WEIMAR GERMANY INTERACTIVE 1918-1933 GCSE MODERN WORLD HISTORY WEIMAR GERMANY INTERACTIVE 1918-1933 WHY DID THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC COLLAPSE IN 1933?

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THE WEIMAR CONSTITUTION 5 This animation shows how Germany was governed under the new constitution, the Weimar Constitution. A constitution sets out who has power and how this power was to be used. Germany needed a new constitution because it had changed from a monarchy to a republic. Judges President was elected for 7 years The army Germany under the Weimar Republic was a democracy. Peoples’ rights were protected by what was called the fundamental law. Reichstag [Parliament] Chancellor was elected for 4 years The election system was proportional representation. Article 48 gave the President the power to rule without parliament. Ministers The German parliament or Reichstag GCSE Modern World History Weimar Germany 1918-1933

The Treaty of Versailles Weimar Germany political problems 1918-1923 Signing the armistice and the defeat in the First World War The Freikorps and lack of law and order Revolts against the government Government ministers were assassinated The Treaty of Versailles Problems with the new Weimar Constitution POLITICAL PROBLEMS 6 The election system of PR and coalition governments. The government was unpopular, ’November Criminals’. The new republic got off to a bad start. The Weimar government had serious political problems to deal with between 1919 and 1923. The German people were convinced by the army that they could have carried on fighting in the war but the government had ‘stabbed them in the back’ by signing the armistice. The government was called ‘November criminals’. Things got even worse when they signed the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Germans were outraged that they lost 10% of their land and had to pay £6,600 million in reparations. They blamed the Weimar government and Ebert for this. Ex-soldiers expressed their anger by keeping their weapons and forming Freikorps groups. They demanded to have the Kaiser back and killed government ministers like Walther Rathenau. The Weimar constitution had several fundamental weaknesses. The voting system of proportional representation meant that small parties existed and coalition governments had to be formed. Members of the government often argued between themselves. WEIMAR GERMANY POLITICAL PROBLEMS Political problems are problems to do with how the country is governed. They include law and order, popularity of the government and the election system. This diagram is a summary of the political problems faced by the Weimar government between 1918 and 1923. The Treaty was hated and the government was blamed. The government was unable to control the army. People showed they hated the government by murdering ministers. There were 3 revolts to try to overthrow the government. GCSE Modern World History Weimar Germany 1918-1933

GCSE Modern World History Weimar Germany 1918-1933 Think about the answer yourself first. A suggested answer is on the next page. 10 2 1 EXPLANATION When you explain, you give detail to say why something is important or has happened. It is different from description which is saying what you see in the cartoon. For example the cartoonist had a reason for showing Germans in the way he did. Explanation is a difficult skill. If you can do it in an exam you will get a high grade. 5 7 The Transparent Dodge Germany “Help! I Drown! Throw me the life-belt” Mr Lloyd George [Britain] and Mr Briand [France] “Try standing on your feet” 4 6 GCSE Modern World History Weimar Germany 1918-1933