Early Weimar Germany 1918-1924

Question 1

What were the causes of WW1?

Answer 1

Mutual Defense Allies, Assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Militarism and Nationalism.

Question 2

1918 Post War Crisis

Answer 2

Food shortages and rising prices. Ludendorff and Hindenburg gained more power as military leaders after the Kaisers’ abdication.

Question 3

When did the Kaiser abdicate?

Answer 3

9th November 1918

Question 4

Why did Germany surrender WW1?

Answer 4

Food and fuel shortages. Military and civil unrest. Weakened as they were fighting on 2 fronts.

Question 5

What were Wilson’s 14 points?

Answer 5

US president Woodrow Wilson’s ideas on how to create global peace with Germany and the Allies. He wanted ‘self-determination’ of each country and to set up the League of Nations.

Question 6

Who was Friedrich Ebert?

Answer 6

SPD politician, elected to the Reichstag in 1912. He was the first Chancellor of the Weimar Republic elected in 1918. Democratic.

Question 7

Why did the Kaiser abdicate?

Answer 7

Lost support of soldiers/sailors. Civil unrest. Economic instability. Kiel Mutiny. Lost support of his generals (Groener and Hindenburg).

Question 8

Describe the Political Spectrum in Germany, Left to Right.

Answer 8

KPD, USPD, SPD, DDP, Centre, DVP DNVP, NSDAP.

Question 9

What was the Ebert-Groener pact?

Answer 9

Ebert and Groener decided to resist any revolution and uphold the structure of the army. It helped Ebert gain control of Germany and the Weimar government was supported by the army.

Question 10

What was the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 10

5th Jan 1918, Spartacists (communists) launched an armed revolt against the government. It was led by Karl Marx and Rosa Luxembourg and was crushed by the Freikorps after a week of fighting. Karl and Rosa were executed. It was poorly organised and poorly prepared.

Question 11

Strengths of Early Weimar Government.

Answer 11

Women could vote. Proportional representation, every vote counts. Local democracy. More rights for voters.

Question 12

Weaknesses of Early Weimar Government.

Answer 12

Proportional representation meant that noone could ever agree on anything, a majority vote was very difficult to achieve. Coalition governments, usually very short lived.

Question 13

What was the Kiel Mutiny?

Answer 13

Soldiers and sailors refused to fight for the Kaiser.

Question 14

When was the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 14

28th June 1919

Question 15

Territorial Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

Answer 15

Saar coalfields given to France for 15 years. Alsace Lorraine given back to France. Anschluss (uniting Germany-Austria) was banned. All German colonies given to Britain and France.

Question 16

Economic Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

Answer 16

Reparations of 132 billion gold marks - more than $500,000 billion today.

Question 17

Military Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

Answer 17

Conscription banned, Rhineland demilitarised, 100,000 men, 6 battleships, no airforce/submarines.

Question 18

What was Article 231?

Answer 18

The War Guilt Clause. Germany had to take all blame for the war.

Question 19

How did Germany react to the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 19

Hated it and blamed everyone. They had expected and been promised fair justice because of the 14 points, so felt this was very unfair.

Question 20

Who were the Freikorps and why were they important?

Answer 20

A right-wing group of ex military who fought back against the Weimar constitution in Germany. They had up to 1.5 million members and were very powerful as they were much bigger than the military, and could easily cause civil war.

Question 21

What did the Allies think of the ToV?

Answer 21

B- generally satisfied.
F- thought it was too lenient, felt Germany deserved worse.
USA- thought it was too harsh and unfair.

Question 22

Why was there an increase in extremism in 1919?

Answer 22

People hated the ToV and the Weimar constitution, so they turned to far-right (Freikorps) or far-left (Spartacists/Communists) groups to either bring back the Kaiser or abolish the whole system.

Question 23

When was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 23

March 1920

Question 24

What was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 24

A coup organised by far-right groups to overthrow the Weimar Republic. The government had been ordered to disband some Freikorps units. Luttwitz refused to disband and decided to march into Berlin in protest, which was supported by Wolfgang Kapp.

Question 25

Name 1 left wing politician who was assassinated.

Answer 25

Hugo Hasse, USPD member. Walter Rathenau, left leaning, supported WR.

Question 26

How many political assassinations were there between 1919 and 1923?

Answer 26

376, only 22 of which were carried out by the left wing.

Question 27

What was the 25 Point Programme?

Answer 27

Set up by the NSDAP Pre-Hitler, wanted to abolish ToV, unite german speaking people, improve pensions, help small businesses etc. Said Jews weren't citizens, foreigners should have to follow special laws, hated immigration, unemployment benefits banned, wanted to make the law 'more German'.

Question 28

In what year did Hitler join the NSDAP?

Answer 28

1919

Question 29

How did the Treaty of Versailles affect Germany?

Answer 29

Political and civil unrest, industrial and farmland lost, reparations were crippling, they felt unsafe without a strong army. Due to reparations being so high and difficult to pay, the government started to print more money.

Question 30

What year was the Ruhr Crisis?

Answer 30

1923

Question 31

What was the Ruhr Crisis?

Answer 31

France and Belgium threatened to invade Germany because they hadn't paid reparations. Germany went on strike, paying people despite them doing no work (passive resistance). Freikorps units organised acts of sabotage that led to civilian injuries. Germany was wasting money with this, so started printing money. Stresemann stopped PR because of hyperinflation and the Ruhr crisis was solved.

Question 32

How much was rye bread in November 1923?

Answer 32

233 million gold marks.

Question 33

Which groups benefitted from hyperinflation?

Answer 33

People with debts or mortgages because they could be paid off easily. Businesses took out loans and then paid them back once the currency had devolved - free money. Farmers, as money was less important in the countryside and they could get food for themselves.

Question 34

Which groups were disadvantaged by hyperinflation?

Answer 34

Most people. Pensioners, widows, landlords, small businesses, people who relied on savings or who had lent money to the government. The sick really suffered as food and medicine costs rose. Illness and suicide related deaths increased.

Question 35

What percentage of Germans were employed at the end of 1923?

Answer 35

29.3%

Question 36

When was the Munich Putsch?

Answer 36

8th November 1923

Question 37

What was the Munich Putsch?

Answer 37

Hitler already had Ludendorff on side, and now wanted to win over local army commanders. He had a group of nazis interrupt an address by Otto von Lossow and Ritter von Kahr in a beer hall. Hitler declared a revolution had begun and threatened them, so Kahr and Lossow agreed to support.

Question 38

Why and how did the Munich Putsch collapse?

Answer 38

Kahr and Lossow lost support overnight. 9th Nov, Hitler went through with a revolt march and ended up in a gun battle against the police. Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested and the Nazis were banned.

Question 39

What year did Hitler become the leader of the NSDAP?

Answer 39

1921

Question 40

When did the Weimar government collapse, and who took over?

Answer 40

August 1923 under Wilhelm Cuno. Taken over by Streseman and his 'Great Coalition'. This signified the end of early Weimar Germany, and the dawn of the Golden Age.