challanges to the weimar republic

What were three main challenges to the WR

The nature of the constitution, threats from the left and right, and consequences of ToV (Ruhr/hyperinflation)

Why was unstable coalitions a problem for the WR?

Ment there was frequent changes in government which undermined democracy and ment instead many longed for a more stable authoritarian leader

Which two parties were notably in an unstable coalition during this era?

SPD and DDP- along with the centre party these formed the initial gov and they often argued over policies and struggled to govern efficiently

What does the 1920 election suggest about support to democratic parties (like SPD and DDP)?

Losing support and failing to get a stable majority

What was the potential threat of proportional representation?

New, small parties could gain seats in the Reichstag, and this gave extremist parties oppertunity to form coalitions and gain support

How could extremist parties exploit proportional representation?

When the WR is struggling, they can use peoples desperation and frustration to gain support and offer a more promising alternative

What part of the constitution undermined democracy?

President could rule by emergency decree (article 48)

What was the constitution assossiated with due to the defeat of ww1?

Humiliation and defeatism- politicians called November crimininals, suggesting there was already resentment and a lack of support for WR (fatally flawed)

Who was appointed preseident in 1925 and what does this show?

Hindenburg- suggesting there was still support for the old-style authoritarian regime

When and where was the sparticists revolt and was this a threat from the left or the right?

In Berlin In January 1919 and was a threat from the left

What party were the sparticists assossiated with?

The left- KPD

What type of government did the sparticists want and why was this a threat to the WR?

Potentially a soviet style gov, spurred from the Russian revolution 1917- threat as ebert wanted to prevent a revolution and its clear their was opposition to the democratic constitution

Why was the sparticists revolt defeated?

It failed to gain support from workers, trade unions and social democrats and was crushed by the freikorp- suggesting the left was heavily divided and therefore easy to defeat

Who were the leaders and what happened to them (say why this is important)?

Rosa luxemberg and Karl leibknecht- they were murdered suggesting the revolt was much of a threat as it would now lack organisation

What can be suggested about the long term impact of the sparticists revolt?

Although it showed the polarisation in society, long term it wasn’t much of a threat as the KPD didn’t grow as much as the right in support since it continuied to be divided

Was the kapp putsch left or right and when did it take place?

Threat from the right and took place in 1919

Why did this putsch suggest about Ebert gov/ the wr?

It was unstable as ebert had lost control of the freikorp and couldn’t get the army to help put down the uprising

How was the kapp putsch defeated?

Trade unions held a strike which paralysed electricity, food, water forcing it to collapse

What does this suggest about the kapp putsch in terms of it being a short term threat?

It wasn’t a short term threat as easily defeated however it did reflect how there was persistent nationalist right-wing groups in opposition

What do the elections of 1920 show?

Events like the kapp putsch were reflected in the election since their was a loss in support for Democratic Party and right wing groups were gaining support

How many seats did the wr have in the 1920 June election?

205

Was the Munich putsch left or right and when did it take place?

Right and took place in 1923

Summarise the aims and events of the Munich putsch

Hitler wanted to overthrow the republic by force and impose an authoritarian gov so he forced Bavarian leaders to support him in his march in Munich

Who supported Hitler in the Munich putsch?

General Ludendorff

What does Hitler trying to gain power ‘by force’ suggest?

At the time he wasn’t trying to gain power legally through the electoral system, this potentially suggest extremist groups weren’t yet seeing enough support in votes and the WR was still politically in a stronger position

What evidence is there to suggest the Munich putsch wasn’t a threat (in the short term)?

Bavarian leaders told the police and the putsch collapsed quite quickly, 16 Nazis were killed and Hitler was sentenced to 5 years in laundsberg prison

What was significant about hitlers sentence?

5 years was the minimum sentence suggesting there was sympathy for far-right groups, additionally he only served 8 months as he was released early

What was Hitler able to during this sentence and why was the putsch potentially a major threat long term?

He wrote mein kampf and began to re-organise the Nazi party (realised he needed to gain power legally with votes rather than by force), additionally the putsch was then used as a propaganda success drawing attention to the party

What event happened as consequence of the ToV since Germany struggled to pay reperations?

The french invasion of the Ruhr (other country’s became frustrated by the delayed payments)

When was the invasion of the Ruhr?

1923

What happened to industrial production because of french and Belgium troops occupying the Ruhr?

The Ruhr was Germanys main industrial land so industrial production slumped meaning there was a lack of resources, this was made worse by workers being ordered to strike

What was the consequence of passive resistance?

Gov had to print more money to pay the striking workers, which led to hyperinflation

Why was hyperinflation bad?

Money became worthless which led to people struggling to buy food and other necessities leading to starvation and poverty

Because of hyperinflation, how many marks was 1 US dollar in 1923?

4.2 trillion

Who was badly effected due to hyperinflation?

The middle-class, workers, and pensioners as they relayed on fixed income and savings

Who was positively effected by hyperinflation?

Those with depts and also farmers and business owners

What suggests that all these early challenges to the WR weren’t catastrophic?

During the years 1924-29 Germany did appear to make a recovery as under stresseman, passive resistance was ended, a new currency was formed and co-operation was made with the allies. And during this support for extremist parties declined and ultimily the prevoius threats had been divided or lacked support thus defeated at the time