Germany Booklet 2: Opposition, control and consent 1918-33 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What was the stab in the back myth?
That WW1 was not lost by the military but by the betrayal of socialists, communists, Jews and politicians more generally
Why did many German people believe the stab in the back myth?
Germany was never invaded and the army was still on French territory at the end of the war. German media was still confident of victory, even in the autumn of 1918. The German army was thought to be trustworthy, nationalist, strong, decisive and effective and was well loved by the German people.
Who was the first to prompt the stab in the back myth?
Ludendorff
Outline the political, economic and military effects of the treaty of Versailles
political - It was associated with the new Weimar republic and constitution
economic - the reparations were blamed for Germany’s economic problems (although this wasn’t really true)
Military - reluctance to accept demobilisation and restrictions on military
What was the issue with the guilt clause of the treaty of Versailles?
Germany wasn’t actually totally for blame for WW1, yet they were forced to take full responsibility and no other country had any punishment whatsoever.
What did the Treaty of Versailles do to Germany’s empire?
Germany had to give up almost all of its empire, all of the land in Europe, Africa and Asia which was seen as an international embarrassment to the German people
How much money was Germany initially set to pay in reparations?
£6,600 million, paid in £100 million annual instalments
What were the military reasons that the German people resented the treaty of Versailles?
They resented the fact that their once proud military nation had to disarm when no other country gave up their armaments thus jeopardising their security
What were the political reasons that the German people resented the treaty of Versailles?
They were only given a few weeks to read the treaty for themselves before being told they had to sign it (known as the Diktat)
Germany did not consider itself a defeated state - they had signed an armistice which does not imply surrender
Germany had originally sued for peace based on President Wilson’s 14 points, they felt these had been ignored during the negotiations.
What were the economic reasons that the German people resented the treaty of Versailles?
They felt the reparations were too high and could cause economic reason
What percentage of Germany’s annual income would the reparations have taken if they were paid in full?
10-12%
What was the political significance of the treaty of Versailles?
The forces who opposed the Weimar republic used them to slander the new republic, leading to difficulty creating a democratic majority. This slander beat down even the most reasonable politicians
Outline the Spartakist uprising?
Spartakists (communists) took over the city of Berlin by barricading the centre in 1919, causing the government to flee and write up the new constitution in Weimar. However it was easily crushed by the Freikorps and the army and the leaders (Liebknecht and Luxemburg). More than 100 workers were killed
What was the popularity of the communist party like 1919 (seats)?
they got no seats in 1919
Outline the Bavarian republic?
In March 1919 a soviet republic was declared in Bavaria which established worker councils and the red guard. It was crushed in May 1919 by the Freikorps and the army and a right wing government was put in charge of Bavaria
Outline the Ruhr Uprising
In March 1920 communists in the Ruhr formed an army of around 50,000 and took control of large areas of the Ruhr for several weeks. The Freikorps and the army crushed them within a fairly short space of time, however intense fighting led to the death of more than 1,000 workers
What was the red fighting league?
A paramilitary organisation dominated by the KPD. It was founded in 1924 and clashed often with the SA on the streets. At its height it numbered 130,000 but only lasted 5 years and was politically divided.
What were the four main left wing events/threats in the Weimar republic?
Spartakist Uprising
Bavarian Uprising
Ruhr Uprising
The Red Fighting League
What were the four main right wing events/threats in the Weimar republic?
The Kapp Putsch
Organisation Consul
The Munich Putsch
The SA and NSDAP
Outline the Kapp Putsch
5,000 men (including Freikorps members) marched on Berlin and took the Reichstag and other Buildings. The army and Freikorps refused to fight against other German soldiers. Ebert organised a nation wide general strike which ground the country to a halt, meaning the new government could do nothing. After less than three days, they fled and Ebert was back in power
Outline the Organisation Consul
A paramilitary terrorist group, dominated by Freikorps members who were angry at the treaty of Versailles. At their peak they had 5,000 men. They murdered over 350 people but were forced to disband by government order in the mid 1920s
Outline the Munich Putsch
Hitler amassed a force of 3000 men to march on the centre of Munich (SA). The plan was to get the backing of the Freikorps and the army, then march to Berlin, however the army and Freikorps did not support them and Hitler was sentenced to 5 years for treason (although he only served 8 months). It had the backing of war hero General Ludendorff who wasn’t convicted at all.
Outline the SA
The paramilitary wing of the Nazi party (NSDAP) which was set up in the early 1920s, they were often involved in street fights with communists in all the major German cities. In their peak in January 1932 it had 4000000 men
Who were the conservative elites?
Mostly upper class groups that had wealth and power in the Kaiserreich and were keen to maintain this in the new republic. They mostly held right wing views and traditional values. Many were monarchists
