Germany Flashcards
1
Q
What were the strengths of the Weimar constitution?
A
- Proportional representation meant fair share of seats for small parties
- Women were able to vote
- Voting age reduced from 25 to 21
- No one group or person could have too much power
- Election for president every 7 years
- Central government became more powerful but local government still retained power
- The reichsrat could regulate power of the reichstag by delaying new laws
2
Q
What we’re the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution?
A
- Proportional representation led to coalition governments which were unstable or found it difficult to have strong policies so fell apart
- This lack of strong government led to weakness in a crises which ended up with the president using Article 48
- It wasn’t the choice of the ppl so it was unpopular, they were used to following orders so being told to vote was a sign of weakness
- There we’re nationalists in the Reichstag who opposed democracy
3
Q
What are the components of the Weimar constitution?
A
- Head of state (President)
- Government (Chancellor and Cabinet)
- Parliament (Reichstag and Reichsrat)
- Electorate
4
Q
What was the role of the president?
A
- Head of the Weimar Republic
- Elected by the ppl every 7 years
- Important political powers such as choosing the chancellor
- Article 48
5
Q
What was the role of the chancellor in the Weimar constitution?
A
- Head of the government
- Chose all government ministers
6
Q
What was the role of the cabinet in the Weimar constitution?
A
- The main decision making body of the government
7
Q
What was the role of the Reichstag in the Weimar constitution?
A
- More powerful than the Reichsrat
- Controlled taxation
- Elected by ppl at least every 4 years
8
Q
What was the role of the Reichsrat in the Weimar constitution?
A
- Also elected every 4 years
- Represented the regions of Germany
- Each region sent a certain number of representatives depending on its size
9
Q
When did Germany surrender WW1?
A
November 1918
10
Q
What we’re the effects of the treaty of Versailles on Germany?
A
- Reparations: 6.6 billion over 42 years
- Army: Limited to 100,000 men (no conscription only volunteers)
Navy limited to 6 battleships
No submarines, tanks or military aircraft
No military in the Rhineland - War guilt: Article 231 blamed Germany for starting the war
- Colonies: All Germany’s colonies were given to Britain, France or South Africa
- Land: Land which once belonged to Germany was given to countries like Denmark, Belgium, France and Poland
11
Q
Who were the Spartacists?
A
- Left wing
- Came from the independent socialist party
- Had backing from the Soviet Union
- Led by Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht
- Based in Berlin
12
Q
What was the Spartacist revolt?
A
- In January 1919 over 100,000 joined the spartacist revolt
- They seized the governments newspaper offices and tried to organise a general strike in Berlin
- The government sent the freikorps to stop them
- Luxembourg and Liebknecht were killed after the revolt
13
Q
Who were the Freikorps?
A
- Right wing
- Made up of paramilitary soldiers who had kept their weapons
- Had 250,000 men in March 1919
- Organised by regular army
14
Q
What was the Kapp Putsch?
A
- Freikorps feared unemployment after Ebert sent some units home
- In March 1920, 5000 Freikorps rebels took control of Berlin
- Nationalist/right wing politician Wolfgang Kapp was put in charge of them and the city
- The government organised the trade unions to go on strike
- Kapp couldn’t rule and was forced to flee, Weimar ministers then returned
15
Q
What were the negative effects of hyperinflation?
A
- Some ppl couldn’t afford essentials
- Prices rose quicker that wages did
- Some businesses went bankrupt
- Ppl with fixed or monthly incomes suffered most
- Savings became worthless, this affected the middle classes a lot
- People blamed the Weimar government making it even more unpopular
16
Q
What we’re the positive effects of hyperinflation?
A
- Farmers benefited as they were paid more for food
- Some people and businesses could pay off loans and mortgages
- Fixed rent rooms or shops became very cheap
- Foreign visitors could buy more for their money
17
Q
How did the Rentenmark cause recovery in the Weimar Republic?
A
- In November 1923 Streseman set up the Rentenbank snd issues the nee currency of Rentenmark
- Supply was tightly controlled and their value was directly linked to the price of gold giving it real value, this encouraged public confidence
- In August 1924 the Reichsbank was given control of this new currency and it was renamed the Reichsmark
- Hyperinflation was over
18
Q
What was the Dawes plan?
A
- Created in 1924 by Charles Dawes, an American banker
- Instalments we’re temporarily reduced to £50 million a year
- US banks loaned large amounts to German industry
19
Q
What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Dawes plan?
A
Positive:
- Caused the Allies to feel more confident they’d get their reparations
- Caused industry output to double between 1923 and 1928
- Employment and trade increased
- Income from taxation increased
Negative:
- They we’re now in huge debt to America
- If America asked for their money back Germany would be in trouble
- Far right parties were still unhappy Germany were paying reparations
20
Q
What was the Young plan?
A
- Created in August 1929 by the Allies and led by an American banker, Owen Young
- It reduced total reparations from £6.6 to £2 billion
- Payment could be made over a longer time, until 1988
21
Q
What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Young Plan?
A
Positives:
- Lower reparations meant lower taxes for German ppl
- This meant ppl had more money to buy goods so industry benefited
- Many Germans were happy with the plan so the government gained popularity again
Negatives:
- Extreme parties were unhappy that Germany would be in debt till 1988
- They felt it was extending the burden to future generations
22
Q
What we’re the effects of Streseman’s role in foreign affairs?
A
- Strengthened confidence of German people in the Weimar Republic
- Reduced support for extremist political parties
- Increased support for moderate parties
- Reduced economic hardships of German people
