Weimar evidence

Question 1

political opposition to Weimar from the right

Answer 1

Munich Putsch 1923 – right-wing attempt putsch by Hitler and the Nazi party. Freikorps were reluctant to help govt take down right-wing opposition. Failure, but gained publicity for the Nazis and gave time for the NSDAP to organise itself and its aims.

Question 2

impact of opposition from right

Answer 2

long-term impact – helped them gain votes after the economic downfall in 1929 (e.g. breakthrough in sept. 1930 election with 185 vote and 107 seats, up from 12)

Question 3

political opposition from the left

Answer 3

Spartacist Uprising 1919 – attempted communist revolution. Relied on the use of Freikorps to suppress left-wing opposition.

Question 4

impact of opposition from the left

Answer 4

long-term impact - reliance on the Freikorps was deeply destabilising, as it legitimised right-wing violence against the left, empowering forces such as the SA in the early 1930s.

Question 5

lack of opposition

Answer 5

in the 1928 Reichstag elections the Nazis and the KPD received less than 15% of the vote. This demonstrated that overall the public did not oppose the WC. No assassinations between 1924-9. Political violence declined during ‘Golden Years’ when the Weimar govt had a hold on the economy.

Question 6

impact of lack of opposition

Answer 6

showed opposition was not the most significant problem, but actually shows how opposition derives from moments of political instability and crisis such as the economy

Question 7

opposition from the German people

Answer 7

people voting for extremist parties after GD in 1929. NSDAP biggest party in July 1932 with 230 seats (37%). Hitler appointed Chancellor in 1933.

Question 8

impact of opposition from the German people

Answer 8

led to the fall of WR

Question 9

war-time and post-war economic issues

Answer 9

approx 6 million soldiers left the army during 1919 which led to many women being sacked. By feb. 1919 there were approx. 1.1 million people without jobs. Borrowed vast amounts of money (almost 150bn marks from 1914-18). Led to inflation (prices rose by 200% during the war period)

Question 10

hyperinflation

Answer 10

1923
govt response to economic debt and rising inflation was to print more money which worsened the situation and led to hyperinflation. By end of 1923 200,000 million marks for a loaf of bread. Jan. 1922 largest bank note in circulation was 10,000 marks and by nov. 1923 the govt issued 1 trillion mark notes
passive resistance campaign
payment holiday negotiations

Question 11

Stresemann’s measures to aid recovery

Answer 11

Reichmark 1924
Dawes Plan 1924 (reducing annual repayment until 1929). This plan appeared to revive the economy BUT reliance on loans from US made GD hit Germany even harder

Question 12

Great Depression

Answer 12

5 major banks collapsed in 1931
unemployment levels rose to 6.1 million in 1932
made extremist parties who sought to address these issues seem more appealing compared to the democratic parties already in govt and not doing anything + internal divisions

Question 13

impact of GD

Answer 13

most significant problem as it facilitated the rise of the Nazis power – growth of Nazi seats from 12 to 107 in two years

Question 14

circumstances that led to the creation of WR vs weakness of the constitution

Answer 14

armistice 11 nov 1918
tofv 1919
stab in the back (dolchstoss)
diktat

Question 15

impact of circumstances that led to the creation of WR

Answer 15

shows that actually there would always be some opposition to the WC and its problems as the creation of the WR would always be tied to those issues/events and to humiliation

Question 16

electoral system of PR

Answer 16

difficulty to form majority, with the existence of smaller groups (presence of 29 political parties following 1919 elections)
parties formed weak coalitions which were detrimental to the govt

Question 17

impact of electoral system of PR

Answer 17

made it almost impossible for the parties to agree on effective policies
constant divisions internally and instability

Question 18

article 48

Answer 18

used by Ebert 136 times
increased use of presidential decrees by Hindenburg after 1930 (98 laws passed by Reichstag in 1930 vs only 5 in 1932)
A 48 used 66 times in 1932 compared to just 5 in 1930

Question 19

impact of article 48

Answer 19

viewed as undemocratic thus making the Nazis and KPD more appealing

Question 20

appointment of Hitler linking to the WC

Answer 20

caused by the nature of the WC itself; allowed Hindeburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor in 1933

Question 21

impact of appointment of Hitler

Answer 21

led to the passing of Enabling Law in 1933 which destroyed constitution

Question 22

TofV reparations

Answer 22

war guilt clause 231
inter-allied reparations commission of 1921 set the figure of £6.6 billion
Dawes Plan 1924 repayment amount reduced but dependency on US.
Loss of territories such as Saar and Alsace-Lorraine

Question 23

impact of loss of territories on the economy

Answer 23

German coal production declined by more than 15% and Germany lost almost half of its deposits of iron-ore

Question 24

responses of govt to the impact of TofV

Answer 24

printing money to buy foreign currency from 1921 (to be used to pay reparations) (runaway inflation of 1921 destabilised economy leading to negotiations) and payment ‘holiday’ negotiations (made international investors and major banks to lose faith in economy leading to a fall in the value of the mark)

Question 25

improvements from economic crisis caused by tofv

Answer 25

repayments would be allowed over a longer period and repayment amount reduced until 1929 + received a loan of 800 million gold marks from US (Dawes Plan)

Question 26

impact of Stresemann's policies to aid recovery

Answer 26

late 1920s was seen as a period of economic growth by 1928 German GDP had recovered to its 1913 level. welfare payments and wages for govt employees increased and govt spent money on public works schemes etc.

Question 27

MORE opposition from the left

Answer 27

Ruhr uprisings 1920 -- large scale left wing uprising of workers and paramilitaries strikes and communist uprisings in Saxony nd Thuringia 1923

Question 28

impact of these left-wing uprisings

Answer 28

these revolts were violent, anti-democratic, and aimed at overthrowing the republic in favour of a socialist/communist state created an image of chaos and instability, undermining public faith in democracy

Question 29

limitations of left-wing uprisings

Answer 29

the left lacked widespread support; divisions within the socialist movement (SPD vs KPD) prevented unified opposition. All uprisings were crushed by the army and Freikorps, showing that they were serious but containable

Question 30

MORE opposition from the right

Answer 30

Kapp Putsch 1920 -- failed coup by Freikorps, but army refused to defend govt. had to rely on workers' strikes. judiciary and civil service sympathetic to right-wing ideals e.g. Hitler's lenient sentence (9 months) growing support for th NSDAP in late 1920s and early 1930s -- gained legal power by 1933. 18% vote (107 seats) by sept 1930 and then 37% (230 seats) of vote in July 1932 election (largest party)

Question 31

impact of right wing opposition

Answer 31

right-wing threats had deeper roots in German institutions unlike the left, the right gained elite and middle-class backing they even got the support of the workers with targeted propaganda and slogans such as 'work and bread' ultimately led to the collapse of democracy and the rise of a totalitarian regime

Question 32

role of the state and public support

Answer 32

the govt relied on right-wing paramilitiaries to crush the left; legitimised right-wing violence against the left judicial bias -- harsh on left-wing revolutionaries, lenient on right-wing threats e.g. Hitler the left never agined mass electoral support; the Nazis became the largest party in 1932 ALSO for some of the public like mdidle class and the elite, their biggest threat was the left so they supported the right-wing extremist party more (thus making it a bigger threat to the DEMOCRACY)

Question 33

impact of the role of the state and public support

Answer 33

the state's treatment of opposition and the public's reaction show why the right was more dangerous the asymmetric response helped weaken the left and empower the right the public increasingly viewed the right as a stabilising force, making the threat less obvious but more effective

Question 34

why did Germans see tofv reparations as humiliating?

Answer 34

they found it unjust because they thought they were fighting a defensive war and it led to economic crisis

Question 35

why did Germans see tofv loss of territories as humiliating?

Answer 35

found unjust because Germany had never been occupied or invaded during the war led to nationalistic sentiment stab in the back etc also lost its empire as colonies were handed over to the League of Nations

Question 36

what were the military terms of the TofV?

Answer 36

disarm and demilitarise army reduced to 100,000 men + abolition of conscription no military aircraft or tanks navy limited to 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 torpedo, 12 destroyers, and no submarines Rhineland demilitarised

Question 37

why did German people find the military terms of tofv unjust?

Answer 37

many Germans viewed disarmament and demilitarisation as a further unjust humilitation they believe that German soldiers, sailors, and airmen had fought bravely and that disarmament and demilitwarisation punished brave men who had fought hard for their country Germans realised the reduction of the army meant they could never again be a powerful nation in Europe diktat

Question 38

how did unemployment increase due to the GD

Answer 38

1.4 million in 1929 to 6.1 million in 1933

Question 39

Young plan and its impact

Answer 39

1929 extended period of reparations further to 1988 and reduced reparations to £1,850 million major diplomatic achievement. Stresemann's strategy of tying Germany's economic success to the UK economy workers short-term

Question 40

reasons for the survival of Weimar 3 themes

Answer 40

Stresemann + golden age (Dawes Plan, Young Plan) support (1919 election, failure of extremist parties in 1928, controlling extremism) did NOT actually survive (political opposition, opposition from German people, economic problems, weimar constitution)

Question 41

first general election 1919 results

Answer 41

produced a majority of pro-democratic parties (SPD, Centre/ZP, DDP) = 76% of the vote (but failed to get majority after again, thecommunist threat had receded)

Question 42

why did the German people support democratic parties at first

Answer 42

workers and urban middle class benefitted from welfare, housing schemes, and cultural liberalism women had the vote (stated in weimar consitutiton); the New Woman etc

Question 43

1928 Reichstag election results

Answer 43

Nazis and KPD received less than 15% of the vote, demonstrating that overall the public did not oppose the WC

Question 44

support for democracy during 1924-8 (Stresemann era)

Answer 44

the Weimar coalition parties won respectable support; relative stability and improved economy helped acceptance. no assassinations in this period and political violence declined during golden years when the Weimar govt had a hold on the economy

Question 45

impact of support in golden years and post-war

Answer 45

suggests that, when effective and stable, democracy could gain moderate popular support esp from those who directly benefitted from it

Question 46

3 themes for extent of public support for democracy

Answer 46

support esp in post-war and golden years (1919 election, 1928 election, support in 1924-8) evidence of limited support and hostility (lack of reform for traditional institutions like judiciary, resentment for TofV inc. Hindenburg dolchstoss, left-wing) the rise of extremist parties and electoral behaviour (NSDAP electoral success, KPD consistently polling 10-15%, use of violence and intimidation normalising political extremism)

Question 47

Ebert-Groener Pact showing state control

Answer 47

1918 ensured army loyalty to crush revolution showed that Weimr could enforce control when necessary and maintain the appearance of authority esp when supported by traditional power structures

Question 48

example of political violence/assassination

Answer 48

Walther Rathenau 1922

Question 49

evidence of state control

Answer 49

suppression of left-wing uprisings use of article 48 to restore order stability during golden years ebert-groener pact

Question 50

evidence of weak or inconsistent state control

Answer 50

freikorps use on leftists but not right judiciary and army sympathy for right wing groups political violence and assassinations