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History - Germany - Coggle Diagram
History - Germany
The Weimar Republic
1918-29
The Weimar Constitution
Strengths:
Proportional Representation made sure that small parties had seats
Women allowed to vote as well as men
Voting age reduced from 25 to 21
No one group/person could have too much power
Election every 7 years
central gov more powerful but local gov still had power
Reichsrat regulate power of Reichstag by delaying new laws
Weaknesses:
Proportional representation led to coalition govs that were unstable, difficult to run/make policies & often fell apart
Lack of strong gov led to use of Article 48 which meant passing laws without consent of the Reichstag
Not the choice of the people, so was unpopular
Why Was The Republic Unpopular?
The Treaty of Versailles
Reparations:
£6.6 billion
Military:
Army limited to 10,000 - 6 battleships - 0 submarines - No air force - No military allowed in the Rhineland
Land:
Germany lost 13% of its European territory & 11 colonies
Dolchstoss:
many Germans believed they were winning the war and that they were 'stabbed in the back', forced to surrender
Germans blamed the new republic for signing it, naming them the 'November Criminals' as it was signed in November 1918
Challenges from Left & Right
The Spartacists:
Left Wing
Backed by Soviet Union
Led by rosa Luxemburg & Karl Liebknecht
Based in Berlin
Jan 1919
took over the govs' newspaper & telegraph bureau
:arrow_down:
Weimar gov used Freikorps to shut down the revolt
Spartacists leaders shot
The Kapp Putsch:
Right Wing
Freikorps
March 1920
Led by Wolfgang Kapp
Marched on Berlin & army refused to help stop the revolt
Gov organised a strike that caused chaos in Berlin meaning Kapp could not rule & fled
The Freikorps:
Right Wing
Ex-soldiers who kept their weapons
250,000 men in March 1920
Organised by regular army
Political Assassinations:
376 in early years & some right-wing extremist used the murders to weaken the republic. Conservative judges gave light punishments
Hyperinflation
Hitler's Rise to Power
1919-33
Nazi Control & Dictatorship
1933-39
Life in Nazi Germany
1933-39