Weimar & Nazi Germany: The Weimar Republic

When did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate?

10th November 1918

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

Friedrich Ebert, leader of the SPD after Max von Baden’s resignation

Which German political party won the January 1919 election?

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) won by 40%

When did Ebert get elected as Germany’s first President?

In February 1919

What is the Weimar Republic?

The democratic government established in post-WW1 Germany. It was created in the town of Weimar and lasted from 1919-1933

Who had the power to choose the German Chancellor?

The President

How old did you have to be to vote in Germany in 1919?

21, all men and women could vote

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

Weakness.
It allowed the President to rule as a dictator and pass emergency laws

What is proportional representation?

An electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

The official peace document that ended WW1 and imposed the term of defeat on Germany (diktat)

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

100,000

What was Anschluss?

The German term for the union of Germany and Austria. It was forbidden under the Treaty of Versailles

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

132 billion gold marks, £6.6 billion to the allies

What did the War Guilt Clause state?

That Germany had to accept responsibility for stating WW1

Who were the ‘November Criminals’?

The German politicians who signed the Treaty of Versailles

What was the Dolchstoss theory?

The idea that the Weimar government had ‘stabbed the German people in the back’ by signing the Treaty

What is left-wing in politics?

Politics that has an emphasis on freedom, equality, rights, progress and reform. Communism is the most extreme form.

What is right-wing in politics?

Politics that has an emphasis on traditional idea and the belief in private ownership of property and industry. Fascism is the most extreme form.

Who were the KPD?

The Communist Party of Germany

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

Led to coalition governments and slow legislative processes

What was the Spartacist Uprising in 1919?

A communist revolt led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht of the Spartacist League in Germany in 1919

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

He asked the Reichswehr to organise the Freikorps units

Who were the Freikorps?

An extreme right-wing group of German ex-soldiers

Why did the Kapp Putsch of 1920 happen?

President Frederick Ebert planned to disband the Freikorps units in Berlin. 5,000 members feared unemployment and planned to overthrow the government.

How did Ebert end the Kapp Putsch?

He called for a general strike

When was the Occupation of the Ruhr? Why did it happen?

January 1923. It happened because Germany requested to stop paying reparations to Britain and France

Was the impact of the Occupation of the Ruhr on the economy positive or negative?

It was negative. The wages paid to the striking workers led to shortages, increase costs, decreased production and loss of confidence in the mark.

What is hyperinflation?

A rapid and out-of-control rise in prices causing a currency to lose its value

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

Lost their life savings, insurance policies and pensions

Why did hyperinflation have a positive impact on German businesses and mortgage payers?

The real value of debt fell so loans were easier to pay off

Who was Gustav Stresemann?

A nationalist who became chancellor in August 1923 and later established the DVP (People’s Party). Aimed to control inflation, regain Europe’s respect and minimise extremist parties support.

When was the Rentenmark introduced in Weimar Germany?

November 1923, gold standard currency to control inflation

What was the Dawes Plan? When was it introduced?

Introduced in 1924 by the USA to help Germany with reparations

The 1924 Dawes Plan reduced the reparations Germany had to pay to the Allies by how many pounds a year?

£50 million a year

How much money did the Dawes Plan promise to give to German industry from 1924 to 1930?

$25 billion

What was the 1929 Young Plan?

A plan created by American banker Owen Young which decrease the reparations and extended the repayment deadline

How much did the 1929 Young Plan reduce the total reparations bill?

Reduced the bill from £6.6 billion to £2 billion

What was the Locarno Pact? When was it signed?

Signed in 1925. An agreement between Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium to ensure peace, accept borders and demilitarize the Rhineland

What was the League of Nations?

An association of countries established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles to promote international cooperation and achieve world peace?

What was the League of Nations based on?

US President Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points.

Why did Germany’s membership in the LoN increase the confidence in the Weimar Republic?

Showed the Republic to be a legitimate government, showed willingness to work towards peace and cooperation

When did Germany join the LoN?

September 10th 1926

What was the 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact?

An agreement that stated war shouldn’t be used as a means for resolving inter-country disputes

What are two ways the political atmosphere in Germany changed by October 1929?

• No political assassinations from 1924-1929

• Fewer coalition governments

Who replaced Friedrich Ebert as President of Germany when Ebert died in 1925?

Paul von Hindenburg, he was a 77-year-old ex-army chief

When did Gustav Stresemann die?

3rd October 1929

By 1926 how many German workers were unemployed?

20%, fell to 2% in 1928

What did the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1927 cover?

Insurance that covered unemployment and sickness. Paid insured unemployed Germans 60 Reichsmarks per week

What are two reforms the Weimar government introduced to improve working conditions?

• Shorter working hours in the week

• Increased real working wages

How did the Weimar government help to increase the amount of suitable housing during the 1923 housing crisis?

Introduced rent tax, employed architect to create new homes

What was the Reich Pension Law of 1920?

A government scheme to help widows and ex-soldiers recover from WW1

What rights did the Weimar Consitution give women?

• Could vote if they were over 21

• Equal legal partnership in marriage

What right did Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution give women of Weimar Germany?

Gave women the right to access all professions on an equal standing to men

What was the societal expectation for a woman when she married?

Society expected her to leave a woman job to focus on the household and become a mother

What were the ‘New Women’ of Weimar Germany?

A term given to women in Weimar Germany who felt that the right to vote and increased working opportunities gave them the chance to express themselves

How did the right to vote give the 'New Women' of Weimar Germany the freedom to express themselves?

• Cut their hair short

• Wear more makeup

• Smoke cigarettes

• Drink alcohol

What was expressionism in Weimar Germany?

An art movement in the 1920s that focused on emotions rather than showing how things actually looked

What was the aim of Expressionist art in Weimar Germany?

Aimed to prompt questioning of societal norms and values through discomfort

Name two artists associated with Expressionism in Weimar Germany.

Otto Dix and George Grosz

What was the Bauhaus movement?

Architecture that used geometric shapes to create practical buildings. Inspired by architects such as Erich Mendelsohn

Give three examples of films created in Weimar Germany.

• The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920)

• Nosferatu (1922)

• Metropolis (1926)

Why did extremist left-wing parties oppose Weimar culture?

They believed it took resources away from the people who needed financial help e.g. workers

Why did extremist right-wing parties oppose Weimar culture?

Believed it destroyed German traditions and was responsible for the moral decline in German society