Weimar summary
Germany before 1918
- ‘’stab in the back’’ – Germany hadn’t been defeated on the battlefield but by the pacifists and socialists who had
undermined the war effort. This weakened the morale and civilian govt from Oct 1918 failed to support the military
- led to revolution of Nov 1918 – November criminals
Creation of a German Republic
- 10th Nov 1918 = Council of People’s Representative was set up led by the socialist groups i.e. Ebert
- Ebert-Groener Agreement 10th Nov = army would support government as long as the government opposed the more
left wing ideas
- Stinnes-Leigen Agreement 15th Nov = agreement to set up ZAG; TU’s not to interfere with private ownership in return
for workers committee, 8 hr day and full legal recognition
- spartacist led uprising in Berlin in Jan 1919 so Ebert moved the govt to the small town of Weimar for safety
- Jan elections = 82.7% of electors voted and SPD didn’t get a majority – coalition with Centre Party and DDP
- Weimar Constitution passed by the National Assembly on 31 st July 1919
- article 48, article 109 and article 73
- Lander (local govt) =18 local regions i.e. Bavaria, run own education, police etc
- Reichsrat = members sent by 18 Lander
Overcoming challenges to the constitution
- 60,000 votes to gain a seat
- 1919 to end of 1923 – 9 coalitions
- article 48 made govt look in constant crisis
- 1924-29 German economy recovered and so reached agreements with other countries that began to restore its
position abroad
- as economy improved, social conditions improved, and political violence slowed down
Nature of support
- July 1932 = 84% voter turnout
- when govt got something right there was a rise in support – between 1924-1929 was a gain in support
- when the govt failed – rNazis won a rapid rise to power in the Reichstag
Treaty of Versailles
- signed by November Criminals on 28th June 1919
- £6,600 billion
- army reduced to 100,000
- responsibility for war – article 231
- lost all territory on all sides and split by the Nation of Poland ‘’Polish Corridor’’
- moderate compare to Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 imposed to the Russians
Political threats
- Spartacist Rising – 6th Jan 1919 50,000 workers on strike in Berlin. Over 100 killed including Liebknecht and Luxemberg.
Crushed by German army and right wing groups
- Kapp Putsch – March 1920 12,000 troops marched on Berlin and seized main buildings. Forced government out of
power but no overall outcome proposed to disband 2 bridges of the army. They called a strike in Berlin which paralysed
the country but fled after 4 days due to lack of authority
Germany before 1918
- ‘’stab in the back’’ – Germany hadn’t been defeated on the battlefield but by the pacifists and socialists who had
undermined the war effort. This weakened the morale and civilian govt from Oct 1918 failed to support the military
- led to revolution of Nov 1918 – November criminals
Creation of a German Republic
- 10th Nov 1918 = Council of People’s Representative was set up led by the socialist groups i.e. Ebert
- Ebert-Groener Agreement 10th Nov = army would support government as long as the government opposed the more
left wing ideas
- Stinnes-Leigen Agreement 15th Nov = agreement to set up ZAG; TU’s not to interfere with private ownership in return
for workers committee, 8 hr day and full legal recognition
- spartacist led uprising in Berlin in Jan 1919 so Ebert moved the govt to the small town of Weimar for safety
- Jan elections = 82.7% of electors voted and SPD didn’t get a majority – coalition with Centre Party and DDP
- Weimar Constitution passed by the National Assembly on 31 st July 1919
- article 48, article 109 and article 73
- Lander (local govt) =18 local regions i.e. Bavaria, run own education, police etc
- Reichsrat = members sent by 18 Lander
Overcoming challenges to the constitution
- 60,000 votes to gain a seat
- 1919 to end of 1923 – 9 coalitions
- article 48 made govt look in constant crisis
- 1924-29 German economy recovered and so reached agreements with other countries that began to restore its
position abroad
- as economy improved, social conditions improved, and political violence slowed down
Nature of support
- July 1932 = 84% voter turnout
- when govt got something right there was a rise in support – between 1924-1929 was a gain in support
- when the govt failed – rNazis won a rapid rise to power in the Reichstag
Treaty of Versailles
- signed by November Criminals on 28th June 1919
- £6,600 billion
- army reduced to 100,000
- responsibility for war – article 231
- lost all territory on all sides and split by the Nation of Poland ‘’Polish Corridor’’
- moderate compare to Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 imposed to the Russians
Political threats
- Spartacist Rising – 6th Jan 1919 50,000 workers on strike in Berlin. Over 100 killed including Liebknecht and Luxemberg.
Crushed by German army and right wing groups
- Kapp Putsch – March 1920 12,000 troops marched on Berlin and seized main buildings. Forced government out of
power but no overall outcome proposed to disband 2 bridges of the army. They called a strike in Berlin which paralysed
the country but fled after 4 days due to lack of authority
