Weimar Germany Flashcards
Date of ceasefire WW1
November 11th 1918
Strengths of Weimar Republic
Checks and balances, Reichstag and Reichsrat
President acts as a balance
Democratic Pr everyone over 20 could vote
Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic
Proportional representation therefore weak coalitions 28 parties represented in the 1920’s
Allows fringe extreme party’s representation
Article 48 too much power to one individual
Terms of Versailles
Blame
Reparations
Army
Territory
Blame in Versailles
Article 231 blame for starting war and turning it into a dirty war
Reparations
Signed a blank chequer in 1919 set in 1921 at 6.6bn
Army in treaty of Versailles
Reduced to 100,000 no airforce only 6 battleships 6 cruisers no subs
Rhine land demiliterised
Territory losses from Treaty of Versailles
13% lost 50% of iron 15% of coal 11 colonies become mandates Posen and west Prussia (polish corridor) Alsace and Lorraine Ripen and malady Loss of economic benefits of the Saar Danzig
Why were German people unhappy
Expectation that Versailles would be based on the 14 points of Wilson
No self determination
No mention of reparations in the 14 points
Diktat
Stab in the back legend
German people believed that they had been stabbed in the back by the politicians who signed the treaty of Versailles and surrendered due to a belief that the war was not lost
November criminals
Mathias erzberger and those who surrendered including Rathanau
Spartacist Revolution
Jan 1919 Led by Karl Liebknexhr and Rosa Luxembourg
Weimar to weak to win so called on the Friecorps
Leaders killed without trial 15th January
Weimar discredited by use of Friecorps
Kapp Putsch
March 1920 every attempted to ban the Friecorps they tried to overthrow him by reprisal
Government was helpless trade unions organised an general strike in resistance
400 Political murders including Rathanau who had just negotiated rapallo
Bankruptcy in 1923
Spent gold in war
1919 loss of teritory
1921 reparations
this caused them to default on their debts in 1923
Occupation of the Ruhr
1923 payment missed so French occupy the Ruhr and convos ate goods and machinery
Led to Passive resistance 130 killed, debt unemployment
Led to Hyperinflation
Hyperinflation
Due to occupation of the Ruhr
Government prints money to pay striking workers
32 factories working around the clock
1922 loaf of bread cost 200 marks, 1923 cost 100 thousand million marks
Savings become worthless
How was hyperinflation tackled
Streseman sept 23rd rentenmark, tied to land rather than gold
International policy achievements
Lorcano
Kellogg Briand League of Nations permanent seat on the council
More respect for Germany moves back onto the international stage on a level playing field
Rentenmark
Restored confidence
Tied to German land prices
Replaced by Reichmark August 1924
Trusted 4,900 million in the reichbank by 1926
Dawes plan
April 1924
Annual payments reduced
8,000 million mark investment in German industry
Young plan
Agreed 1929 August
Reparations reduced from 6.6 to 2 billion