The Weimar Republic Lesson starter: Who is the man on the right? What happened to him at the end of WWI?

Today we will… Identify the problems facing the new German government Explain how these problems made them very unpopular

I can… Complete a table outlining KU (K) and Analysis (A) of the problems facing the Weimar government

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles Germany lost land and colonies Germany had to pay reparations Rhineland demilitarised Anschluss banned Disarmament (Army & Navy reduced, Air Force and conscription banned) War Guilt Clause

Introduction… Germany lost the war for several reasons The biggest party in the Reichstag (parliament) thought the allies would be kinder to a more democratic Germany It was decided the Kaiser should abdicate…

Now the Kaiser had gone, Germany needed people to run the country The German people voted for a new National Assembly It was very democratic – meaning that the people had a say in what happened

The New parliament met in the town of Weimar as Berlin was full of violence They agreed on the new rules that would make Germany a better country

The Weimar Constitution (rules) Germany would be a Republic (have no King or Queen) It would be a Democracy (the people would have a say in running the country) all adults 20+ could vote A President would be elected every 7 years A Chancellor would be chosen by the President The Parliament (Reichstag) would be voted for by the German people Every German would have rights, such as the right to a fair trial and the freedom of speech Article 48 This meant the President could suspend all rules in case of an emergency and rule as a dictator There would be many different political parties that Germans could vote for (at one point 35!)

Lesson starter -copy Vocabulary Democracy – when the people have a say in the running of the country Abdicate – step down as King/ Queen November Criminals – the German government members who signed the Treaty of Versailles Weimar Republic – the government of Germany 1919 - 1933

Ebert was the leader of the Social Democrats They were the biggest political party in Germany He and some others signed the Treaty of Versailles as the Kaiser had left They became hated for this and their surrender in WWI and were known as the November Criminals

Problems facing the Weimar government

Treaty of Versailles Their first job was to sign the Treaty of Versailles which made them very unpopular with the people

Germans didn’t like politicians Many Germans trusted army men and Generals such as the Kaiser more than they trusted politicians

Reparations The Weimar Government had to start paying their reparations, leaving them little money to spend on other things like pensions

Presidential role The President had a lot of power and could potentially become a Dictator

Democracy Most Germans were confused by the new democratic system They didn’t understand the difference between parties or the voting system which was a proportional representation system

Task: Analysis Problem (Knowledge) Why was the Weimar government unpopular? (Analysis) Why support Hitler? The Treaty of Versailles The constitution (rules) Reparations payments The ‘Stab in the Back’ Theory Democracy