history 🗿🌎 Flashcards
practice questions and notes (34 cards)
Why was it a shock to German people that they had lost WW1
They had been led to believing that they were winning the war
What happened in Germany between 1918 and 1919
-The kaiser abdicated and a new way of governing the country was introduced: a republic.
- A constitution was established
- governments were chosen in the republic and how they should carry out their work was chosen by the people.
Historians often refer to this period as the ‘German revolution’
What was the state of Germany by the end of WW1
-Was in economic and political chaos
-the strain of war had damaged Germany and amidst this came uprisings and protests.
Why was there a food shortage after WW1
due to naval blockades set up by the allied forces which prevented food imports
What did leaders misleadingly promise
a quick victory of WW1
What happened by early November 1918?
after 4 years of fighting the soldiers had been forced to retreat and the country faced the threat of military occupation.
What did the Allies insist after Germany lost ww1?
They insisted that the Kaiser abdicate.
The kaiser refused at first but German soldiers and the public did not want him as Kaiser.
He eventually abdicated on 9th of November
What happened once the Kaiser abdicated?
-A new president took office: the social democrat, Friedrich Ebert.
-An armistice was signed by Germany (Matthias Erzberger, Ebert’s representative signed this) and the allies.
How did senior members of the german army react to the signing of the armistice?
They claimed that Germany had been close to victory and that the surrender was unnecessary.
The german people shared this belief and blamed the new leaders for signing the armistice and surrendering.
What were the leaders who signed the armistice nicknamed?
The November criminals
when was the armistice signed?
11 November 1918
What happened to Erzberger (Ebert’s representative who signed the armistice)?
He was assassinated by two nationalists.
what were the results of the January 19th 1919 elections?
Eberts SDP party gained40 percent of seats.
The republic was named the Weimar republic as the first national assembly was held there
What was Friedrich Ebert’s approach?
-To keep state running smoothly by keeping civil servants from previous government
Got them to work tg with new workers and soldiers councils
-reassured industry leaders that the government would not interfere with private enterprises
-promised trade unions to reduce working hours to an 8 hour day.
Why was Ebert’s approach not necessarily effective?
It was too idealistic and the weimar republic had faced opposition from the start.
examples of opposition of Weimar republic
-senior figures such as army leaders did not support it
-many other germans wanted the kaiser to return
-People who’d been inspired by the 1917 Russian revolution wanted a communist revolution in Germany.
Germany remained unstable and uprisings occurred constantly
what did the communists want to get rid of
industrialists and the traditional ruling class
Weimar republic constitution
-The president
Elections for the head of state happened every 7 years.
-The chancellor
Appointed by the president, must hold support of the Reichstag majority
-The Reichstag
Political parties allotted seats according to the percentage of support gained (proportional representation)
-All adult german men and women could vote
-Article 48
In an emergency the president held powers to pass laws without Reichstag approval
-State governments
Were kept but had more limited power and could be overruled by national.
What were coalitions in the Reichstag?
alliances formed between different political parties to achieve a majority .
These coalitions were necessary because no single party typically held a majority
Why were coalitions ineffective
they often broke down which led to a series of short term governments which were unable to address germanys issues.
It often gave smaller parties disproportionate influence because larger parties needed their support to form a majority
Strengths and weaknesses of Weimar constitution- democratic
Positive- All people have the same rights in law including the right to vote in elections
negatives- The republic faced serious opposition from the public as some did not believe that it was the road to success.
Strengths and weaknesses of Weimar constitution-president’s role
Positive- A strong president could protect the country in times of cries
Negative-Did not ultimately have that much power as the chancellor did most duties.
Strengths and weaknesses of Weimar constitution-Chancellor’s role
Positive- Needed a majority in the Reichstag so their appointment was democratic
Negative-Having so much power and the control being in one person’s hands is dangerous and could be exploited.
Strengths and weaknesses of Weimar constitution-proportional representation
Positive-All parties were represented meaning there was complete, full freedom of speech among parties that received votes
Negative-So many parties being represented made it difficult to deal with Germany’s issues effectively due to clashing views. No single party could get majority so parties had to form coalitions
