Weimar Republic

• • Weimar republic lasted from 1919 - 1933
• 11th of November 1918 - WW1 ends

  • armistice agreed with allies
  • Germany forced to surrender
• Germany before war:

  • national pride
  • ruled by kaiser
  • had one fo the best armies in the world
  • economically strong - prospering businesses, well-educated and well-fed workforce
• Important people:

  • Kaiser Wilhelm - former Kaiser of Germany, abdicated in 1918
  • Friedrich Ebert - first president of Weimar republic, ‘November criminal’
  • Hindenburg - president and ex-leader of Germany during WW1
  • Gustav Stresemann - chancellor (1924) and foregn ministir from 1925-29
  • Karl Liebknecht - socialist leader of spartacists, killed by Freikorps in 1919
  • Rosa Luxemburg - socialist ledaer of spartacists, killed by Freikorps in 1919
  • Dr Wolfgang Kapp - right-wing leader of Freikorps, imprisoned in 1921
• Friedrich Ebert wins election and becomes president of Weimar Republic (turned Germany into a republic)

  • Socialist
  • Weimar republic named after the new capital Weimar - Berlin was in chaos
  • signed for peace with allies
  • created new German constitution
• Weimar Constitution

  • most democratic system at the time
  • all 20+ Germans eligible to vote
  • Women could vote
  • votes every 7 years
  • proportional representation - parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them
  • chancellor - responsible for day to day govt , chooses ministers, can only pass laws if approved by Reichstag and Reichsrat but has emergency power
  • president - can choose the chancellor, not involved in day-day governing
  • ministers - oversees specific areas of the country e.g. finances, makes up the cabinet
• Weimer Constitution

  A) appointed judges

  B) appointed

  C) controlled

  D) apopinted

  E) government sent laws to reichstag for approval

  F) 17 local governments for each region

  G) elected

  H) elected

  I) elected

  
• Potential flaws in the new system:

  • weak constitution
  • severe post-war problems
  • was forced to sign TOV
• Physical Effects on Germany after WW1 :

  • Farming was disrupted as many farm workers were drafted into the army
  • Mainly eating turnips and bread
  • • Mixed flour with sawdust
  • Germany faced starvation and harsh winters due to the Allied naval blockade preventing any resources from entering Germany
  • Nearly 300,000 died of hunger or hypothermia (fuel shortage)
  • 1918-1919 - influenza/flu epidemic
  • around 287,000 deaths
  • Estimated 750,000 Germans died due to disease and famine
  • Close to 2 million WW1 deaths
  • 600,000 widows and 2 million fatherless
• Economic effects on Germany after WW1 (1):

  • 1918 - Germany was producing only 50% of the milk and 60% of the butter and meat than it had before the war
  • National income was 1/3 of what it was in 1913
  • Industrial production was about 2/3 of what it had been in 1913
  • 1925 - spending a third of its budget on war pensions aka money for widows
• Economic effects on Germany after WW1 (2):

  • countries not willing to trade with Germany after the war
  • reparations devastated Germany, crippled economy
  • 1923 - Ruhr (rich in coal mines and steel) was invaded by the French and Belgian as Germany couldn’t pay for the reparations but workers were told to strike, leading to one of their main sources of income creating no money
  • Hyperinflation - attempted to print more money to save their economy, leading to hyperinflation
• Psychological effects on Germany after WW1 (1):

  • 1.5 million soldiers returned home but were in bad mental state
  • Many soldiers disillusioned
  • Soldiers severely wounded and unable to work
  • Shell shock caused them to begin drinking causing soldiers unable to work
  • The war had made many Germans stressed
• Psychological effects on Germany after WW1 (2):

  • Germany’s status as a proud and ambitious state was ruined, making Germans bitter and angry
  • Germans started looking for someone to blame for their loss in the war - they blamed the government
  • Wave of unrest - law and order breaking
  • Germans mad about the restrictions placed on earnings during the war while factory owners made vast fortunes
  • Huge gapes between the living standards of the poor and the rich
  • A society famous for its unity now became famous for its squabbling and internal conflict
• Political effects on Germany after WW1 (1):

  • Political problems faced before the war became worse by its end
  • 1918 and 1919 political revolutions
  • 1918 - fighting between left wing and right wing
  • many ex-soldiers and civilians hated new democratice leaders and that Hindenburg was betrayed by weak politicians
  • State of chaos
• Political effects on Germany after WW1 (2):

  • Socialists lead uprisings of workers and soldiers and other German cities followed
  • No longer a world power - lost control of decisions, newly formed government trying to impose authority
  • Proportional representation - wasn’t effective as parties with small votes were given a say, difficult to make decisions, chancellor had to use his power to pass laws as there was no conclusion reached
  • Extremism - many angry and determined to fight for the future of the country, both left and right wing wanted to oppose the government and start revolutions
• What happened to Germany after the war:

  • forced to surrender - could not afford to continue to stay at war as they were losing
  • offered peace by allies but the Kaiser had to abdicate and Germany needed to become more democratic
  • Kaiser refused, leading to a series of mutinies and revolts
• Friedrich Ebert opposed by both left wing and right wing

  • right wing wanted Kaiser back - all of kaiser’s former advisers still had their positions and restricted what the new govt could do, believed Ebert ‘stabbed germany in the back’ and caused the defeat in the war
  • left wing wanted Germany to have a Communist revolution (like Russia in 1917)
• January 1919 - Germany’s first ever political elections
• Weimar Constitution Strength:

  • more democratic
  • voting age reduced from 25 to 21 - allows more say
  • laws stops any one person from gaining too much power - chancellor can only pass laws if reichstag and reichsrat agrees (only day to day)
  • reichsrat can delay new laws passed by the reichstag unless the reichstag overrules them
  • each 18 regions had some of their own independence
• Weimar Constitution Weaknesses:

  • proportional representation means even smaller parties had a say - no majority government, internal conflicts
  • coalitions had to be formed so many parties had to compromise - no clear policies
  • coalitions often fell apart
  • weak in crisis as they can't make quick decisions
  • article 48 allows the chancellor to pass laws without approval from the reichstag - prone to exploitation as they can just make their own laws, chancellor usually uses article 48 which is not democratic and makes them seem weak
• When did WW1 end?

  November 11th, 1918
• What happened into Germany's political system after WW1?

  They become the Weimar Republic because the Kaiser abdicates so they had to move into democracy
• How long did the Weimar Republic last?

  1919-1933, 14 years
• What was Germany like before WW1?

  had a lot of national pride, ruled by kaiser, had one of the best armies, economically strong
• What hunger and food issues arised after the war?

  They ate turnips and bread only, flour was mixed with saw dust, they produced 50% of milk and 60% of butter + meat than before in 1918, nearly 300,000 died from hunger in 1918
• What time period did the influenza epidemic happen?

  1918-1919
• How many died during the flu epidemic?

  around 287,000 deaths in Germany
• Approximately how many died in the war?

  2 million
• What did Germany do in 1925 that affected their economy?

  they spent 1/3 of their budget on war pensions
• What are the key events leading to the Kaiser leaving?

  They were forced to surrender and the allies offered peace but only if the Kaiser abdicates and Germany becomes democratic. The Kaiser refuses to leave which causes revolutions and mutinies but the Kaiser later abdicates on the 9th of November, 1918.
• Who replaced Kaiser? What was his belief and what did he do for Germany?

  Friedrich Ebert replaced the Kaiser. He was a socialist and he turned Germany into the Weimar Republic, creating a new constitution. He signed for peace with the allies which ended the war.
• What is the Weimar constitution? What are the rules of the constitution?


  The Weimar Constitution was the constitution of Germany from 1919 to 1933 and considered one of the most democratic systems at the time. All 20+ Germans were eligible to vote and the constitution had proportional representation meaning that the parties gets a proportion of the government based on how many people voted for them.
• Describe the set up of the Weimar constitution

  There was a president who appoints the judges of the courts, the chancellors and the armed forces. The president also oversees everything. The chancellor appoints the government ministers and oversees day to day issues. The German people elect the Reichstag (parliament), the local governments of each region of Germany and the president. The government sent laws to the Reichstag for approval.
• When did the first political election in Germany happen? What were the results of this election?

  January 1919, which resulted in Friedrich Ebert becoming the new president of the Weimar Republic
• How often was a President elected in the Weimar Republic?

  Every 7 years
• How often was a President elected in the Weimar Republic?

  Every seven years.