Weimar Republic 01 Flashcards
What was the Kiel mutiny
In 1918, towards the end if the war when it became apparent the Germany was loosing, a frustrated German sailors mutinied (ignored orders) instead of following orders to attack the British Royal Navy. The sailor’s mutiny sparked rebellions all over Germany and in a matter of days led to the collapse of the German government which forced the ruling monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm II, to abdicate on 9 November. Following his abdication Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) became Chancellor (the equivalent of Prime Minister in Britain) and took power over Germany.
What state was Germany in in 1914
- power hungry emerging state with a growing sense of nationalism
- planned to control Europe by marginalising the UK’s power through the navy
- aggressive in their use of military and made it clear to neighbouring countries that Germany had plans to dominate Europe
Good things about the Weimar Republic
- all 20+ able to vote (democracy)
- freedom of religion and speech
- elections
- rule of law
- federal system
Doubts about the Weimar Republic
- Article 48 which gave president absolute powers in an emergency without consulting the Reichstag
- Many Germans wanted the Kaiser to return
- Those who had been influenced by the Russian Revolution in 1917 wanted a communist revolution
What was the name of the elected parliament
Reichstag
Who was the head of the system and how often were they elected
- President (every 7 years)
- Chancellor ( appointed by the president. from memebers of the Reichstag. Most hold the support of the Reichstag majority)
How did the new governmental system operate?
- each state had its own parliament, laws and police force but there was a rule of law which meant that the majority of the same rules applied to everyone
Why were the Germans hopeful about their punishments in the Treaty of Versailles
- Germans felt they had been forced into war
- a new government could restore stability
- USA didn’t want long term revenge
- it was Kaiser’s fault not new government
France’s input to Versailles treaty
- v angry at Germany
- enemies needed control
- v harsh punishment
Britain’s input to Versailles treaty
- angry
- wanted kaiser hung for his actions but wanted German to recover economically
Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany economically
- lost 13% of European territory (50% of iron reserves)
- lost all 11 colonies in Africa + far east
- had to accept blame (war guilt clause)
- had to pay reparations of 136,000 marks
Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany militarily
- everything cut from army, navy + air force EXCEPT:
- 100,000 soldiers only to be used internally
- 6 battleships
- 12 destroyers/ torpedo boats
Germany’s reaction to the Treaty of Versailles
- shocked and initially refused to sign, but allies threatened to restart the war and cause further damage if they did not agree
- politicians who went to sign it were labelled the ‘November criminals’ and were hated. Over 2 years 350 moderate/left wing politicians had been assassinated
by right wing nationalists - idea developed that Germany had been stabbed in the back by its own government and in 1919 the were mini civil wars happening in Berlin
- German navy leaders blew up their boats in Scapa Flow in Scotland as an act of defiance, and so they couldn’t be used by allies
4 clear categories of how the results of the Treaty of Versailles can be grouped and short examples
- moral (war guilt clause)
- territorial (lost territories and resources e.g. Africa)
- financial (reparations payments)
- military (lost navy, air force ad limited army)
What happened in January 1919 regarding the Freikorps and Spartacists
- communist inspired organisation Spartacists posed a threat to the Weimar Republic and so Ebert encouraged the freikorps (an extreme right wing group) to kill them and crush the idea of communism
What was the Kapp Putsch of 1920
- Freikorp took control for a few weeks in Berlin and people went on a general strike. Ebert and his government escaped. This continued until Kapp fled to Sweden and shortly after Ebert returned
What caused the invasion of the Ruhr in 1923
France’s impatience at Germany’s hindered approach to pay reparations
What happened at the invasion of the Ruhr in 1923
- French/ Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr to anger Germany and to take industrial products instead of cash.
What was the German response to the invasion of the Ruhr in 1923?
- were extremely angered but didn’t have the military power to stop them
- so encouraged the workers to passively resist by going on strike therefore stopping production of goods for the French
- However the French brought in their own workers and Germany’s debt continued to worsen
What is hyperinflation
Very rapid and very extreme rise in prices
What year did hyperinflation occur
1923
Why did hyperinflation occur in Germany?
- too much money was printed in an attempt to restore their huge debt from ww1 and reparations
- however the Mark lost its value very quickly and a negative cycle of trying to print more money to fix existing economic problems soon occurred
- paper money very soon became literally worthless
In November 1923, how much did a loaf of bread cost?
201 Billion marks
Who was the first president of the Weimar Republic?
Friedrich Ebert
Who was Erzberger
Ebert’s representative who signed the armistice to officially end ww1
What was the stab in the back theory
A theory where senior members of the armed forces claimed Germany was close to victory and surrender was unnecessary, and the politicians that signed the armistice were traitors. This false theory helps explain why the republic was unpopular from the beginning
What was the electoral turnout for the people that voted in the national assembly elections in 1919
82% showing that Germany was in favour of a democratic system
Which party won the elections in 1919
Eberts party - the SDP
What is proportional representation and how does it work
- seats in the Reichstag awarded according to the percentage of votes gained. If a party got 10% of the votes, it got 10% of the seats in the Reichstag
Advantages of proportional rep.
- all parties got votes and therefore representation
Disadvantages of proportional rep.
- many small and sometimes extremist parties won seats - which lead to an unstable government as coalitions had to be formed
From what dates was the Treaty of Versailles drawn up
November 1918 - June 1919
2 effects of Spartacists uprising in 1919
- Showed weakness in the government as they had to mobilise militia. They couldn’t suppress uprisings with their own army
- -The Freikorps (who crushed the uprising) were mainly right-wing. They opposed the Communists which led to long-term hatred.
