2. Chapter 1 Flashcards
Who were the November Criminals?
Name given to the German politicians who signed the armistice which ended WWI
What is a plebiscite?
Public vote held on whether an area wanted to leave Germany
What is a coalition government?
Government made up of two or more parties (often unstable / indecisive)
What were Friedrich Ebert’s two jobs during the period of the Weimar Republic?
Chancellor (Nov. 1918-Jan.1919) and then President
What was the Reichstag?
The German state parliament
What’s a constitution?
The basic principles or set of laws by which a government is governed by
What is meant by PR?
Proportional representation (system of voting where political parties get a number of seats equal to their share of the vote)
What are some of the problems with PR?
PR:- often leads to coalition governments, which make it difficult to create political stability - coalition governments can be indecisive- extremist parties can get elected
What were some of the key features of the presidency?
- Elected every 7 years by the people- Appoints Chancellor from the Reichstag- Supreme Commander of the Army- Using Article 48, he could suspend the constitution in an emergency and make laws without the Reichstag (ruling by emergency decree)
What were some of the key features of the chancellorship?
- Head of government
- Chose ministers to run the country
- Needed majority support from the Reichstag to pass laws
What was the Dolchstoss?
The idea that politicians had ‘stabbed the army in the back’ by signing the Treaty of Versailles
What was the Treaty of Versailles?
The treaty that formally ended the WWI and set the terms of peace
What was the ‘War Guilt Clause’?
Part of the ToV that stated Germany had to accept all responsibility for starting the war
What is meant by Diktat?
‘Dictated Peace’ - Many Germans referred to the ToV as this because the Germans were not allowed to participate in the negotiations for the treaty
Who could vote in elections?
All German men and women over the age of 20
During the Wiemar Republic, what did ‘reich’ mean?
‘Reich’ meant republic (this meaning changed later under the Nazis, to mean ‘empire’ or ‘Germany’)
What did Ebert mean by ‘Gewaltfrieden’?
‘An enforced peace’ - referring to the ToV
What was the Bolshevik Revolution and what was its significance?
In October 1917, the communist Bolsheviks had overthrown Tsar Nicholas II in Russia. There was widespread fear in Germany of a similar revolution.
Who led the Spartacist League?
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
What did the Spartacist League seek to do?
Create a state that was based on Communist ideals
What did the Spartacists do in December 1918 and what was the result?
They led a demonstration against the government which led to clashes with the army and the death of 16 Spartacists
What did the Spartacists form at the end of December 1918?
The German Communist Party (KPD)
Who were the Freikorps?
Private armies set up by senior German army officers at the end of WWI. They mainly comprised of ex-soldiers.
What was the Sparticist uprising?
On 6 Jan. 1919, the Spartacists attempted to overthrow the Wiemar government to create a communist state. Ebert and his defence minister, Noske, used the ‘Reichswehr’ (regular army) and the Berlin ‘Friekorps’ to quickly put down the rebellion.
