1. The Weimar Republic 1918 - 29

How many German soldiers died in World War One?

Two million.

True or False? Germany's debt trebled from 50 billion marks in 1914 to 150 billion marks in 1918.

True.

Define blockade in World War One.

Action of surrounding a country with soldiers or ships to stop people or goods from going in or out.

In 1918 which two German ports witnessed mutinies from the German navy?

Kiel and Hamburg.

When did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate?

9th of November, 1918.

Define the term abdicate.

When a monarch or sovereign officially gives up their power.

Who became the Chancellor of Germany on 10th November 1918?

Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), after Max von Baden resigned as Chancellor of Germany.

What promise did Ebert make to the workers of Germany in the first nine months after World War One?

Promised more workers rights, such as an 8-hour working day. This helped Ebert to gain the approval of trade unions.

Which German political party won the January 1919 election?

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) won by 40% of the vote.

When was Frederick Ebert elected as Germany's first President?

Germany's first President in February 1919.

What is the Weimar Republic?

Democratic government established in Germany after World War I, created in the German town of Weimar. It lasted from 1919 - 1933.

True or False? The German President had the power to choose the German Chancellor.

True.

Could all men and women over 20 vote in Germany in 1919?

Yes, under the new Weimar Constitution.

Was Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution a strength or a weakness?

Weakness, allowed the President to pass emergency laws without the support of the Reichstag, so weakened democracy.

Define Proportional Representation.

Electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast.

Define armistice.

Formal agreement between two countries at war to stop fighting for a particular time.

When was the First World War armistice signed?

11th November 1918 by Matthias Erzberger, a member of the German Central Party.

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

Official peace document that ended World War I and imposed terms of defeat on Germany.

Define the term diktat.

Means the losing side has the terms of peace imposed upon them. It is a term used by Germans to describe the Treaty of Versailles. "Dictated peace."

True or False? Georges Clemenceau from France, wanted the Treaty of Versailles to support Germany and provide them with financial aid.

False.

Wanted the Treaty of Versailles to punish Germany by taking away their land and reparations.

How many soldiers did the Treaty of Versailles allow Germany to have in their army?

100,000 soldiers.

Did the Treaty of Versailles allow Germany to have any battleships?

Yes. Six battleships.

Define Anschluss.

German term for the union of Germany with Austria. This was forbidden under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

How much did Germany have to pay in reparations after World War One?

132 billion gold marks, approximately £6.6 billion, to the Allies after World War One.

In the Treaty of Versailles was Germany forced to accept responsibility for starting the First World War?

Yes.

Germany was forced to accept total responsibility. "War Guilt Clause".

Who were known as the 'November Criminals' in Weimar Germany?

German politicians who signed the Treaty of Versailles in November.

True or False? In 1919, the German people felt that the Weimar government had 'stabbed them in the back'.

True.

Many Germans argued that they should not have signed the Treaty of Versailles. "dolchstoss."

Did the Treaty of Versailles have a positive impact on the German economy?

No.

Negative impact, destroyed Germany's economy:

• by imposing large reparations

• reducing their ability to trade

Financial ruin and widespread hardship.

Define left-wing in politics.

Political party that has an emphasis on ideas such as freedom, equality, rights, progress, and reform.

True or False? The most extreme version of the left-wing is communism.

True.

Define right-wing in politics.

Right-wing politics support the traditional ideas about society. Private ownership of property and industry.

What is the most extreme version of right-wing politics?

Fascism.

In the Weimar Republic, who are the KPD?

Communist Party of Germany. They are an extreme left-wing party.

True or False? The NSDAP was the Centre Party of the Weimar Republic.

False.

The NSDAP was the extreme-right Nazi Party of the Weimar Republic. The Centre Party was known as ZP.

Why did Proportional Representation have a negative impact on the Weimar Republic?

Made achieving over 50% of the vote difficult. Coalition governments and slow legislative processes.

What was the Spartacist Uprising in 1919?

Communist revolt led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht of the Spartacist League in Germany in 1919, challenge the Weimar government.

Who helped President Frederick Ebert to end the Spartacist Uprising in 1919?

Asked Reichswehr to organise the Freikorps units to fight the Spartacist Uprising, who held extreme right-wing opinions and hated communists.

Who were the Freikorps in Weimar Germany?

Meaning 'free corps', was an extreme right-wing group of German ex-soldiers. The army released them from military duty in November 1918, kept their weapons.

Why did the Kapp Putsch of 1920 happen?

President Frederick Ebert planned to disband the Freikorps units in Berlin.

The 5,000 Freikorps:

• feared unemployment

• planned to overthrow the government.

Led by Wolfgang Kapp.

True or False? President Frederick Ebert ended the Kapp Putsch in 1920 by calling for a general strike.

True.

Four days later Wolfgang Kapp left Berlin and the Putsch was over.

Was Matthias Erzberger assassinated in August 1921 in the Black Forest?

Yes.

By two members of the Freikorps. Erzberger had signed the armistice that ended the First World War.

When was the Occupation of the Ruhr?

January 1923.

True or False? The Occupation of the Ruhr of 1923 happened because France needed more coal.

False.

Germany:

• defaulted (did not pay on time)

• requested to stop paying for the next four years

The signing of the Treaty of Rapallo with Russia.

Did the Occupation of the Ruhr have a positive or negative impact on the German economy?

Negative.

Weimar government insisted on paying wages to the striking workers.

What is the Occupation of the Ruhr lead to?

Led to:

• shortages

• increased costs

• decreased production

• loss of confidence in the mark

• overall economic damage

Define the term Hyperinflation.

Rapid and out-of-control rise in prices, causing the currency to lose its value, often due to excessive money printing.

What happened to the worth of the German mark in Weimar Germany by November 1923?

Worthless. Some workers received pay twice a day so they could purchase essential goods before their wages decreased in worth.

What negative impacts did hyperinflation have on the German middle-classes in 1923?

The German middle-class in 1923 lost:

• their life savings

• insurance policies

• pensions due to hyperinflation.

Did hyperinflation have a positive effect on German businesses in 1923?

Yes.

Positive, if a business took out a loan, it could fully repay the loan when the value of the mark began to decrease.

How did people in Germany with mortgages benefit from hyperinflation in 1923?

They could pay off the money they owed as the debt became worthless, also with those who had loans.