Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) History - Germany: Development of Dictatorship, 1918-45

Flashcards containing key terms and definitions related to the Weimar Republic and the development of dictatorship in Germany from 1918 to 1945.

Weimar Republic

The democratic government founded in Germany following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918.

Hyperinflation

A period of extremely rapid or out of control inflation, particularly in Germany during 1923.

Reichstag

The German parliament during the Weimar Republic.

Enabling Act

A 1933 law that gave Hitler the power to enact laws without the Reichstag's consent.

Night of the Long Knives

A 1934 purge in which Hitler eliminated potential rivals within the Nazi Party.

Proportional representation

An electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that ended World War I, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

Stab-in-the-back myth

A belief among many Germans that the country had not lost World War I on the battlefield but had been betrayed by the politicians at home.

Freikorps

Paramilitary groups of ex-soldiers in post-World War I Germany, instrumental in suppressing leftist uprisings.

Kapp Putsch

A failed coup in 1920 by right-wing elements of the Freikorps aiming to overthrow the Weimar government.

Coalition government

A government formed by multiple political parties who must work together to hold a majority.