Why were the Weimar Republic so unpopular from 1919-23? Flashcards
What were the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
LAND - Lost 13% of their land including Alsace-Lorraine
ARMY - Limited to 100,000 soldiers, 6 ships, no airforce
MONEY - Had to pay reparations of £6.6 billion
BLAME - They had to take the blame for WW1
Why did the Spartacist Uprising happen in 1919?
Communists wanted to take advantage of the lack of a permanent government just after the end of WW1
What happened during the Spartacist Uprising?
Communist leaders Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg took control of public buildings in Berlin.
President Ebert made a deal with the Freikorps to keep their weapons if they put down the revolution.
They uprising was stopped, Liebknecht and Luxembourg were killed.
What was the effect of the Spartacist Uprising on the Weimar Republic?
They were made to look strong by dealing with the uprising.
However, by allowing the Freikorps to keep their weapons they allowed further uprisings such as the Kapp Putsch.
Why did the Kapp Putsch happen in 1920?
Wolfgang Kapp and his followers wanted to scrap the TOV and bring back the Kaiser (Emperor).
What happened during the Kapp Putsch?
Wolfgang Kapp and 5000 Freikorps marched into Berlin.
The Weimar Republic fled to Dresden and asked the people of Berlin to hold a general strike.
The strike stopped the Kapp Putsch as the city came to a standstill without water, gas, transport etc.
What was the effect of the Kapp Putsch on the Weimar Republic?
It made the Weimar Republic look weak as they fled Berlin.
However, it showed the Weimar Republic had support from many people as they went on strike for them.
Why did the Occupation of the Ruhr happen in 1923?
Germany could not afford to pay the reparations set by the Treaty of Versailles so the French army marched into the Ruhr (an industrial area of Germany).
What happened during the Occupation of the Ruhr?
The French army confiscated goods and machinery from the Ruhr (an industrial area of Germany).
German workers went on strike but were replaced by French workers. The Weimar Republic paid the striking workers.
The French humiliated the German workers.
What was the effect of the Occupation of the Ruhr on Germany?
It seriously damaged the German economy as the Ruhr was a key are of income.
There were shortages in Germany of goods made in the Ruhr.
The government printed money they didn’t have to pay the striking workers which led to Hyperinflation.
What was Hyperinflation?
The Weimar Republic printed money it didn’t have to pay its debts, making money almost worthless.
What were the effects of Hyperinflation?
Prices rocketed so people’s savings became almost worthless. People on a fixed income such as pensioners were financially ruined.
Farmers and people with goods to sell and trade benefited.
People lost faith in the Weimar Republic. In Munich Hitler tried to overthrow the Bavarian government.
