Germany 2: Weimar

Question 1

When were the first free elections held and who won?

Answer 1

19th January 1919

Friedrich Ebert bacame President on 11th February

Question 2

What was the constitution?

Answer 2

A set of written rules on how Germany should be run

Question 3

The President was elected every?

Answer 3

7 years

Question 4

Who was in charge of Weimar after WW1?

Answer 4

Friedrich Ebert - Leader of the Social Democrats who became President once Germany turned democratic.

Question 5

What problems did Ebert have after 1918?

Answer 5

He was seen by many as the person who stabbed Germany in the back (Dolchstoss), this led to a lack of support from the German people.

Question 6

What is proportional representation?

Answer 6

Proportional Representation allowed all votes to be totalled across Germany and seats allocated based on the % of the votes gained.

Question 7

Why was proportional representation a weakness?

Answer 7

There would likely never be a majority and therefore there would be a coalition parliament. It lead to lots of small parties having seats and so many different opinions on how to handle situations or what to do. This meant that in an emergency it would be hard to come to a decision quickly.

Question 8

Why was proportional representation a strength?

Answer 8

In Weimar this enabled smaller political parties to gain seats this allowed the country to be more equally represented in the Reichstag.

Question 9

Why was article 48 a disadvantage?

Answer 9

the President could easily abuse this power and call an emergency when it wasn’t true and therefore make rules and decisions without any restraint. (This weakness is obvious when Hitler rises to power.)

Question 10

Why was Article 48 an advantage?

Answer 10

It meant that in an emergency the President could quickly make a decision without having to pass it through the Reichstag so that a crisis could be avoided.

Question 11

What were the names of the uprisings in Weimar?

Answer 11

Kapp Putsch, Red Rising, Spartacists and Munich Putsch

Question 12

Who were the Freikorps?

Answer 12

Ex WW1 soldiers who were right wing

Question 13

What is the stab in the back myth?

Answer 13

The German people felt that the new Weimar government had been wrong to accept the armistice and end WW1 in November 1918. It is also known as Dolchstoss.

Question 14

The Kapp Putsch and Munich Putsch were what side of the political spectrum?

Answer 14

Right

Question 15

The Spartacist and Red Rising were what side of the political spectrum?

Answer 15

Left

Question 16

What and when was the Spartacist rebellion?

Answer 16

January 1919 - Communists in Germany led by Karl Liebknect and Rosa Luxemburg, seized control of Berlin. - The Weimar Government stopped the rebellion by using the Freikorps.

Question 17

What and when was the Munich Putsch?

Answer 17

November 1923 - Nazi revolution in Munich led by Hitler - Everyone was left off lightly including Hitler who got a sentence of 5 years of which he only served 9 months

Question 18

What and when was the Red Rising?

Answer 18

1920 - Communist uprising in the Ruhr region of Germany - It was stopped by Weimar government using the Freikorps

Question 19

What and when was the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 19

1920 - Wolfgang Kapp seized control of Berlin for a right wing rebellion - The Weimar government were unable to defend themselves as the army and Freikorps refused to act. - However the rebellion failed as industrial workers, who benefited from the democratic government, went on a general strike forcing Kapp to give up.

Question 20

Weimar was created as a result of what?

Answer 20

It was created as a result of the Kaiser fleeing Germany to Holland and the fact that the Allies wanted Germany to become a democracy in order for the Armistice to be signed.

Question 21

In what year did German fail to pay it’s reparations?

Answer 21

1922

Question 22

What happened once Germany stopped paying reparations?

Answer 22

January 1923 - French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr region to claim resources to the value of outstanding reparations. - German workers were told to cry out passive resistance by the government, the went on strike.

Question 23

When did the French leave the Ruhr?

Answer 23

1925

Question 24

Why was the Ruhr region important?

Answer 24

It was the center of German industry and made a lot of money for Germany.

Question 25

What was hyperinflation?

Answer 25

When the government prints too much money, causing the value to drop. (Think a glass of squash with too much water).

Question 26

How did hyperinflation link to the invasion of the Ruhr?

Answer 26

The German people printed more money to pay the reparations and to pay the striking workers.

Question 27

When did hyperinflation occur in Germany?

Answer 27

1923 - After Germany did not pay reparations in 1922 or 1923.

Question 28

Who benefited from hyperinflation?

Answer 28

Those in debt, as the currency was re-set in November 1923.

Question 29

Who suffered most during hyperinflation?

Answer 29

Pensioners, people with life savings that became worthless and those on fixed incomes as living costs rose rapidly.

Question 30

What did Stresemann do to solve hyperinflation?

Answer 30

• He burned all the old currency, marks - Introduced a new currency in November 1923 known as the Rentenmark.

Question 31

Which groups still struggled during the “Golden Year”?

Answer 31

Farmers and small businesses

Question 32

The Weimar Constitution gave voting rights to who?

Answer 32

Men and Women over the age of 20 were given the right to vote.

Question 33

The Weimar Constitution- what was Article 48?

Answer 33

Article 48 gave the President the power to change laws without the Reichstag in an emergency.

Question 34

What did people blame the new Weimar government for in the beginning?

Answer 34

• The armistice being signed in November 1918. - The punishment of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. - The loss of land. - The reparations payments that had to be made to the Allies. - The huge reduction in Germany’s armed forces. - Germany’s inability to rebuild itself after WW1.

Question 35

Treaty of Versailles - what happened to Germany’s military?

Answer 35

Reduced to 100,000 men 6 battleships No aeroplanes No submarines No conscription

Question 36

Treaty of Versailles - what was the value of reparations set at for Germany in 1919?

Answer 36

£6,600 million or £6.6 billion (2% of Germany’s annual output)

Question 37

Treaty of Versailles - What was article 231?

Answer 37

Article 231 was that Germany was to accept all the blame for WW1 and therefore the cost of rebuilding Europe.

Question 38

Treaty of Versailles - What was the land that was demilitarised to provide protection to France?

Answer 38

Rhineland

Question 39

Treaty of Versailles- What was Anschluss?

Answer 39

The ban of a partnership between Germany and Austria

Question 40

Which three events all happened in 1923?

Answer 40

Invasion of the Ruhr Hyperinflation Munich Putsch

Question 41

Why was 1924-1929 known as the “Golden Years”?

Answer 41

Stresemann stabilised Germany economically, developed Germany socially and Weimar was politically stable during this era.

Question 42

What and when was the Dawes Plan?

Answer 42

In 1924 - Loans from USA to enable Germany to pay reparations and rebuild Germany post WW1.

Question 43

What impact did the Dawes Plan have on Germany?

Answer 43

• Reparations were easier to pay - New investment in Germany industry - Unemployment fell - German economy more stable

Question 44

The Wall Street Crash happened in?

Answer 44

1929