they saw it as a plot agianst the Communist government in the USSR and as acceptance of the unfair terms detailled in the treaty of Versailles

Question 26

Did many sympathize with the President Hindenburg?

Answer 26

Many thought that the war minister H had been betrayed by weak leaders who signed the armistice terms

Question 27

Who profited at this time?

Answer 27

Big businesses and landowners

Question 28

Who did not profit from the situation?

Answer 28

Peasants farmers and some middle classes lost money from overproduction - not enough demand for the food that they were producing.

Question 29

How did the Weimar Republic survive?

Answer 29

Effective Government action
External support
Most were happy to support the WR
Political opponents were weaker than it was thought

Question 30

Effective government action`

Answer 30

Ebert’s actions against the Communists was important in saving the WR as well as Stresemann’s new currency and signing of peace treaties with Allied powers

Question 31

External support

Answer 31

The Dawes Plan of 1924 was essential in aiding the deteriorating situation in Ger after WWI; USA lent 800 million marks to Ger.

The new governments in 1925 in Br and Fr were also more sympathetic towards Germany

Question 32

Political opponents weaker than thought

Answer 32

Left - lacked support; never got more than 15% of the vote and most of the workers were keen to support Ebert

Right - lacked support, no outstanding leaders and the army was suspicious of such extremist group in 1923.

Question 33

How did Stresemann sort out Ger’s economic problems?

Answer 33

He called off the strike and started paying the reparations to the Allies. He called in the old worthless money and replaced it with and new currency. He also negotiated the Dawes Plan to help get the German industry going.

By paying reparations again and persuading the French to leave the Ruhr, he put to bed the animosity in Europe and was granted entry to the League in 1926.