iGCSE History Depth Study B: Was the Weimar Republic Doomed from the Start?

When was the Weimar Republic established?

After Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on 9 November 1918; Friedrich Ebert became Chancellor.

What caused the Kaiser to abdicate in 1918?

Civil unrest, naval mutinies, general strikes, and pressure from military advisers.

Who led the first Weimar government?

Friedrich Ebert of the SPD.

What was the Council of People’s Representatives?

A temporary government of six politicians set up by Ebert after the Kaiser’s abdication.

When was the Weimar Constitution created?

Written in Weimar in 1919; passed by 262 votes to 75.

What were key features of the Weimar Constitution?

Proportional representation, elected president every 7 years, Article 48 emergency powers, equal voting rights.

What was Article 48?

Allowed the President to pass emergency laws without Reichstag approval.

Why was proportional representation a weakness?

Led to unstable coalition governments—nine between 1919 and 1923.

Why did Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles?

Blamed for WWI (Article 231), forced to pay £6.6 billion reparations, lost territory, military reduced.

What was the 'stab in the back' myth?

Belief that the army had not lost but was betrayed by politicians—'November Criminals'.

What was the Spartacist Uprising?

A left-wing revolt in January 1919 led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht; crushed by Freikorps.

What was the Kapp Putsch?

A right-wing coup in 1920 by Wolfgang Kapp and Freikorps; failed due to general strike.

What caused hyperinflation in 1923?

Government printed money to pay striking workers during French occupation of the Ruhr.

What was the Rentenmark?

New currency introduced by Stresemann in 1923 to stabilise the economy.

What was the Dawes Plan (1924)?

Rescheduled reparations; USA loaned Germany 800 million gold marks.

What was the Young Plan (1929)?

Reduced reparations to £2 billion, payable until 1988.

What did the Locarno Treaties (1925) do?

Germany accepted Western borders and improved international relations.

When did Germany join the League of Nations?

1926.

What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)?

65 nations including Germany agreed to renounce war.

What were cultural achievements during the Weimar period?

Expressionist art, Bauhaus architecture, Metropolis film, cabaret culture.

What social reforms improved life in Weimar Germany?

Unemployment Insurance Act (1927), pensions, better housing and working conditions.

What was the ‘New Woman’?

Independent, career-minded women in 1920s Weimar Germany with voting and working rights.

What happened in the Reichstag between 1924–29?

Support for extremist parties declined; moderate parties gained votes.

Who became president after Ebert died?

Paul von Hindenburg in 1925.

Why was Stresemann criticised?

Germany became reliant on US loans; did not eliminate support for extremist parties.

Why did right-wing parties oppose Weimar culture?

They viewed it as morally corrupt and un-German.

What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic?

Treaty of Versailles resentment, Article 48 abuse, unstable coalitions, extremist threats.