What political crisis in October to November 1918 helped bring down the Kaiserreich?
Naval mutiny
The Kiel mutiny triggered wider revolution and exposed the collapse of imperial authority.
Which German Emperor abdicated in November 1918?
Kaiser Wilhelm II
His abdication marked the end of the German monarchy and cleared the way for a republic.
Which politician proclaimed the German Republic in November 1918?
Philipp Scheidemann
He acted before a more radical socialist republic could be declared by the far left.
Which party was the main moderate socialist force at the birth of Weimar?
SPD
The Social Democratic Party played the leading role in establishing the new republic.
Fill in the blank:
The constitution of the new German republic was drawn up at _____
Weimar
Berlin was too unstable, so the National Assembly met in Weimar.
What was the elected parliament of the Weimar Republic called?
Reichstag
It was chosen by proportional representation.
Which office held important emergency powers under Article 48?
President
The President could rule by decree in times of crisis.
What voting system was used for Reichstag elections in Weimar Germany?
Proportional representation
It was democratic but often produced fragmented parliaments and unstable coalitions.
Give one strength of the Weimar Constitution.
Universal suffrage
It gave the vote to all adult men and women aged 20 and over.
Give one weakness of the Weimar Constitution.
Article 48
Emergency powers could be abused and undermined parliamentary democracy.
True or False:
The Weimar Constitution created a system with no democratic features.
False
It was highly democratic in many respects, despite important structural weaknesses.
What term is used for the belief that Germany had not really been defeated militarily in 1918?
Stab-in-the-back myth
Nationalists used it to blame civilians, socialists and Jews for defeat.
What did many Germans expect from the peace settlement in 1919?
Fair treatment
Instead, many were shocked by the harshness of the terms imposed.
Which treaty formally ended the war between Germany and the Allies in 1919?
Treaty of Versailles
It was deeply unpopular in Germany and became a source of lasting resentment.
What clause of the Treaty of Versailles placed blame for the war on Germany?
War guilt clause
Article 231 was especially offensive to German opinion.
What were reparations?
Compensation payments
Germany was required to pay for damage caused by the war.
What happened to Germany’s armed forces under the peace settlement?
They were reduced
The army was limited and conscription was banned.
What happened to Germany’s territory under the Treaty of Versailles?
Territorial losses
Germany lost land in Europe and all of its overseas colonies.
True or False:
Most Germans welcomed the Treaty of Versailles as a fair compromise.
False
It was widely condemned as a dictated peace and a national humiliation.
What was one major post-war problem facing the German economy after 1918?
Heavy debt
War costs, reparations and disruption left Germany in a weak economic position.
What happened to prices in Germany in the early post-war years before 1923?
Inflation rose
The government increasingly relied on printing money to meet its obligations.
What is hyperinflation?
Runaway inflation
Money rapidly lost value, making savings and wages almost worthless.
Fill in the blank:
The worst German hyperinflation crisis occurred in _____
1923
By late 1923 prices were rising at an extreme and chaotic rate.
Why did France and Belgium invade the Ruhr in 1923?
Reparations default
Germany had fallen behind on deliveries and payments required under Versailles.