Weimar Germany Flashcards
What is Weimar Germany (or the Weimar Republic)?
Refers to the period after the First World War in 1918 - when Germany underwent a revolution and switched form being a Monarchy to being a Republic.
How long did the Weimar Republic last?
1918 - 1933
What occurred in order for Weimar Germany to be bright to an end? (4)
Adolf Hitler ascended through the Reichstag, became Chancellor and ultimately in 1934, became the defacto leader and dictator (“Fuhrer”) - ending this period and ushering ‘Nazi Germany’ (which is where Germany was under Hitler’s rule).
What role did Germany have in the war?
Germany, under the Kaiser, joined the war (not started) to support Austria-Hungary and were on the losing side.
What occurred for the Kaiser to flee? (3)
- September 1918: German generals decided to propose an armistice to end the First World War.
- October 1918: There is a ‘Kiel Mutiny’ - the kaiser tried to get the Navy to continue waging war but they rebelled.
- November 1918: the Kaiser finally abdicates and flees.
When and what was (essentially) the German Revolution?
1918; Where Ebert - the leader of the SPD (Social Democratic Party) - declared a new Republic.
What did the SPD do in 1919 and what did this lead to?
They signed the Treaty of Versailles and agreed to all of the conditions which lead people who were in the right wing (especially the Freikorps and Nazis) to say that Germany had been ‘stabbed in the back’ and that they could’ve won - which was untrue.
What were some of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and their results?
- Army was restricted to only 100,000 men so many army soldiers were out of work which is why the Friekorps grew in its ranks.
When and what laws did the new signed Weimar constitution introduce?
1919; The laws:
- Everyone over 20 can vote
- Proportional reasoning - if a party has a seat in the Reichstag, whether a small party or not, they have a say in voting
- Article 48 - states that the President can suspend the Reichstag and rule as a dictator through the chancellor.
- Chancellor is picked by the President
- Notion of freedom of Speech, Association and Assembly - promoted democracy
What was the Spartacist Revolt?
1919: An event where the KPD tries to overthrow the government (in order to have a Communist Revolution) but are unsuccessful as the SPD rely on the help of the Freikorps and the main Army to put them down.
What was the KPD?
A more extreme left wing group formed within the USPD.
Who were the Freikorps?
An armed, right-wing group of former soldiers who had fought in the First World War but were left unemployed due to military restrictions.
What occurred on December 1918 and how did the USPD react to this?
The National Congress for the Workers’ and Soldiers’ Council was held in Berlin; the SPD were elected as the leaders. The USPD were unhappy with this - created a division in the left wing of Germany between the SPD, who were the moderate left and won the election, and the USPD, who were more extreme.
What occurs in Bavaria, 1919?
Two radical communist leaders - Levien and Leviné - declare it a Soviet Republic but they are brutally put down by the Friekorps.
What did the incident in Bavaria, 1919 cause short term and long term wise?
The extreme left (the KPD and USPD) were angry at the SPD (the moderate left) causing them to get weaker support from the Left - contributed to Weimar Germany coming to an end and the SPD losing most of its support by 1920.
