Weimar Government

Question 1

What was the President?

Answer 1

• Elected every 7 years
• Article 48
• Similar to Kaiser

Question 2

What was the Chancellor?

Answer 2

• Appointed by President
• Head of government
• Came up with new laws that the Reichstag voted on

Question 3

What was the Cabinet?

Answer 3

• People in charge of certain areas of government
• e.g economy
• Led by chancellor
• Come up with new laws to propose to Reichstag

Question 4

What was the Supreme court?

Answer 4

• Independent body used to interpret constitution
• However, judiciary usually right wing - lacked political independence

Question 5

What was the Reichstrat?

Answer 5

• Assembly of representatives of the 17 states
• Gave advice and reject new laws
• Could be overridden by Reichstag

Question 6

What was the Reichstag?

Answer 6

• Deputies elected by all germans over 20
• Germany’s parliament and deputies elected every 4 years
• Voted on whether bills should become law

Question 7

What were the strengths of the Weimar Constitution?

Answer 7

• Election of president
• President had 7 year terms - stable
• Proportional representation - everyones voices heard
• Article 48
• Universal suffrage
• Fundamental rights for workers

Question 8

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution?

Answer 8

• Article 48
• Appointment of Chancellor and Cabinet
• Bill of rights - more protests and less stability
• Splinter parties
• Proportional representation

Question 9

What social problems did the Republic face at the start?

Answer 9

• Mass demobilisation
• Food shortages
• Shock end to WW1
• Workers unrest wanting more reform
• Lack of support from different social groups

Question 10

What political problems did the Republic face at the start?

Answer 10

• Political unrest both left and right wings
• Political assassinations
• Political impact of Treaty of Versailles
• Less support for the Republic by 1920

Question 11

What were the economic problems of the Republic at the start?

Answer 11

• Deficit spending
• War debt
• Inflation
• Reperations

Question 12

What foreign policy problems did the Republic face at the start?

Answer 12

• Treaty of Versailles
• Land loss e.g. Alsace-Lorraine
• Isolation in foreign policy
• Tensions with France

Question 13

Why was the legacy of the First World War a potential problem?

Answer 13

• Growth in government debt and inflation
• Stab in the back myth + unexpected defeat
• Treaty of Versailles
• Printed too much money
• Groups on fixed incomes - discontented
• Weimar = national humiliation
• November criminals blamed

Question 14

Why was the nature of the German Revolution a potential problem?

Answer 14

• SPDs governments suppression of communist uprising (spartacists)
• Ebert- Groener deal
• Umnrevolutionary revolution

Question 15

Why was the Weimar constitution a potential problem?

Answer 15

• Proportional representation
• Article 48
• Inclusion of principles of welfare state
• President could bypass Reichstag
• Elites may turn against it - See it as too radical
• Coalition governments too likely

Question 16

Did the Weimar constitution establish a sound structure for democracy in Germany?

Answer 16

• Country now parliamentary democracy
• elections held Jan 1919 for German Constituent Assembly
• Universal male and female suffrage
• Proportional representation -> voting for party not a person
• Assembly met in Weimar Germany + wrote constitution led by liberal lawyer Hugo Preuss

Question 17

Who was the first president and chancellor of the coalition government? (Weimar)

Answer 17

President - Ebert
Chancellor - Scheidemann

Question 18

Why was the Weimar constitution a potential problem and the impacts?

Answer 18

• Proportional representation
• Article 48
• Inclusion of principles of welfare state
  impacts :
• President can bypass reichstag
• Elites can turn and consider it too radical
• Coalition governments likely