Weimar Germany - Opposition Flashcards

1
Q

How were pensioners and those on fixed income impacted by the hyperinflation crisis

A

Income lost value

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2
Q

Define Putsch

A

A plotted rebellion or attempt to overthrow a government.

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3
Q

Define The Freikorps

A
  • Private, paramilitary groups made up of former WW1
  • These groups were often strongly nationalist and linked to extremist, right-wing politics.
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4
Q

Define Paramilitary

A

A military force whose organisation is similar to a professional army, but is not included as part of a state’s formal armed forces.

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5
Q

Define Reichswehr

A

The German army

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6
Q

Define The Stinnes-Legien Agreement

A
  • An agreement negotiated between Ebert and Germany’s trade unions.
  • The Weimar government offered legislation (laws) on hours of work and union representation in the workplace.
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7
Q

The Ebert-Groener Pact

A
  • An agreement negotiated between Ebert and the Reichswer.
  • The army agreed to support the government as long as it opposed left-wing ideas of parties in the Reichstag.
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8
Q

Define Reichsexekution

A
  • The removal of a local government which was a threat to the Weimar government.
  • This meant putting in place a military government to restore order.
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9
Q

Define Judiciary

A

The part of a country’s government that is responsible for its legal system (e.g. law courts and judges).

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10
Q

Define Trade Unions

A

An organized association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.

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11
Q

What methods did the W.R use to overcome opposition between 1919-23

A
  • The Freikorps
  • The Army
  • The judiciary
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12
Q

Wing of the Spartacist Uprising

A

Left Wing

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13
Q

What type of revolution was the Spartacist Uprising

A

Social revolution

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14
Q

When did the Spartacist Uprising take place

A

January 1919

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15
Q

Describe the Spartacist Uprising

The Spartacists founded the …… at the end of ……

A
  • KPD
  • 1918
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16
Q

Describe the Spartacist Uprising

Why was there a general strike

A
  • After his dismissal, Eichorn called for a demonstration to take place in Berlin
  • The USPD, KPD and local union officials took up Eichorn’s call
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17
Q

Describe the Spartacist Uprising

What happened on January 6, 1919

A
  • Thousands of armed workers poured into the centre of Berlin to demonstrate
  • Important buildings and offices were taken over, such as train stations and important newspaper offices
  • The leaders of the KPD and USPD called for a general strike, which around half a million workers responded
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18
Q

Why did the Spartacist Uprising oppose the Weimar Republic

A
  • power struggle between the KPD and SPD
  • On January 4, 1919, the WG dismissed a popular police chief in Berlin, who was a radical USPD member
  • govt now in open conflict with the workers’ councils and unions, and triggered the Spartacist Uprising
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19
Q

How did the Weimar Government overcome the challenges to its rule?

A
  • Freikorps to put down the rebellion
  • They quickly re-conquered the blocked streets and buildings and many of the rebels surrendered
  • The Spartacist’s leaders, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, were executed
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20
Q

What type of revolution was the Kapp Putsch

A

Political Revolution

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21
Q

Wing it the Kapp Putsch

A

Right Wing

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22
Q

When did Kapp Putsch take place

A

March 1920

23
Q

Describe Kapp Putsch

Who was behind the overthrowing

A
  • Wolfgana Kapp and Freikorps leaders
  • The putsch had the support of Eric Ludendorff, who had been a military general during WW1
24
Q

Describe Kapp Putsch

What happened on March 12, 1920

A
  • They took over Berlin causing the Weimar government to flee
  • The leaders proclaimed themselves the new government and said the Weimar Constitution was no longer in force
25
Q

Why did Kapp Putsch oppose the Weimar Republic

A
  • Kapp and the paramilitary groups aimed to restore the empire and overturn the ToV
  • They wanted a strong, authoritative government that would return Germany to its old imperial system
26
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch

What did Friedrich Ebert sign

A
  • On November 15, 1918 agreed the Stinnes-Legien Agreement with the leader of Germany’s trade unions
27
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch

What was in the Stinnes-Legien Agreement

A
  • For the unions support, Ebert offered legislation (laws) on hours of work and union representation in the workplace
28
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch

What role did soldiers play

A
  • The majority soldiers in the German army did not join in on Kapp’s putsch attempt
  • However, they would not fight the right-wing rebels
29
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch

What action was it that was detrimnetal to the Putsch

A
  • Kapp’s opposition movement failed after the trade unions called a general strike, demanding an end to the putsch attempt and a government under the leadership of the SPD
30
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch

What was the effect of the general strike

A
  • The general strike was widespread and brought Berlin to a standstill
  • After four days of strike action, the Kapp government fell
31
Q

What type of revolution was the Communist Uprisings

A

Political revolution

32
Q

What wing was the communist uprisings

A

Left

33
Q

What were the 3 communist uprisings in the early years of Weimar rule

A
  • communist governments were set up in attempts to takeover the regions:
  • Bavaria January - 1919
  • the Ruhr March -1920
  • Saxony and Thuringia - 1921 and 1922
34
Q

Why did the Communist Uprisings and Political assassinations oppose the Weimar Republic

A
  • its involvement in the ToV
  • the liberal and democratic principles it stood for
  • its failure to produce a strong and decisive government and leader
35
Q

Communist Uprisings

What was the Organisation Consul

A
  • The Organisation Consul was formed by members of a Freikorps unit
  • which was disbanded (broken up) after its members participated in the Kapp Putsch to overthrow the German Weimar Republic.
36
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings

Why did the communist uprisings fail on their own accords

A
  • In all cases, the communist governments did not have enough popular support
37
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings

How were the communist uprisings physically stopped

A
  • they were put down by the Reichswehr (the German army) using a system of Reichsexekution
38
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings

What was signed to stop the communist uprisings

A
  • On November 10, 1918, Friedrich Ebert agreed the Ebert-Groener Pact with the leader of the army
39
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings

What was the Ebert-Groener Pact

A
  • The army agreed to support the government as long as it opposed left-wing ideas of parties in the Reichstag
40
Q

What type of revolution were the political assassinations

A

Political

41
Q

What wing were the political assassinations

A

Left/ right wing

42
Q

Political assassinations

How many political assassinations in Germany between January 1919 and June 1922 were carried out by anti-Weimar paramilitary groups

A

376 political assassinations

43
Q

Political assassinations

Who were involved in thepolitical assassinations in Germany between January 1919 and June 1922

A
  • Right-wing extremist organisations, such as the group Organisation Consul, carried out 354 political assassinations during this time
44
Q

Political assassinations

Who was a prominent politician who was murdered

A

Walther Rathenau

45
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the challenges to its rule?

How were those involved in the assassinations of political figures were trialled

A
  • trialled under the judicial system of the Weimar Republic
46
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the challenges to its rule?

How were those involved in the assassinations of political figures were trialled

A
  • Of the 354 murders committed by sympathisers of the right, 326 went unpunished
47
Q

What type of revolution was the Munich Putsch

A

Economic

48
Q

What wing was the Munich Putsch

A

Right wing

49
Q

When did the Munich Putsch take place

A

November 1923

50
Q

Summarise the Munich Putsch

What was the aim behind the Munich Putsch

A
  • Hitler and the NSDAP (the Nazis) believed they could gain the support of local politicians and citizens in Munich, and launched a takeover of Germany
51
Q

Summarise the Munich Putsch

How did Hitler & the NSDAP launch its takeover of Germany

A
  • On 8 November the SA surrounded a large beer cellar in Munich where Gustav von Kahr and other officials were in a meeting
  • Here, Hitler announced the government of Bavaria had been overthrown and he and Ludendorff were forming a new government
  • He locked von Karr and his officials in a room
52
Q

Why did the Munich Putsch oppose the Weimar Republic

International difficulties

A
  • rising unpopularity of the WG, and its weakness and vulnerability (the invasion of the Ruhr and the hyperinflation crisis).
  • The government had had to proclaim a State of Emergency in September 1923 following disturbances in the Rhineland and Berlin.
53
Q

Why did the Munich Putsch oppose the Weimar Republic

Hitler’s confidence

A
  • With Ludendorff on his side, Hitler was confident the army would follow him in a rebellion
  • The membership of the Nazi Party had grown considerably in 1923 from 6,000 to 55,000 members
  • In 1922, Mussolini had seized control of the government of Italy by marching on Rome
  • Hitler hoped to copy his example
54
Q

How did the Weimar government overcome the Munich Putsch

A
  • Hitler’s political prisoners escaped and organised resistance to the putsch
  • The Nazis were defeated and captured by the police as they marched through Munich on November 9
  • Hitler was trialled for treason and received a sentence of five years imprisonment
  • The NSDAP was disbanded until 1925.
  • Hitler was was released 9 months later