Weimar Republic Flashcards

1
Q

Who was Friederich Ebert?

A

Leader of the majority Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Council of People’s Representatives

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2
Q

What were Ebert’s priorities?

A
  • Sign the armistice ending the war
    
- To restore and begin a revolution, he felt ending the war and removing the Kaiser was enough
    
- Changed the way Germany was governed + make it a democratic republic
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3
Q

Strengths of Weimar Republic

A
  • At the time, the most democratic system in the world
  • Fundamental Laws + Ability to form trade unions
  • 7 year President can bring stability through A48 though + and is elected by the people
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4
Q

Weaknesses of Weimar Republic

A
  • The president could have too much power (Article 48/Appoints Judges + Army Officers)
  • Reichsrat (Senate) members are appointed
  • Proportional Representation caused many large coalitions between 3/4 parties. This meant compromised views + lots of arguments in Reichstag.
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5
Q

What does LAMB stand for? What does it mean?

A

Land Armament Money Blame

It’s the agreement of the ToV

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6
Q

What were the Treaty of Versailles L terms?

A

Land:

  • Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
  • Germany split in two to give Poland access to the Baltic Sea
  • Saar coalfield under League of Nations control for 15 years before a plebiscite
  • Upper Silesia coal and steel works given to Poland
  • Danzig made a free city
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7
Q

What were the Treaty of Versailles A terms?

A
Armaments: 
100,000 soldiers
No airforce
No submarines + tanks
No conscriptions
15,000 sailors
6 battleships
(Mass unemployment from army and no more engineering)
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8
Q

What were the Treaty of Versailles M terms?

A

Money:

  • Reparations bill to cover family allowance and pensions for the wounded
  • Set in May 1921 at £6.6 billion
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9
Q

What were the Treaty of Versailles B terms?

A

Blame:

  • Article 231
  • Germany + her allies were responsible for starting the war
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10
Q

Describe the Spartacist Uprising

A

Left-Wing
When? - January 1919
Leaders? - Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
Very little support, none from public and only from organisers/participants. In Berlin, radio towers and the publishing head offices were taken over by left-wing extremists from the KPD. However, only lasted a few hours and they were defeated by the army and Freikorps unit which killed 100 workers as well as the two leaders who were dumped in the river.
Danger Rating? - 3/5

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11
Q

Any other left-wing threats?

A

Workers and left-wingers were dissatisfied with working conditions, pay and general treatment of the lower class. Wanted a communist uprising like Russia just had.

Random worker strikes and protests, usually in industrial areas and happened often. Most significant was in March 1920, where an army of 50,000 formed in protest of the Kapp Putsch and the largest left-wing revolt. However, crushed by army and Freikorps. 1000 workers and 250 police/soldiers were killed in total.

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12
Q

Describe Kapp Putsch

A

March 1920, lead by Wolfgang Kapp. 12,000 Freikorps army lead by Wolfgang but none from public. In response to the Freikorps forced disband, army lead by Wolfgang marched to Berlin, seized the city causing the government to flee to Weimar as they could not fight back because troops would not fire at troops. A new government lead by Kapp was formed and was ultra right wing. Only lasted 4 days because of lack of support from workers and banks. Therefore had to leave and Ebert came back, but fact they fled shows how serious threat it was.

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13
Q

Describe Munich Putsch

A

November 1923, lead by Hitler and General Ludendorff. Little support outside of NSDAP. Hitler and stormtroopers seize Munich beerhall capturing some important Bavarian governors, forcing them to sign loyalty to the putsch. However, let them go too early and so they reported to govt. and marched to Berlin but easily defeated.

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14
Q

Which side was more threatening? Overall threat?

A

Right. Not really

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15
Q

What happens in January 1923 (Year of Crisis)?

A
  • Germany default on payments of timber and coal


- French and Belgian immediately occupy the Ruhr and passive resistance begins (supported by govt.)

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16
Q

What happened in August 1923 (Year of Crisis)?

A
  • To pay the strikers, government start to print more money
    
- Inflation spirals out of control leading to hyperinflation. Trade union do nothing to help and the government struggles to manage the situation
17
Q

What social issues did Weimar face between 1924-29?

A
  • Resentment of the ‘November Criminals’

  • Class Divide + Poverty

    
- Big businesses and upper classes often felt that lower class was prioritised

  • Germany gained a reputation for its decadence and overindulgence.
  • Crime rates increased and were hard to manage
18
Q

How well did Weimar deal with social issues between 1924-29?

A

ACHIEVEMENTS:

  • Germany one of the first countries to have and manage its own welfare state (a socialist concept)

  • No censorship, only for porn and indecent content for youths which came in 1928
- 1923
  • Youth Welfare Act
- Article 155 declared that states must ‘strive to secure’ healthy working conditions for families. Eep larger ones



JUDGEMENT:
Seemed better then it was. Outside of welfare state not much changed in the form of equal rights despite what seemed to be ‘acceptable’ based on the lack of censorship.


19
Q

What economic issues did Weimar face between 1924-29?

A
  • Reparations of £6.6 billion, defaulted on this in 1923
    
- Ruhr occupation meant Govt were not making money despite paying workers to strike
    
- Value of money decreased thanks to hyperinflation.
  • Wall Street Crash meant the Dawes Plan loan was immediately recalled so economic situation went back to bad
20
Q

How well did Weimar deal with economic issues between 1924-29?

A

ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Rentenmark was created to stop it however many lost nearly all savings.

- Dawes plan, a loan from America, allowed Germany to improve living conditions

- Young Plan reduced the amount of reparations from 269 to 12 billion gold marks

JUDGEMENT:

- Were doing well and improving until Wall Street Crash caused almost a repeat of 1923

21
Q

What political issues did Weimar face between 1924-29?

A
  • Throughout late 20s, opposition to Weimar was growing in support

  • 30% of vote went to anti-Weimar parties
    
- 4 chancellors between 1923 - 1929

  • 1926 president was Hindenburg despite being opposed to democracy
    
- The Nazis were respectable. and therefore more appealing
22
Q

How well did Weimar deal with political issues between 1924-29?

A

ACHIEVEMENTS:

  • Govt were more stable post-1923

  • Stressemann was right-wing and therefore had more support

  • Pro-Weimar parties did well at elections

JUDGEMENT:

- Although Weimar was more politically stable and popular than before 1923, it still had weaknesses such as rival parties gaining more support.

23
Q

What was the Locarno Pact?

A

Locarno Pact:

  • Pact was formally signed in London on 1 December. Sought to secure the post-war territorial settlement, and return normalising relations with defeated Germany/Weimar Republic.
  • The pact divided borders in Europe into two categories: western, which were guaranteed by Locarno treaties, and eastern borders of Germany with Poland, which were open for revision. The first three signatories agreed to not attack each other, with the latter two acting as guarantors.
24
Q

What was the League of Nation?

A
  • In September 1926, Germany joined the League of Nations, an international organisation which was established after the first world war in the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Germany could put forward matters that would interest and help it rebuild itself after the first world war.
25
Q

How was the Kellogg Briand Pact?

A
  • A peace treaty between 62 countries.
  • Stated that the signatory states promised not to use war to resolve “disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them.”
  • This meant that Germany was trusted more as a nation, as it was less likely to wage war on a nation, and prevent the causes of WW1.
26
Q

What was happening politically in 1929?

A

Extremist groups were starting to become more popular - especially NSDAP.