Chapter 7: Political authority, 1914 -1919 Flashcards
What was the Burgfriede?
political truce between parties who pledged to support the german war effort - trade unions also promised to not go on strike
- resulted in a unanimous Reichstag vote to grant war credits
What drastic change did Wilhelm II make to politics in August 1916?
Hindenburg was made army chief of staff - meant he had superiority over the chancellor - allowed a military dictatorship to emerge
When did the SPD split into three and why was this?
-SPD initially supported the war effort but split into three as the war continues
-1916 - Spartacists break away - opposed the war
-1917 - USPD (independent socialists) - commited to ending the war
SPD - represented the majority and continued to vote for war credits
What was the political ideology of the spartacists?
- communists - wanted Germany to be run by the working classes
- wanted to overthrow the central government and replace this with a series of workers and soldiers councils
When was the Reichstag peace resolution passed and how much significance did it actually have?
July 1917 - called for an end of the war, without annexations (SPD, USPD and zentrum in favour
- George Michaelis (new chancellor) got around this and persuaded the reichstag to vote for new war credits
How long was George Michaelis chancellor?
July - November 1917
(he was an insignificant prussian administrator)
What were the aims of the Fatherland party and who supported them?
- wanted territorial annexations and supported Ludendorff - mostly wanted to advocate for German victory and ensure territorial expansion
- supported by conservatives, middles classes and military high command
Why did Ludendorf decide to return power to the Reichstag?
- wanted to save the reputation of the army - socialists would have to be responsible for negotiating peace terms
When was the Kiel mutiny and what was its significance?
3rd November
- sailors mutiny after being ordered to make a suicidal attack on a British blockade
- Kiel is held by 40,000 rebellious soldiers, sailors and workers
- This is the beginning of the revolution from below
What is the role of elected councils in the rebellion from below?
elected councils of workers and soldiers start to take military and civil control in several major cities
When was the rising in Berlin and what happened?
9 November 1918
-Karl Liebknecht (Spartacist leader) calls on people to join the communist revolution and starts planning an uprising
-thousands of demonstrators fill the city centre
-SPD leader declares a German republic and then
**Liebknecht declares a workers republic
-Baden announces the abdication of the Kaiser - power is transferred to SPD leader Friedrich Ebert
-Socialist republic** has been established
What percentage of the vote did pro-democracy parties get in the January 1919 election?
80% (SPD, USPD, Zentrum)
-assembly met in Weimar as Berlin was viewed as too dangerous
What was the role of the President in the Weimar republic?
- elected every seven years by men AND women over 20
- could dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections
- commanded the armed forced
- ARTICLE 48 - could act without the Reichstags consent in an emergency
What was the role of the Reichstag in the Weimar republic?
How were they elected?
- elected every four years by Germans over 20 using proportional representation
- new laws needed the approval of Reichstag deputies
Proportional representation - voters vote for parties instead of candidates
What was the role of the Reichstrat?
How many members?
- 67 reps from the 17 separate lander states
- each state was represented in proportion to its population (no state could have more than** 40%** - prevented prussian domination)
* could advise on laws - but could be overidden by the Reichstag
