Establishment And Early Years Of Weimar Flashcards

(174 cards)

1
Q

The impact of WW1 and the Political crisis of Oct-Nov 1918

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2
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What were October reforms made by Kaiser Wilhelm?

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3
Q

Who was Prince Max?

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4
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What was the Peace Note?

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5
Q

What was the impact of the peace note on the German people?

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6
Q

Who was involved in the November revolution?

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7
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What happened on the 3rd November 1918 with the November revolution?

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8
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What happened on the 6th November 1918 with the November revolution?

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9
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What happened on the 9th November 1918 with the November revolution?

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10
Q

When was Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated?

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9th November 1918

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11
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What caused Kaiser Wilhelm’s abdication?

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12
Q

Who was Freidrich Ebert?

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Was president of the SPD party

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13
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What did Ebert believe in?

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He believed in evolutionary change through winning a majority in parliamentary elections then introducing reforms

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14
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Who chose Ebert to be the temporary Chancellor?

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Had been chosen my Prince Max since he was the leader of the majority party in the Reichstag
Although his authority did not extend much past Berlin

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15
Q

When was the armistice signed?

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11th November

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16
Q

What was the reaction to the armistice from German people?

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After the armistice and the demolishment of much of the army, bands of ex soldiers roamed the streets, street demonstrations, strikes and armed clashes became regular occurances

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17
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German Parties/Groups

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18
Q

What were the main socialist groups and parties (left wing) in 1918?

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  • Spartacist League (then KPD)
  • USPD
  • The Social Democratic Party (SPD)
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19
Q

What was the Sparacist league (later KPD)?

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Founded - 1916, by a more revolutionary part of the SPD - name changed to the German Communist Party Jan 1919
Leaders - Karl Leibknecht, Rosa Luxenburg
Aims - Wanted a republican government controlled by workers and soldiers councils, welfare benefits, nationalisation, workers control of majority industries, disbanding of the army and creation of local workers militias. Opposed WW1
Support - Workers would often join them on rallies and demonstrations in the street
Membership - around 5000

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20
Q

What was the USPD?

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Founded -1917, by breakaway minority group from the left of the SPD
Leaders - Hugo Hasse
Aims - Wanted a republic with national Reichstag working with workers and soldiers councils, welfare improvements, nationalisation of industry, breaking up of large estates, reform of the army and creation of a national militia. Opposed to WW1
Support - grew in strength during 1918 as war-weariness grew
Membership - around 300,000

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21
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What was The Social Democratic Party (SPD)?

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Founded - 1875, as a Marxist socialist party commited to revolution
Leaders - Freidrich Ebert, Philipp Scheidermann
Aims - Wanted moderate socialist republic with democratic elections and basic personal freedoms, welfare improvements, and gradual nationalism of industry. Wanted continuity and order. Supported WW1
Support - Appealed largely to W/C voters and in 1912 became largest party in the Reichstag
Membership - around 1 million

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22
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What other Parties were there?

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Center parties, right wing parties, left wing parties, extremist parties

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23
Q

What was the Centre Party?

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Formed - 1870
Aims - To protect Catholic interests in a mainly protestant German Reich
Support - Had strong support in main Catholic areas of Bavaria and the Rhineland
Supported a democratic constitution

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24
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What was the German Democratic Party (DDP)?

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Left leaning liberal party, based on the old Progressive party
Support - Most support came from intellectuals and middle class
Supported a democratic constitution

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25
What was the German National People's Party (DNVP)?
A nationalist party, based on the old conservative party Support - Most support came from landowners and some small business owners Rejected the democratic constitution
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What was the German People's Party (DVP)?
A right leaning liberal party, base don the old National Liberal Party Support - Most support came from upper middle class and business interests Opposed to new republic but willing to participate in its governments
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Opposition
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What caused the pressure from the left for Ebert?
- The workers' and soldiers' councils, in which the USPD and Spartacists had established a foothold had made the running in early stages of the revolution - Were not about to allow Ebert's government to take the key decisions without reference to them
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What agreement was made on the 22nd November 1918 between the government (Ebert) and Berlin workers' and councils' councils?
- The government accepted that it only exercised power in the name of the councils - Was only a temporary compromise - Many in the USPD saw the councils as the true expressions of the revolutionary will of the people and the means by which is could be extended
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What was believed about the autocratic system?
Believed that the autocratic system of the government would not finally be abolished unless the aristocratic estates were broken up, the army, civil servants, and judiciary were demonstrated and the key industries were nationalised under workers control
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In late 1918 due to the governments instability what was at risk?
Many officers believed that Germany faced the danger of a Bolshevik revolution which would lead to a civil war and possible occupation by Allied forces First concern was to prevent the revolution going further
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What power struggles were there in late 1918 and early 1919?
6th December - Spartacist demonstration in Berlin was fired on by soldiers, killing 16 23rd-24th December - sailors revolt against the government in Berlin was put down by the army. In protest the 3 USPD ministers in the government resigned 6th January - Spartacists launched an armed revolt against the government in what became known as the January revolution, or the Spartacist uprising. After a week of heavy fighting in Berlin, the revolt was crushed
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Ebert - Groener Pact
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What was the Ebert - Groener pact?
- The pact was an agreement between President Ebert and Groener who was Commander - in -Chief of the German Army to ensure the safety of the new Weimar Republic in it's early days. Since it was facing threat from the Spartacists and the USPD who were left wing - Neither wanted communism so the deal would help prevent it in exchange for maintaining officers' authority
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What did the Ebert - Groener pact do?
- Ebert gained the loyalty of the armed forces and Groener got promised that the government would take promt action against the left wing uprisings and that the military command would stay with proffesional officer corps - Agreement gave the government the means to defeat authority challenges posed on them from the far left people - Separates the SPD from other socialist parties - Military got to stay self - governing
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Elections to the constituent assembly
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When were the elections for the constituent assemble held and who could vote?
- Held on 19th January 1919 - Women could vote for the first time
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What party secured the largest share of voted?
Spd secured the largest share of the vote and the largest number of seats in the Assembly but they did not have an overall majority and would therefore have to compromise with other parties to establish a new constitution and govern the country
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Where did the assemble then meet and why?
Met in a small town of Weimar rather than Berlin as the political situation in the capital was still unstable in the aftermath of the January Revolution This is how the new political order got its name - The Weimar Republic
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What coalition was formed and who was apart of it in 1919 with Ebert?
Ebert was elected by the Assembly as the first president of the republic and a new government led by Scheidemann, was formed by the SPD, Centre, and the German Democratic parties
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What did the workers' and soldiers' councils do?
- The workers' and soldiers' councils handed over power to the Assembly which could concentrate on the business of drawing up new constitution
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What did Otto von Bismarck do in the coalition?
- Not all representatives agreed on all the issues concerning the new constitution, there was an agreement that is should be represent a clear break with the autocratic constitution drawn up by Bismarck for the German Empire in 1871 - Began with the clear declaration that 'Political authority derives from the people' and the constitution was designed to enshrine and guarantee the rights and powers of the people
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What were strengths of the Weimar Constitution?
- wider right to vote than in other countries - women could vote and have high up jobs - system of proportional representation enabled even smaller parties to win seats in the Reichstag - full democracy in local gov as well as central gov - set out the rights of the individual clearly "fundamental rights and duties of German citizens' were guaranteed - Referendums could be called be called for by the President
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What were weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?
- **Proportional representation** - seats were allocated in proportion to the percent of votes recieved in an election - **The proliferation of small parties** - smaller parties could gain representation - many small parties were anti-republican
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What was Article 48?
- Gave President power to rule by decree in exceptional circumstances - Ebert used it 136 times - sometimes to override opposition in the Reichstag
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What fundamental rights were there?
Freedom of speech → personal freedom → no censorship 1 full religious freedom → freedom to hold meetings & join unions → extremists parties could meet & say whatever → referendums caudbe called on passing new ausif V07. electorate applied.
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The survival of undemocratic institutions
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What was the issue with how were the army, civil service and the judiciary would fit in with the new Weimar Constitution?
In the Second Empire, the army, the civil service and the judiciary were key pillars of the regime. Army officers, senior civil servants and judges were recruited from the aristocracy, supported the autocracy and looked with disdain on democratic politicians. They would not, therefore, fit easily into the new democratic republic. An opportunity existed for the architects of the new constitution to reform these institutions but, because they placed the need for stability above the desire for a thoroughly democratic system of government, they did not do so.
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How had the army been previously controlled?
It had been largely free from political control in the Second Empire and its leaders were determined to preserve as much independence as they could in the Weimar Republic. The officer corps of the army in the Second Empire was allowed to continue intact into the new republic with the result that the army was far from being politically neutral. The full force of military power would be used against left-wing revolts whilst conspirators from the Right were often supported by elements within the army. General Hans von Seeckt, who was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the army in 1920, believed that the army owed loyalty not to the Republic, which he regarded as merely temporary, but to a timeless Reich that was the true expression of German nationhood. Although he would not allow his officers to meddle in politics on their own initiative, he nevertheless believed that the army as a whole, and under his command, could intervene in politics whenever he saw fit.
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Who was General Hans von Seeckt?
Was a career soldier Was then made Commander in chief from 1920
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Under the Weimar Constitution how were Civil Servants treated/controlled?
Under the Weimar Constitution, civil servants were given a guarantee of their well-earned rights' and of their freedom of political opinion and expression as long as this did not conflict with their duty of loyalty to the state. This meant that government administration in the new republic was left in the hands of those who were anti-democratic in their outlook. Senior civil servants, especially in the German Foreign Office, were still recruited overwhelmingly from the aristocracy. Top civil servants could wield enormous power, especially when ministers in coalition governments were frequently changing.
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Under the Weimar Constitution how was the judiciary treated/controlled?
Article 102 of the constitution guaranteed the independence of the judges. This would be a basic requirement in any democratic constitution but in Weimar Germany the judges who had served the Second Empire remained in their posts. These men were staunchly monarchist and anti-democratic and showed their bias in their legal judgements. The penal code of the Republic stipulated that anyone attempting to overthrow the constitution by force should be sentenced. Members of left-wing groups who were brought brought before the courts were punished with great severity - right wing conspirators were treated leniently
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The Weimar Government's Structure
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What was the role of the President - Head of state?
- Elected every 7 years my all over 20 - Appointed and dismissed ministers and could dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections - Supreme commander of the armed forces - Has reserve powers (Article 48) to rule by decree in an emergency without the Reichstags content
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What was the role of Chancellor?
- Had to have the support of at least half the Reichstag - Proposed new laws in Reichstag - Drafts laws for the Reichstag to debate
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What was the role of the Reichsrat?
- The second chamber of the German parliament, made up of 67 representatives from the separate 17 states (Länder) - Each state represented in proportion to its population, but no state to have more than 40 per cent of the seats (to prevent domination by the largest state, Prussia) - Could provide advice on laws but could be overridden by the Reichstag
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What was the role of the Reichstag?
- Elected every four years by all Germans over 20 using proportional representation - The Chancellor and ministers were responsible to the Reichstag - Voted on the budget; new laws had to originate in the Reichstag and required the approval of a majority of Reichstag deputies
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What was the role of individual voter's rights?
- Vote for local state assembly every four years and for the President every seven years - Vote occasionally on important issues - 'All Germans are equal before the law' - Guaranteed the freedoms of speech, of conscience and of travel - Guaranteed the right to belong to trade unions, political parties and other forms of organisation - Guaranteed the right to work and employees were given equal rights with employers to determine working conditions and wages - Had the responsibility to use their intellectual and physical powers in the interests of the community
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What were other features of the government?
- There was a supreme court, independent of the Reichstag and the President - The Republic had a federal system whereby there were separate state governments in the 17 Länder which kept control over their own internal affairs
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**The Peace Settlement - 1919**
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When did Germany and the Allies meet to discuss the peace terms?
A conference to settle the peace terms between the Allied powers and Germany met at the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, in January 1919
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When was Germany allowed to see the terms and what happened when they suggested changes?
The Germans were not invited to attend or allowed to see the terms of the treaty until 7 May. The German government suggested changes to the treaty but the Allies agreed to very few and, on 16 June, gave the German government seven days to accept the treaty.
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When was Germany then given the treaty, what did this cause politically?
This provoked a political crisis in Berlin and led to the formation of a new coalition government
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When was the TOV signed?
28 June 1919, the Versailles Treaty was signed by all the powers
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What was the issue with the treaty?
It imposed much harsher conditions on Germany than most Germans had expected or were prepared to accept
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Why was the TOV viewed as a Diktat by German people?
Because Germany had not been allowed to participate in the conference or to negotiate over the terms Hatred of the treaty, and of the politicians who had signed it, would continue to cause political divisions throughout the life of the Weimar Republic
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Terms
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What happened to German territory?
The treaty removed over 70,000 km (13 per cent) of German territory and all Germany's overseas colonies: Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France; Eupen and Malmedy were given to Belgium; Northern Schleswig-Holstein was given to Denmark; Most of Posen, West Prussia and part of Pomerania (the Polish Corridor) were given to Poland; Danzig, a city with a majority German population, became a free state under League of Nations protection; Memel was taken by Lithuania; Eastern Silesia was given to Poland, although Western Silesia voted to remain part of Germany. This all meant that Germany lost 75 per cent of its iron ore, 68 per cent of its zine ore, 26 per cent of its coal and 15 per cent of its arable land. All of Germany's overseas colonies in Africa and the Far East were placed under League of Nation's control (in practice, divided between the Allies).
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What with the Saarland and Rhineland?
**The Rhineland:** The left bank of the Rhine (western side) and a 50 km strip on the right bank (eastern side) was permanently demilitarised. An Allied army of occupation was based in the Rhineland to ensure Germany fulfilled its treaty obligations. **The Saarland:** This area of south-western Germany, which contained rich reserves of coal, was separated from Germany and placed under League of Nation's control for 15 years, so Germany would supply France, Belgium and Italy with free coal as part of the reparations agreement. France was allowed to exploit coal mines in the area.
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What were the reparations?
- Had to pay allies - Germany was. to pay substantial reparations for 'civilian damage' - A definite was not specified in the treaty, but would be decided upon after the conference by a specially appointed Reparations Commission. In 1921, the sum of €6,600 million was set, but this was further reduced in subsequent years.
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What were the army rules?
Germany had to surrender all heavy weapons and dismantle fortifications in the Rhineland and on the island of Heligoland. Conscription to the German armed forces was forbidden and the German army was limited to a maximum of 100,000 men. The German army was forbidden to use tanks or gas. The German navy was limited to 15,000 men. The navy was allowed a maximum of six battleships but no submarines and a small number of coastal defence vessels. Germany was forbidden from having an air force.
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What was the war guilt clause?
Under Article 231 of the treaty, Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war. This 'war guilt clause' made Germany liable to pay reparations to the Allies to cover the costs of damage suffered in the war. The final amount of reparations was fixed by a commission in 1921 at £6.6 billion; Germany also had to hand over to the Allies most of its merchant shipping fleet, railway locomotives and rolling stock, patents and overseas investments.
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What was the League of nations agreement?
Germany was not allowed to join the LoN
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What other terms in the treaty?
Austria was forbidden from uniting with Germany; Germany was not allowed to join the new League of Nations; The Kaiser and other Germans were to be put on trial for war crimes.
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Public response
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How were the Treaty terms viewed?
It was greeted with horror and disbelief
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What was the reaction from pro-republican parties towards the TOV?
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What was the reaction on the right towards the TOV?
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What did the Army disarmament mean for Germany and what reaction did this cause?
Until 1914, Germany had been one of the greatest military powers in Europe. For much of the war, and especially in the early months of 1918, victory in the war seemed to be only a matter of time. This, at least, was the way Germany's war effort was portrayed in official propaganda, even after the Allies began to force the German army to retreat, after halting its advance in France in the spring of 1918.
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What was the German peoples reaction to the War guilt clause?
The 'war guilt clause was seen as an unjust national humiliation since Germans believed they had been forced into a just war against the Allies, who had attempted to encircle Germany.
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What was the German peoples reaction to Wilsons 14 points not being included?
Whilst Wilson's Fourteen Points stressed the importance of the right of national self-determination as a basis for a just peace, this right was denied to the Germans themselves. Millions of people who spoke German and considered themselves German were now living in non-German states such as Czechoslovakia and Poland. The separation of East Prussia from the rest of Germany by the so-called Polish Corridor was a major source of resentment.
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How justified was the complaints about the Treaty?
It is possible to sympathise with the German reaction, but in some ways it was based on unrealistic expectations:
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How did Germany originally react to the 14 points from Wilson?
Had originally denied them
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How did Germany treat Russia in the Treaty of brest - Litovsk (March 1918)?
The treaty did not punish Germany as severely as the Germans had punished Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. Then, Germany had broken up the western part of the Russian Empire and annexed large swathes of territory. In the Reichstag debate on that treaty, only the USPD had voted against this action.
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What was Germany's war aims of 1914?
• Germany's war aims of 1914 had included the annexation of territory from its enemies, the expansion of Germany's colonial empire and a very severe reparations bill to be paid by the defeated Allies. In other words, if Germany had won the war, the peace settlement would have been very harsh on the defeated Allies.
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What had been made clear already in the armistice?
Wilson's Fourteen Points and the armistice agreement had made it clear that Alsace-Lorraine would have to be returned to France, that a new state of Poland with access to the sea would be created, that Germany would be expected to hand over some of her assets and that considerable German disarmament would be expected.
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What would have happened in the French had more control over the TOV?
The treaty was not as severe as it might have been. Had Clemenceau had his way, he would have extended the French border to the Rhine, annexed the Saar coalfields and created an independent Rhineland. The French wanted to ensure that Germany could not threaten them again, their country want but the other Allies resisted this as they wanted Germany to remain of strong enough to withstand the spread of communism from Russia.
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Reactions from abroad
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How did Britain react to the Treaty terms?
When Prime Minster Lloyd George returned to London after the signing of the treaty, he was given a rapturous reception from a large crowd. On the whole, British public opinion was satisfied that Germany had lost its overseas empire, along with its large fleet, and would be unable to threaten European peace for a generation. Privately, however, Lloyd George believed that Germany should not be so weak that it would be unable to resist the expansion of the USSR westwards, and he wanted Germany to become a strong trading partner with Britain again. Many in Britain saw the French as being greedy and vindictive and there was a growing feeling in Britain that Germany had been unfairly treated at Versailles. One influential view was put forward by the economist, John Maynard Kevnes, who argued that the level of reparations was too high. He believed that the level of reparations was one of the most serious acts of political unwisdom for which our statesmen have ever been responsible.
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How did France react to the Treaty terms?
The French felt they had suffered the most out of all the combatant nations and they were determined to seek revenge at Versailles. The recovery of Alsace-Lorraine, the demilitarisation of the Rhineland and the payment of reparations were key French demands which had been met. Despite this, there were many in France who regarded the treaty as being too lenient on Germany, and Prime Minister Clemenceau, who was blamed for making too many concessions, was defeated at the next election in 1920.
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How did the US react to the Treaty terms?
Reactions to the Treaty in America were generally negative. There was a widespread opinion that the treaty had been unfair on Germany and that Britain and France had used the treaty to enrich themselves at Germany's expense. The Republicans in the American Congress opposed the treaty and Wilson failed to win the Congressional vote to ratify the treaty, leaving the USA to make a separate peace with Germany in 1921. The USA refused to join the League of Nations and, in the 1920s, retreated from involvement in European affairs.
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The Political crisis June 1919
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What did Scheidemann want to do with the Treaty?
Wanted to reject the treaty
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What did the majority of the cabinet and SPD believe they had to do with the Treaty?
Believed that Germany had no choice but to sign the treaty
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After Scheidermann resigned what then happened?
A new coalition cabinet was formed, led my Gustav Bauer
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What did high ranking officers in the army believe should happen?
Meanwhile, high ranking officers in the German Army with support from Hindenburg were discussing the possibility of resisting the signing of the treaty through renewed military action Ebert told Groener he would support rejection if there was any chance military action would be successful Groener said it would be futile and Germany had no alternative but to accept the treaty The Bauer cabinet bowed to the inevitable and signed the treaty
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**Economic and Social issues (1919 -1924)**
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How did Germany try to finance the war?
Increasing borrowing By printing more money
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What did the government printing more money cause?
Government debt grew and the value of currency fell
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Why was this a risky strategy?
Was based on a simple but flawed calculation - that Germany would win the war and would be able to recoup its losses by annexing the industrial areas of its defeated enemies and making them pay high reparations
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How much debt was the Weimar Government faced with?
In 1919 the government had a debt of 1.44 billion marks
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What could the government have done to pay off the debt?
Could reduce spending and raise tax or only do one
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What would a rise of taxation cause?
Would risk alienating support for the new republic as anti-republican parties would be able to claim that taxes were being used to pay reparations
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Why was reducing government spending difficult?
It was needed for paying welfare benefits and civil servants - needed to keep support Military expenditure was was dramatically reduced
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How did the government react to the economic issues, was it justifiable?
Wasn't suprising they didn't do much since they would be using unpopular measures
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How did the German economy cope moving from war to peace?
Although, national debt was high, unemployment had virtually disappeared by 1921 There was rapid recovery in economic activity
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What was the risk of letting inflation continue?
It was dangerous as prices had already doubled between 1918 and 1920
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Why did the government allow inflation to occur?
The 1920 coalition led by Konstantin Fehrenbach was dominated by the Centre Party - supported by many powerful German industrialists Benefiting from inflation by taking short term loans from the central banks to expand businesses then when loans were due for repayment the real value had been significantly reduced from inflation Inflation had the effect of lessening the governments burden of debt
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How was the inflation in some ways beneficial?
By 1921, unemployment was only 1.8% compared with nearly 17% in GB Encouraged investment especially from the USA However it eventually became uncontrollable and by 1923 it became hyperinflation
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Reparations
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What was the reparations commision?
A way for the Allies to determine the scale of damage caused by German armed forces in Allied countries
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What was the amount that Germany had to pay in reparations?
The Reparations Commissions report concluded that Germany should pay 132 billion gold marks or £6.6 billion To be paid in annual instalments
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What was the political reaction to the reparations amount?
When the report was presented to the German government in 1921, with the ultimatum to accept the terms within six days, it caused a political crisis in Germany. The cabinet of Fehrenbach resigned in protest at what it considered to be excessively harsh terms and was replaced by another led by Chancellor Joseph Wirth. Just as in 1919, with the Allied ultimatum to Germany to sign the Versailles Treaty, there was no alternative to acceptance and the new government signed unwillingly. Germany made its first payment soon after.
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What happened in January 1922 that affected the reparations?
By January 1922 Germany was in such economic difficulties that the Reparations Commission granted a postponement of the January and February instalments.
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What did Germany ask for in November 1922 due to their economic situation and what was the response from France?
In July, the German government asked for a further suspension of the payments due that year. In November 1922, it asked for a loan of 500 million gold marks and to be released from its obligations for three to four years in order to stabilise its currency. The French were deeply suspicious that this was simply an excuse and refused to agree to Germany's requests.
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How had the reparations affected Germany economically?
The reparations made it much worse - made the repayment of high government debt resulting from the war more difficult
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Why were the reparations difficult to pay?
inadequate gold reserves → TOV had taken away alot of the coal reserves so they didnt nave enough to pay → could not increase reserves in foreig countries as the Alles took the merchant fleet → manufactored goods was denyed as a payment by Allies manufactores + workers (threat to them) → had other debts → Germany could not find the money to pay so printed more leading to the valve of money decreasing
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What did the allies do Germany's export trade?
Hampered it by confiscating its merchant fleet and then imposing high tariffs on imports of German goods
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What did the German government do to try to pay reparations?
Printed more money - making inflation worse and making the value of the mark decrease more
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The Franco - Belgian occupation of the Ruhr
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Why did the French and Belgians occupy the Ruhr?
By the end of 1922 Germany had fallen seriously behind in its payment of reparations to France in the form of coal. This prompted the French, together with the Belgians, to send a military force of 60,000 men to occupy the Ruhr industrial area in January 1923 in order to force the Germans to comply with the Treaty of Versailles.
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What was the aim of occupying the Ruhr?
Their aim was to seize the area's coal, steel and manufactured goods as reparations
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What did the French and Belgians take over in the Ruhr?
They took control of all the mines, factories, steelworks and railways, demanded food from the shops and set up machine-gun posts in the streets
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Since Germany couldn't fight back what did they do instead?
The government of Chancellor Wilhelm Cuno knew the Germans could not fight back The Versailles Treaty had reduced the size of the German army and the Rhineland, of which the Ruhr was a part, was demilitarised Instead, he responded by stopping all reparations payments and ordering a policy of passive resistance whereby no one living in the area, from businessmen and postal workers to railwaymen and miners, would cooperate with the French authorities.
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What were the German workers promised?
German workers were promised by their government that their wages would continue if they went on strike
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What did paramilitary groups do?
The paramilitary troops working with the German army secretly organised acts of sabotage against the French. They crossed the customs barrier secretly at night and blew up railways, sank barges and destroyed bridges in order to disrupt the French effort.
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What did the French set up in response to the paramilitary?
The scale of the French operation grew in response. The French set up military courts and punished mine owners, miners and civil servants who would not comply with their authority. Around 150,000 Germans were expelled from the area. Worse still, some miners were shot after clashes with police. Altogether, 132 Germans were shot in the eight months of the occupation, including a seven-year-old boy.
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What economic effects did the occupation have?
The economic results of the occupation, and the policy of passive resistance, were catastrophic for the German economy for a number of reasons: • Paying the wages or providing goods for striking workers was a further drain on government finances • Tax revenue was lost from those whose businesses were closed and workers who became unemployed • Germany had to import coal and pay for it from the limited foreign currency reserves within the country • Shortage of goods pushed prices up further. The combined cost of all of this amounted to twice the annual reparations payments. Since the government still refused to increase taxes, its only option was to print more money. This was the trigger for the hyperinflation that gripped Germany during the course of 1923.
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Hyperinflation crisis
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What happened with money as a result of hyperinflation?
During the hyperinflation crisis, money lost its meaning as prices soared to unimaginable levels - the money was almost worthless
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How would workers collect wages because of the lost worth of money?
Workers collected their wages and salaries in wheelbarrows and shopping baskets, and tried to spend their money immediately before prices rose even further
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How did the price of food increase?
A loaf of bread that cost 250 marks in January 1923 reached 200,000 million marks by November 1923 The price of eggs also increased dramatically, from 500 marks in January to 30 million in September and 4 billion in October.
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What did the lack of food cause?
In many areas, this led to a breakdown in law and order. There were food riots when crowds looted shops. Gangs of city dwellers travelled to the countryside to take food from farms, but were confronted by angry farmers determined to protect their livelihoods. There was a large increase in the number of convictions for theft.
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Social welfare
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What were the motivation of those who helped to bring down the Kaiser?
The sailors, soldiers, workers were motivated by the desire for a better and freer life
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What was one of the key rights fist set out for the new constitution?
That every German citizen should have the right to work or to welfare - led to a series of reforms to the welfare system and to employment rights
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What new law was passed for working hours?
Limited working day to 8 hours
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What new law was passed for health insurance?
Introduced Bismarck but limited workers employment, was extended to include wives, daughters and the disabled
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What new law was passed for War Veterans?
Aid for war veterans incapable because of injury became the responsibility of national government; aid for war widows and orphans increased
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What was the National Youth Act?
Required all local authorities to set up youth offices with responsibility for child protection and decreed all children had the right to education
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What happened with the social welfare budget?
Put a huge demand on the government
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Who were 'winners' from the hyperinflation?
The winners included people who had the means and the guile to speculate • There were black-marketeers who bought up food stocks and sold them at and manipulate the situation to their advantage. vastly inflated prices. • Those who had debts, mortgages and loans did well since they could pay off the money they owed in worthless currency • Hyperinflation also helped enterprising business people who took out new loans and repaid them once the currency had devalued further. • Those leasing property on long-term fixed rents gained because the real value of the rents they were paying decreased. • Owners of foreign exchange and foreigners living in Germany could also benefit. • In the countryside, most farmers coped well since food was in demand and money was less important in rural communities.
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Who were the 'losers' from hyperinflation?
Those relying on savings, investments, fixed income or welfare support lost out. Among these were students, the retired and the sick. • Pensioners were particularly badly hit, including war widows living on state pensions. • Those who had patriotically lent money to the government in wartime by purchasing fixed interest rate 'war bonds' also lost out because the interest payments decreased in value. • Landlords reliant on fixed rents were hit badly. • Of the workers, the unskilled and those who did not belong to trade unions fared the worst. Although workers were given wage increases, these did not keep up with rising prices, so standards of living declined. By 1923, there was also an increase in unemployment and short-time working; at the end of the year, only 29.3 per cent of the workforce was fully employed. • Artisans and small business owners - the Mittelstand - were badly hit. Their costs rose and the prices they charged could not keep pace with inflation. They also paid a disproportionate share of taxes. • The sick were very badly hit. The costs of medical care increased whilst the rapid rise in food prices led to widespread malnutrition. Death rates in large cities increased. The suicide rate also went up. Amongst children suffering from malnutrition, the incidence of diseases such as tuberculosis and rickets - both of which are associated with dietary deficiency - increased
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How did the effects of the Hyperinflation vary?
The effects of hyperinflation varied between different classes and geographic regions. Nevertheless it was an 'unreal' time, which left many people uncertain about what the future might hold. Many, but not all, middle-class people became impoverished as a result of hyperinflation and were left with a sense that they had lost the most. These people had grown up believing in hard work, thrift and saving for the future, only to find their savings wiped out and their comfortable lifestyles destroyed
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Culture
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What was freedom of speech like in Weimar Germany?
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Religion
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Class & social structure
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Poverty
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Youth
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**Political instability and extremism (1919 - 1924)**
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Coalition governments
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What were the positives of coalition governments?
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What were the negatives of coalition governments?
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Why did coalition governments exist?
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What did coalitions put a larger burden on?
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Why was it difficult to form stable coalition governments?
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Uprisings
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What were the challenges with the left wing parties?
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What happened with the Spartacist uprising?
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What were the Freikorps?
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What was the challenge from the right?
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What happened in the Kapp-Putsch uprising?
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Political assasinations
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The assassination of Ezberger
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The assassination of Rathneau
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How many assassinations were there between 1919-1923?
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What law was passed to protect people?
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Munich Putsch
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What happened with the Munich Putsch?