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