The origins of the republic

• Origins of the republic

  First world war:

  the first world war was a global conflict in which germany fought alongside austria-hungary, against the allied powers (britain, united states, france, italy & russia). germany were ultimately defeated, having lost over 2 million soldiers and becoming financially drained. due to a british naval blockade, the country was also forced into starvation, with 750,000 civilians dying. the war caused significant problems for the german government, the spread of unrest and rebellion growing.
• The origins of the republic

  Abdication of keizer wilhelm:

  the kaiser was the emperor of germany and ruled from 1888 until 1918. wilhelm was power hungry and his ambitions regularly brought him into conflict. this ambition lead to an alliance with the austria-hungarian empire, which lead to the first world war after franz ferdinand's assassination. throughout wwl, kaiser wilhelm proved to be an ineffective leader, which was confirmed when he abdicated on the 9th of november 1918 and fled to the netherlands after germany lost the war.
• The origins of the republic

  Armistice and revolution:

  in september 1918 the heads of the german army, general hindenburg and general ludendorff, told the kaiser that germany should ask the allies for an armistice. later, on the 11th of november 1918, ww l ended when an armistice was agreed with the allies.
• The origins of the republic

  Creation of the weimar republic:

  after the kaiser's abdication, politicians realised that - in order to prevent revolution - a new government had to be formed quickly. as the largest party in the reichstag, the social democratic party (SDP) was appointed. friedrich ebert became leader of germany and agreed with the army to stop the communists from taking power. to create swift change, ebert suspended the reichstag and created a council of people's representatives. civil servants were encouraged to stay in post, which meant that public services continued and, crucially, taxes were still collected.
• The origins of the republic

  National assembly:

  the national assembly was a more permanent solution to governing germany, replacing the council of people's representatives. the assembly's main goal was to construct a new constitution for the german republic. elections in january 1919 resulted in the SDP and the centre party winning a combined 60% of the seats.
• What was the purpose of the Weimar constitution?

  To create a democratic government
• Who was at the top of the Weimar Republic's government structure?

  The president
• How often was the president elected in the Weimar Republic?

  Every 7 years
• What was the political power of the president in the Weimar Republic?

  Limited political power
• Who was the head of the government in the Weimar Republic?

  The chancellor
• What was the role of the chancellor in the Weimar Republic?

  To carry out policies and appoint the cabinet
• Which part of the Weimar government was the most powerful?

  The reichstag
• What would happen if the chancellor did not have the approval of the reichstag?

  The government would collapse
• What was the role of the reichsrat in the Weimar Republic?

  To represent the German states
• What was the voting age changed to in the Weimar Republic?

  21 years
• Who was allowed to vote in the Weimar Republic?

  Women and men over 21
• What voting system was implemented in the Weimar Republic?

  Proportional representation
• What was the purpose of changing to proportional representation in the Weimar Republic?

  To fairly represent the wishes of the people
• What was a key strength of the Weimar Constitution?

  It was designed to be very democratic
• How did universal suffrage contribute to the Weimar Constitution's democracy?

  It allowed anyone 21 and over to vote
• What was the purpose of proportional representation in the Weimar Constitution?

  To ensure fair representation in the Reichstag
• How many votes were needed for a party to gain representation in the Reichstag?

  At least 60,000 votes
• What was the effect of the Weimar Constitution's design on party power?

  No one party could have too much power
• What system did the Weimar Constitution borrow from the United States?

  Checks and balances
• What was a major weakness of proportional representation?

  It led to the formation of coalition governments
• How did coalition governments affect governance in Germany?

  They created differing ideas on governance
• What was the purpose of emergency powers under Article 48?

  To allow the president to enact laws in crises
• How were emergency powers misused in the Weimar Republic?

  Used when the Reichstag couldn't agree
• What social unrest was present during the Weimar Republic?

  Many rebellions were brewing
• Which groups supported some of the rebellions in the Weimar Republic?

  Parties represented in the Reichstag
• The origins of the republic

  Political parties of the weimar republic:

  the communist party (KPD) - on the extreme left, they based their ideas on a communist revolution and disliked the weimar republic. the social democrats (SDP) - ebert's party which was on the left, but not as far as the communists, and largely helped to create the weimar republic. the centre party (ZP) - a moderate party which sat in the middle of the political spectrum and supported the wermar republic. the nationalist socialist german worker's party (NSDAP) - on the extreme right, thy wanted to avenge germany's defeat in wwl and disliked the weimar republic.