Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany

Question 1

When did Kaiser Wilhelm the second abdicate?

Answer 1

10th November 1918

Question 2

How was the Kaiser forced to abdicate?

Answer 2

He had lost control as mass protests were taking place in the capital.

Question 3

Who was the first president of the Weimar Republic?

Answer 3

Friedrich Ebert

Question 4

What was proportional representation?

Answer 4

A political system in which parties are represented in parliament based on the percentage of votes for them.

Question 5

What was the issue with proportional representation?

Answer 5

Parties would have to work together to run the country and they had different ideals this created conflict in between the parties.

For Example:

Party A got 40 % of the votes
Party B got 35% the votes
Party C got 25 % of the votes

These three parties would have to work together with Party A more in charge and this would create confusion as well as conflict.

Question 6

How much was Germany’s debt in 1918?

Answer 6

150 Billion Marks

Question 7

What were some of Ebert’s measures which created the Weimar Republic?

Answer 7

He attempted to stop Germany from becoming a communist state.

He dismissed the old Reichstag.

He worked with the army to suppress communist rioters.

Question 8

What was a consequence of Ebert’s measures which created the Weimar Republic?

Answer 8

His use of force in the early years of the Weimar Republic meant that they never really had any control over the people.

Question 9

What was the order of the Weimar Constitution?

Answer 9

Head of State (President)
The Government (Chancellor and Cabinet)
The Parliament (Reichstag and Reichsrat)
Electorate (men and women over 21)

Question 10

What were some strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?

Answer 10

Strengths

The people gained more rights such as voting.

Proportional representation ensured the Reichstag represented smaller parties. One seat was equivalent to 60,000 votes.

The system was designed to stop someone from taking ultimate power. For example, the president chose the chancellor but the public elected the president every seven years.

The Reichstag and the Reichsrat worked together. The Länder (local governments) retained power over schools and the police. The Reichsrat could challenge laws unless two-thirds of the Reichstag voted against the Reichsrat’s intervention.

Weaknesses

An increase in elections weakened the public’s enthusiasm for voting. During the 1920s and 1930s, fewer people voted in elections.

The use of proportional representation meant no single party won a majority in the Reichstag. There were nine coalition governments between 1919 and 1923 alone. This meant policies lacked vision and took longer to pass.

Article 48 meant the chancellor could ask the president to pass emergency laws without the support of the Reichstag. Ebert used Article 48 63 times, 1923-24. The abuse of the article continued into the 1930s.

The new Constitution did not subdue the extremist political parties. They continued to violently attack the Weimar Republic. The government relied on force to maintain power.

Question 11

What were the terms of the treaty of Versailles using the acronym ‘LAMB’?

And describe each term of ‘LAMB’

Answer 11

Land
Army
Money
Blame

Land - Alsace Lorraine became part of France again so did the area of the Saar. They also lost West Prussia and Posen.

Army - The Rhineland had to become demillitarised. The German army had to become reduced to just 100,000 men. Not allowed to have an airforce only allowed 6 submarines.

Money - Germany had to £6.6 billion in reparations.

Blame - Germany was blamed for the entirety of the war. They were also banned from joining the league of nations.

Question 12

What did the German people believe the German politicians did?

Answer 12

Dolchstoss translated to stab in the back.

Question 13

What were the politicians called who signed the treaty of Versailles?

Answer 13

The November Criminals

Question 14

What was an impact of the treaty of Versailles - related to extremist parties?

Answer 14

Many extremist parties gained popularity who promised to go against the treaty due to the people’s anger at the Kaiser for signing the treaty.

Such as HITLER AND THE NAZI’s

Question 15

What is the differences between the left wing and right wing parties?

Answer 15

LEFT WING

The people should run the
country.

Everyone is equal no matter what.

Communism

RIGHT WING

Concept of Capitalism

Don’t like Immigrants

Strong pride for their country

Question 16

What was the Spartacist Uprising? (1919)

Answer 16

This was a challenge from the left wing parties.
Over 100,000 workers protested on the streets.
The Friekorps (ex soldiers) took them down.

Question 17

What was the Kapp Putsch? (1920)

Answer 17

This was a challenge from the right wing parties.
The Friekorps believed that the politicians had stabbed the army in the back.
They announced Wolfgang Kapp as their leader.
They took over Berlin.
They made a critical error in saying that they would bring the unpopular Kaiser back. So the people striked.
After four days Kapp fled Berlin to Sweden.

Question 18

How did hyperinflation begin in Germany?

Answer 18

When the French and Belgian invasion of the Ruhr took place in January 1923. The Government told the coal miners in the Ruhr to go on strike. The Government insisted to pay them wages still. So they printed more money which increased the price of goods.

By November 1923 the mark became worthless - people had to put money in wheelbarrows to pay for bread.

Hyperinflation increased so rapidly that if you bought lunch for money in the time that it was served to you the price would have gone up to match the hyperinflation percentage.

1 piece of bread in 1923 cost 200 billion marks!!
In 1919 a piece of bread just cost 1 mark.

Question 19

Name some positive and negative impacts of hyperinflation for Working Classes.

Answer 19

Positives

Paid with essential items so they could cope.

People hoarded goods and sold them for a high price.

Negatives

Many people resorted to stealing food to survive.

Unemployment rose and some workers died from starvation.

Question 20

Name some positive and negative impacts of hyperinflation for Middle Classes.

Answer 20

Positives

People who had mortgages, rent or loans could pay off the money they owed as the debt became worthless.

Negatives

The middle classes lost their life savings, insurance policies and pensions.

The Government lost their backing.

The Middle Classes looked to extremist parties for solutions.

Question 21

What are some short term impacts of hyperinflation?

Answer 21

In 1923, the public saw the Weimar government as weak.

Many people blamed the Weimar government for their suffering. This was especially true for the middle classes who suffered the most from hyperinflation.

There was a growth in support for extremism. The Nazi Party attempted a putsch in Munich in 1923.

Question 22

What are some long term impacts of hyperinflation?

Answer 22

Despite successes in 1924-28, the public would never again trust Weimar politicians in a time of crisis.

The legacy of hyperinflation would haunt the German public. Some people lost family members to poverty and starvation.

Unemployment rates remained high throughout the 1920s. Hitler’s promise of more jobs for young men persuaded many to vote for the Nazi Party in the 1930s.

Question 23

Name the three causes of hyperinflation?

Answer 23

The Treaty of Versailles.
Invasion of the Ruhr.
Printing more money.

Question 24

Name 4 consequences of hyperinflation?

Answer 24

Unemployment.
Loss of savings and pensions.
Debts from loans increased.
Increased support in extremist parties.

Question 25

What was Gustav Stresemann’s three main aims for Germany?

Answer 25

Bring inflation under control
Regain Europe’s respect
Minimise the support for extremist parties

Question 26

When did Stresemann create a new currency and what was the name of this?

Answer 26

In November 1923, Stresemann created a new currency called the Rentenmark.

Question 27

Name 2 terms of the Dawes Plan in 1924.

Answer 27

Temporary reduction of reparations to £50 million a year.

A guarantee of US bank loans for German industry.

Question 28

Name 2 impacts of the Dawes Plan in 1924.

Answer 28

Reparations became more manageable.

The USA gave $25 billion to German industry from 1924-30.

Question 29

Due to the Dawes Plan, Germany enjoyed some economic successes - what was an issue with the Dawes Plan?

Answer 29

Germany had become way too dependent on America and if the US faced economic problems that would be an issue for Germany.

(Wall Street Crash)

Question 30

Name 2 terms of the Young Plan in 1929.

Answer 30

Reduced reparations bill from £6.6 billion to £2.2 billion.

The Allies extended the time that Germany had to repay their reparation debts. Reparations had to be fully repaid by 1988.

Question 31

Name 2 impacts of the Young Plan in 1929.

Answer 31

The government was able to lower taxes on German citizens. Citizens could spend more, boosting German industry and creating more jobs
This gave the government more money to spend.

There was less pressure on Germany to pay off the reparations debt. This improved relations between Germany and the Allies. France decided to leave the Rhineland in 1930.

Question 32

In what ways did Germany improve foreign relations?

Answer 32

Dawes and Young Plans (1924 and 1929)
Locarno Pact (1925)
Germany entered League of Nations (1926)
Kellogg - Briand Pact (1928)

Question 33

What are some positives and negatives of Germany joining the League of Nations?

Answer 33

Positives:

Boosted confidence in Weimar Republic.
Gained support for moderate parties.

Negatives:

Some people didn’t want to join League of Nations due to hatred of Treaty of Versailles.

Created anger among extremist parties.

Question 34

What are some positives and negatives of the Kellogg - Briand Pact (1928)?

Answer 34

Positives:

Boosted German citizens’ confidence in the Weimar Republic.

The world saw Germany as a respectable and trustworthy state. They could enter into treaties as an equal to the other signatories.

Negatives:

The Kellogg-Briand Pact did not remove the military restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. This angered extremist parties.

Many Germans thought other countries would move towards disarmament. Disappointingly, the pact did not promise this.