The Weimar Republic (1918-1923) Flashcards
(4 cards)
Legacy of WWI
- 11 million Germans fought, 2 million died and 4 million were wounded.
- The cost of the war caused government debts to treble to 150 billion marks.
- In Stuttgart and Munich workers went on strike.
- October 1918 some German navy crews mutinied
- Hanover saw rioting in the streets
-Kurt Eisner, a Communist declared Bavaria to be a separate state to the rest of Germany.
The German Revolution (November 1918)
- Kaiser Wilhelm lost control of his army and was told to abdicate.
- On 9th November Philipp Scheidemann declared a new republic and appealed for peace.
- Kaiser’s chancellor hands over his office to leader of SPD Friedrich Ebert
- Ebert’s representative (Matthias Erzberger) signs armistice, which led to Treaty of Versailles.
+ How Ebert helped stabilise the situation by:
- Keeping civil servants in office
- Winning support of trade unions.
Strengths of the Weimar Consituition
1- It was a democracy with anyone over 21 could vote, including women.
2- Proportional representation was used to elect the Reichstag meaning that even smaller parties could gain seats.
3- Power is balanced to ensure no one person or party had too much power.
4- President had power to appoint chancellor, dismiss parliament and call new elections
5- Reichstag and Reichsrat voted on new laws.
Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution
1- Proportional representation led to coalitions, but the parties were not prepared to compromise as they had vast beliefs and aims.
2- Difficult to make decision during a crisis. Article 48 had to be used when parties couldn’t make decisions. Made government look weak.
3- Force often used in early years to subdue public riots.
