Weimar Republic Flashcards
How was the Weimar different to the Kaiser’s rule & who ran it?
The Weimar was much more democratic compared to the Kaiser’s authoritarian ruling style
It was ran by a whole government (Reichstag with votes) & not 1 ruler - The main party in charge was the SPD with Ebert becoming the president
What is the Reichstag?
The Reichstag is essentially the German Parliament
It was originally represented via proportional voting, which had its own problems, until Stressemann
Who is the Chancellor?
The chancellor is the main person in charge of the country - They run it day to day, 1st one being Philipp Scheidemann
Who is the President?
The president is the overall person in power over the country and mostly a figurehead, usually only stepping in when there are emergencies - They have an emergency law, Article 48
What is Article 48?
Allows the president to declare a state of emergency and pass laws without going through the Reichstag - Can be useful as the Reichstag can be slow - Is easily abusable: Unsure what classes as an ‘emergency’ and can be easily abused, demolishing democracy
Who were the Spartacists?
The Spartacists were a group of far left-wing people who wanted a communist revolution, inspired by the communist Russian revolution of 1917 (it took place in 1919). Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, they managed to take over the newspaper and telegraph headquarters meaning the government could not send word out. Eventually, they were gotten rid of by the Freikorps that Ebert had sent out. Karl & Rosa were gone and the putsch stopped. As well as that, there was a general lack of support from the people.
What were the Freikorps?
A group of right-wing ex-soldiers who hate communists
What was the Kapp Putsch?
The Kapp Putsch was a right-wing attempt at an overthrow of the Weimar government, occurring in 1920. It was originally started from Ebert’s attempt at breaking up the Freikorps. The leader of the Kapp Putsch was Wolfgang Kapp and he managed to take over Berlin for at least a day, causing Ebert to flee and leaving a space for power. However, they again lacked the support of the people causing them to stop and Ebert to return. Interestingly, much like another right-wing putsch, they too had the support of Ludendorff.
What was the Munich Putsch?
Also known as the beer hall putsch, was another right-wing attempt to overthrow the government (in Bavaria first) in 1923 (due to Hyperinflation & the Ruhr Crisis) by the NADAP, or the Nazi party, led by Hitler and supported by the SA and Ludendorff (again). They managed to surround a Beer Hall in Munich where 3 key officials were having a meeting. The officials had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler however one such official, von Kahr, managed to get away with the reason of needing to contact his wife which gave him the time to call the police. The putsch essentially ended here with some of the officials being arrested.
How can the Munich Putsch be seen as a success/failure?
Failure:
- Did not achieve aim of taking over Bavarian government
- Some people died
Success:
- Nazi party became well known- all over TV (worldwide)
- Gave Hitler time to write out ideals- ‘Mein Kampf’
- Gave time to rethink strategy- political moves, not violent and forceful
