Weimar Germany Flashcards
(30 cards)
Impact of WW1 + the German Revolution (1918-1919)
Economic collapse- hyperinflation, debt poverty
Social unrest- casualties, radicalism, political instability
Political upheaval- Kaiser abdicates, Weimar Republic formed
Treaty of Versailles- Reparations, territorial losses, military restrictions
Revolution- Kiel Mutiny, Spartacist Uprising, Freikorps suppression
Abdication of the Kaiser + the signing of the Armistice
Kaiser abdicates (Nov,9,1918)- Wilhelm || flees go Netherland, amid pressure from military + public
Power Vacuum- Weimar Republic proclaimed, Ebert becomes chancellor
Armistice singed(Nov,11,1918)- ends WW1, Germany accepted allied terms under threat of invasion
Harsh terms- immediate ceasefire, withdrawal, disarmament, reparations
Public reaction- shock, humiliation, “stab in the back” theory fulled resentment
Creation of the Weimar Constitution- strengths + weaknesses
Strengths:
Democratic framework- universal suffrage for men + women
Proportional representation- diverse political participation
Strong civil rights protections + parliamentary system.
Weaknesses:
Proportional representation led to fragmented coalitions, instability
Article 48- Presidential emergency powers open to abuse
Weak executive structure- unable to effectively counter extremist threats
Proportional representation and it’s impact on political stability
Def- seats allocated based on vote share; promoted multi-party systems
Types- Party list, mixed member, STV
Pros- inclusive, fairer vote distribution, minority representation
Cons- fragmentation, collation instability, political gridlock
Article 48 and presidential powers
Purpose- allowed the President to take emergency measures without Reichstag approval
Powers- suspended civil rights, issue decrees, deploy military
Usage- Frequently invoked by president Ebert + Hindenburg
Impact- weakened democratic institutions; facilitated Hitler’s rise to power
Treaty of Versailles (1919) and it’s economic, territorial, and military terms
Ended WW1; imposed by allied powers on Germany
Economic terms- reparations(132 billion marks), blamed Germany(war guilt clause) justified reparations
Territorial terms- loss of Alsace-Lorraine to France, Rheinland demilitarised, Saar Basin under League of Nations control, overseas colonies redistribution among allies.
Military terms- army limited to 100,000 troops, no Air Force, submarines, tanks, navy restricted majorly
Reactions to TOV: Dolchstoss (stab in the back myth) and nationalist resentment
Dolchstoss- German army betrayed by politicians + Jews, propaganda tool for nationalists + right-wing parties
Nationalist resentment- treaty viewed as humiliation + unjust, fueled anger against Weimar Republic + Allied powers, paved way for extremist ideologies, including Nazism
Spartacist uprising (1919) and the threat from the left
Led by Luxemburg + Liebknecht, established communist state, crushed by Friekorps under Ebert
Threat from left- ongoing strikes, riots + worker uprising, weakened confidence in Weimar Republic , pushed moderate socialists closer to conservative military forces
Kapp Putsch (1920) and the threat from the right
Cause- Opposition to TOV, right-wing nationalism
Leaders- Wolfgang Kapp, Freikorps paramilitaries
Event- seized Berlin, gov fled, workers’ general strike halted the coup.
Outcome- Putsch collapsed in 4 days, minimal punishment for conspirators
Significance- exposed Weimar’s vulnerability, emboldened right-wing factions
Hyperinflation crisis (1923) - causes and consequences
Causes: reparations from TOV, passive resistance to French occupation of Ruhr, excessive money printing to pay striking workers + reparations
Consequences: currency collapse; Deutschmark worthless, severe economic hardship; savings wiped out, rise in bartering + black market, social unrest; increased support for extremist parties, Dawes plan (1924) introduced to stabilised the economy
French occupation of the Ruhr and passive resistance
Cause- Germany defaulted on reparations payments
Event- France + Belgium occupied Ruhr to seize industrial goods
Response- German gov, encouraged passive resistance (strikes, sabotage)
Consequences- economic paralysis; industrial output collapsed, hyperinflation worsened as gov printed money to pay strikers, increased resentment towards France + Weimar gov
Gustav Stressemann’s role in stabilising the economy
Position- chancellor (1923), foreign minister (1923-1929)
Actions- ended passive resistance in Ruhr to restart industrial production
-introduced Rentenmark to stabilise currency + curb hyperinflation
- secured the Dawes plan (1924)- restricted reparations + secured foreign loans
- promoted economic recovery through industrial investment + trade agreements
Introduction of the Rentenmark and ending hyperinflation
Context- hyperinflation crisis peaked in late 1923
Action- Stressemann introduced the Rentenmark to replace the worthless papiermark
Implementation- tightly controlled supply, backed by industrial assets
Effect- stabilised currency, restored confidence, ended hyperinflation
Dawes plan (1924) & Young Plan (1929) - economic recovery + foreign loans
Dawes plan- reorganised reparations payments; reduced annual amounts, secured US loans to stabilise the German economy, boosted industrial output + infrastructure investment
Young plan- further reduced reparations; extended payment period to 1988, reduced financial burden, fostering economic stability, facilitated foreign investment, increased dependency on US loans
Improved international relations- Locarno Pact (1925), League of Nations (1926), Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
Locarno pact- Germany accepted western borders, eased tensions with France + Belgium.
League of Nations- Germany joined as a respected member; gained diplomatic legitimacy
Kellogg-Briand Pact- Agreement to renounce war as a means of conflict resolution; symbol of diplomatic cooperation
Cultural and social developments- art, cinema, literature, and nightlife
Art- rise of modernist movements (eg, expressionism, Dada)
Cinema- pioneering films like Metropolis (1927) by Fritz Lang
Literature- critical works by authors like Erich Maria Remarque (all quite on the western front)
Nightlife- vibrant cabaret scene, liberal attitudes towards sexuality + gender
Extent of economic and political stability - underlying weaknesses
Economic- dependent of US loans, vulnerable to global downturns
Political- coalition governments; unstable + fragmented
Extremism- persistent threats from radical left + right factions
Public distrust- resentment over Versailles Treaty; fragile support for Weimar Republic
Political parties and coalition governments- SPD, KPD, NSDAP, Zentrum, DNVP
SPD- pro-democracy, moderate left; largest party, struggled to maintain stable coalitions
KPD- far-left; opposed Weimar democracy, aimed for a soviet style government
NSDAP- far-right, nationalist, anti Weimar, gained support during economic crises
Zentrum- Catholic, centrist; key in coalition building
DNVP- conservative, nationalist; opposed Versailles, anti republican
Rise of extremist groups- Nazi’s and communists
Nazis- far right; exploited economic crises, nationalism, and anti Versailles sentiment
Communists- far left; sought soviet style revolution, opposed Weimar democracy
Methods- Propaganda, parliamentary violence (SA, Red Front Fighters)
Impact- increased polarisation; undermined democratic stability
Political violence and assassinations (Walter Rathenau, Matthias Erzberger)
Weimar instability led to rise in political violence
Right wing extremists targeted democratic leaders
Erzberger (1921)- signed armistice; seen as traitor; assassinated
Rathenau (1922)- Jewish foreign minister; pro democracy; assassinated
Killings aimed to undermine democracy
Led to law for the protection of the republic
Exposed deep polarisation and fragile democracy
Munich putsch (1923)- causes, events, and consequences
Causes- economic crisis, Versailles anger, weak gov, inspired by Mussolini
Events- Nov 1923: Hitler & Nazis attempt coup in Munich; failed after police clash
Consequences- Hitler jailed; wrote Mein Kampf, Nazis banned, shift to legal path to power, gained national attention
Wall Street crash (1929) and withdrawal of US loans
Wall Street crash (oct 1929)- triggered global economic crisis
US loans had propped up Weimar economy
After crash, US demanded loan repayments + stopped new loans
German economy collapsed: businesses closed, exports fell
Unemployment soared- over 6 million by 1932
Led to loss of faith in Weimar gov
Boosted support for extra its parties like Nazis + communists
Economic collapse - unemployment, poverty, and homelessness
Mass unemployment- over 6 million by 1932
Businesses failed, factories closed, exports dropped.
Widespread poverty- people couldn’t afford food or essentials
Homelessness increased- many evicted or lived in slums
Gov failed to provide effective relief
Public anger grew, fuelling for extra mist parties
Failure of successive governments to address the crisis
Weimar gov unstable- frequent changes, weak coalition’s
Chancellors relied on Article 48- bypassing democracy
Brünings policies- spending cuts, higher taxes, worsened the crisis
No effective solutions to unemployment or poverty
Public lost faith in democratic leaders
Rise in support for Nazis and communists promising change
