A: the origins of the Republic 1918-19

• how much were the government's debts increased from in between 1914-1918

  100 billion marks.

  50 billion to 150 billion
• how many germans died due to food shortages?

  over 750,000
• what started across german cities in oct 1918?

  riots, strikes, and mutinies
• when did the kaiser abdicate?

  9th november 1918
• who was Philip Scheidemann?

  a leading member of the Social Democratic Party
• what did Scheidemann proclaim?

  a new German Republic and appealed for peace.
• who became the new head of government 1918-1919?

  Friedrich Ebert, leader of the SDP
• when and where did the kaiser go into exile?

  10th November, in holland
• who is General Groener?

  commander of the army
• what did Ebert agree with Groener?

  that the army would work with the government to keep the communists out of power
• what did Ebert form and what was it?

  the Council of People's Representatives

  the government of the country until a new constitution could be agreed
• when was the armistice signed and what did it do?

  11th November 1918, ended WW1.
• what did ebert arrange for the civil servants who had helped run Germany under the Kaiser

  to stay in office
• why did Ebert let civil servants to stay in office?

  so that the state could keep running (e.g tax collecting, public services would be maintained)
• what were the civil servants like to the government?

  they were not loyal
• what did Ebert assure Groener?that the army would not be reformed
• what did Ebert assure Groener?

  that the army would not be reformed
• why did Ebert reassure Groener that he would not reform the army?

  so Ebert had military support to protect his government from the continuing riots
• who was an industry leader?

  Hugo Stinnes
• what did Ebert tell industry leaders?

  the new Republic would not confiscate land or factories and there would be no nationalisation of private industries.
• why did Ebert tell industry leaders new Republic would not confiscate land or factories and that there would be no nationalisation of private industries?

  so the economy continued to operate.
• who was the leader of the trade unions?

  Carl Legien
• how did Ebert win the support of trade unions?

  promising Legien that the new republic would try to achieve an 8-hour working day
• what did promising the new Republic would try to achieve an 8 hour working day do to help the government?

  helped limit further strikes
• when was the new constitution in Germany drawn up and what did this make Germany?

  31st July 1919.

  Made Germany a republic
• who was head of state in the new constitution?

  the president
• who was the head of government in the new constitution?

  the chancellor
• what were the 2 chambers of the new constitution?

  the Reichstag and the Reichstrat
• what were the strengths of the new constitution?

  1. All men and women over 21 could vote (universal suffrage)
  2. civil liberties and freedom of speech were guaranteed
  3. there was a system and balances which prevented any individual from holding too much power
  4. the system of proportional representation gave a voice to a wide range of different views and ensured different parties had to work together
  5. Article 48 gave the president powers to rule by emergency decree and act swiftly in a crisis
• what were the weaknesses of the new constitution?

  1. proportional representation meant no one party could gain an overall majority. This led to lots of coalition governments which frequently fell apart
  2. Article 48 gave the president the ability to act as a dictator
  3. it was associated with the defeat of WW1 and the treaty of Versailles, and so lacked the wholehearted support of the German people