Wiemar republic Flashcards
Why did General Ludendorff make dramatic changes to his system of government?
- One of the main demands made by American President Woodrow Wilson was that Germany make
a step towards a democratic form of government before peace negotiations could begin. By forming
such a government, Germany would be likely to gain more favourable peace terms in the armistice. - By making this change Ludendorff hoped to undermine
growing revolutionary sentiment in Germany that was
inspired by the communist ideological revolution in
Russia. The people of Germany, he feared, might be liable
to break out into mass disturbances. - By changing the system of government just before the
signing the armistice, Ludendorff could effectively save
face for the Imperial Army by providing a scapegoat for
Germany’s defeat. It was the new leadership that would
absorb the blame for the loss of the war. This was to be
the origin of the ‘stab-in-the-back’ myth that many
Germans were to hold for many years to come.
Issues in the Wiemar constitution
- Proportional Representation – This was a new system of voting for Germany, in which the
percentage of votes gained by a political party in an election directly correlated with the percentage
of the seats they held in parliament. For example, if a political party received 30% of all the votes in
an election then they would occupy 30% of all the seats in the Reichstag. The problem with this
system was that it created a lot of very small political parties in parliament, many of which had
extremist views. This made it hard for parties to form coalitions in order to become governments as
they often had to create broad coalitions between lots of small parties. The extremist views of these
small parties made it unlikely that they would ever agree on key issues of government and so no
new laws could be passed and very little could get done. - The Power of the President – In order to counteract the factionary nature of the proportional
representation voting system (which could result in a disunited and indecisive government) the
independently elected president was given some extraordinary powers over the Reichstag. Among
the extraordinary powers of the president were: the supreme command of the armed forces, the
ability to appoint the chancellor of the Reichstag and to completely dissolve the Reichstag should he
wish. Most important of these powers was his ability to completely bypass the Reichstag in order to
pass new laws. This meant that the democratic system of electing a Reichstag could be completely
overruled by the president. These balances were contained in the 48th article of the Weimar
Constitution. Some would argue that by granting these unnecessary powers to the president the
writers of the constitution had tipped the balance of power too far in his favour. - Traditions of the Empire – While the Weimar Constitution implemented a vast amount of
democratic rights and civil liberties into German law, the continued attitudes of old imperialism
were still present in many government officials, making them unsympathetic to the new order of
things and more inclined towards traditional values and procedures. The judiciary in particular
displayed traditional support for the far-right politics of the old empire and so were frequently
biased in condemning left-wing activists. Similarly the officers of the old imperial army that
maintained their positions in the new democratic army of the Reichswehr were sympathetic to the
right wing groups and were less inclined to defend the democratic government of the republic.
What was the “stab-in-the-back” myth
the German Army had not lost the
Great War. Instead they remained steadfast in the belief that the army had been betrayed by the
revolution at home and had been sold out by the new democratic government that had been established
in their absence. They believed that if it was not for the ‘November Criminals’ who had signed the
armistice in 1918 the German Army would have gone on to defeat the allies and win the war. Instead the
republic had been responsible for handing over Germany to her enemies, a betrayal that right-wing
groups, who wanted to see a return to an autocracy in Germany, would not soon forget.
What were the key points agreed on in the treat of Versailles?
- The Rhineland was demilitarised - the German army was not allowed to go there.
- Alsace-Lorraine returned to France.
- Germany forbidden to unite with Austria.
- Lands in eastern Germany - the rich farmlands of Posen and the Polish corridor between Germany and East Prussia - given to Poland.
- The Saar, with its rich coalfields, given to France for 15 years.
- The German army restricted to 100,000 men, The German navy restricted to six battleships and no submarine and Germany was not allowed to have an air force.
- Germany was responsible for causing, in the ‘War Guilt Clause’ all the loss and damage caused by the war.
- Germany would have to pay reparations, to be decided later - eventually set at 132 billion gold marks.
Who were the Freikorps?
A right wing paramilitary group made up of ex-soldiers. Freikorps (Free Corps) became practically a law
unto themselves carrying out numerous political
assassinations and acts of violence on behalf of
the extreme right. Though they were often
employed by the government to help crush
revolts from the extreme left, they bore absolutely
no allegiance to the republic or to its leaders
What were the economic problems after the war.
Hyperinflation
large debt
What was the Dawes plan?
The plan was that America would loan significant
amounts of money to Germany so that she might be able to pay France her reparations. In doing so America could invest in the renewed German economy and could also ensure that enough money was flowing through Europe to allow France both to rebuild her country, and to repay America the debts she owed her for the war.
How did the great depression effect Germany?
Germany’s economy was dependent upon the
incoming loans from America. When the market crashed, these loans stopped being granted and American investors began demanding their immediate repayment. Caused unemployment, the Great Depression affected everyone in German
society, all Germans shared in the squalor and
desperation of poverty. From working-class industrial laborers to middle-class shopkeepers with even highly-paid professionals such as doctors facing the prospect of long-term unemployment.
What was the Young plan?
The Young Plan, suggested a new scheme of payment. Germany would continue to pay war reparations although the overall amount they would have to pay was reduced.
Why was the Young plan unpopular to some people?
it was immensely unpopular among right-wing advocates of the ‘stab-in-the-back’ myth who saw it as yet another betrayal by the republic, by agreeing to pay money for a war that Germany was not to blame for. The National Opposition was established to fight the Young Plan and was headed by Alfred Hugenberg, Germany’s wealthiest media tycoon.
The national opposition failed to stop the Young plan however it did succeed in creating…
a sense of national pride among the German people, and increased the hostile attitudes towards the government. The result was a backlash of right-wing empathy in which smaller, more extreme, right-wing parties saw a growth in popularity and support. Among these was the rapidly growing NSDAP or Nazi Party.
When Brüning’s plans to cut government spending were rejected by the Reichstag he convinced Hindenburg to use the emergency presidential powers available from Article 48 which were…
Dissolve the parliament.
The ability to force laws through i.e. cut government spending
