Opposition, Control and Consent in Weimar Germany - 1919-1933 Flashcards
(30 cards)
What was the average turnout in Elections between 1919-1923?
Between 75%-85%
High turnout
What parties supported the Weimar Constitution?
SPD, DDP, DVP, and Centre Party (Z)
Although their lack of ability to work together undermined support for the constitution
What parties opposed the Weimar Constitution?
KPD, USPD, NSDAP, and DNVP (until the 20s when they became more moderate)
What’s the trend of votes for pro-constitution parties between 1919-1932?
Overall it decreases, and usually decreases after the government fails to fix an issue
1919 - 80.5%
1920 - 57.5%
May 1924 - 48.8% - After the 1923 hyperinflation
Dec 1924 - 56.0%
1928 - 57.7%
1930 - 43.9% - After the Great Depression
Nov 1932 - 35.2%
What’s the trend of votes for anti-constitution parties between the years 1919-1932?
At first it has a large rise in votes but slowly decreases until 1930 when it rises again
1919 - 17.9%
1920 - 35.1%
May 1924 - 32.9% - Start of the ‘Golden Age’
Dec 1924 - 29.8%
1928 - 27.4%
1930 - 31.4% - After the Great Depression
Nov 1932 - 58.3%
Did the German people support the Constitution?
Most did as they liked the democratic ideas it had
Their opposition was towards the government and its failures rather than the constitution, the y also opposed undemocratic attempts to replace the constitution
The ‘Golden Age’ - 1924-1929
A time in which support for pro-constitution parties increased due to the successful news of their policies
1924 - SPD won 131 seats
1928 - SPD won 153 seats
Hyperinflation crisis of 1923 and the Great Depression
Times where support for anti-constitution parties rose due to the government’s policies being unsuccessful
How was the Treaty of Versailles seen by the German people?
As harsh - it wasn’t based on Wilson’s Fourteen Points
A diktat
There was opposition to the War Guilt Clause and the reparations
They believed that the government betrayed them - ‘November Criminals’
Why did they believe that they were betrayed?
The German people didn’t know what situation Germany was in at the end of the war and believed that Germany could have still won the war
How did hatred towards to Treaty remain within society?
- The Occupation of the Ruhr (1923-1925) by French and Belgian forces in response to Germany not paying reparations - met by passive resistance from the workers
- The attempts to revise the terms of the Treaty to do with reparations - Dawes Plan 1924 and the Young Plan 1929 - this was seen as accepting the terms of the Treat
What position was the Weimar government in after the war?
- A precarious one
- It’s existence came through revolution
- It was established in Weimar not Berlin due to the Sparticist Uprising
What did opposition from the left want?
- They wanted a radical government after the abdication of Wilhelm
What did opposition from the right want?
- they wanted a strong, authoritarian government
How was opposition allowed within Weimar?
- The Constitution allowed freedom of speech and assembly
To help provide stability, what key sectors of German society did the government have to gain the support of?
- the Army (Reichswehr)
- the Civil Service
- the Judiciary
- Trade Unions
The government would be unable to deal if opposition if they did not have their support, but the government was not strong enough to reform the sectors from how they were before the war
What Agreement was made with the army?
- Ebert-Groener Pact (Nov 1918)
- the army would support the government if the government opposed more left-wing ideas in the Reichstag
What Agreement was made with the Industrialists and Trade Unions?
- Stinnes-Legien Agreement (Nov 1918)
- trade unions would support the government in exchange for legislation on working hours and union representation
Was the government able to use this support to help it against opposition?
No, the government still mainly relied on the Freikorps to restore order
Did the government have control over the regions of Germany?
- they had varying degrees of control over the regions
- all regions adopted the Constitution but not at the same time as some regions underwent local struggles as rulers abdicated after the revolution
- Thuringia held no elections until 1920
- Communist governments were put up in Bavaria and Saxony
What did the government do to state governments that they saw as a threat to the Republic?
- Reichsexekution
- they were replaced by a military government headed by a civilian governor
How did the Army and Judiciary react to Left-wing extremists?
- harshly treated
- the army put down left-wing uprisings quickly and brutally
- the Judiciary imposed harsh sentences to left-wing members
How did the Army and Judiciary react to Right-wing extremists?
- treated more leniently
- the army often refused to act against right-wing groups - Kapp Putsch
- the Judiciary imposed more lenient sentences to right-wing members
Spartacist Uprising
- 5-12 January 1919
- Armed left-wing uprising in Berlin
- Liebknecht and Luxemburg
