Weimar Republic

Question 1

What was the Weimar Republic reliant on?

Answer 1

US loans

Question 2

What currency replaced the Reichmark?

Answer 2

Rentenmark

Question 3

When was the Kellogg-Briand pact agreed?

Answer 3

1928

Question 4

Which pact agreed Germany’s international borders?

Answer 4

Locarno Pact

Question 5

Which international agreement was signed in 1929?

Answer 5

Young Plan

Question 6

When was the Dawes Plan agreed?

Answer 6

1924

Question 7

When did Germany join the League of Nations?

Answer 7

1926

Question 8

Who was appointed Chancellor in 1924?

Answer 8

Stresemann

Question 9

1861-1871?

Answer 9

Germany Unified

Franco-Prussian war caused Germany to become a permanent political union,

Question 10

1871-1914?

Answer 10

The Second Reich

Growing Economy

Kaiser made industrial economy grow. Trade union expanded and Germany built powerful army.

Question 11

What happened after WW1?

Answer 11

Weimar Republic created.

Revolution cause Kaiser to abdicate. Weimar Republic created.

Question 12

What years was the Weimar Republic?

Answer 12

1918-1933

Question 13

Some main terms of the ToV?

Answer 13

• Germany’s reparations of of £6.6 billion.
• An acceptance of Germany’s guilt in causing the war (Article 231)
• Limitations of Germany’s army to 100,000 men

Question 14

Top of Germany’s political system:

Answer 14

President;
Controlled armed forces
Elected every 7 years
Could make laws without going through the Reichstag, in an emergency (Article 48).

Question 15

Second to last in Germany’s political system:

Answer 15

Reichstag;
Voted on new laws
Elected every 4 years through Proportional Representation

Question 15

Second in Germany’s political system:

Answer 15

Chancellor;
Day to day running of country
Must resign if not supported

Question 16

Bottom of Germany’s political system:

Answer 16

The German People;
All men and women over 20 could vote
All adults had equal rights and the right of free speech.

Question 17

Proportional Representation =

Answer 17

An election system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.

Question 18

Proportional representation problems:

Answer 18

Parties often disagreed, problems with coalitions.

Government rarely got much done due to coalitions constantly changing.

Public suspicious of inaction and distrustful because they signed ToV.

Question 19

What political view was the Spartacist Uprising?

Answer 19

Communist - left wing.

Question 20

Who led the Spartacist Uprising?

Answer 20

Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.

Question 21

Spartacist Uprising key notes:

Answer 21

• Wanted a Communist state.
• Made many attempts to overthrow government.
• Eg 6 Jan 1919 - tried to overthrow Ebert. They used Freikorps to stop the rebellion.

Question 22

What political view was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 22

Fascist - right wing.

Question 23

Who led the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 23

Wolfgang Kapp

Question 24

Kapp Putsch key notes:

Answer 24

- Challenged the government because they disbanded the Freikorps. - Succeeded in taking over Berlin in 1920 - However, Ebert urged Berlin to strike and Putsch collapsed.

Question 25

What happened to the Ruhr?

Answer 25

- Germany could not pay reparations so France angry. - Ruhr industrial place; produced lots of iron. - France takes over Ruhr with help of Belgian troops. - Ruhr goes on strike to stop France getting their materials (passive resistance). - However, no work = no production. No production = no money. This leads to inflation.

Question 26

Hyperinflation effects:

Answer 26

- People blamed the Government - Food shortages -> a price in necessities - Farmers benefited.

Question 27

What enabled economic recovery in 1924?

Answer 27

US loans and the Rentenmark

Question 28

Politics in the Golden Age:

Answer 28

- The Government became more stable - Much less elections held because of disagreements. - Votes for Nazi’s and Communists went down. But - No party could get a majority, so all governments were still coalitions

Question 29

Women in the Golden Age

Answer 29

- Women's rights became recognised. - Women able to drink and smoke and wear what they like by themselves. But - The amount of women who stayed at home didn’t change and ‘men’s jobs’ were taken back by men after the war.

Question 30

Economy and living conditions in the Golden Age:

Answer 30

- Homelessness reduced by 60% - Government spending 33 times more helping homeless people. - Wages increased by 10% But - US loans could be recalled at any time. - Still big gap between rich and poor. - Unemployment remained.

Question 31

German Culture in the Golden Age

Answer 31

- Architecture admired - Bauhaus movement. - Strict pre-war censorship was removed and culture exploded. - New operas and plays emerged But - Berlin became seen as sleazy, sex obsessed and too modern - Angered right winged traditionalists, reinforcing hostility to the government.

Question 32

Were the Golden Years really that Golden?

Answer 32

Appear stable in comparison to previous. However… Heavily relied on loans from abroad. Deep class differences. The main political parties still not working together.

Question 33

Stresemann

Answer 33

- Supported parliamentary government. - Improvements were achieved by peaceful methods. - 1926 – Convince LoN to let Germany join.

Question 34

The Locarno Pact:

Answer 34

- Signed Dec 1925 - Germany accepted its new border with France, as long as France promised peace with Germany - Rhineland permanently demilitarised. - Open talks about German membership of the League of Nations.

Question 35

League of Nations

Answer 35

- Main aim: to prevent another war like WW1. - Germany excluded. - Until 1926 when Stresemann convinced them to let Germany join.

Question 36

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Answer 36

- Signed in 1928. - Pact promised that countries would not use war to achieve their aims abroad. - Germany was seen as being included amongst the other powers

Question 37

What was the Young Plan?

Answer 37

Cut Germany's total reparations from £6.6 billion to £2 billion. And gave Germany 59 years to pay. - Gave Germany a bit more money to fund its recovery. - Reparations would not be fully paid until 1988. Germany still could not really afford them.

Question 38

What was the Dawes Plan?

Answer 38

Stresemann took out a huge loan from the USA in 1924. - Gave Germany an injection of cash to help its people and invest in its industry. - Germany had to pay these loans back, and USA could call them in at any time.