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