creation of a republic, 1918-19

Question 1

what was the revolution from above?

Answer 1

the creation of a parliamentary monarchy

Question 2

who and when started the revolution from above and how?

Answer 2

General Ludendorff persuaded the Kaiser to transform the Second Reich into a virtual parliamentary democracy and urged an immediate armistice

Question 3

what was the point in the armistice and parliamentary monarchy?

Answer 3

Ludendorff hoped this new civilian government would be blamed for Germany’s defeat as it would have to end the war.
This would preserve the generals’ reputations.
He also hoped new civilian govt would be able to get better peace terms from the Allies.

Question 4

what was the stab in the back myth?

Answer 4

German army claim that it had been stabbed in the back by unpatriotic and weak politicians (pacifists and socialists) through the armistice.

Question 5

when was the new government formed and why?

Answer 5

In October 1918 the new civilian government failed to support the military.
Govt under Prince Max of Baden passed some reforms but it wasn’t sufficient, as economic discontent and war weariness caused growing popular unrest.
In late October serious trouble began and the Kaiser abdicated on the 9th November 1918.

Question 6

what was the revolution from below?

Answer 6

the creation of a parliamentary republic

Question 7

what were the reasons for popular unrest in 1918?

Answer 7

Economic discontent and war weariness.
The Germans had been promised, and expected a great victory.

Question 8

what demonstrated the popular unrest in late October?

Answer 8

Naval mutinies at kiel and Wilhelmshaven and the creation of soviets or councils

Question 9

What were the naval mutinies?

Answer 9

Sailors refused to obey an order to sail out to salvage German honour in a final battle of the naval bases of Kiel and Wilhelmshaven.
They stopped the fleet sailing by putting out fires in ships’ boilers, rasing the flag and taking over Kiel.

Question 10

What was the main impact of the naval mutinies in late October?

Answer 10

News of the mutiny encouraged the creation of sailors’, soldiers’ and workers’ councils/soviets throughout Germany.
These challenged authority of Lander (state) governments.

Question 11

What were the events around the Kaiser’s abdication and the signing of the armistice?

Answer 11

Prince Max announced Kaiser Wilhelm II’s abdication on 9th November 1918 and handed over chancellorship to Friedrich Ebert.
To manoeuvre the radical socialist,s Phillip Scheidemann (moderate SPD leader) declared a republic in Berlin.
Karl Liebknecht (leader of communist Spartacist movement) declared a soviet republic from another balcony.
Ebert was furious a republic had been declared illegally but had to accept monarchy had collapsed.
2 days later, on 11 November, the government signed an armistice.

Question 12

what was the limited revolution?

Answer 12

the Ebert-Groener Pact (10th November 1918)

Question 13

Why did Ebert want to defend the new democratic republic?

Answer 13

He didn’t want Germany to become communist and wanted to protect the new system from the horrors of Bolshevism.

Question 14

What was the reason for Ebert and Groener agreeing their secret deal?

Answer 14

Ebert believed the new regime needed the support of the traditional elite and was prepared to co-operate with them.

Question 15

What was the Ebert-Groener Pact?

Answer 15

On 10 November General Groener telephoned Ebert and made a secret deal.
In return for the govt promising to maintain the authority of the existing officers, the army would defend the new govt.
Ebert also asked the existing civil servants to stay in their positions.

Question 16

What was the armistice itself?

Answer 16

The new govt signed an armistice with the Allies in 11 November 1918 and Matthias Erzberger (member of Catholic Centre Party) signed on behalf of German govt.

Question 17

What happened in December 1918 that led to a suppression of a potential communist revolution?

Answer 17

The National Congress of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils voted 344 to 98 to reject a govt on the councils, supporting instead Ebert’s preference for electing a constituent assembly.
The USPD left the govt.

Question 18

What uprising happened in January 1919?

Answer 18

The Spartacist Rising

Question 19

What was the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 19

Mass protests at the dismissal of a radical official turned into a largely spontaneous rising in which communist members of the Spartacist League tried to takae over in the hope that it would turn into a Communist revolution

Question 20

How was the Spartacist uprising suppressed?

Answer 20

The SPD government, led by the Defence Minister Gustav Noske, ordered the army to suppress the Spartacist rising.
The army was supported by the Freikorps, and the Spartacist leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were shot.
Over 100 workers were killed.

Question 21

What were the two immediate challenges faced by the new democracy?

Answer 21

Signing of a peace treaty and the agreeing of a constitution.

Question 22

When were elections of the German Constituent Assembly?

Answer 22

January 1919

Question 23

What electoral system was used for the January elections?

Answer 23

Universal male and female suffrage and proportional representation

Question 24

What were the results of the January 1919 election?

Answer 24

SPD hoped to get a majority → 38%, 163 deputies (for)

Question 25

When did the Assembly accept a new constitution? (inc. who came up with it and vote results)

Answer 25

A committee headed by the liberal lawyer Hugo Preuss drew up a constitution which was accepted in August 1919 by 262 to 75 votes

Question 26

Whow as the new president and government?

Answer 26

Ebert was chosen as new president. First government led by Scheidemann, in a coalition of the SPD, DDP and ZP.

Question 27

What were the main parties?

Answer 27

Social Democrats (SPD) German Democrats (DDP) Centre Party (ZP)

Question 28

What were the features of the President?

Answer 28

Elected every 7 years Could dissolve Reichstag Appointed the Chancellor Supreme Commander of armed forces Capacity to rule by decree at a time of national emergency (Article 48)

Question 29

What were the features of the Lander (regional states)?

Answer 29

Meant Germany was federal system Each state had local responsibilities like education and police

Question 30

What were the features of the Bill of Rights?

Answer 30

Outlined broad freedoms e.g. speech, religion, social rights (i.e. welfare provision)

Question 31

What were the features of the Chancellor?

Answer 31

Appointed by president Head of government Must have support of Reichstag

Question 32

What were the features of the Cabinet?

Answer 32

Chosen from the ministry who give advice and administer the laws

Question 33

What were the features of the Supreme Court?

Answer 33

Created to settle different interpretations of law

Question 34

What were the features of the Reichsrat?

Answer 34

The less important house in Parliament Chosen from representatives of all 17 states Could only initiate or delay proposals

Question 35

What were the features of the Reichstag?

Answer 35

Main representative assembly and main law-making body of parliament Consisted of deputies elected every 4 years

Question 36

What were the strengths of the Weimar Republic?

Answer 36

President → elected every 7 years so representative democracy The vote → democratic republic and universal suffrage (over 20) Chancellor and ministers (i.e. govt) → head of govt, needed support of majority to pass laws, democratic element Proportional representation → parties could reflect the different political, religious and geographical views Checks and balances → Reichstag was elected every 4 years. provides some accountability. Bill of Rights → contained liberal features like personal liberty, right to free speech, rule of law, religious freedom, and freedom from censorship

Question 37

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic?

Answer 37

System of PR → rise of small parties and difficulty of maintaining lasting coalition govts. not weakness itself but divisions within German made it one Unclear authority → the elected Reichstag or elected president. president was arguably too powerful and sometimes known as substitute Kaiser Article 48 → abuses of power could turn Germany into authoritarian state where president can pass any laws without approval of Reichstag (however sometimes it was used for good effect like crisis of 1923) No reform of traditional institutions, which were conservative, not democratic in spirit e.g. judiciary, army → judges were not very sympathetic to democracy (nationalists)