Weimar Germany - Opposition Flashcards
How were pensioners and those on fixed income impacted by the hyperinflation crisis
Income lost value
Define Putsch
A plotted rebellion or attempt to overthrow a government.
Define The Freikorps
- Private, paramilitary groups made up of former WW1
- These groups were often strongly nationalist and linked to extremist, right-wing politics.
Define Paramilitary
A military force whose organisation is similar to a professional army, but is not included as part of a state’s formal armed forces.
Define Reichswehr
The German army
Define The Stinnes-Legien Agreement
- 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.
The Ebert-Groener Pact
- 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.
Define Reichsexekution
- 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.
Define Judiciary
The part of a country’s government that is responsible for its legal system (e.g. law courts and judges).
Define Trade Unions
An organized association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.
What methods did the W.R use to overcome opposition between 1919-23
- The Freikorps
- The Army
- The judiciary
Wing of the Spartacist Uprising
Left Wing
What type of revolution was the Spartacist Uprising
Social revolution
When did the Spartacist Uprising take place
January 1919
Describe the Spartacist Uprising
The Spartacists founded the …… at the end of ……
- KPD
- 1918
Describe the Spartacist Uprising
Why was there a general strike
- 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
Describe the Spartacist Uprising
What happened on January 6, 1919
- 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
Why did the Spartacist Uprising oppose the Weimar Republic
- 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
How did the Weimar Government overcome the challenges to its rule?
- 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
What type of revolution was the Kapp Putsch
Political Revolution
Wing it the Kapp Putsch
Right Wing
When did Kapp Putsch take place
March 1920
Describe Kapp Putsch
Who was behind the overthrowing
- Wolfgana Kapp and Freikorps leaders
- The putsch had the support of Eric Ludendorff, who had been a military general during WW1
Describe Kapp Putsch
What happened on March 12, 1920
- 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
Why did Kapp Putsch oppose the Weimar Republic
- 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
How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch
What did Friedrich Ebert sign
- On November 15, 1918 agreed the Stinnes-Legien Agreement with the leader of Germany’s trade unions
How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch
What was in the Stinnes-Legien Agreement
- For the unions support, Ebert offered legislation (laws) on hours of work and union representation in the workplace
How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch
What role did soldiers play
- 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
How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch
What action was it that was detrimnetal to the Putsch
- 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
How did the Weimar government overcome the Kapp Putsch
What was the effect of the general strike
- The general strike was widespread and brought Berlin to a standstill
- After four days of strike action, the Kapp government fell
What type of revolution was the Communist Uprisings
Political revolution
What wing was the communist uprisings
Left
What were the 3 communist uprisings in the early years of Weimar rule
- communist governments were set up in attempts to takeover the regions:
- Bavaria January - 1919
- the Ruhr March -1920
- Saxony and Thuringia - 1921 and 1922
Why did the Communist Uprisings and Political assassinations oppose the Weimar Republic
- its involvement in the ToV
- the liberal and democratic principles it stood for
- its failure to produce a strong and decisive government and leader
Communist Uprisings
What was the Organisation Consul
- 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.
How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings
Why did the communist uprisings fail on their own accords
- In all cases, the communist governments did not have enough popular support
How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings
How were the communist uprisings physically stopped
- they were put down by the Reichswehr (the German army) using a system of Reichsexekution
How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings
What was signed to stop the communist uprisings
- On November 10, 1918, Friedrich Ebert agreed the Ebert-Groener Pact with the leader of the army
How did the Weimar government overcome the communist uprisings
What was the Ebert-Groener Pact
- The army agreed to support the government as long as it opposed left-wing ideas of parties in the Reichstag
What type of revolution were the political assassinations
Political
What wing were the political assassinations
Left/ right wing
Political assassinations
How many political assassinations in Germany between January 1919 and June 1922 were carried out by anti-Weimar paramilitary groups
376 political assassinations
Political assassinations
Who were involved in thepolitical assassinations in Germany between January 1919 and June 1922
- Right-wing extremist organisations, such as the group Organisation Consul, carried out 354 political assassinations during this time
Political assassinations
Who was a prominent politician who was murdered
Walther Rathenau
How did the Weimar government overcome the challenges to its rule?
How were those involved in the assassinations of political figures were trialled
- trialled under the judicial system of the Weimar Republic
How did the Weimar government overcome the challenges to its rule?
How were those involved in the assassinations of political figures were trialled
- Of the 354 murders committed by sympathisers of the right, 326 went unpunished
What type of revolution was the Munich Putsch
Economic
What wing was the Munich Putsch
Right wing
When did the Munich Putsch take place
November 1923
Summarise the Munich Putsch
What was the aim behind the Munich Putsch
- 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
Summarise the Munich Putsch
How did Hitler & the NSDAP launch its takeover of Germany
- 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
Why did the Munich Putsch oppose the Weimar Republic
International difficulties
- 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.
Why did the Munich Putsch oppose the Weimar Republic
Hitler’s confidence
- 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
How did the Weimar government overcome the Munich Putsch
- 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
