Key Question 1: What challenges were faced by the Weimar Republic from 1919 to 1923?

• 9 November 1918


  Kaiser abdicated; Germany became a republic
• 11 November 1918


  Fighting in First World War ended by armistice
• January 1919


  Spartacist Uprising
• June 1919


  Treaty of Versailles signed
• March 1920


  Kapp Putsch
• January 1923


  French occupation of the Ruhr and hyperinflation
• 8-9 November 1923

  Munich Putsch
• The Weimar Republic


  The German government after the Kaiser had abdicated in November 1918
• The Weimar Republic was democratically elected by a system of proportional representation (e.g. 10% of the vote = 10% of the seats)
• In the Weimar Republic, the President was elected for 7 years and selected a Chancellor to form the government
• In the Weimar Republic, the Chancellor was the political leader most likely to get laws passed by the Reichstag.
• In the Weimar Republic, the Reichstag was made up of regularly elected representatives
• In the Weimar Republic, Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution gave the President the power to make laws without consulting the Reichstag in an emergency
• Sparticist Revolt was in 1919
• Sparticist Revolt was led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
• Sparticists aimed to make Germany a communist country like Russia
• Sparticists formed the German Communist Party (KPD)
• Sparticists called a general strike and took control of important buildings in Berlin
• The Reichswehr (Army) and Freikorps (demobilised soldiers) ended the Sparticist Revolt
• Sparticist leaders were captured and executed
• 3,000 people died in the Sparticist Revolt
• The Kapp Putsch was in 1920
• The Berlin Freikorps refused to be disbanded after the Sparticist uprising
• The Kapp Putsch aimed to create right-wing government with Wolfgang Kapp as Chancellor
• The Reichswehr (Army) in Berlin supported Kapp
• During the Kapp Putsch, the Weimar government moved out of Berlin
• President Ebert called on workers to go on strike so the Kapp Putsch collapsed.
• Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany lost:

  • 13 per cent of its land 6 million citizens
  • Alsace-Lorraine to France
  • Polish Corridor to Poland
  • Saarland to League of Nations control
• Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was limited to:

  • 100,000 soldiers
  • no tanks, heavy guns, aircraft or submarines
  • ships of less than 10,000 tons
  • no troops in the Rhineland.
• Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany agreed to pay money as reparations of £6600 million
• Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden from:

  • uniting with Austria
  • joining the League of Nations.
• Germany accepted blame for World War 1 under Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles
• Kaiser


  Emperor
• Abdication


  When a monarch leaves the throne
• Republic


  A country without a King or a Queen
• Armistice


  An agreement to end war
• President


  Runs the country
• Chancellor


  In charge of the government
• Reichstag


  German parliament, makes laws
• Article 48

  President can ignore the Reichstag in an emergency