Weimar Republic Flashcards
To learn bare about the Weimar republic snm (87 cards)
1
Q
What was prussification?
A
- The dominant role of Prussia in the unification of Germany
- Berlin, the capital of Prussia, became the capital of Germany
- Prussian leaders became the Kaiser of Germany
2
Q
Describe the 2nd Reich
A
- Germany split up into states (eg. Prussia)
- Kaiser was the head of government
- There was an elected government though the Kaiser had the power to make any laws he wanted to and to hire or fire anyone he chose to
3
Q
In what ways did Prussia dominate Germany?
A
-Made up 2/3 of the population
4
Q
In what ways was the German Empire/ II Reich democratic?
A
- All men over 25 had the right to vote
- All new laws approved by the reichstag
- The reichstag were all elected
5
Q
In what ways was the German Empire/ II Reich undemocratic?
A
- The kaiser could appoint and fire new ministers
- Kaiser had control over the armed forces
- Kaiser had control over foreign policy
6
Q
What caused rapid economic growth in the German Empire?
A
- Increase in industry
- New, innovative science and fantastic scientists (eg. haber process)
- High number of chemical and electrical engineering
7
Q
What were the consequences of rapid growth in the German Empire?
A
-New industry formed a new ‘working class’: a large number of German people were now working class
8
Q
What were the consequences of the new working class formed in the German Empire?
A
- The working class led to the formation of the socialist party
- The large number of working class meant that the socialist party soon became the largest party in Germany
- The wealthy ‘Junkers’ and protestant church disliked socialism and the working class as it threatened their wealth and status
9
Q
Why did the Junkers and Protestant church dislike socialism?
A
- They thought it was unpatriotic as they linked with foreign socialist parties
- It threatened their wealth and status
10
Q
Why did the Kaiser abdicate?
A
- The army refused to fight for him
- The kaiser’s people started to doubt him as society and the economy struggled at the end of the war
11
Q
What problems did Germany face by the end of 1918?
A
- Food and fuel shortages due to a british naval blockade
- Poor living conditions due to lack of soap, medicine, clothes, shoes, washing powders
- Money was spent on the war effort rather than the German people
- Spanish influenza hit Germany
- Worsening working conditions led to strikes and factory closures
12
Q
describe and explain the revolution from above
A
- Hidenburg and Ludendorff thought that having a democracy would lead to a fairer peace deal with the allies
- Hidenburg and Ludendorff also wanted to shift the blame for the failure of the war from the Kaiser and the monarchy to the new democracy
13
Q
Describe the impact of the armistice and ceasefire talks
A
- Kaiser was forced to abdicate due to the revolution from below
- Germany had to become more democratic
14
Q
Explain the consequences of Admiral Scheer’s order to attack the British navy
A
- Scheer wanted a last, honourable attack on the British navy
- The sailors saw it as a suicide mission and refused to attack
- Sailors set up ‘soviet’ at Kiel
15
Q
What is a ‘soviet’?
A
Own small council run by the working class people
16
Q
Describe the consequences of sailors at Kiel setting up a ‘soviet’
A
- Sailors set up their own council and took the power away from the upper class for themselves
- The rest of Germany heard and realised that the upper classes no longer had power over them and that the war effort was failing
17
Q
Explain the consequences of socialists seizing control of other major cities following the soviet in Kiel
A
- As more soviets started to appear of the country, large amounts of uncertainty as a socialist/communist revolution seemed possible
- People wanted rid of Kaiser
18
Q
Explain the consequence of Kaiser Wilhelm’s abdication
A
- Large amounts of public pressure led to the Kaisers abdication
- Prince Max also stood aside
- Two days later, on Nov 11 the armistice was agreed
- Socialist government- headed by Freidrich Ebert- took power
19
Q
Describe the role of the socialist government following the Kaisers abdication
A
- Interim government only as they had not been elected
- Headed by Freidrich Ebert
- In charge of forming a new, permanent democratic government
20
Q
Describe and explain the revolution from above
A
-Ludendorff and Hindenburg wanted to shift blame from the war away from themselves and wanted to get a better peace deal so they tried to make the country more democratic
21
Q
How did Hindenburg and Ludendorff make the government more democratic?
A
- Produced a constitutional monarchy, in which the Kaiser was merely a ceremonial head of state
- Prince Max became the chancellor of the new government when the reichstag gained power
22
Q
Describe the role of Prince Max
A
- Became chancellor of the constitutional monarchy
- He knew that he may have had to take responsibility for the war but saw it as his patriotic duty
- Had no political knowledge and merely acted as a puppet for the Junkers
23
Q
What divisions were there on the left wing
A
Social democrats vs Spartacus league vs Communists
24
Q
What were the conflicts between the social democrats and the Spartacus league
A
- Social democrats supported the war, Spartacus league did not
- The spartacus league did not want middle or upper class voters whereas the social democrats wanted everyone to be able to vote
- In 1918, Germany voted for a national assembly (as the majority of the soviets were run by socialists) and thus everyone was given suffrage
25
Why wasnt a spartacist revolution likely to be successful?
- Spartacists were weak numerically
- The Ebert-Groener pact 1918 combatted extreme marxism/communism
- The Stinnes-Legien 1918 agreement kept workers happy as they made concessions to trade unions
- Luxemburg and Liebknecht were thinkers, not doers
26
Why was a spartacist revolution likely to be successful?
- They received backing from Lenin's Russia
- They had support from radical trade unionists
- Widespread hunger and unrest due to British naval blockade led to extremist support
- German army had disintegrated following November armastice
27
What were the actions of the freikorps?
- To destroy left wing/communist uprisings
- They destroyed the Spartacist uprising and killed Liebknecht and Luxemburg
- Were hired by the socialist government and thus caused a divide between the SPD and the radical left that could never be healed
28
Consequences of Freikorp action
- Upper class Germans hailed them as saviours
- Revolutionary socialists despised them
- Caused a divide between SPD (who hired them) and radical left that could never be healed
29
Features of the Weimar constitution:
- All over 21 could vote
- President elected every 7 years; Chancellor who ran the reichstag
- Reichstag elected via proportional representation
- Article 48 allowed president to make laws without reichstag
- All had basic civil rights and freedom of speech
- Federal government with states and bundesrats
30
Positives of Weimar constitution:
- Strong president
- All had basic rights and liberties
- Federal government meant bundesrats and states had their own say
- Government was accountable to the people
- PR meant even small parties were represented
- All over 21 could vote
31
Negatives of the Weimar constitution:
- Individual states could become hostile
- Hard to form a strong government and often produced weak coalitions
- Article 48 provided opportunity for corruption and dictatorship
- PR meant government was weak
32
What were the aims of the victorious countries at Versailles?
- To cripple Germany's economy so they could never recover and attempt another war
- To weaken the military so they couldnt try to take over again
- To make Germany take blame for the war and thus pay compensation
33
What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
LAMB
Land: Lost all overseas colonies and Polish corridor
Army: Reduced to 100,000 men with no airforce, tanks or submarines and only 6 battleships
Money: Forced to pay £6.6 billion
Blame: Forced to take the blame for the war
34
What affects did the ToV have on different groups?
- Many Freikorps lost their jobs as soliders
- Germans living in Polish Corridor or other taken areas forced to live under foreign rule
- Government were hated for signing treaty
- Government had very little money to spend
- All people were angry and shocked at treaty
35
Right wing reaction to the ToV?
- More angry than the left due to their fierce nationalism
- 250,000 Freikorps lost jobs
- Kapp Putsch
- Anger at loss of colonies
- Extreme anger at loss of Polish corridor as they saw the poles as sub-human and were horrified that germans had to live under their rule
36
Explain the Kapp Putsch
1920:
- Following the redundancy of the Freikorps, Johan Kapp attempted a right wing revolution
- He gained power for a short while but the workers striked and protested which meant he couldnt rule
- Following the failure of the Putsch, the "organisation consul" was set up which was a death squad which assassinated government officials
37
Explain the threat from the extreme left in the early 1920s
- Disliked democracy and thought that only workers should have a say in the running of a country
- Disliked the WR as they wanted soviets running the country
- Hated the freikorps and the way that Liebknecht and Luxemburg were murdered
- Had a "red rising in the Rhur" which was ended by the freikorps
38
How did the Government react to the threat from the left in the early 1920s (Eberts gvt)
- Hired the freikorps to disband them
- Feared an uprising similar to the communist uprising in the USSR
- Afraid of international hate of communism
39
What caused hyper inflation (1923)?
The french occupation of the Rhur following Germanys inability to pay reparations:
- No industrial output from Germanys industrial heart
- Government decision to print off money to pay reparations
- Passive resistance meant that govt paid workers for inactivity
40
Effects of Hyperinflation (1923)?
- People with savings lost everything
- People on fixed wages struggled
- Poor had no money or goods to barter
- Increased movement towards extremist parties
- Munich Putsch 1923
41
How did the ToV lead to the hyperinflation of 1923?
- Territorial losses weakened economy
- Demilitarisation of Ruhr allowed French occupation
- Inability to pay reps led to French occupation
- Reparations led to debt and lack of money
42
What factors, other than the ToV, led to the hyperinflation of 1923?
- Governmental and social decision to undergo passive resistance meant that Germany were not producing in the Rhur
- Government decision to print off large amounts of money worsened inflation problem
- Food & good shortage due to naval blockade
43
How did Gustav Stresemann help Germany
- Locarno treaties 1925
- Young plan 1929
- Dawes plan 1924
- League of nations entry 1926
- Improving German economy
- Hyper inflation under control with new currency "rentenmark"
44
Unstable features of Germany between 1923-1929?
- Difficulty forming govt due to PR
- Weakness of coalitions and hostilities between parties
- Reliance on US loans
- High unemployment as population rising too fast
- Businessmen angry at level of money spent on welfare
45
How were farmers affected during the weimar republic?
- Their food wasnt worth selling during hyperinflation
- Their wages werent increasing at the levels of inflation or in comparison to others in the country
- Farmers were some of the main supporters of the Nazi party
46
Stable political features in Germany 1924-1929
- Decrease in support for extremist parties (Nazis only had 3% of votes in 1928)
- Extreme parties decreased violence and tried to win through democratic means (No Putschs)
- SPD rejoined coalitions in 1928 after dropping out of them in 1923
47
Unstable political features in Germany 1924-1929
- SPD pulled out of coalitions between 1923-1928
- Middle class support for the republic decreased
- Clashes between Freikorps and left wing
- Unstable coalitions
- SPD moved further left on the political left whilst the centre party moved further right
- Anger at ToV; called "diktat"
- Stresemann disliked for being soft on the right wing and harsh on the left
48
Evidence for stability in foreign policy in Germany 1924-1929
Stresemann improved relations with allies and foreign countries to make ToV fairer in a policy called 'FULFILMENT'
- Locarno treaties secured western borders
- Dawes plan (1924) and Locarno plan (1929)
49
Evidence of instability in foreign policy in 1924-1929
- Foreign countries disliked communist threat in Germany
| - Germany refused to make any treaties on their eastern border
50
Evidence for stability in economic development in Germany between 1924-1929
- Dawes plan (1924) allowed US loans to boost economy
- German industry surpassed pre-war levels in 1928
- The ruhr began to produce again following passive resistance
- Wages increased as trade unions successfully negotaited
- People spent their money rather than saved (fear of HI) it which boosted the economy
51
Evidence for instability in economic development between 1924-1929
- High unemployment due to disarmament and demilitarisation
- Germanys economy was reliant on US loans which could be recalled at any time
- Food prices dropped which led to farmers detesting the government
- Disputes between trade unions and businessmen led to strikes and lock-outs
- govt spent more money than they got in which led to increased debt
52
What was the Dawes Plan
- 1924
- Gustav Stresemann agreed a deal which gave Germany more time to pay back the reparations
- Also allowed US loans of $200 million to boost German economy
53
What was the young plan?
- 1929
- Gave Germany less reparations to pay: decreased from £6.6 billion to £1.85 Bn
- Allies agreed to remove their forces from Western rhineland, allowing Stresemann to say he had expelled foreign occupying forces from Germany
54
What evidence was there for stability in cultural changes between 1924-1929?
- Less censorship and more freedom of speech
- Public funding for art & culture showed government promotion for new culture
- Americanism promoted consumerism which boosted the economy
55
Evidence for instability in cultural instability between 1924-1929
Far-right detested the decadent new German culture
- Despite female liberation, abortion and contraception were illegal
- Extremist film makers were abusing the film industry for propoganda
56
What was the American influence on the Kaiser's abdication?
- America said they would only negotiate a peace deal with Germany if the kaiser abdicated
- This increased pressure on the Kaiser and added to civilian unrest
57
How many governments were there between 1919 and Jan 1933?
| What does this show about the state of the Weimar Government?
- There were 20 governments in this time
| - Emphasising the weakness and instability of the German government
58
What was the impact of the loss of the Polish Corridor to the German people living there, as a result of the Treaty of Versaille
1 million Germans were living under Polish rule, causing widespread resent in this region
59
What was a sign of the German empires economic efficiency in 1914? (1)
- By 1914, German production had overtaken England's
| - Coal production had quadrupled from 1871 to 1914
60
When was the SPD formed and what did this show?
-Formed in 1875 and showed the rapid economic growth and creation of the German working class
61
What was the impact of the Bolshevik's on the Spartacus league?
The 1917 Russian revolution had acted as an inspiration to german communists
62
When did the Spartacists look to impose a challenge in Germany?
At the December 1918 conference of delegates from soviets for the national assembly
-They had a choice to either accept the national assembly or seek to implement socialism in Germany through force
63
Size of the Freikorps?
- 150 separate Free-Corp battalions
| - 400,000 men in total
64
When was the Freikorps most harmful expedition?
- In 1919, communists took control of Bavaria and renamed it the Bavarian Soviet Republic
- In may 1919 the BSR was overthrown by the freikorps, resulting in 600 deaths
65
Why was the 1919 election not as democratic as it appeared?
- Many middle class voters only voted for democratic parties as they hoped it would make the allies more lenient in their treaty
- Evidence in that the democratic party never again gained even close the 19% of the vote they got in the 1919 election
66
How did the right wing Nationalists exert their authority at the start of the weimar republic?
- Made up of the most powerful of German citizens:
eg. Alfred Hugenburg was leader of the Nationalist party in the late 1920's and used used him media companies and film industry as propaganda throughout Germany
-The extreme right could also bring in it's paramilitary, for example the Stalhelm
67
Evidence for initial anti-semitism in Germany?
- Extreme right and the Nationalists claimed that society was run by Jews in what was termed the Judenrepublik
- In 1924-1925 there was the Barmat scandal, in which Jewish businessmen were accused of winning government contracts through bribing members of the SPD
- Assassination of Walter Rathenau, Germany's foreign minister, for his Jewish roots and role in government: this led to a crackdown on organisation Consul
68
What was the effect of the ToV on land?
- Alasce Lorraine was returned to France
- Output of the Saar Coalfield was to go to France for 15 years
- Rhineland demilitarised and western part occupied by Allies
- Loss of Polish Corridor
- Loss of all overseas colonies
69
Why was the extreme right more of a threat than the left?
- Did not have the same ability to influence society through propaganda
- Fewer armed men to call on
- treated more harshly by authorities
- ->Many of the pre-war elites were still in positions of power throughout Germany
70
How did the hyperinflation crisis of 1923 impact the extreme left and right?
Left:
- Crippling effect of HI on poor created perfect environment for soviet uprising
- Soviet union supported a communist uprising in saxony, that was crushed by Freidrich Ebert
Right:
- Nationalistic propaganda as France were holding the rhine & played on the fears of a communist uprising
- ->led to the Munich Putsch
71
How did Stresemann go about achieving fulfilment, and what effect did this have on Germans?
-Stresemann promised to pay reparations in order to gain allied acceptance: this led to anger from Germans who said he was condoning the 'War-guilt lie'
72
What were the size of the US loans to Germany as part of the 1924 Dawes Plan?
$200 million
73
What was the decrease in reparations as a result of the 1929 Young Plan?
£6.6 Bn to £1.85 Bn
74
Did agriculture benefit from the boom in the German economy in the 20's?
No
-World food prices were low in the 1920's and this put farmers into debt and economic trouble, leading to them being large supporters of extremist parties
75
What were signs of middle class disillusionment with the Weimar republic in the later 20s? (3)
- Angry at the Unemployment insurance act in 1927
- Elected Hindenburg, who was openly anti democratic, as president in 1925
- Growth of middle class protest parties, such as the Economy Party, which won nearly 5% of the vote in the 1928 elections
76
What was the unemployment insurance and act and when was it passed?
- 1927
| - Introduced arrangements under which workers and and employers contributed money to help the unemployed
77
Support and opposition of Stresemann?
- Centre and left supported his foreign policy, recognising it produced gains for Germany
- Throughout his career, he became less right wing and less nationalistic: this pleased the left, but angered the right
- The right disagreed with his policy of fulfilment claiming that he should have been defying the 'enemy' rather than dealing with it
- The right were angered with the Young Plan, that broke reparations down into 58 annual payments, meaning the last payment would be made in 1988, and leaving generations of Germans 'enslaved'
- Just before Stresemann's death in 1929, the extreme right pushed through a referendum that would've made Stresemann a national traitor: only 14% voted that he was
78
What was the state of the German economy in 1918, and what impact did this have on the Weimar republic?
- 250 million marks debt
- Inflation had hit 250% during the war
-->This displays how the Weimar government inherited the problem of inflation and the HI crisis wasnt entirely their fault, although the Nazis blamed it purely on them
79
How was the extent of the reparation payments decided?
- 1921 London conference agreed on 226 Bn marks
- -> The Germans rejected this and the French immediately occupied parts of Germany
-Amount finally agreed as 132 Bn marks in April 1921
80
What was the level of German debt in 1922 and how did this impact the allies?
- 469 Million marks worth of debt
- German government printed off money to cover their debts (leading to high levels of inflation)
- The high level of inflation and failure to reform the currency was viewed by the allies to be a deliberate attempt to sabotage the reparation payments
81
During hyperinflation, what was the Mark to Dollar exchange rate?
$1 = 1 Million marks
82
Before Stresemann's currency reforms, how did the German government attempt to deal with HI and high levels of public debt?
In late 1923, finance minister, Hans Luther sacked over 700,000 state employees
--> This was hugely unpopular and increased the unemployment level
83
What was a symbol of the increasingly stable political state of Germany in the 1920's?
The 1928 Lambach Article in 1928 was by the Nationalists and displayed a shift in policy from a return to monarchy to working with the republic.
-->However, Hugenburg was elected as the leader of the Nationalists later in 1928 and the Article was overturned
84
How did the Right wing attempt to overcome the ToV in 1929?
In 1929, the call for a referendum that would've made it illegal to pay reparations gained 4 million signatures
It was termed as the 'Freedom Law' by the right wing
Although it gained 95% approval, it only had a 15% turnout and needed at least 50% turnout to be passed
85
What was an example of the SPD becoming more extreme during the 1920's?
- Left all coalitions from 1924-1929
| - The Heidelburg programme of 1925 incorporated a number of marxist policies
86
What was Stresemann's policy in regards to the USSR?
1926 Treaty of Berlin reaffirmed the 1922 Treaty of Rapallo
-It confirmed each countries neutrality in the event of an attack by a third party
87
When did Franco-Belgian troops leave the Rhur?
- In late 1926, 60,000 troops left
| - In 1927, the allies finally withdrew all troops
