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History of Germany > Weimar Republic > Flashcards

Weimar Republic Flashcards

1
Q

Who was Kaiser Wilhelm?

A

The ruler of the German empire (as a monarch) at the end of WW1

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2
Q

What happened to the Kaiser?

A

At the end of the war there was a period of violent uprest and the Kaisee was forced to abdicate

November 1918

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3
Q

What happened after the Kaiser abdicated?

A

A new, democratic government took over in early 1919

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4
Q

Who led the new government?

A

Friedrich Ebert, he was the 1st president

With Scheidemann as chancellor

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5
Q

What did Ebert do to the empire?

A

Changed it from a Monarch to a Republic

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6
Q

Why was the new government democratic and what did that mean?

A

Because Ebert was the leader of the Social Democratic Party

Meaning they believed the people should say how the country is run

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7
Q

What did it mean when the new government wasn’t invited to the peace conference in 1919?

A

They had no say in the Treaty of Versailles

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8
Q

What happened with Ebert and the Treaty?

A

At first he refused to sign but eventually had no choice as Germany was too weak to risk restarting conflict

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9
Q

What did the Weimar constitution do?

A

Made Germany a republic

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10
Q

What we’re the 3 sections of the Weimar government?

A

Reichsrat
Reichstag
President

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11
Q

What is proportional representation?

A

Where the number of seats a party won in parliament was turned into a proportion of the number of votes they won

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12
Q

Why was proportional representation bad?

A

It meant lots of different parties were in power

Leading to a weak government

Making laws difficult to pass

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13
Q

What we’re the 5 main problems for the Weimar Republic?

A
  1. Difficult to make decisions as there were so many parties in Reichstag
  2. Difficult to choose a chancellor who had support of most of the Reichstag
  3. The new government were forced to accept the treaty and as a result were hated by many
  4. Some Germans joined paramilitary groups such as the Freikorp
  5. The Freikorps were problematic but they were a private organisation not under government control, so Ebert used them to suppress communist uprising
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14
Q

Why was the Weimar Republic disliked?

A

They were set up in time of defeat and forced to accept the peace settlement which most Germans didn’t agree with

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15
Q

When we’re the year of unrest?

A

1919 - 1923

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16
Q

What we’re the reasons for discontent? (4 of them)

A
  1. Thousands were poor and starving
  2. Many Germans denied they lost the war and instead blamed the November Criminals
  3. Other blamed for losing the war were: communists, government, the Jews
  4. The government were seen as weak and ineffective
17
Q

Why were thousands killed during the years of unrest?

A

There was an influenza epidemic

18
Q

What did the November Criminals do to be blamed?

A

Agreed to the armistice and the Treaty of Versailles

19
Q

Why was the government seen as weak and ineffective?

A

The Treaty of Versailles made conditions in Germany a lot worse

20
Q

What happened in 1919?

A

The communists tried to take over Berlin in the separatist revolt but were defeated by the Freikorp

21
Q

In 1920, what did the right - wing, Freikorps do?

A

Took part in the Kapp Putsch

They took over Berlin to form another government

22
Q

When the Freikorps took over what did the workers do?

A

Staged a general strike and so Kapp gave up

23
Q

Why didn’t the government push the rebels?

A

Because many judges sympathised with people like Kapp

24
Q

What happened in 1922?

A

Walker Rathenau was assassinated by former Freikorp members

25
Q

Who was Rathenau and what did his assassination lead to?

A

He had been Foreign minister and was Jewish

Causing many people to be anti-Semitic (anti Jewish)

26
Q

What happened in 1923?

A

Germany couldn’t pay the reparations

27
Q

What was the Ruhr?

A

The richest industrial part of Germany

28
Q

Why did France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr?

A

To take resources

29
Q

What did France and Belgium owning the Ruhr lead to?

A

Fury in Germany and workers refusing to work

30
Q

German industry was devastated again, plunging the economy into ……….

A

Hyperinflation

31
Q

What is hyperinflation?

A

When production can’t keep up with the amount of money there is so money keeps losing value

32
Q

What were the 3 main results of hyperinflation?

A
  1. Wages were paid twice a day before prices went up again
  2. The middle class lost a lot as bank savings became worthless
  3. The German mark became worthless

History of Germany (3 decks)

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