Origins of the Weimar republic

• What was the time period of the First World War?


  1914-1918
• How many soldiers were killed in battle during the First World War?

  Two million
• How many civilians died due to food shortages during the British blockade?

  750,000
• What events were spreading across Germany in 1918?


  Strikes, mutinies, and workers’ councils
• Who abdicated on 9 November 1918?


  Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Why did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate?


  Because the army would no longer obey him
• What was the goal of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) after the war?


  To avoid chaos by setting up a new republic
• Who led the Social Democratic Party (SPD)?


  Friedrich Ebert
• What was Ebert's role after the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II?


  He became chancellor and formed a temporary council to organize elections
• What was the first act of the new government on 11 November?


  To sign the armistice, ending the war
• How did Ebert reassure army officers, business leaders, and trade unions?


  By promising that there would not be radical changes
• What did Ebert do to ensure the country could keep functioning?


  He kept on civil servants from the Kaiser’s government
• What was the state of the country despite Ebert's efforts?


  Protests and riots continued, and the country was on the edge of anarchy
• Where did the National Assembly meet in January 1919?

  In Weimar
• Why did the National Assembly meet in Weimar instead of Berlin?


  Because of the unrest in Berlin
• What political system did the National Assembly create?

  The Weimar Republic
• What were the strengths of the Weimar Constitution?


  • Democratic: both women and men could vote
  • Voting age reduced from 25 to 21
  • Spread power to prevent concentration in one group
  • President elected every 7 years
  • Chancellor proposed laws for the Reichstag and Reichsrat
  • Local parliaments (Lands) retained control over local services
• What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?


  • Proportional representation led to no majority party
  • Coalition governments often lacked purpose
  • 9 different coalitions between 1919 and 1923
  • President could pass laws by decree using Article 48
  • Encouraged belief in a single, all-powerful leader
  • Several parties opposed democracy and the Weimar constitution
• What was the voting age in the Weimar Republic after the constitution was established?

  21 years
• What does the term 'system of checks and balances' refer to in the Weimar Constitution?


  It refers to spreading power so that no one person or group has too much power
• How did the proportional representation system affect the political landscape of the Weimar Republic?


  It made it difficult for any one party to form a majority
• What was the consequence of the president's ability to pass laws by decree?


  It led people to believe that a single leader was more effective than a democratic parliament
• What was the attitude of several parties elected to the Reichstag towards the Weimar Constitution?


  They were opposed to democracy and openly hated the new constitution