✳️ 1.2 Early Challenges Flashcards
(20 cards)
Q1: What was the Treaty of Versailles and when was it signed?
A1: A peace treaty signed in June 1919 that officially ended WWI and punished Germany.
Q2: What was the War Guilt Clause (Article 231)?
A2: Germany had to accept full blame for starting WWI.
Q3: How much did Germany have to pay in reparations?
A3: £6.6 billion in compensation to Allied countries.
Q4: What military restrictions were placed on Germany?
A4: Army limited to 100,000 men, no air force, no submarines, and only 6 battleships.
Q5: What land did Germany lose?
A5: 13% of its land, including the Rhineland (demilitarised), Alsace-Lorraine, and all colonies.
Q6: Why was the Treaty unpopular in Germany?
A6: Germans saw it as a ‘Diktat’ (dictated peace) — they had no say and it humiliated the country.
Q7: What was the ‘stab in the back’ myth (Dolchstoss)?
A7: The false belief that Germany’s army hadn’t lost the war but had been betrayed by politicians who surrendered.
Q8: Who did Germans blame for the surrender and the Treaty?
A8: The Weimar politicians (especially Ebert and the SPD) — called the ‘November Criminals’.
Q9: Who were the Spartacists and what did they want?
A9: A communist group (led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht) who wanted a workers’ revolution like in Russia.
Q10: What happened in the Spartacist Uprising (Jan 1919)?
A10: Spartacists tried to take over Berlin; Ebert used the Freikorps (ex-soldiers) to crush them.
Q11: What was the result of the Spartacist Uprising?
A11: The uprising failed and both leaders were killed. Left-wing threats continued but weakened.
Q12: What was the Kapp Putsch (1920)?
A12: A right-wing rebellion led by Wolfgang Kapp and Freikorps who wanted to restore the Kaiser.
Q13: Why did the Kapp Putsch fail?
A13: Workers went on strike, paralysing the country — the putsch collapsed after 4 days.
Q14: What does the Kapp Putsch show about Weimar?
A14: The government was weak, but had support from the workers — army didn’t help the government.
Q15: What happened in the Invasion of the Ruhr (1923)?
A15: France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr to take reparations in goods.
Q16: How did the German workers respond to the Ruhr invasion?
A16: They used passive resistance — refused to work or sabotaged factories.
Q17: What did passive resistance lead to?
A17: No goods being produced → Germany couldn’t pay reparations → economy suffered badly.
Q18: What caused hyperinflation in 1923?
A18: The government printed more money to pay striking workers and reparations.
Q19: What were the effects of hyperinflation?
A19: Money became worthless, savings were destroyed, and basic items cost millions.
Q20: Who suffered and who benefited from hyperinflation?
A20: Middle class & pensioners suffered most; people with debts or loans benefited.
