Germany : The Weimar Republic Flashcards
(52 cards)
Who was the Kaiser after the first world war
Kaiser Wilhelm II
3 consequences of the first world war for Germany
2 million troops died
4 million wounded
Debt tripled
Food shortages
When did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate
10th November 1918
Series of events that led to Wilhelm II abdicating
9 Nov - he visits the army HQ, where ministers tried to persuade him to resign, he didnt so army officers stopped supporting him
9 Nov - he is forced into abdication
10 Nov - abdicates and flees to Holland
Who became the new leader after Wilhelm II
Freidrich Ebert
What problems did Ebert face immediately
Streets were crowded
People were armed
Fears of a communist uprising
Leader of SDP had to present new plans to calm to the streets
What was Ebert’s first policy
Treaty of Versailles
Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles
Economic burden
Political strain
People lost trust
‘stab in the back’
What were the strengths of the Weimar constitution
Proportional Representation so small parties had a fair share and no one had too much power
Reduced the voting age to 21
Allowed women the vote
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar constitution
Proportional Representation led to many coalition governments which were unstable
Led to weakness in crisis as president could pass laws without the Reichstag
Wasn’t the choice of people - unpopular
What were the details of the Treaty of Versailles
Army limited to 100000
Planes destroyed so no air force
Withdraw from Rhineland
6.6 billion in reparations
What did the public call those who signed the Treaty of Versailles
November criminals and stab in the back theory
Which two groups provided challenge to the Weimar
Spartacists
Freikorps
Who were the Spartacists
Left wing
Backing from the Soviet Union
Led by Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebnecht
Who were the Freikorps
Right wing
Made of up ex soldiers from WW1 who kept their weapons
Had 250000 men in March 1919
Organised by regular army
How many men did the Freikorps have in March 1919
250000
When was the Spartacist revolt
January 1918
What happened in the Spartacist revolt
Took over the government newspapers and telegraph and tried to organises a strike in Berlin
Freikorps sent in and put down the revolt
When was the Kapp Putsch
March 1920
Why did the Kapp Putsch happen
Freikorps feared unemployed due to demilitarisation
What happened in the Kapp Putsch
Marched on Berlin
Ebert asked the head of army to resist the Freikorps but he refused
Wolfgang Kapp was head of the rebels
Weimar Government fled Berlin for safety
Weimar Government ordered a trade unions trike and they did causing chaos as simple services were lost
Kapp fled and Weimar returned
In which year did Germany face extreme hyperinflation
1923
How did the price of bread change in 1919 1922 1923
1919 1 mark
1922 100 marks
1923 200000 billion marks
Why was there hyperinflation in 1923
Government printed money to covered the Treaty of Versailles
Jan 1923, French troops invade the Ruhr and first payment not made and German workers go on strike
Weimar prints more money for those on strike
Currency is worthless
