The Weimar Republic Flashcards
(113 cards)
1
Q
How many Reich’s were there and what were they?
A
- 3
- The Holy Roman Empire
- The German Empire
- Nazi Germany 1933-45
2
Q
What Prussian wars led to the unification of Germany?
A
- Victory against Denmark
- victory against Austria
- victory against France
3
Q
What were the divisions between the people in the 2nd Reich based on democracy?
A
- The wealthy MC wanted democracy
- Aristocratic landowners/junkers wanted less democracy
4
Q
What were the divisions between the people in the 2nd Reich, based on pay?
A
The WC wanted better conditions and pay
5
Q
What was the largest party in the Reichstag by 1912?
A
SPD
6
Q
What did the end of the Kaiser’s rule lead to?
A
The establishment of the Weimar Republic
7
Q
What did Germany consist of before the 2nd Reich came?
A
States
8
Q
What was the largest State in Germany?
A
Prussia
9
Q
What did the Prussian state do to other states?
A
It brought most of the German states together into a new German Reich that Prussia dominated
10
Q
Why were germans not happy with Prussia ruling over other states?
A
Because it was ruled over by the Kaiser, not by a government elected by the people
11
Q
What transformed German society from 1871?
A
The German economy rapidly growing
12
Q
What did many industrialists see political stability as?
A
The best guarantee for future success
13
Q
What did the industrialists do to support the Kaiser’s rule?
A
They formed an alliance with the junkers
14
Q
What did people do to campaign for higher wages?
A
Formed Trade Unions
15
Q
What political party did many workers vote for and why?
A
- The SPD
- It campaigned for democracy and social change
16
Q
Why did people support the Kaiser’s want for war?
A
Because they felt ‘encircled’ by Allied powers
17
Q
What happened in the winter of 1916-17?
A
- food shortages
- increasing prices
18
Q
Who did the Kaiser give more power to in the Winter of 1916-17?
A
Ludendorff and Hindenburg
19
Q
What did Ludendorff ask the Allies for?
Why?
A
- An armistice
- To seek peace with them
20
Q
What did military defeat from war lead to?
A
- The end of the kaiser’s rule
- The establishment of the Weimar Republic
21
Q
What were Wilson’s 14 points?
A
- A plan to achieve a fair settlement after war
22
Q
What did the October reforms do?
A
- Ended the Kaiser’s rule
- Appointed Prince Max of Baden as Chancellor
23
Q
Where did the origins of the ‘stab in the back’ myth come from?
A
The October reforms
24
Q
What were the October reforms designed for?
A
- To save germany from humiliation
- To save the kaiser’s rule
25
Why did the October Reforms fail?
Germans wanted immediate peace and the Kaiser's abdication
26
What did the SPD do to force the Kaiser to abdicate?
Called workers to strike
27
What happened on the 9th November 1918?
- The Kaiser announced his abdication
- Germany was declared a republic
28
What happened on the 11th November 1918?
An armistice was signed with the Allies
29
Who announced the kaiser's abdication?
Prince Max of Baden
30
What was formed when the kaiser abdicated?
Who formed it?
- A left wing coalition government
- Ebert
31
What did President Wilson demand an end to?
Submarine warfare
32
What did Wilson want Germany to evacuate?
Occupied territory
33
Who did Groener say wouldn't fight for the kaiser before his abdication?
The army
34
What did Ludendorff say about the October reforms or Wilsons 14 points?
The demands were too much
35
What were left wing ideologies?
What type of people was the left wing made up of?
- Believed in a gov. chosen by the people
- Freedom and equality
- For the rich to be taxed more to help the poor
- Workers
36
What were right wing ideologies?
- The gov. was chosen by themselves
- They believed in the idea of 'survival of the fittest'
- The rich shouldn't pay more tax
37
What problems did Ebert face as President?
- He had an unstable government
- There was a threat to his authority due to social unrest
- Economic crisis from war
- Communists were angry at the republic
- He had to deal with a bitter army
38
What were the effects of WW1 on Germany?
- The Mark lost 75% of its value
- Inflation due to the printing and borrowing of money
- Earnings fell 20-30%
- Starvation
- Disease
39
What was to be evacuated by Germany?
Alsace Lorraine
40
What was to be occupied by the Allies?
The Rhine
41
Who did Germany have to hand over?
Prisoners of war
42
What blockade remained?
The Allied naval blockade
43
What 3 political parties wanted welfare benefits?
- KPD
- USPD
- SPD
44
Who were the leaders of the KPD?
- Liebknecht
- Luxemburg
45
What did the KPD want?
- Disbanding of the army
- Democratic government
46
Who was the leader of the USPD?
Hugo Hasse
47
What did the USPD want?
- reform of the army
- democratic government
48
Who were the leaders of the SPD?
- Ebert
- Scheidemann
49
What did the SPD want?
- socialist republic
50
What happened at the Paris Peace Conference?
A Treaty between the Big 3 was signed and defeated Nations weren't invited
51
52
53
54
55
What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- Over 70,000km of German territory was removed
- Alsace Lorraine was returned
- All overseas colonies were lost
- The Polish Corridor was given
- Germany had to supply free coal to France and Belgium
- The Rhineland was demilitarised and allied armies were placed to ensure Germany fulfilled the Treaty's obligations
- Germany had to surrender weapons
- Germany's armed forces were limited
- Germany was forbidden from an airforce, were only allowed 6 battleships and no submarines
- The Kaiser was put on trial for war crimes
- Germany couldn't join the League of Nations
56
What was the 'war guilt clause' and what did it do?
- Germany had to pay £6.6 million reparations
- Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war
57
What was the 'war guilt clause' seen as by the German people?
What did they say had happened to start war?
- Unjust humiliation
- They were forced into war due to encirclement of the Allies
58
What would reparations do to the German economy?
They would cripple it
59
What did the Germans believe the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were?
A Diktat (dictated peace)
60
What were most German's reactions to the TofV?
What were others' reactions?
- They were horrified by its terms and wanted to reject it
- Some wanted to accept it
61
What was the policy of fulfilment?
Where the Germans complied with the TofV's terms to build trust with the Allies, whilst also negotiating modifications to it
62
What did some supporters of the WR do after the TofV?
They turned against it
63
What was the Weimar Republic associated with after it agreed to the TofV's terms?
Weakness and failure
64
Why did many right-wing's join extremist groups after the TofV?
To overthrow the republic
65
What did politicians become known as after signing the armistice?
The November criminals
66
Why did politicians become known as the November Criminals?
Extremists believed that they had betrayed the 'fatherland' by signing the armistice, TofV and by dethroning the Kaiser
67
Soldiers who previously supported the SPD and trade unions now supported what?
The new democratic system
68
What did other soldiers support?
- The Freikorps
- Right wing nationalist groups
69
What were Britain's views on the TofV?
Why?
- They were satisfied with it
- Many in Britain saw the French as greedy and there was a growing feeling that Germany was treated unfairly
- Lloyd George wanted to be a trading partner with Germany again
70
What were France's views on the TofV?
Why?
- They believed the Treaty was too lenient on Germany
- They believed they'd suffered the most and wanted revenge
71
What were the USA's views on the TofV?
Why?
- Reactions were negative
- They believed the Treaty was unfair on Germany and that Britain and France had used it to enrich themselves at Germany's expense
72
What did the USA do after the TofV?
- Refused to join the League of Nations
- Retreated from involvement in European affairs
- made a separate peace with Germany
73
What year was the Hyperinflation crisis in?
1923
74
What happened to the Mark during hyperinflation?
What did this lead to?
- It devalued
- More money had to be printed and goods became more expensive
75
What happened in 1922?
Germany was failing to meet the reparations so French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr
76
What did Chancellor Cuno say in relation to the French invading the Ruhr?
Why?
- He told workers not to cooperate with the French and to go on Passive Resistance
- He knew the Germans couldn't fight back
77
What did the hyperinflation crisis lead to?
- A breakdown of law and order
- rising food prices
- crowds looting shops
- increase in theft
- people trading posessions
78
What did some social welfare reforms do?
- Limited the working day to 8hrs
- State health insurance system was extended to include women, girls and the disabled
- Increased aid for war widows and orphans
79
What did the National Youth Welfare Acts do?
Stated that all children had the right to an education
80
How did the German government finance the war?
What did this lead to?
- Through the borrowing and printing of money
- The government being in debt
81
What happened to prices from 1918-1919?
They had doubled
82
What happened to prices from 1919-1920?
They qadroupled
83
How did German industrialists benefit from inflation?
- They'd take loans from the bank to expand their businesses
- By the time loans were due for repayment, their real value had been reduced
84
What did inflation encourage from the USA?
investment
85
What did the loss of territories result in?
The decline of coal production, iron ore and agricultural land
86
What are the 2 things that the Germans blamed inflation on?
- The Treaty of Versailles
- The Jews
87
What was the real cause of inflation?
The increase in the amount of paper money
88
What percentage of money had the Kaiser's government borrowed by selling war bonds to the public?
84%
89
What had the economy been based on the supply of?
How did this then lead to increasing prices?
- military weapons
- because there was now a high demand of common goods
90
What did the French occupation of the Ruhr result in?
What was encouraged by Cuno?
- A financial and political crisis
- Passive resistance
91
Why did French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr?
To make Germany pay for what it hadn't paid in capital
92
What 3 things did the French and Belgian troops take control of?
- mines
- factories
- railways
93
What did the French and Belgian troops set up in the streets of the Ruhr?
Machine gun posts
94
What did paramilitary groups do to stop the French in the Ruhr?
They crossed the customs barrier at night and blew up railways and destroyed bridges
95
What happened after paramilitary groups attempted to stop the French in the Ruhr?
- French scale of occupation grew
- military courts were set up
- Mine owners were punished
96
How many Germans were expelled from the Ruhr?
15,000
97
Who were the WINNERS of the hyperinflation?
- People who could manipulate the situation to their advantage e.g businessmen
- Farmers as their food was in high demand
- Foreigners living in Germany
- Those with loans
98
Who were the LOSERS of the hyperinflation?
- Students and the retired who relied on saving money
- The sick who relied on welfare support
- Those who lent money to the government in 'war bonds'.
- Landowners expecting rent
- Unskilled workers
- Mittelstand
99
What type of government led to 4 years of the WR being unstable?
A coalition Government
100
How many governments were there between 1919 and 1932?
21
101
What did a constant change of Governments mean?
- Policy continuity was impossible
- Confidence in democracy was threatened
102
Who were the Spartacists?
Communists who wanted Germany to be run by the WC
103
When was the Spartacist uprising?
5th January 1919
104
Who was involved in the Spartacist uprising?
- Spartacist League
- Liebknecht
- Luxemburg
105
Why did the Spartacist uprising happen?
What was its effect?
- To overthrow Ebert's government
- Didn't have much of an effect as it was poorly prepared and supported so was crushed by street fighting
106
What happened to Liebknecht and Luxemburg?
Why?
- They were executed
- Due to the Spartacist uprising
107
What happened in April 1919?
A wave of strikes occurred across Germany
108
What happened in 1920?
The Kapp Putsch
109
Why was there a Kapp putsch?
To stop Freikorp units from being disbanded due to the terms of the TofV of reducing the army size
110
What happened to the Kapp putsch?
It failed to gain widespread support and collapsed after 4 days
111
What happened to Kapp and Luttwitz?
They were forced to flee
112
In what year was the Munich/Beer Hall Putsch?
1923
113
What were the causes of the Munich Putsch?
- resentment of the TofV
- Hatred of being 'stabbed in the back'
- - The belief of the Weimar Republic being weak
