Weimar Germany Flashcards
What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) ?
- Restriction to 100,000 soldiers, 6 battleships, no air force.
- Land losses including overseas colonies, Alsace and Lorraine, Saarland.
- De-militarisation of the Rhineland
- Anschluss with Austria banned
- War guilt clause
- £6600 million in reparations
What was the ‘Stab in the back myth’?
- After WW1, falsely portrayed the revolution and betrayal by democratic and left-wing politicians for Germany’s defeat.
- Used to undermine support for Weimar Germany
What problems did the defeat of WW1 create for democracy?
- Democratic politicians that had no real option but to sign the November armistice were unfairly blamed and labelled the ‘November Criminals”.
- Harsh conditions imposed by ToV became associated with the new democratic republic.
- Cost of the First World War created inflation adding to the post-war economic problems.
- The majority of Germans did not whole-heartedly support the democratic system. 1919 election majority pro-Weimar parties, yet 1920 election fell to only 45% support
What was The Spartacist Uprising (1919) ?
- The Sparticist League (Left wing) launched an attempted communist revolution in Berlin.
- President Ebert ordered the paramilitary Freikorps to crush it.
- The leaders, Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht, were killed.
Why was there a fear of communism during this time?
-The activities of left-wing revolutionaries and the success of the communist takeover in Russia.
How did the President Ebert deal with widespread Strikes, uprisings and communist takeovers?
-Reichsexekution: Ebert sent in the army and sometimes the Freikorps to crush these rebellions.
What was the Kapp Putsch (1920) ?
- A group of right-wing politicians and soldiers led by Wolfgang Kapp seized control of the government in Berlin in March 1920.
- It lacked the support of the public (a huge strike in Berlin was staged) and many of the elite, collapsing the movement.
How did WW1 contribute to hyperinflation crisis (1923) ?
- Germany was not prepared for such a long war and borrowed money to pay for the increasing costs
- The reparations of £6600 million forced the government to print money to meet deadlines.
How did Weimar Republic’s constitution contribute to hyperinflation crisis (1923) ?
-The constitution made social security a constitutional right. The cost of introducing social reforms and welfare increased the national debt and worsened inflation.
What event triggered the hyperinflation crisis (1923) ?
- The French occupation of the Ruhr (in retaliation for failure to pay reparations) resulted in the government ordering the passive resistance of workers.
- The government had to rely on expensive imports of essential raw materials, printing more banknotes to pay for it.
Who suffered during hyper-inflation?
- Anyone with savings as they became worthless
- People on fixed incomes/pensioners - wages became worthless
Who benefitted during hyper-inflation?
-Anyone with debts, mortgages or loans were able to pay them off easily.
How did Stresemann deal with hyperinflation?
- Introduced a new currency - the Rentenmark - in December 1923
- Negotiated the Dawes plan in 1924, a fixed timetable for Germany’s reparation payments.
What evidenced is there of a more stable economy under Stresemann 1924-29?
- Certain sectors of the economy prospered - chemical company I.G. Farben became the largest in Europe.
- Exports rose between 40% between 1925-29
- Inflation and unemployment remained low
What evidence is there of improved living standards under Stresemann?
-Wages rose every year between 1924-29
What was the main weakness of the German economy 1924-29?
-Germany’s economic recovery was too dependent on the USA, when the Wall Street Crash and Great Depression hit, the loans dried up and the USA demanded immediate repayment.
What evidence is there that the German economy had not fully recovered by 1929?
- Agriculture was in recession by 1927. Farmers’ incomes 44% below national average.
- Unemployment did not fall below 1.3 million
- Germany always imported more than it exported
How did the Wall Street Crash contribute to the Depression in Germany?
- US loans and investments dried up. America demanded immediate repayment of its short-term loans.
- Demand for exports collapsed as other countries reduced their imports (World trade slumped)
- Without overseas loans and export trade falling, prices and wages fell and bankruptcies increased.
What 4 effects did the Depression have on Germany’s economy?
- National income shrunk by 39% between 1929-32.
- Number of unemployed rose to over 6 million, 1/3 jobless.
- 50,000 businesses went bankrupt.
- 5 major banks collapsed in 1931
How far did the Wall Street Crash contribute to the Depression in Germany?
-Even without the WSC, the German economy would probably have faced a serious depression. The WSC determined the timing of the Depression, and made the effects much worse but was not the only cause.
What powers did the president of the Weimar Republic have?
- To select and dismiss the Chancellor
- To lead the armed forces
- Dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections
- To rule via presidential decree in the event of an emergency (Article 48)
What was the system used to conduct elections in Germany?
Proportional Representation
Which rights did the Weimar constitution protect?
- Freedom of association, speech and religion
- The right to work: the government had to ensure everyone had a job, or, failing that, provide financial support
- Right to own property
What were 3 positive features of the Weimar Republic’s constitution?
- It was very democratic with an elected head of state and a parliament elected by proportional representation.
- It contained checks and balances to try and make sure no one part of the political system could become too powerful.
- It protected many basic civil rights
Which traditional institutions in Weimar Germany remained unreformed, powerful conservative forces?
The civil service, army, universities and judiciary.
What were 2 criticisms of the Weimar Republic’s constitution?
- It gave away too much power to the President (Article 48) allowing him to suspend civil rights in an emergency.
- Proportional representation led to a fragmented party system with lots of small splinter parties and making it difficult to form stable coalition governments.
What was the impact of the Depression on Weimar government?
- The Grand coalition collapsed as parties disagreed over unemployment benefits.
- Subsequent governments lacked Reichstag support. There were 4 chancellors between 1928-1933
What evidence was there that the German political system became more authoritarian after 1929?
- Chancellors Bruning and von Papen relied extensively on emergency decrees rather than on parliamentary government.
- 44 emergency decrees in 1931
What evidence is there of increase in politically-motivated violence?
During July 1932 election there were 461 riots in Prussia in which a number of people died.
What were 3 reasons why Weimar democracy failed?
- From the start, there was hostility from Germany’s elites/ establishments.
- Ongoing economic problems e.g. Reparations, Cost of WW1, expensive welfare benefits set out in Weimar.
- Limited popular support. There was never total acceptance of, and confidence in, the democratic system and its values. Associated with humiliating ToV.
Why was the Weimar government always going to have trouble controlling opposition?
- Had come to power through a revolution
- Right wing groups wanted a strong government
- Left wing groups felt that the WR was not radical enough
- Democracy meant people were free to criticise the government
