Weimar Republic Flashcards
What were conditions in Germany like following the First World War? (end of 1918)
- German army seemed close to defeat, as the allied armies had broken through the German armies on the Western Front
- There were food shortages in Germany itself and shortages of all other supplies, so causing suffering and hardship for the whole population (who were close to starvation) and the Royal Navy continued to blockade German ports
When did the German army refuse to attack the British navy?
30th October 1918 - Works and soldiers took over ports like Kiel (which is on the only coastline Germany have)
What is a revolt?
Violent uprising
What did the fact that the allies refused to negotiate with the German Kaiser lead to?
The abdication of the Kaiser who fled to Holland on the 9th November
What happened the day following the abdication of the German Kaiser?
A Republic led by Friedrich Ebert was set up in the town of Weimar
What was the name of the German Kaiser?
Kaiser Wilhelm 2nd.
True or False:
The Kaiser was a relation of the British Queen.
True.
Why did Ebert set up the republic in Weimar?
Because fighting between rival groups who wanted to govern Germany was taking place in Berlin,
Why was the new Republic disliked at the beginning of it being set up?
Because the people of Germany had been led to believe that Germany was winning the war, and so when Germany signed the Armistice on 11th November, the blame fell to the new Republic of Ebert.
True or False?
Between 1919 and 1923 a number of groups used armed forces to try and seize power.
True.
What was the first of the armed uprisings against the new Weimar Republic?
It was by the Spartakists (communists) that wanted Germany to be ruled under communist government like Russia was.
Who were the two leaders of the Spartakist’s uprising?
- Rosa Luxembourg
- Karl Liebknecht
What did the Spartakists do in their uprising against the Republic?
They took over public buildings and organised a general strike.
What was the name of Ebert’s volunteer force?
Freikorps
Fill in the gaps.
The Freikorps ________ Communists but _________ to fight.
- Hated
- Liked
How many was Ebert’s Freikorps force?
4,000 strong
What kind of men made up the Freikorps force?
Armed ex-soldiers
How long did it take for Ebert’s Freikorps to overtake the Spartakists and defeat them?
2 weeks
What happened to the leaders of the Spartakists following their Freikorps defeat?
They were shot.
Who was the leader of the Freikorps?
Wolfgang Kapp
Where in Parliament did the communists belong?
Left wing
Where in Parliament did the Freikorps belong?
Right wing
What is another word to describe the Spartakist ‘Putsch’?
Spartakist uprising
Why was the Spartiakist Putsch so important?
- It showed how unstable the new (mainly socialist) Republic was because they had to turn to the army in order to defeat the communists
- The army remained as it had been under the Kaiser and gave very little support to the new republic
What was the Weimar Constitution?
A new constitution (rules by which a country is governed) that was set up in Weimar because it was impossible to meet in Berlin.
This was to be a democratic government
What were some of the strengths of the new Weimar Constitution?
- Everyone over the age of 20, including women, had the right to vote
- Proportional representation meant that parties were given seats in proportion to the number of votes they got. This was fair. But lead to weak, unstable governments.
- A strong president was necessary to keep control over the government.
- Each state could keep some control over their own affairs.
What were some of the weaknesses of the new Weimar Constitution?
- Votes for all have enemies of the Republic a chance to destroy it
- Proportional representation meant lots of small parties. No one party would have a majority. Coalitions would be needed.
- President had too much power. Under article 48 he could abandon democracy and rule by decree.
- Democracy was new to Germany - The Kaiser was autocratic (virtually a dictator), and people were quick to blame the new democratic republic if things went wrong.
- Army generals loyal to the Kaiser wanted him to return.
- Judges that had served the Kaiser and wanted him to return.
a) What group tried to overthrow the Republic in March 1920?
b) What event was this called?
a) The Nationalist right wing Freikorps.
b) The Kapp Putsch
What happened in the Kapp Putsch?
- The Freikorps hated the new government for trying to disband them, and also for signing the Treaty of Versailles
- The army refused to stop Kapp and his 5000 followers
- Workers in the city organised a general strike and Kapp had to abandon his plans
- Kapp fled to Sweden. The government returned to Berlin
What was the Reichstag?
The German government
What did the results of the Kapp Putsch show?
- They showed that the Republic had gained much support from the workers of Berlin
- It showed the lack of support from the army
- Many members of the army still blamed the government for signing the Armistice and the Treaty of Versailles. They wanted the Kaiser to return.
In January 1923, Germany had fallen behind with the reparations payments to Belgium and France.
a) Why was this a problem for the French?
b) What did French and Belgium troops do as a result?
c) What did Germany do in response?
a) Because they needed that money to pay off their war debts to the USA
b) French and Belgium troops invaded the Ruhr, the industrial heartland of Germany, to take goods instead
c) The government ordered passive resistance. German workers went on strike. Some sabotaged the pumps in the mines.
What were the results of the French invasion of the Ruhr?
- It united the German people against the French and Belgians
- The strikers were seen as heroes in Germany
- German government became popular because it backed the strikers and organised passive resistance
- Inflation was caused by the government printing money to pay the striking miners of the Ruhr
The value of the German mark lost all value due to what?
Hyperinflation
Define ‘hyperinflation’.
When prices rise massively, out of control, and money printed becomes totally worthless.
Since ______, Germany had sent goods to France and Belgium to pay off _____________, so less goods in Germany and prices ________.
- 1921
- reparations
- rose
Who suffered as a result of the hyperinflation in Germany?
- Old people who were living on fixed pensions, which became worthless.
- People who lived on savings, as these became worthless
- Many of the middle classes who saw their businesses and savings destroyed
True or False?
A cup of coffee would half in value whilst it was being drunk.
False - A cup of coffee would double in value because the price would rise so quickly.
Who would have benefited from the hyperinflation in Germany?
- Those with debts or loans (they could pay the money back at a fraction of the cost
- Rich businessmen who took over smaller firms who went bankrupt
- Farmers benefited from the rise in prices
- Foreigners in Germany could afford things ordinary Germans couldn’t
When was the Munich/Beer Hall Putsch?
November 1923
What was Hitler’s main purpose behind the Beer Hall Putsch?
To attempt to seize power by force.
What happened prior to the Munich Putsch?
- Hyperinflation seriously damaged the German economy
- President Ebert was replaced by Gustav Stresseman who called off the passive resistance in 1923
- Many nationalist groups, including Hitler’s Nazis were furious, thinking it was further weakness by the democratic government
Which Great War hero was supporting Hitler throughout the Beer Hall Putsch?
General Ludendorff
What were Hitler’s plans for the Beer Hall Putsch?
- He believed that the army would flock to join the putsch, given the Great War hero Ludendorff was a supporter of Hitler
- Hitler planned to take over the state government of Bavarian, and then march on to Berlin to overthrow the national government.
What was the name of Hitler’s private army?
The Stormtroopers
Where did Hitler and his private army begin their march?
At a Beer Hall in Munich
True or False?
The police and the regular army joined the putsch as Hitler hoped.
False - The police and the army did not join the putsch, and instead, Hitler and his army were stopped by force.
What happened to Hitler following the failure of the Beer Hall/Munich Putsch?
He was arrested and put on trial charged with treason against the government. His trial gave Hitler alot of publicity
How did the judge’s feelings affect what happened during Hitler’s trial following the Munich Putsch?
The judge was sympathetic to Hitler, so although he was found guilty, he sentenced Hitler to only 5 years in prison rather than the death sentence.
How did Hitler spend his time in prison?
He spent only 9 months in prison, in complete luxury. He wrote his book “Mein Kampf” there.
Which prison was Hitler in for 9 months?
Landsberg Prison.
Did Hitler attempt to seize power by force again after the Munich/Beer hall putsch?
No - The Munich/Beer hall Putsch was his one and only attempt to seize power by force.
What did Hitler do when he was released from prison?
He re-established the Nazi Party (which had fallen apart in his absence) and fought elections to win power by legal means through the ballot box
How successful were the Nazi Party in the 1920s?
They were regarded as a joke and not many took them seriously. They had little electoral success.
a) When did people start taking the Nazi Party seriously?
b) Why was this?
a) 1929
b) Because the Great Depression hit Germany very badly and the Nazis proclamations began to make sense - they gave people a sense of hope, and the people started to listen to them.
a) Which time bracket is considered to be the Weimar Republic’s “Golden Years”?
b) Why were these years considered the “Golden Years”?
a) Between 1924 and 1929
b) Saw economic recovery and political stability in Germany.
Who became the new Chancellor (Prime Minister) of Germany?
Gustav Stressemann
What did Stressemann do whilst Chancellor of Germany?
- Called off the passive resistance in the Ruhr so the strikers could start producing goods again
- Introduced a new currency to replace the worthless mark. It was called the Rentenmark
- He started to pay reparations again
What happened in 1924 once Germany had started paying reparations again?
The Germans were rewarded with the introduction of the Dawes Plan.
What was the Dawes Plan?
It was economic aid given from the USA to Germany. The Americans agreed to lend Germany 800 million marks.
How did the Germans use the money from the Dawes Plan?
- Build factories to produce goods and provide employment (thus raising the standard of living for the German people)
- In nearly every German town new factories and public buildings sprang up. New roads, railways, and nearly 3 million new homes were built with the money from the Dawes Plan.
When did French and Belgian troops leave the Ruhr?
1925
What year did industrial production in Germany finally reach pre-First World War levels?
1928
True or False?
By 1935, Germany was one of the leading exporters of manufactured goods.
True - However, it was actually by 1930 that they had manages to achieve this status.
What did new ‘political stabililty’ in Germany actually entail?
- Political parties worked together in government. The Social Democrats, a party of the middle classes, worked alongside the socialists in coalition governments
- There was little support for extremist parties such as the Nazis and the Communists
- The Nazis were seen as a joke party of “violent bully boys”
What did Germany sign in 1925 to increase political stability?
The Locarno Treaties, agreeing never to change the borders between France, Belgium and Germany
What did Germany do in 1926 to increase political stability?
They were allowed to join the League of Nations, where they were recognised as a trusted equal, and a great power. Germany was given a permanent seat in the Council of the League alongside Britain and France
What did Germany sign in 1928 to increase political stability?
The Kellogg-Briand Pact (along with 64 other nations) which renounced war as a means of setting disputes between nations.
What else happened during the so-called “Golden Years” for Germany?
- Huge cultural revival
- An exciting time for artists, writers, playwrights, the theatre and architecture.
- There was freedom of speech in Germany for the first time (no censorship of the media)
- Revolution in the role of women
What were some of the economic problems that Germany still faced throughout the “Golden Years”?
- The Germany economy relied on American loans which could be withdrawn at any time (and were following the Wall Street Crash)
- Unemployment remained a serious problem. The economy was not growing fast enough for Germany’s rising population
- Farming suffered from depression throughout the 1920s owing to a fall in food prices
- Small shop keepers found it difficult to compete with the large department stores (which were largely Jewish owned)
- Growth in industry began to slow down in 1927
What were some of the political problems that the Weimar Republic faced?
- No one political party could secure a majority in the Reichstag. There were frequent, short-lived coalition governments - 25 governments in 14 years
- Many nationalists opposed to Stressemann’s policies, especially when he called off passive resistance in the Ruhr in 1923
- Extremist parties, such as the Nazis and Communists were determined to overthrow the Weimar Republic
- President Hindenburg disliked the Weimar Republic
As a result of the Great Depression, how many people were unemployed in Germany by 1932?
6 million
As a result of the Great Depression, how many people were reliant upon the dole in Germany by 1932?
17 million
Why did the Nazi Party grow in popularity over the time of the Great Depression?
- They offered simple solutions to Germany’s problems
- “Arbeit und brot” (Work and bread)
- The Nazis were a party of mass appeal - they appealed to all sections of German society
- As unemployment grew, so did the support of the Nazi party
- Increased number of seats in the Reichstag
How many seats were in the Reichstag in 1928?
12
How many seats were in the Reichstag in 1930?
107
