1. The Impact of the First World War - Germany in Transition

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  • Created by: Amb81101
  • Created on: 01-06-17 11:15
Who was the President of Germany? (1919)
Fredrich Ebert.
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What is a Republic?
A state/government ran by people of the public. (Country with no King or Queen)
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What was the 'Weimar Republic'?
German Government after WW1. (1919-1933)
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What is an 'armistice'?
The ending of hostilities in a war.
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What is a 'Constituent Assembly'?
A group of representatives elected to set up a new constitution.
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Why did the members of the Constituent Assembly meet in the town of Weimar away from Berlin?
It was decided Berlin was too dangerous for them to meet.
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What is a 'Kaiser'?
The German emperor.
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What happened following the abdication of the Kaiser?
A new constitution was set up.
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What was this constitution called?
The Weimar Constitution.
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What did this constitution bring Germany that was never experienced before?
Democracy.
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What is 'Democracy'?
A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
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What are 'Socialists'?
Those who believe in state ownership.
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Which was more important out of the 'Reichrat' and 'Reichstag'?
The Reichstag.
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What was the 'Reichstag'?
German Parliament.
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What could the Reichstag do?
Make laws.
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What could the Reichrat do?
Approve the laws proposed by the Chancellor and the Reichstag.
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What did Article 48 allow the President to do?
Allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take emergency measures without the prior consent of the Reichstag.
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What was the organisation of the Weimar Constitution? (in order)
President, Article 48, Chancellor, Army, Reichstag, Reichsrat, Voters.
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Name four strengths of the Weimar Constitution.
1) Democratic. 2) Chancellor to have support from most of Reichstag. 3) A strong president. 4) Proportional Representation.
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What was 'Proportional Representation'?
The number of votes won in an election determined the number of seats in the Reichstag.
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Name four flaws of the Weimar Constitution.
1) Proportional Representation (hard for political stability). 2) Article 48 (allowed President to rule by decree without Parliament). 3) Challenge from Army ( Army leaders wanted Kaiser to return to maintain name) 4) Challenge from Civil Service.
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What was the 'Treaty of Versailles'?
A peace treaty that ended WW1 between Germany and the Allied Powers.
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Where and when was it signed?
Paris, 28th June 1920.
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Who were the Allied Powers?
Great Britain, France, Russia and Italy.
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What was the harshest term for Germany?
Article 231 - The War Guilt Clause.
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What did this term state?
Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war in 1914. (WW1)
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What did Germany have to agree to do?
Pay compensation for the damage caused to the Allied Powers.
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What was the 'League of Nations'?
An organisation set up to ensure war never broke out again.
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How did most Germans feel about the Treaty?
Ashamed and humiliated.
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Who did they use as a scapegoat?
The Weimar Government and its Politicians.
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What is 'Dolchstoss'?
The 'stab in the back' theory.
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How had the army been stabbed in the back and by who?
Politicians who signed the armistice.
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What did these politicians become known as?
The 'November Criminals'.
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What are 'Territorial', 'Military' and 'Financial' terms?
Agreements/terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
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Name 4 Territorial Terms
1) All colonies to be given to the Allied Powers. 2) No union with Austria (Anschluss). 3) Danzig created a Free City. 4) Saar to be administered by the League of Nations.
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Name four Military Terms
1) Army not to exceed 100,000. 2) No military aircraft permitted. 3) No submarines permitted. 4) Rhineland demilitarised.
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Name four Financial Terms
1) Reparations fixed at £6,600 million. 2) Coal to be mined in the Saar by France. 3) Cattle and sheep to be given to Belgium and France as reparations. 4) Germany to build merchant ships to replace Allied ships sunk by U-boats.
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Give 3 reasons why the Weimar Republic was initially unpopular,
1) It failed to end food shortages. 2) It had surrendered. 3) Established a weak constitution.
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Who hated the Weimar Republic?
Communists, Socialists, Nationalists, Army Leaders and those who ran Germany before 1918.
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What did most Germans want?
A socialist country established in Germany.
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What did the Weimar Government do as a result?
Made a deal with Groener (new army leader).
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What was the agreement?
Army would support the government against revolution. Government would support and supply the army.
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What did Weimar Government then become?
Reliant and dependant on the army.
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Who lead the Spartacists?
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.
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Who were the Spartacists?
A group of communists who wanted Germany to be run by the working classes. They wanted a state based on communist ideals.
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What happened in December 1918?
Spartacists' demonstrations against the government.
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What was the overall number of Spartacists' deaths due to the demonstrations?
16.
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What did the Spartacists form at the end of the month?
The KPD (The German Communist Party)
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What happened on the 6th January 1919?
Spartacists began their attempt to overthrow the Weimar Government to create a communist state.
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What did Ebert and his defence minister Noske use to put down the rebellion?
The Reichwehr (regular army) and the Berlin Freikorps.
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Who and what were the 'Freikorps'?
The Freikorps were ex-army soldiers who hated the communists.
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How long did it take until the rising was over?
Within days.
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Why was this?
The Spartacists were no match for the army and Freikorps.
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What happened to Liebknecht and Luxemburg?
Captured and killed.
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What is a 'putsch'?
A violent attempt to overthrow a government.
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Where and when did the Kapp Putsch take place?
Weimar, Germany in March 1920.
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Why did the Kapp Putsch happen?
Because Weimar Government announced measures to reduce size of the army, as well as to disband the Freikorps.
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Who was Wolfgang Kapp?
A leading Berlin politician.
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Who was Ehrhardt?
Leader of the Berlin Freikorps.
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What did the plan between Kapp and Ehrhardt? (Freikorps Plan)
* Seize Berlin. * Form a new right-wing government with Kapp as chancellor.
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Were they successful?
Yes. Kapp successfully seized Berlin.
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What did they then do?
Kapp Putsch moved on to Dresden, and then Struttgart.
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Give 2 reasons why the Putsch collapsed.
1) Little support. 2) Trade unionists and civil servants supported the government.
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What were Trade Unions?
Organisations set up to protect and improve the rights of workers.
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What were Trade Unionists?
Members of a trade union.
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What happened one week after the Kapp Putsch began? (3)
1) A communist rising occurred in the Ruhr. 2) Army involved. 3) Violence in Germany for next 2 years - left and right wing involved.
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What is the 'Ruhr'?
The Ruhr is a heavily industrialised area of western Germany named after the river that flows through the region.
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Who carried out most of the murders between 1919-1922?
Right wingers.
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Which side got more severely punished?
Left wingers. (10 sentenced to death, while 0 for right wing)
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Which two leading Weimar ministers were assassinated during this time?
(1921) 1) (1921) Matthias Erzberger - Leader of the Centre Party. 2) (1922) Walther Rathenau - Forign Minister.
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Why did the problems facing the Weimar Republic worsen in 1923? (2)
1) French occupation of the Ruhr. 2) The effects of hyperinflation.
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What is 'hyperinflation'?
Extremely high inflation where the value of money drops raplidly and becomes almost worthless.
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What were 'reparations'?
War damages to be paid by Germany.
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What did the Weimar Government do to pay France and Belgium as well as its own workers?
Began to print more money.
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What happened to the German currency?
Value started to fall rapidly.
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What happened by 1921?
No reparations were paid.
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Why were the French angry?
They needed the money to help pay off their war debts to the USA.
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What happened in addition to this?
A further occupation by French and Belgium troops took place January 1923.
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Why was this necessary to the French and Belgiums?
They decided to take the goods they needed rather than waiting for the Germans to send them.
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What is 'passive resistance'?
Opposition to a government, invading power, etc.. without using violence.
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Why did the passive resistance turn sour between France and Germany?
Because Germans carried out acts of industrial sabotage.
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What did German workers in the Ruhr do?
Went on strike as a protest against the invasion.
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What did these strikers become to the German people?
Heroes. (As they were standing up to the TOV)
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What examples of direct action did some strikers take? (2)
1) Set factories on fire. 2) Sabotaged pumps in some mines so they flooded and could not work.
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What was the purpose of the occupation?
To stir up merits (hatred) and remind people of war.`
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What united the German people?
The shared amount of hatred of the French and Belgians.
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What did the German government do to back the strikers?
Printed more money to pay them a wage.
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What did the extra strike money plus the collapse in production do?
Turned inflation into hyperinflation.
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Which people found themselves penniless to hyperinflation?
People with savings or on a fixed income.
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Who was quickly to blame?
Weimar politicians.
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Name 3 types of people who benefitted from hyperinflation.
1) Foreigners - could change dollars or pounds for millions of marks. 2) Businessmen - Who borrowed money could pay off debts. 3) Farmers - Rise in price of food due to food shortages.
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Who became chancellor in the summer of 1923?
Gustav Stresemann.
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What did he do?
Steady things and introduced new currency.
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What enabled an economic recovery the following year?
New currency and loans from USA.
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What is a Republic?

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Card 3

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What was the 'Weimar Republic'?

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Card 4

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What is an 'armistice'?

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Card 5

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What is a 'Constituent Assembly'?

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