Weimar Germany

Question 1

When did WW1 end?

Answer 1

1918

Question 2

What were the 3 main impacts of WW1 on Germany?

Answer 2

Deepened divide between rich and poor, Germany was bankrupt and had an unstable democracy

Question 3

How many children were left fatherless by the war?

Answer 3

2 million (and there were about 600,000 widows too)

Question 4

When did the Kaiser abdicate his throne?

Answer 4

9th November 1918

Question 5

Who became the new leader (after the Kaiser) and when?

Answer 5

Socialist leader Freidrich Ebert became leader of the new republic of Germany the next day

Question 6

When did the first free elections take place?

Answer 6

January 1919

Question 7

Who was voted in (in Jan 1919) and where was the new government?

Answer 7

Freidrich Ebert was voted in, and the new republic was in the small town of Weimar- not Berlin- hence named the Weimar Republic

Question 8

Why was the new republic not in Berlin?

Answer 8

Berlin was seen as violent and unstable

Question 9

Who could vote in this democracy?

Answer 9

Anyone, male or female, over the age of 20

Question 10

How were seats in the Reichstag decided?

Answer 10

By proportional representation

Question 11

Who was responsible for the day to day running of the government?

Answer 11

The Chancellor, but he needed support of half of the Reichstag

Question 12

Who was head of state (above the chancellor)?

Answer 12

The president

Question 13

What powers did the president have?

Answer 13

President: stayed out of day to day running of the government but had emergency powers through article 48

Question 14

Who led the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 14

Frank Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg

Question 15

When was the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 15

Early 1919

Question 16

What was the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 16

A communist uprising joined by rebel soldiers and sailors, however they were defeated by the Freikorps- ex military who opposed communism. Spartacist leaders were murdered.

Question 17

What was the Bavarian revolution?

Answer 17

Communists in Bavaria (south Germany) seized power when Kurt Eisner (Ebert’s ally and socialist leader of Bavaria) was murdered in Feb 1919.

Question 18

How was the Bavarian revolution defeated?

Answer 18

The Freikorps crushed the revolt in May 1919. Around 600 communists were killed

Question 19

When were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles announced?

Answer 19

May 1919

Question 20

What did Germany lose in the terms of the treaty of Versailles?

Answer 20

20% of its land; all overseas colonies; 12.5% population; 16% coal industry and 48% of its iron industry

Question 21

What else did Germany have to do (in the Treaty of Versailles)?

Answer 21

Reduce army to 100,000- no air force at all

Had to accept blame for the war and pay reparations

Question 22

When was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 22

March 1920

Question 23

What was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 23

A right wing revolt of 5000 Freikorps in Berlin, who the army refused to fire upon

Question 24

Who led the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 24

Dr Wolfgang Kapp, who later died awaiting trial

Question 25

How was the Kapp Putsch defeated?

Answer 25

The German workers declared a general strike; stopping transport, power and water

Question 26

How much was the reparations bill?

Answer 26

Announced in April 1921 it was £6600 million

Question 27

What happened when Germany failed to pay the reparations in 1922?

Answer 27

The French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr and began to take reparations in the forms of raw materials

Question 28

What did the government tell the workers to do in the Ruhr?

Answer 28

Go on strike- resulting in 100 worker deaths; 100,000 workers expelled (by French) and the collapse of German currency

Question 29

What did the government do to try to pay off reparations?

Answer 29

Print more money; resulting in Hyperinflation

Question 30

Who lost the most from hyperinflation?

Answer 30

Those with savings- which became completely worthless

Question 31

By November 1923 how much was £1 worth?

Answer 31

14,000,000,000,000 marks

Question 32

Who took over the government from Ebert and when?

Answer 32

Gustav Stresemann in August 1923

Question 33

Which party did Friedrich Ebert lead?

Answer 33

The Social Democrats

Question 34

What was the first thing that Ebert did in government?

Answer 34

He ended Germany’s involvement in WW1

Question 35

What basic human rights did Ebert guarantee for the German people?

Answer 35

Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and a vote

Question 36

What else did Ebert attempt to improve for the German people?

Answer 36

Help for unemployed, better housing, shorter working hours, more food supplies