Weimar Republic Flashcards
What was the new line of power in Weimar?
President
Chancellor
Reichstag
Electorate/Civilians
Who could now vote in Germany in the 20s?
Men and women over 20
(forward thinking)
Who could vote in Britain in the 1920s?
Men over 20
Women over 28
(not as forward thinking)
When did the Weimar Republic exist?
1919-1933
Voting system in Weimar
Proportional representation
How often were members of the Reichstag present?
4 years
When was the Golden Age?
1923-29
When was the Spartacist uprising?
6 January 1919
Who led the Spartacus League?
‘Red’ Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
Who supported the Spartacists?
-Poor German workers
How did Ebert deal with the Spartacists?
Used the army and the Freikorps
The rising was over within days
The leaders were killed
What was the aim of the Spartacists?
To make Germany communist
They wanted workers to take over factories, farms and eventually the govt
When was the Kapp Putsch?
March 1920
Who was involved in the Kapp Putsch?
Leaders: Kapp and Erhardt
Over 400 army officers
Aim of Kapp Putsch
Oust Ebert and form a RW govt with Kapp as chancellor
Outcome of Kapp Putsch
Ebert ordered a General Strike which collapsed the coup
Kapp fled Germany
When did the French invade the Ruhr?
January 1923
Briefly outline what happened in the Ruhr.
In January 1923, the French and Belgian armies sent 60,000 soldiers into the Ruhr region of Germany.
The French aimed to extract the unpaid reparations and took control of key industries and natural resources.
The Weimar Government instructed the Ruhr workers to go on strike, instead of helping the French.
What was the cause of the Ruhr invasion?
The Weimar government was forced to pay reparations as a result of the ToV
In 1922 they said that they would not be able to pay the next 3 years of instalments due to economic hardship, but the French thought they were lying
What were the consequences of the Ruhr invasion?
Economic crisis worsened
The govt started to print more money to pay the striking workers which led to hyperinflation
This led to a decrease in support for Weimar
Cost of bread in 1921
4 marks
Cost of bread in November 1923
201 billion marks
How did hyperinflation affect the elderly?
Many elderly people lived on fixed pensions which didn’t keep up with inflation
How did hyperinflation affect those in debt?
Very easy to pay off
How did hyperinflation affect those with savings?
The savings were virtually worthless
e.g. people who had struggled to save 1000 marks couldn’t even buy a loaf of bread with these savings
How did hyperinflation affect trade?
Many small businesses collapsed as they couldn’t keep up with rising prices
How many political murders occurred from 1919-23?
350
When was the Dawes plan made?
1924
When was the Young plan made?
1929
Benefits of Dawes and Young plans
There was an increase in the number of foreign goods and money in Germany
Standard of living rose
Flaws of the Dawes and Young plans
Germany was totally reliant on USA as she wasn’t making enough money to stay afloat
Why was political unrest bad for Weimar?
Political problems were a danger to the Weimar Republic as they showed the democracy had enemies who were willing to use violence to transform the country.
