Was the Weimar Republic Doomed from the Start

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When was the Weimar Republic in place?
1918-1933
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Economic Impacts on the war in Germany 1918
National income a third of 1913, war left 600,000 widows, 2 million children with no fathers, industrial production about 2/3 of what it had been in 1913
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How much money was spent on war pensions?
1925 - third of its budget
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What concerns were there about food in 1918?
Shortages, producing 50% of milk and 60% of meat and butter compared to pre war
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What happened due to food shortages?
300,000 people died from starvation and hypothermia
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What were the political impacts of the war?
Revolution in October - November 1918, right and left wing groups fighting
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What did people think of the new democratic leaders?
Soldiers despised them
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Social impacts of the war
Huge gaps between rich and poor, 1.5 million demobilised soldiers returned to society, many Germany workers unhappy with pay during the war, factory owners earning a lot of money
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Proportional representation
A form of voting where if you get 20% of vote you get 20% of seats, impossible to get out right leader
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Sparcacists uprising
Against democracy, because it only brought bad things to Germany
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Sparcacists
A group of communists who wanted to over throw Eberts government
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Sparcasists dilemma
To use political pressure or violence
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What happened to the Sparcacists?
They were quickly destroyed by the Freikorps who were controlled by Wolfgang Kapp
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The Kapp Putsch
Lead by Wolfgang Kapp to take over the government, Goverment fled to Dresden
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What happened as a result of Kapp Putsch?
Who country went on strike as a result the Freikorp stepped down and never returned to power
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What did the Sparcacists do?
Took over government buildings in Berlin trying to set up own government
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What happened on 9th November 1918
Country declared a republic lead by social democrats
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What happened in January 1919?
A National Assembly elected, for the first time everyone over the age of 20 could vote. Spartacists developed alongside this.
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Who were the Freikorps?
Bands of ex soldiers
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What happened between the Freikorps and the Spartacists?
War, the Freikorps and the army defeated the Spartacists
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Who was the social democrat leader?
Friedrich Ebert
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Who were Rosa Luxemborg and Karl Leibnecht?
Leaders of Spartacists and killed by Freikorps
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What happened in Feb 1919?
National assembly met, communist revolution, Freikorps crushed revolt.
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The Munich Putsch - 1923
Lead by Hitler who invaded a meeting with key figures to tell them to join his putsch
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What was the Weimar Republic?
Democracy, elected 20 members to 2 houses of parliament and chose a president
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What were the houses in the Weimar Republic?
Upper House - Reichsrat - germanys individual states & the the Lower House - more important - the whole of Germany -
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How often were elections held in the Weimar Republic?
4 years = for the 2 houses & 7 years = president
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What powers did the president have in the weimar republic?
Control of army, call elections and dissolve the Reichstag - important in the rise of Hitler
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Who was the first president of the Weimar Republic?
Freidrich Ebert, made secret agreements with Head of German military, restrict and prevent radical change and aid control
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Problems of Eberts reign
Economic crisis continued, rising costs of living, high unemployment, widespread hunger
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What issues faced the Weimar Republic in June 191?
Had to accept Versailles settlement, peace treaty, called traitors for doing so
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What happened to the Weimar republic as a result of Versailles?
March 1920 ex soldiers and officers invaded government buildings seizing them lead to rising of Kapp Putsch. signed treaty on 28th June 1919
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What is important about Weimar?
Small town away from Berlin where government meetings were held
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Gustav Streseman - 1923 - what did he do
Saved Germany, became Chancellor in August 1923, right wing politician, became foreign minister after
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What 3 things did Streseman do?
1. Ended passive resistance Ruhr (ensured they worked to help economy 2. Stabalised currency with the new temporary currency Rentenmark 3. Resumed reparation payments
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What is the Dawes Plan?
800 gold marks loaned to Germany by America to improve economy
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When was the Dawes Plan and its aim?
1924 - to organise reparation payments but didn't reduce what it owed
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Dawes financial plan
Pay more money to America if a good year economically (£125) and vice versa (£50)
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Dawes Plan - what did it introduce
New currency reichmark - became 2nd largest industrial nation
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What did Stresemann do?
1. Banned censorship - lead to a culture shift
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Stresemann and the Young Plan - 1930
signe din 1930 to reduce reparations from £6.6 million to £1.8 million
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Stressemann death
8th October 1929 - heart attack
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Economic Impacts on the war in Germany 1918

Back

National income a third of 1913, war left 600,000 widows, 2 million children with no fathers, industrial production about 2/3 of what it had been in 1913

Card 3

Front

How much money was spent on war pensions?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What concerns were there about food in 1918?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What happened due to food shortages?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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