1.1 Political and Governmental Change - Weimar Republic

Question 1

When was the Council of People’s Representatives (new government) set up?

Answer 1

10 November 1918

Question 2

Who led the new government?

Answer 2

USPD and SPD (socialists)
Ebert (SPD) = Chancellor

Question 3

What was the Ebert-Groener Pact?

Answer 3

army support for the government in exchange for suppressing left-wing ideas

Question 4

When was the Ebert-Groener Pact?

Answer 4

10 November 1918

Question 5

When was the armistice signed?

Answer 5

11 November 1918

Question 6

Who signed the armistice?

Answer 6

Erzberger on behalf of the government

Question 7

What role did the Allies allow Germany in Treaty negotiations post-WW1 and what was the impact on German politics?

Answer 7

none
parties began to form and reform to try and gain a voice in the Reichstag

Question 8

How many political murders were there by right-wing extremists 1919-1922?

Answer 8

356

Question 9

When was the KPD set up?

Answer 9

December 1918

Question 10

What was the reaction to the KPD being set up?

Answer 10

fear of communism meant their meetings were attacked by private armies

Question 11

Who were the Sozi?

Answer 11

SPD’s private army

Question 12

Who were the Freikorps?

Answer 12

Private army, formed December 1918
had units in the East to fight possible communist invasion

Question 13

How many political murders were there 1919-1922?

Answer 13

376

Question 14

Which politician was shot outside the Reichstag and when?

Answer 14

Haase (USPD leader) October 1919

Question 15

Which politicians involved with the Treaty of Versailles were murdered?

Answer 15

Erzberger and Rathenau

Question 16

When was the Weimar Constitution passed?

Answer 16

31 July 1919

Question 17

What was the voter turnout to the first Weimar election?

Answer 17

82.7%

Question 18

When was Ebert elected President and by how much?

Answer 18

11 February 1919
277:51

Question 19

When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

Answer 19

28 June 1919

Question 20

When was the Weimar Constitution passed?

Answer 20

31 July 1919

Question 21

What did the Bill of Rights (part of the constitution) guarantee?

Answer 21

freedom of speech, association and religion
right to work
welfare rights
right to property

Question 22

How many votes were needed to gain a seat and what did this mean?

Answer 22

60,000
lots of political parties in Reichstag = difficult to run

Question 23

What made voting confusing?

Answer 23

members moved between parties
eg. many USPD went to KPD

Question 24

How did the voting system work and what was the impact?

Answer 24

Proportional representation - voting for a party rather than a person - regions then assigned a representative
politicians not interested in their region

Question 25

How many coalitions were there 1919-1923 and why?

Answer 25

9 it was almost impossible to have a majority party parties selfish and did not work well together

Question 26

What was Article 48?

Answer 26

President could suspend Reichstag and rule by decree

Question 27

How many times did Ebert use Article 48 and why?

Answer 27

136 coalitions often broke down and chancellor had to step in

Question 28

Who was Stresemann?

Answer 28

DVP leader, chancellor 1923, foreign minister until death in 1929 encouraged democracy and parties working together prioritised economic recovery and good international relations

Question 29

What improvements were made 1924-1929?

Answer 29

economy recovered international position began to restore some TofV terms undone Weimar government in power long enough to be accepted no major political assassinations

Question 30

How many coalitions were there 1924-1929?

Answer 30

6

Question 31

What happened to extremist support from 1924 to 1928

Answer 31

fell in 1924, rose in 1928 as economy worsened

Question 32

When was Hindenburg elected as President and what was this a sign of?

Answer 32

1925 Germany favoured authoritarian system

Question 33

What theory was Hindenburg the first to voice and why?

Answer 33

Stab in the back part of high military command in WW1

Question 34

What was the 'stab in the back' theory?

Answer 34

German army could have won WW1 they were betrayed by the November Criminals who signed the armistice and TofV

Question 35

When was the Wall Street Crash and what was it's impact?

Answer 35

1929 USA recalled loans Germany faced Great Depression prices rose unemployment rose wages fell extremism rose

Question 36

What also helped boost extremism in the September 1930 elections and what percentage of votes did they have?

Answer 36

NSDAP 18% and KPD 14% SA attacks on political opponents young voters other parties losses eg. DNVP lost 2 million voters

Question 37

Who were the laws created by 1930-1932?

Answer 37

109 by decree, 29 by Reichstag

Question 38

Who refused coalitions in the 1930s?

Answer 38

SPD

Question 39

What were the results of the April 1932 Presidential elections?

Answer 39

Hindenburg 19.4 million, Hitler 13.4 million

Question 40

What were the issues with Hindenburg in 1932?

Answer 40

84 years old unhappy with having to rule by decree BUT did not want Hitler in power

Question 41

What were the results of the July 1932 elections?

Answer 41

NSDAP 37% - majority but Hindenburg chose von Schleicher as Chancellor offered Hitler a cabinet position which he refused

Question 42

What were the results of the November 1932 elections?

Answer 42

NSDAP 33% - majority Hindenburg: no longer wanted to rule by decree - Hitler = chancellor - von Papen = vice-chancellor only 2/12 cabinet members allowed to be Nazis

Question 43

When was Hitler appointed chancellor?

Answer 43

30 January 1933

Question 44

Who could vote?

Answer 44

all men and women over 20

Question 45

What could the President do?

Answer 45

choose chancellor Article 48 and take control of the army in an emergency dismiss Reichstag and call new elections

Question 46

How was the President chosen?

Answer 46

elected by vote of all electors every 7 years

Question 47

Who was the Chancellor chosen by?

Answer 47

the President

Question 48

How was the Reichstag chosen?

Answer 48

vote by all electors every 4 years

Question 49

Who was the cabinet chosen by?

Answer 49

the Chancellor

Question 50

How many local regions (Laender) were there?

Answer 50

18

Question 51

What did the Laender do?

Answer 51

run their own education, police and judiciary (federal laws overruled laws of the Land though)

Question 52

How were the Reichsrat chosen?

Answer 52

sent by Laender 1 for every 70,000 people

Question 53

What could the Reichsrat do?

Answer 53

veto laws unless they passed through the Reichstag with over 2/3 majority