Weimar Democracy

Question 1

When was the Kapp putsch?

Answer 1

March 1920

Question 2

What happened in the Kapp putsch?

Answer 2

Right wing Wolfgang Kapp and Freikorps soldiers took over Berlin.
Soon enough, Kapp didn’t have support so workers went on strike and the country shut down
Kapp fled the country soon after and Ebert returned

Question 3

What did Wolfgang Kapp want to do?

Answer 3

To take over the country and recover the land lost from the Treaty of Versailles

Question 4

Who were political assassinations carried out by?

Answer 4

Right wing extremists to eliminate those that weee responsible for the Treaty of Versailles

Question 5

Who were some notable figures who were assassinated?

Answer 5

1921 - Matthias Erzberger, the man who signed the armistice in 1918
Foreign Minister Walter Rathenau

Question 6

When was the communist Red rising?

Answer 6

After the Kapp putsch in March 1920

Question 7

What happened in the communist Red rising?

Answer 7

Some communist workers stayed on strike after the Kapp putsch and the government sent soldiers and Freikorps to deal with it
Over 1000 workers were killed

Question 8

When was the Munich Putsch?

Answer 8

November 1923

Question 9

What did Hitler say in the Munich Putsch?

Answer 9

He promised to destroy the Treaty of Versailles, destroy communism and restore Germany’s national glory
He would then capture Munich and March to Berlin. Bavarian politicians disagreed but Hitler carried on anyways

Question 10

What happened in the Munich Putsch?

Answer 10

Hitler and 2000 supporters left the beer hall and marched through Munich but were met with armed Police.
Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested

Question 11

Why were people angry against the Weimar government?

Answer 11

• Germans had faced hardship in the war and some felt the government weren’t doing anything to help them
• Many Germans branded them ‘November Criminals’ and they still believed they could have won the war
• Some saw the Weimar Government as ineffective and unable to deal with national issues

Question 12

How did Stresemann deal with hyperinflation?

Answer 12

He stopped the printing of banknotes and replaced them with the Rentenmark
In 1924, the Reichsmark was introduced which was a stable currency
However, people who lost money never got it back and blamed Stresemann

Question 13

How did Stresemann get rid of the occupation of the Ruhr?

Answer 13

The USA landed money to Germany in the Dawes plan so Germany could start reparations so the troops left
In 1929, the Young Plan meant a reduction in total cost for Germany
However, some felt as if he should have demanded a complete stop for reparations

Question 14

How did Stresemann help the economy to recover?

Answer 14

He used some of the borrowed American money to build key infrastructure to make Germany slowly become more prosperous.
However, some, including Stresemann, felt as if Germany was becoming too reliant on American loans

Question 15

How did Stresemann improve relationships with other foreign countries?

Answer 15

• 1925 - Locarno pact signed with Britain, France, Belgium and Italy- promised never to invade each other
• 1926 - Germany was allowed to join the League of Nations
• 1928 - Kellogg-Briand pact where participating countries promised to never go to war unless for defence
  However, some Germans criticised him for not demanding for some of Germany’s old land to be given back

Question 16

What were some ongoing problems after Stresemann’s death in 1929?

Answer 16

• Many political parties which argued and could never come to a decision
• Extreme political parties still hated the Weimar government
• Large groups of Germans were still poor
• Germany was now built on American loans

Question 17

What was Weimar culture like in the 1920s?

Answer 17

The ‘Golden Age’
Artists, writers, performers and poets could now do things freely rather than under the restricted rules from the Kaiser

Question 18

What was cinema like in Weimar Germany?

Answer 18

It became increasingly more popular.
Metropolis became the most technically advanced film of the decade
Marlene Dietrich became a global star

Question 19

What was nightlife like in Weimar Germany?

Answer 19

Germany was now a centre for new plays and shows.
Berlin became famous for its nightclubs and bands even performed American jazz

Question 20

What was literature like in Weimar Germany?

Answer 20

There were now 120 newspapers and magazines to choose from
All Quiet on the Western Front was published

Question 21

What was art like in Weimar Germany?

Answer 21

Avant-garde artists such as Otto Dix and George Grosz believed art should show the reality of everyday life, particularly the differences between social classes

Question 22

What was design like in Weimar Germany?

Answer 22

A new group of designers known as the Bauhaus believed in modern, practical designs

Question 23

What were the reactions to these cultural changes?

Answer 23

Some embraced the change
Others hated them as they wanted culture to celebrate traditional German values.
They thought the new culture was leading Germany to a moral decline