Politics In The Second Reich

Question 1

When was the second reich

Answer 1

1871-1918

Question 2

what could the kaiser do?

Answer 2

Kaiser / emperor

• hereditary monarch, King of Prussia
• appoints/dismisses government
• can dissolve Reichstag
• controls foreign policy and armed forces

Question 3

What could the Reichstag do?

Answer 3

• members/deputies are elected by male suffrage
• agree or reject laws proposed by Kaiser or gov
• cannot remove chancellor or gov

Question 4

What could the government do?

Answer 4

Chancellor + other ministers

• appointed and dismissed by the Kaiser
• proposed new laws to the Reichstag
• not dependent upon support from Reichstag to stay in office

Question 5

What could the Reichsrat do?

Answer 5

• assembly of ambassadors from 26 state governments

- veto on legislation passed by Reichstag

Question 6

What could the electorate do?

Answer 6

Men over 25

• voted in Reichstag elections every 3 years
• voted for local state assemblies
• had written constitution but no statement of individual rights

Question 7

What were the liberal parties?

Answer 7

• DDP Deutsche Demokratische Partei (Democratic Party)

- DVP Deutsche Volkspartei (People’s party)

Question 8

What were the conservative parties?

Answer 8

-DNVP Deutschnationale Volkspartei (National People’s Party)

Question 9

What were the catholic parties?

Answer 9

-ZP Zentrumspartei (Centre Party)

Question 10

what were the left-wing parties?

Answer 10

• KPD Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (Communist Party)
• SPD Sozialdemokratische Partei Deuschlands (Social Democratic Party)
• USPD Unabhangige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deuschlands (Independent Social Democratic Party)

Question 11

More about KPD

Answer 11

• Spartacists, extreme left-wing
• Marxist revolutionary socialists
• want to build up class consciousness and angry/unhappy people to support revolution
• Ernst Thalmann

Question 12

More about SPD

Answer 12

• moderate wing of socialist movement
• most popular
• democratic socialists; want gradual change
• Friedrich Ebert and Philipp Scheidemann

Question 13

More about USPD

Answer 13

• broke away from SPD in April, 1917
• included more radical elements of German socialism
• Hugo Haase and Karl Kautsky

Question 14

What happens in German politics after Germany go to war in 1914?

Answer 14

• Parties in Reichstag make a political truce to support Kaiser and military
• Military high command begin to run Germany as a military dictatorship
• Reichstag still meet but are ignored by high command
• Germany almost at point of economic and military collapse, social and political unrest

Question 15

Who are the military high command?

Answer 15

Paul Von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff

Question 16

What does the USA joining the war in Oct 1917 prompt?

Answer 16

• Ludendorff advises Kaiser to calm unrest by changing gov

- Revolution from above put into place

Question 17

What is the revolution from above?

Answer 17

Army leadership steps down to new gov formed by majority parties in Reichstag, led by Prince Max Von Baden
(Intended to stop revolution from below/by people)

Question 18

What does Prince Mx’s gov do almost immediately?

Answer 18

Make some constitutional reforms

eg. extending suffrage to all men & making ministers and army responsible to gov (not Kaiser)

Question 19

What happens on 3rd of October 1918?

Answer 19

Prince Max asks allies for armistice

Question 20

What happens on the 28th of October 1918?

Answer 20

• New governments official Inauguration Day

- Sailors mutiny in Kiel and Wilhelmshaven, refusing to set sail against British fleet (suicide mission)

Question 21

What happens after the navy’s mutiny?

Answer 21

• Strikes and mutinies spread across Germany = revolutionary situation
• Soldiers and workers set up councils/soviets

Question 22

What happened on the 8th of November 1918?

Answer 22

• Bavaria proclaimed Socialist Republic by Kurt Eisner in Munich
• Prince Max unsuccessfully tries to convince Kaiser to abdicate
• 2 socialist members of gov resign

Question 23

What happened on the 9th of November 1918?

Answer 23

• General strike declared
• Prince Max announces Kaiser’s abdication, who is fleeing to Holland
• Gov of Prince Max resigns after SDP withdraws from gov and Friedrich Ebert (head of SPD) becomes Imperial Chancellor
• Rumours that communists will proclaim a republic so Scheidemann (Ebert’s second in command) announces German Republic instead

Question 24

What happens on the 10th of November 1918?

Answer 24

New gov officially set up, ‘Council of People’s Representatives’, led by socialist parties that held power in Reichstag

Question 25

What is the Ebert-Groener pact?

Answer 25

Telephone call between Imperial Chancellor and new Head of Army - army will support gov provided gov suppresses communist threats and opposes radical left-wing ideas in Reichstag - Ebert keeps structure and ones within army

Question 26

When was Armistice signed by Germany?

Answer 26

11th November - signed by Matthias Erzberger - ceasefire, NOT peace treaty - Germany told that she could not take part in treaty negotiations

Question 27

What social reforms were made by the government in November 1918 to settle the political/economic situation in Germany?

Answer 27

- 8 hour working days - allowed independent trade unions - set up help for ex soldiers to find work - widened health and unemployment benefits

Question 28

What was decided on the 19th December?

Answer 28

National Assembly elections were to be set for 19th January 1919

Question 29

What was the issue with the SPD and USPD coalition government?

Answer 29

- Ebert (SPD) wanted to leave significant changes to the National Assembly who write the constitution - Haase (USPD) wanted immediate social and economic reforms, didn’t want to use army without reforming it first