Flashcards on Germany After WWI: The Weimar Republic
Germany After WWI: The Weimar Republic - Key Facts & History
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History of the Weimar Republic
14 cards
Card 1
Question: What political changes led to the end of Imperial Germany in 1918?
Answer: Defeat in the war, Allied demands for more democracy, the Kaiser's abdication, and the German Revolution of 1918, which led to the Kaiser's departure
Card 2
Question: Who became the leader of the new government after the Kaiser's abdication, and what did he do immediately?
Answer: Friedrich Ebert became Chancellor (and later President) and, with the cooperation of the army, signed an armistice with the Allies and announced refor
Card 3
Question: Why is it called the Weimar Republic, and what determined its success?
Answer: It was named because the constituent assembly met in the small city of Weimar instead of Berlin due to violence. Its success depended on the constitut
Card 4
Question: What was the basic structure of the political system according to the Weimar Republic's constitution?
Answer: It was a federal republic with a President as head of state, a Chancellor responsible for day-to-day affairs, a Reichstag elected by universal suffrag
Card 5
Question: What was Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution?
Answer: A provision that allowed the President to use emergency powers to pass decrees without the Reichstag's approval in times of crisis.
Card 6
Question: What requirement did the Chancellor have to pass new laws in the Reichstag?
Answer: He needed the support of half of the Reichstag to pass new laws.
Card 7
Question: What problem did the system of proportional representation create in the Reichstag?
Answer: It led to many parties holding seats and made it difficult for any one party to gain a majority, which forced the formation of coalitions with smaller
Card 8
Question: Briefly describe the main political leanings in Germany between 1919 and 1933.
Answer: The moderate left (socialists and liberals) supported democracy; the far-left (communists) sought a workers' revolution; the conservative right defend
Card 9
Question: Who were the Spartacists, and what happened to their rebellion?
Answer: A communist group led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg who sought a government of soviets; Ebert used the army and the Freikorps to suppress them
Card 10
Question: How did Ebert react to the communist insurrections, and what effect did this have on his party?
Answer: He used harsh measures, relying on the army and the Freikorps to suppress them, which created lasting resentment among communists towards his own soci