Weimar Republic 1918-1929 Flashcards
When did Germany start fully acknowledge they were losing the war? What did this mean for Kaiser Wilhelm II ?
Autumn 1918 - trouble
When did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate?
end of ww1
What did the Kaiser’s abdication result in?
dmcrtc rpblc fmd in Germany & peace with Allies
When was the new German government created? What was it called?
10th Nov 1918 - Weimar Rpblc
Who was the first chancellor of the Weimar Republic? Which party was he leader of?
Ebert - social Dmcrtc prty
What treaty was signed to mark the end of WW1?
Armistice
Define proportional representation.
system that allocates prlmntry seats in prprtn to no. of votes
State 3 strengths of the Weimar Constitution.
- all Germans had equal rights eg. voting
- each state had own trdtns. so kpt cntrl over own affairs
- prptnl rprsntn made it fair that pltcl prts got seats = no. of votes
State 3 weaknesses of the Weimar Consitution.
- president had too much power, could easily bcm dcttr
- prptnl rprsntn meant no party could get a majority = not strong gov.
- states could be hostile to ntnl gov & even overthrow it
After signing the armistice, what did the Weimar Republic become know as? Why?
Nov Criminals - German ppl felt let down, as Kaiser created impression that Germany was winning ww1
What was the ‘stab in the back’ theory/dolchstoss?
German ppl felt betrayed by gov for surrendering & unptrtc attitudes -> war effort
What was Article 48?
in emergency, president could make laws without going to Reichstag
At the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, who were discussions dominated by?
‘Big Three’ - Clemenceau, Lloyd George & Wilson
How was the USA, France & Britain affected by the war?
destroyed France’s land, USA had high mortality rates & Britain had economic struggles
What kind of ‘peace’ did the USA, France & Britain want?
USA -> not involved in European affairs
France -> Revenge
England -> just peace
Why were negotiation between the Big Three so difficult?
v diff. opinions
What is the acronym to remember the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
Land
Army
Money
Blame
What percentage of Germany’s land was taken due to the ToV? Why was this a problem for Germany?
13% - lots of lost land contained raw materials sold for economic gain
What area of Germany was demilitarised due to ToV?
Rhineland
What was the German army reduced to due to ToV? What did this mean for Germany?
100,000 - lessened ability to dominate a war
How many battleships was Germany allowed after ToV?
6
What was the total amount of reparations that Germany had to pay to France & Belgium due to ToV?
£6.6 billion
What did the reparations mean for Germany?
became economically weakened overall
What was the ‘war guilt’ clause, as part of ToV? What did this mean for Germany?
Germany had to take full responsibility for WW1 - bcm unpopular globally
Define Freikorps.
ex - soldiers who refused to de-arm & caused violence -> Weimar Republic
Who led the Spartacist Uprising (SU)? What side of politics were they?
Liebknecht & Luxembourg (far left)
When was the SU?
Jan 1919
What happened in the SU?
KDP tried to overthrow Ebert & Weimar gov by taking control of newspaper building
How was the SU defeated?
Ebert usd reg. army end -> rebellion in 5 days, Liebknecht & Luxemburg killed
Define putsch.
violent attempt to overthrow gov.
Who led the Kapp Putsch (KP)? What side of politics were they?
Ehrhardt & Kapp (far right)
When did the KP take place?
13th March 1920
What happened during the KP?
Kapp seized cntrl & mde hmslf Berlin’s Hd of Stte -> rbld Germany’s army & tke bck ‘stolen’ land by ToV
How was the KP defeated? When?
Ebert told people not to support KP & strike -> 18th March 1920 Ehrhardt & Kapp fled
Define hyperinflation.
financial inflation occuring at very ↑ rate
When was the Year of Crisis?
1923
What happen during the Year of Crisis?
Weimar gov printed more & more ££ to make reparation payments -> prices ↑ = hyperinflation
What became worthless during the Year of Crisis?
German mark
What did Germany fail to do, which spiralled down into the Year of Crisis?
pay reparation payments to France
How did France react to Germany’s failure to pay reparations? When?
Jan 1923 - occupied Ruhr region to take resources
Why did France need to collect the reparations?
needed to pay off own war debts to USA
What did Germans do to resist the French occupation?
workers in Ruhr striked, set factories on fire & flooded mines
What did the occupation do to the dynamic of the German people?
brght ppl tgthr -> unite agnst France as German gov backed strike
What was the value of the German mark in 1914?
20 marks
What was the value of the mark in November 1923?
1,680,800,000,000,000
Who lost money during Year of Crisis?
ppl wth fixed income or savings
Who benefitted from hyperinflation?
foreign immigrants
Who become German chancellor in August 1923?
Stresemann
What temporary currency was invented to restore confidence in Germany money? When?
Nov 1923 - Retenmark
When was the German currency converted back to the Reichsmark? Why?
1924 - bckd by gold reserves
What were the 3 terms of the Dawes plan? When was it created?
August 1924
- reparation payments made more manageable eg. 1 billion marks 1st year
- 1925 Ruhr occupation ended
- USA give loans to help recover ie. $3,000 million
What happened in September 1926 that allowed Germany to return to its ‘Great Power’ status?
given permanent seat on Council of the League of Nations
What was the 1927 Labour Exchange Act?
reforms md for better living cndtns for wkng clss
By 1928, what percentage increase was there in people’s wages?
10%
By 1928, how many new homes had been built?
3 million
What the Kellogg - Briand Pact 1928?
Germany & 64 other nations agreed to solve international disputes by ‘peaceful means’
What was the Young Plan 1929? How much were reparation figures reduced by?
new plans for reparation payments
= £6.6 billion -> £1.85 billion
How many middle class workers were looking for jobs by 1928?
184,000
What time period was the Golden Age?
1924 - 1929
By 1928, how much was homelessness in Germany reduced by?
60%
What was the Unemployment Insurance Law? When was it passed?
1927 - included protection of ill/elderly & benefits -> war veterans, wives etc.
When were women in Germany given the vote? Over what age?
1919 - women ovr 20
How many female teachers were there by 1933?
100,000
What did women have more of, as a result of the Golden Age?
freedom socially
Why were women criticised during the Golden Age?
for working & neglecting their homes
What types of culture became increasingly popular, during 1924 - 1929?
art, theatre & opera
Name one artist who was able to particulary flourish during the Golden Age.
Otto Dix
As a result of the Golden Age, why did German culture become very popular?
german people had larger variety of social activities
