1. What were the problems faced by the Weimar Republic 1919-1923?

2. A Republic is born
Born against a background of defeat and national humiliation at Versailles.
Revolutionary activity and an economic crisis.
The legitimacy of the state was questioned by many of the country’s elite. Challenged by political extremists, communists, monarchists, ex- soldiers (Freikorps).

3. Was Ebert’s new government united?
25th November 1918, an agreement to a new election for a new national constituent assembly. There were many different views in the government of Ebert’s about Germany’s future:-
USPD- revolutionary party challenged the decision to hold elections, wanted workers to seize power.
SPD- a party that wanted a democratic Germany, did not want a revolution.

4. What agreement did Ebert make with the army?
Ebert made an agreement with General Groener. Ebert promised:-
a)The army supplies and protection of its status against the armed militias of the workers and soldiers council.
In return the army promised to put down revolutionary activity with force.
Ebert turned to the army in order to defeat the more radical USPD and the German Communist party (KPD) and the sparticists.

5. What happened in the Spartacist Revolt?
1st January 1919 held their first congress in Berlin, with the support of other left wing groups they created the German Communist party (KPD).
A revolutionary uprising took place in Berlin on the 5th of January.
Newspaper offices were seized.
The uprising was poorly planned and crushed by troops from the army and Freikorps troops led by General Walther Von Luttwiutz.
15th January members of the army murdered Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.

6. Consequences of this....
Government were now tied to using anti-democratic forces- army/Freikorps to restore law and order.
Forces used to end violence, were often the ones that started it.

7. What was Red Bavaria in 1919?
February 1919 Kurt Eisner USPD leader was assassinated by a RW student.
This triggered a revolution in Bavaria- the Bavarian Soviet Republic was declared. Led by a communist Eugene Levine, a series of reforms were passed such as seizing property of the wealthy.
He raised a red army, who soon started rounding up right wingers and executed them.
In May 1919 the army and Freikorps sent 30,000 troops to Bavaria.
At the end of the fighting, Freikorps rounded up 800 communists including Levine and executed them.

8. What happened in the January 1919 election?
Elections were held. Those parties that supported parliamentary democracy, 76% of the electorate voted from them.
SPD-37.9% USPD 7.6%
Centre party 19.7% DDP %
Nationalist DNVP- opposed the new democracy and only got 10.3% of the vote.

9. What were Germany’s hopes of the Treaty of Versailles?
Germany hoped for a lenient peace treaty as the Kaiser had abdicated, and there was now a democratic government.
Germany did not take into account that they were not invited in the treaty discussions, that many allied countries wanted Germany punished, fact Germany could not fight on so would have to agree to the settlement.

10. What did the allies want from the Treaty of Versailles?
President Woodrow Wilson wanted creation of a league of nations
President Clemenceau was concerned about security, to ensure that Germany never again attacked France.
David Lloyd- argued against France annexing land, instead asking for the Rhineland to be demilitarised. Supported clause that Germany should be responsible for starting the war, so would be liable for reparations.

11. What was the actual settlement?
May 1919 treaty presented to horrified Germans. Great resentment at Article 231 ‘War Guilt’ clause and that it was harsher than Wilsons 14 points had originally suggested it would be.
Foreign Minister Count Brockdorff- Rantzau suggested open refusal of the treaty, as impossible to fulfil and would be very unpopular.
Chancellor Scheidemann spoke against it, and he and his government resigned.
German sailors scuttled their fleet in protest.

12. Who signed the treaty?
New government led by Chancellor Gustav Bauerof the SPD and vice chancellor Matthias Erzberger of the centre party.
Treaty signed on behalf of the German government on 28th June as no option.

13. What were the territorial losses?
20% of coal production and 15% of agricultural resources.
West Prussia and Posen given to Poland
Alsace-Lorraine to France
Memel to Lithuania/ Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium/Danzig was made a free port.
No self determination for the Germans.

14. Territorial losses continued...
Rhineland to be demilitarised zone, and to occupied by allies for 15 years.
Saar placed under the control of the League of Nations, and its rich coalfields controlled by France.
Kiel Canal open to all nations.
Anschluss (Union with Austria) forbidden.
All Germanys colonies to be handed over to the allies

15. What were the military terms?
Army-100,000 men
Navy- 6 battleships, 6 cruisers and 12 destroyers , no submarines.
No military aircrafts

16. Who was going to pay for the war?
Britain and France wanted Germany to pay for the war, as France had to be rebuilt, and money given to bereaved families.
Woodrow Wilson wanted Germany only to pay when it broken international law, such as for the invasion of |Belgium.
In April 1919 Woodrow Wilson agreed to British and French demands as afraid they would be voted out.
Reparations not set until in the meantime had to hand over many merchant ships and agree to the sale of German property in allied countries.

17. Why was it a Compromise Treaty?
Due to the differences between the leaders.
Wanted to limit Germany power, and contain Bolshevik Russia so could not break up Germany, and creation of a large Poland.
Although Germany humiliated, it did not threaten the existence of Germany, allowed a new Germany to be reborn. It could regain its status.

18. What was the Stab in the Back theory?
November 1919 Hindenburg gave evidence at a investigation committee into the treaty.
His testimony backed up suggestions of the right wing parties that the treaty should never have been signed. Even though it was Hindenburg and Ludendorff who suggested the armistice in September 1918.
He said the treaty was signed because of anti-patriotic sentiments by left wing politicians ‘November criminals’ who founded the Republic.
Blamed for the stab in the back of the armed forces that led to military collapse in 1918.

19. Who did the stab in the back theory help?
Stab in the back theory-Absolved the military from responsibility. Also played on the resentment of the treaty, and so gained support.
Nationalist DNVP-Jan %
June %
Helped Germans explain their defeat, it reduced support fro the Republic and the parties who created it.
Made the right wing believe in the morality of their illegal actions.

20. What was in the new Weimar constitution?
November 1918 Hugo Preuss given the job of creating a new constitution.
Difficult- had to ensure stability, debate over whether the Reichstag would get more power, civil rights, unitary or federal state.
31st July- federation of 18 states, each would have their own parliament (Lander).
President elected on a 7 year tenure with strong powers.
State a parliamentary democracy with the Chancellor and the Reich cabinet needing the support of the Reichstag.
Two houses in the Reichstag. Lower house to be elected once every 4 years. Upper house to be chosen by the regional parliaments, it could delay laws.

21. What was the new Voting system?
Each party draws up a list of candidates.
The electorate would vote for one list.
Each party received 1 seat in the Reichstag for every 60,000 votes for that party.
All men and women over 20 can vote.
SPD-argued this was the fairest system, the opponents of the SPD saw it was the best way to prevent SPD getting into power.
A bill of rights- guaranteed individuals freedoms of speech, ect.

22. Did the constitutions weaken the Republic?
Argument for- parliamentary government and civil liberties were not widely accepted. A compromise between most successful parties of the time.
Argument against-It reflected a broad spectrum of political opinion, even the DNVP.
Problem of the Weimar not its design but the way it was misused.

23. Was Proportional Representation a good system?
Up until 1923 a series of minority governments. Longest was 18 months.
Political instability- some say the majority system of voting would have worked better.
But:- PR accepted by most political parties.
Main political parties represented in the same way in the Reichstag, as had been in 1912.
The governments failed as parties chose not to work together and operate the system effectively.

24. What were the checks to power?
President elected by the people every 7 years, and could disband the Reichstag and dismiss the government. Therefore parliament could not start a dictatorship.
Article 48-could pass any decree in a emergency

25. What happened at the Kapp-Luttwitz Putsch 1920?
Right wing after the Versailles treaty wanted the government overthrown.
General Ludendorff was the figurehead and Wolfgand Kapp from the right wing and General Luttwitz from the Freikorps.
March defence minister ordered that certain brigades of the Freikorps disband in order to scale down the military. Some such as Luttwitz and demanded the resignation of President Ebert and the government.

26. What happened?
12th March- Night the Freikorps led by Luttwitz seized government district of Berlin.
Army ordered to act, but instead Head of the General Staff ordered the men to stay in Barracks.
Kapp declared chancellor, the government fled, but asked the workers to strike in defence of the republic.
The strike paralysed Berlin, and after 4 days the Kapp regime collapsed.

27. Consequences
Revealed the armies reluctance to support the republic and the problems with the Freikorps.
1 army officer imprisoned.

28. What happened in the Ruhr revolution of 1920?
15 March workers seized power and set up a government in Essen, as want to set up a Soviet state.
Government sent in the Freikorps to crush it.
Armies attack on the ‘red army’ was brutal with no prisoners taken. Anyone suspected of being involved was shot immediately. Ended on 7th April.

29. Were the left really a threat?
Revolution in Germany a key idea in Lenin’s foreign policy. Revolutions in Kiel and Bavaria.
The left weak and divided. Splits in the parties. KPD’s close links with the Soviet Union alienated many working class.
Attention on the left, when the real threat was the right.

30. Who was the new chancellor in June 1920?
Government led by Gustav Bauer collapsed, and Chancellor Muller of the SPD put in.
In June 1920 elections- the parties supporting the republic saw their votes collapse.
Majority of the Reichstag hostile to the new republic.
DNVP and USPD now opposed the government, SPD (largest party) fearful of working with other parties as do not want to alienate supporters.

31. Was there much Political violence?
After Kapp-Luttwitz many Freikorps brigades disbanded. Many ex members still opposed the republic.
Some joined secret organisations dedicated to using intimidation and violence against enemies. Many socialist did the same.
354 out of 376 political murders that took place between were right wing groups.
Many assassinations- Matthias Erzberger in August 1921, Foreign Minister Walter Rathenau in June Law to defend the republic created to deal with this, and special courts set up.

32. Did the Judiciary help the republic?
Leader of DNVP accused Erzberger of fraud and corruption, court found against Erzberger on dubious evidence.
Law for the protection of the Republic-July judiciary did not use it to its full, ignored in Bavaria.
Hitler given 5 years for high treason in 1924, for the Munich Putsch. Felix Fechenback a socialist given 11 years for violating a press law.

33. Did the army help the republic?
Attempts by socialists for a October revolution in Saxony stopped by promptly deployment of the army.
Munich Putsch-General Von Seeckt refused at first to send troops to stop this. In the end the Bavarian police stepped in.

34. What was decided about Reparations ?
January decided Germany would have to pay 226 millard marks. Germany refused and French troops occupied Dusseldorf, Duisburg, and Ruhrort.
In April 1921 the reparations committee decided on 132 millard gold marks, and an annual instalment of 2 ,000 million gold marks. Failure to agree would lead to the invasion of the Ruhr.
The German government resigned, and the next government accepted the reparations terms.

35. How strong economically was Germany?
Economic collapse in reparations had made a bad situation worse.
In 1919 the national debt was 144 millard marks, by millard marks.
July 1922 government asked to suspend reparations, this was refused. So started printing money

36. What was the Ruhr crisis in 1923?
The reparations committee said Germany had defaulted on reparations so the Ruhr was occupied by 60,000 Franco- Belgian troops in Jan 1923.
Germany was outraged and the workers in the mines started passive resistance/not working.
France and Belgium took over the mines, and Germany lost a lot of money, so printed more money.
Currency collapsed-M.C- savings destroyed

37. Who was the new chancellor in August 1923?
August 1923 a new government led by Gustav Stresemann made some changes.
In September payment of reparations was resumed.
New currency created.
New bank created.