Impact of war, the political crisis of October to November 1918, and the establishment on the Weimar Constitution Flashcards
(37 cards)
When did the Kaiser abdicate and the German republic declared?
9th November 1918
Where did Kaiser Wilhelm II flee to?
Holland
When did Ludendorff call for armistice negotiations?
29th September 1918
When did Prince Max von Baden form a new government?
1st October 1918
When did Prince Max von Baden write a letter to Wilson asking for an armistice?
3rd October 1918
When was the naval mutiny in Wilhelmshaven?
3Oth October 1918
When did the naval mutiny spread to Kiel?
3rd November 1918
When was the revolt in Bavaria which led to the Bavarian Socialist Republic being formed?
8th November 1918
When was the Ebert-Groener pact signed?
10th November 1918
What was the Ebert-Groener Pact?
- Ebert reached a deal with army chief Groener that army would defend the republic from the revolutionary left
- Army was unreformed and therefore the government missed an opportunity to deal with a highly powerful organisation
When was the armistice signed?
November 11th 1918
Who announced that Germany was now a republic?
Schiedermann
When did the Spartacist league hold a demonstration in Berlin?
6th December 1918
When was the saliors’ revolt in Berlin?
23-24 December 1918
Who resigned due to the sailors’ revolt?
3 USDP ministers in gov
When was the Spartacist Uprising?
6th January 1919
Who led the Spartacist Uprising?
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
What buildings did the Spartacisits occupy?
Public buildings and newspaper offices
When did the Spartacist Uprising end?
13th Jan 1919
What was now eligible to take place due to the crushing of the Spartacist Uprising?
Elections for the constitution Assembly on the 19th January 1919
Who secured the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly
SDP - didn’t have an overall majority so formed coalition gov was center and German Democratic parties
What did the new Constitution declare for the people?
“Political authority derives from the people”
What were the strengths of The Weimar Constitution?
- Voting rights for women
- Proportional representation - small parties could now influence gov decisions
- Set out clear rights of the individual - “all Germans are equal before the law”
- Full democracy at local and central government
- Referendums called by President, Reichstrat or people request if a tenth of the electorate applied for one
What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?
- Proliferation of small parties - small parties usually anti-democracy gain publicity
- coalition governments - the gov in power had to have majority support from Reichstag, the usually didn’t agree, leading to short lived governments
