Weimar repbulic exam

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1. Why did Germany lose WWI?

• 1918: many Germans still expected victory after defeating Russia

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk gave Germany huge territory + ¾ of Russia’s iron ore

• USA entered war in 1917 with fresh troops + weapons

• British blockade caused shortages + starvation

• German army exhausted after years of fighting

• 1918 Allied offensives pushed Germany back rapidly

• By Sept 1918 defeat obvious; Allies demanded Kaiser removed

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918)

• Russia surrendered to Germany.

• Germany gained land, resources, and advantages in the East.

• Many Germans believed victory was close, increasing shock when defeat came.

Why the defeat then just shocked Germans

• Troops moved West after Russia left the war, hoping for a final breakthrough.

• Rapid advances through Belgium + France early in the Spring Offensive.

• Propaganda hid losses, food shortages, and collapsing morale.

• Hindenburg + Ludendorff privately admitted defeat but publicly insisted Germany was winning to avoid panic.

What was REALLY happening:

• Allied counter‑attacks (Hundred Days Offensive) pushed Germany back fast.

• German army exhausted: low supplies, starvation at home, mass desertions.

• Allied blockade made conditions worse.

• German territory threatened as the front collapsed.

• By September 1918, defeat was unavoidable — generals demanded a ceasefire.

Fall of the Kaiser (1918) fight, fail, fear, takeover, leader

• 25 Oct 1918: sailors mutinied against British naval attack

• Govt failed to respond → strikes spread across Germany

• Workers + soldiers seized control in cities

• SPD feared communist revolution like Russia

• 7 Nov: SPD demanded Kaiser abdicate

• Friedrich Ebert became leader on 9 Nov

• Kaiser fled to Holland on 10 Nov

• Armistice signed on 11 Nov 1918

3. Germany after the Kaiser unstable… what sparactus league wanted

• SPD took control after Kaiser abdicated

• Germany unstable after defeat in WWI

• Spartacist League distrusted SPD govt

• Karl Liebknecht wanted immediate communist revolution

• Rosa Luxemburg believed Germany not ready yet

• Fear of civil war + political violence increased

4. Rosa Luxemburg

• Polish socialist who moved to Germany in 1898

• Nicknamed “Red Rosa” for radical socialist views

• Opposed WWI + imprisoned for anti-war propaganda

• Returned in 1918 and joined Spartacist League

• Supported socialism but preferred gradual revolution

• Strong speaker + writer within socialist movement

5. SPD vs Spartacist League. ebert groaner.. what each party wanted

• SPD wanted democratic reform + stability

• Spartacists wanted communist revolution like Russia

• Ebert feared chaos like 1917 Russian Revolution

• Ebert-Groener Pact (10 Nov 1918) gained army support

• Army agreed to defend SPD against communists

• Freikorps used to crush left-wing uprisings

• Split weakened left-wing opposition

6. Spartacist Revolt (Jan 1919)

• 5 Jan 1919: Spartacists seized newspapers + govt buildings in Berlin

• Led by Rosa Luxemburg + Karl Liebknecht- tjey didnt really know at the beginning tho

• Wanted communist revolution controlled by workers’ councils

• Revolt poorly organised + lacked support

• Ebert used Freikorps to crush uprising

• ~100 Spartacists killed; 13 SPD supporters killed

• Luxemburg + Liebknecht murdered after arrest

7. Murders of Luxemburg + Liebknecht

• Arrested by Freikorps after Spartacist Revolt

• Liebknecht shot in park; claimed he was “escaping”

• Luxemburg shot + body dumped in canal until May 1919

• Ebert ordered investigation into murders

• Killers received only minor punishments

• Showed weakness + right-wing bias of Weimar justice

8. Problems after 1918 (3)

• Germany collapsing from starvation + falling morale

• Hindenburg + Ludendorff admitted defeat privately

• Civilian politicians blamed for signing Armistice

• Treaty of Versailles viewed as humiliating “Diktat”

• Politicians labelled “November Criminals”

• Stab-in-the-back myth blamed Jews, socialists + democrats

• Hitler later used this resentment to gain support

9. Unemployment + Soldiers after WWI

Returning soldiers struggled to find jobs

• Many veterans traumatised + drawn toward violence

• Freikorps formed from nationalist ex-soldiers

• Freikorps strongly anti-communist

• Munich Soviet Republic crushed violently by Freikorps

• Political violence became common in Weimar Germany

10. Weimar Constitution (1919)

• President elected every 7 years with strong powers

• Chancellor needed Reichstag support

• Reichstag elected using proportional representation (PR)

• PR created many small parties + weak coalitions

• Article 48 allowed rule by decree during emergencies

• Germany lacked democratic tradition before 1919

• Many elites + extremists opposed democracy

11. Creation of the Weimar Republic

• Constitution written in Weimar in 1919

• Germany became democratic republic with multi-party system

• Parliament elected every 4 years

• Equal voting rights introduced for men + women

• President selected govt + Chancellor

• Article 48 allowed emergency powers during crises

12. November Revolution (1918). kiel mutinies…

• Strikes, mutinies + protests spread across Germany

• Caused by military defeat + economic hardship

• Workers + soldiers seized control in cities

• Kaiser forced to abdicate in Nov 1918

• Power transferred to civilian politicians

• Led directly to creation of Weimar Republic

13. Art + Culture in Weimar Germany

• Neue Sachlichkeit art showed realistic everyday life

• Fritz Lang directed films like Metropolis

• Bauhaus promoted modern architecture + design

• Berlin famous for cabaret + nightlife

• Open discussion of sex + homosexuality increased

• Conservatives viewed Weimar culture as immoral + corrupt

14. Weimar Time Periods

• 1919–23: revolts, coups + hyperinflation crises

• 1924–29: Stresemann’s “Golden Years” + stability

• 1929–33: Great Depression + rise of Hitler

16. Representative Democracy

• Citizens elect politicians to represent views in parliament

• Parliament creates laws + controls budgets

• Political parties represent different ideologies

• Communists supported shared property + equality

• Right wing supported nationalism + capitalism

• Fascists/Nazis supported dictatorship + racist ideology

17. Types of Democracy

• Republics elect Presidents + parliaments

• Weimar President elected every 7 years

• Constitutional monarchies keep kings/queens + parliament

• Govts formed through parliamentary majority

• Referendums = direct yes/no public votes

• Constitutional crisis occurs when govt cannot function.  

18. Weaknesses of Weimar Democracy

• PR created many small parties in Reichstag

• No party won majority → unstable coalitions

• Frequent elections weakened confidence in democracy

• Article 48 allowed President to rule by decree

• Police + army often loyal to conservative values

• Weak govts struggled during crises

• 25 in 14 years

19. Women’s Rights in Weimar Germany

• Women gained equal voting rights after 1919

• More women attended universities

• Women entered medicine + civil service

• Social freedoms expanded in cities like Berlin

• Conservatives disliked changing gender roles

20. Stresemann’s Achievements (1.1.1.1.1.1)

• Introduced Rentenmark to end hyperinflation

• Dawes Plan brought $800 million in US loans

• Locarno Treaties improved relations with France + Belgium

• Germany joined League of Nations in 1926

• Young Plan reduced reparations in 1929

• Allied troops withdrew from Rhineland

21. Weimar Government Stability (1919–29)

• No party won majority in Reichstag

• Coalition governments always necessary

• 25 governments formed in 14 years

• Many Germans still hated Treaty of Versailles

• Stability improved after 1924

• Moderate parties gained more support during “Golden Years”

22. Economic Recovery (1924–30)

• money

• goods

• dependency

• unemcpolyment frmers

• Hyperinflation left economy badly damaged after 1923

• Germany borrowed $800 million from USA in 1924

• Industry + exports recovered rapidly

• By 1930 Germany became leading exporter of manufactured goods

• Economy depended heavily on US loans:

• IN DEPRESSION WHEN US TOOK LOANS AWAY…. GERMANY DIED…. PEPOPLE GOT ANGRY. HITLER SIEZED OPPORTUNITY. AND GOT POWER!!!!!!

• Unemployment + inequality still remained serious

• Farmers continued struggling financially

23. Rentenmark (1923)

• Stresemann introduced new currency in 1923

• Replaced worthless old mark after hyperinflation

• Stabilised prices + wages

• Restored confidence in German economy

• Became symbol of economic recovery

24. Dawes Plan (1924)

• International agreement to help German economy recover

• USA loaned Germany $800 million

• Reparations payments reorganised temporarily

• Industry + business recovered quickly

• Germany became dependent on American loans

25. Stresemann + Political Stability

extremsit down, moderate good, dependency

• Stresemann improved Germany’s international reputation

• Economic recovery reduced extremist support

• Moderate parties gained more seats in Reichstag

• Coalition governments became more stable

• Stability depended heavily on continued US investment

26. German Reaction to Versailles

• Germans expected fair peace settlement after WWI

• Treaty viewed as humiliating “Diktat”

• Germany forced to sign on 28 June 1919

• War Guilt Clause caused huge anger

• Politicians blamed as “November Criminals”

• Many Germans promised to overturn treaty

27. Anger + Freikorps (1920)

• Soldiers furious govt signed Treaty of Versailles

• Army reduced to 100,000 men

• Many ex-soldiers joined Freikorps groups

• Freikorps strongly nationalist + anti-Weimar

• Freikorps launched Kapp Putsch in Berlin

• Many rebels escaped punishment due to army support

28. Occupation of the Ruhr (1923)

• Germany failed to pay reparations after WWI

• French + Belgian troops occupied Ruhr industrial region

• Ruhr produced coal + industrial materials

• Workers used passive resistance + refused to work

• Govt paid workers to strike, worsening economy

• Industrial production collapsed dramatically

left after dawes plan signed and they were all better finannicaly

29. Hyperinflation (1923)

• Govt printed huge amounts of money for Ruhr resistance + reparations

• Value of the mark collapsed rapidly during 1923

• Prices rose constantly; workers needed wheelbarrows of cash

• Middle-class savings became worthless

• Debtors benefited because loans lost value

• Trade became difficult + unemployment increased

• Many Germans blamed Weimar for economic chaos

30. Beer Hall Putsch (1923)

• Ruhr Crisis anger — 1923 occupation + passive resistance → hyperinflation. Middle class savings wiped out → MASSIVE anger at Weimar.

• Weimar looked weak — Hyperinflation peak: $1 = 4.2 trillion marks. Hitler said gov’t “betrayed Germany”.

• Munich Putsch 8–9 Nov — Hitler + 2,000 Nazis marched in Munich to seize power.

• Inspired by Mussolini — Wanted to copy 1922 March on Rome.

• Failed revolt — Poor planning, no army support, police fired → 16 Nazis killed.

• Hitler arrested — Charged with treason. Sentenced to 5 years, served 9 months. Wrote Mein Kampf.

• Right‑wing threat remains — Light sentence showed judges favoured nationalists → Weimar still vulnerable.

31. Kapp Putsch (1920)

• Freikorps attempted takeover of Berlin in 1920

• Wolfgang Kapp wanted to overthrow Weimar govt

• Govt fled because army refused to defend republic

• Workers organised massive 3-day general strike

• Germany effectively shut down during strike

• Putsch collapsed within days

• Showed Weimar depended more on workers than army

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32. Occupation of the Ruhr (1922–23)

• Germany struggled to pay reparations to France

• French troops invaded Ruhr to seize resources + coal

• German miners went on strike in protest

• Govt paid workers not to work, worsening economy

• France brought in foreign workers to continue mining

• Crisis directly contributed to hyperinflation

33. Territorial Losses (Versailles)

• Germany lost 13% of territory + 6 million people

• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France

• Polish Corridor given to Poland

• Saar coalfields controlled by League of Nations

• Germany lost all overseas colonies

• Losses increased anger + nationalism

34. Military Restrictions (Versailles)

• Army limited to 100,000 men

• Conscription banned under treaty

• Germany forbidden tanks, submarines + air force

• Navy limited to only 6 battleships

• Rhineland permanently demilitarised

• Germans viewed restrictions as humiliating + unfair

35. Economic Impact of Territorial Losses

• Germany lost 10% of industry after Versailles

• Lost 15% of agricultural land

• Lost 75% of iron ore supplies

• Industrial production weakened significantly

• Reparations became harder to pay

• Many Germans blamed Versailles for economic hardship

36. Why did many Germans hate Weimar?

• Weimar politicians signed Armistice + Versailles Treaty

• Politicians labelled “November Criminals”

• Stab-in-the-back myth blamed democrats + Jews for defeat

• Hyperinflation destroyed middle-class savings in 1923

• Coalition govts viewed as weak + chaotic

• Both communists + nationalists wanted republic destroyed

37. Why did Weimar survive early crises?

• SPD used army + Freikorps to crush communist revolts

• General strikes stopped right-wing coups like Kapp Putsch

• Stresemann stabilised economy after hyperinflation

• Rentenmark restored confidence in currency

• Dawes Plan brought $800 million in US loans

• Foreign relations improved through Locarno + League of Nations

• Moderate parties gained support during “Golden Years”

Women in Weimar Germany

Improvements

voting rights
better education
* professional jobs
* greater independence

Especially in Berlin.

Weimar Time Periods

• 1919–1923: Crisis years (revolts, inflation, putsches).

• 1924–1929: “Golden Years” (recovery + culture).

• 1929–1933: Depression, collapse, rise of Hitler.

Why Weimar was weak

• Hated for the Treaty of Versailles.

• Weak coalitions (PR).

• Extremist threats (left + right).

• Army not loyal to democracy.

• Economic crises.

• Dependence on Freikorps.

Why recovery happened after 1923

Stresemann
Dawes Plan
* Rentenmark
* better foreign relations
* US loans

Why recovery was limited

unemployment remained
economy depended on USA
* democracy still weak
* extremists still existed

FAST MEMORY TRIGGERS

Ebert = stability.

Spartacists = communist revolution.

Freikorps = violent right-wing ex-soldiers.

Stresemann = recovery and stability.

Article 48 = emergency powers.

Hyperinflation = worthless money.

10-SECOND EMERGENCY SUMMARY

1918–23:
Germany nearly collapsed because of revolution, Versailles, putsches and hyperinflation.

1924–29:
Stresemann stabilised Germany through economic recovery and foreign policy.

BUT:
Weimar democracy remained weak underneath.