Weimar Republic 1918-29

• Government debts increased from 50 billion marks to 150 billion marks during the First World War
• What was the armistice?

  A peace agreement between Germany and Allies signed on 11 November. The terms were the Treaty of Versailles
• When was Weimar Constitution established?

  31 July 1919
• What were the strengths of the Weimar Constitution?

  • Proportional Representation meant small parties had a fair share of seats
  • All over 21 could vote
  • Election for President every seven years
  • Central government more powerful but local governments still had power
  • Reichsrat could regulate power of Reichstag by delaying new laws
• What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?

  • Proportional representation led to coalition governments that were unstable so fell apart
  • Weakness in crisis
  • Unpopular
  • Article 48 Could be abused so President stops listening to Reichstag
• Why was the Treaty of Versailles unpopular?

  • Damaged economy
  • Stab in the back theory where army had been betrayed by Politicians and forced to surrender when they could have won
  • Leaders of Weimar Rebublic nicknamed ‘November Criminals’
• What were the Land terms?

  • Germany lost 13% of its European territory
  • Alsace and Lorraine lost to France
  • Industrial land like coal mines lost so lost a way to produce income
• What were the Army terms?

  • Army reduced to 100,000 men
  • Rhineland demilitarised
  • All planes destroyed and no air force allowed
  • Navy Limited, no submarines or tanks
• What were the Blame terms?

  • Article 231 said Germany was guilty for starting the war
  • War guilt clause meant German people resentful
  • Believed it was self-defence and other countries to blame
  • Nicknamed Treaty ‘diktat’ meaning dictated peace
• What were the Reparations Terms?

  • Had to pay £6600 million in yearly instalments to repair damages
  • Allies entitled to reparations as part of War guilt clause
• When was the Spartacist Revolution?

  January 1919
• Who were the leaders of the Spartacist Revolution?

  Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
• What wing were the Spartacist?

  Left-wing
• What did the Spartacists want?

  To take over Germany from Ebert and install a communist government instead
• What did the Spartacists do?

  • Took over the government‘s newspaper and telegraph bureau
  • Tried to organise a general strike in Berlin
• Why did the Spartacist Revolution fail?

  Weimar Government sent Freikorps to stop the rebellion so the killed many communists and shot the leaders
• When was Kapp Putsch Revolution?

  March 1920
• Who was the leader of the Kapp Putsch?

  Wolfgang Kapp
• What wing was the Kapp Putsch?

  Right-wing
• Who supported the Kapp Putsch?

  Freikorps so they refused to put down the revolution as there were ex-soldiers revolting too
• What did the Kapp Putsch do?

  • March to Berlin and take over
  • Wanted to re-instate the Kaiser
• Why did the Kapp Putsch fail?

  Government organised trade unions to go on strike which caused chaos Kapp couldn’t control so forced to flee
• What were some Political assassinations?

  Walther Rathenau for being involved in armistice

  Showed how much people disliked new government and weakened republic
• What was hyperinflation?

  When the price of goods increased spectacularly making the currency worthless
• What led to hyperinflation? Government printed more money to pay for reparations but they couldn’t afford it
• When was the invasion of the Ruhr?

  January 1923
• What was the invasion of the Ruhr?

  • France believed Germany was lying about not being able to afford reparations
  • Invaded the Ruhr which was Germany’s main industrial area to take reparations payments
• What were the consequences of invasion of the Ruhr?

  • 80% of German coal, iron and steel reserves in Ruhr were used by French
  • Disaster for German economy
  • Germans reacted with passive resistance and sabotaged factories
  • French reacted with violence in return and shot some Germans
• How did the Weimar react to the invasion?

  • Supported German people by paying the strikers
  • Led to hyperinflation so they could keep affording strike
  • By November 1923 German mark was worthless: it was the worst month where bread cost 201,000,000,000 marks
• What were the negative effects of hyperinflation?

  • Couldn’t afford basic essentials like food
  • Wages couldn’t rise as quickly as inflation so by the time their shifts ended, prices already went up
  • Pensioners suffered as they had fixed incomes
  • Businesses that profited over strugglers went bankrupt
  • Made Weimar even more unpopular
• What were the positive effects of hyperinflation?

  • Farmers paid more for food
  • People and business pay off loans and debts quicker
  • Fixed rents became cheap
• How did the Germany economy recover?

  • Work of Streseman
  • Dawes Plan 1924
  • Young Plan 1929
• What was the work of Streseman?

  • In November 1923 introduced Rentenmark (temporary) then Reichsmark (permanent) so currency more trust worthy
  • In August 1924 Reichsbank given control of new currency so hyperinflation over
  • Called of passive resistance of Ruhr so contribution to economy increased
• What was the Dawes Plan?

  • In 1924 America decided to loan Germany money for more stable economy to pay back reparations quicker
  • Temporarily reduced instalments to £50 million a year
• What was the Young Plan?

  • In August 1929 total reparations drastically reduced to £2 billion so could get out of debt faster
  • Payments extended over long period of time (until 1988)
  • Resulted in lower taxes for German people
• Why was there opposition to the Young Plan?

  Extreme political parties like Nazis believed it was extending the burden for future generations.
• What were Streseman’s successes?

  • Strengthened confidence of German people in Weimar Republic
  • Reduced support for extremists parties
  • Reduced economic hardships
• What was the Locarno Part?

  In 1925 Germany and allies made agreements:

  • Germany agreed to new border with France which improved relations
  • Allies and Germany agreed to permanent demilitarisation of Rhineland
• Why was the Locarno Pact a success for Germany?

  • Improved relations with France
  • Wasn’t imposed on Germany like Treaty of Versailles
  • Increased status and popularity of Weimar Republic
• What was the League of Nations?

  A new international body set up initially in 1920 but Germany was excluded until 1926 where they all discussed world problems to avoid war