IBSL2 SGQ1 9/8/09

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
To what extent is there a set of circumstances that will predict the rise of a single party state?



GERMANY: Modern World History p. 301-309


Why did the Weimar Republic fail?


A. Disadvantages
1. why was Versailles "humiliating" and "unpopular"?
i. arms limitations

ii. reparations

iii. war guilt clause

2. who did people generally believe should run the country?

i. the army

were the German people justified in the view? why/why not?

ii. no, because the reason they wanted the army to be in charge was because the people thought the democrats had betrayed the army by signing the Versailles Treaty when in fact it was a general who requested the armistice.

3. what weaknesses existed in the Weimar parliamentary system?

i. there were so many groups that no party could ever win an overall majority.

ii. no party was able to carry out its programme.

4. why did the political parties have no experience?

i. before 1919, the Chancellor had supreme authority, there was no need for other parties and debates.

how did the political parties deal with their bitter rivalries?

ii. they created private armies



B. Outbreaks of Violence
1. Sparticists

i. who was behind it?

the communists, led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg

ii. how bad was it?

it proved that the government was weak enough to be relying on forces they couldn't control

iii. how was it defeated?

the uprising was put down and the leaders clubbed to death without trial.

2. Kapp Putsch

i. who was behind it?

the government and the Freikorps and Dr Wolfgang Kapp
ii. how bad was it?

the government couldn't put it down and the capital came to a standstill as workers went on strike

iii. how was it defeated?

the governments rise back to office and Kapp is imprisoned while it takes 2 months to disband the Friekorps.

3. assassinations

i. who was behind it?
ex-Freikorps

ii. how bad was it?
communist leaders are killed off, the republic is crippled

4. Beer Hall Putsch

i. who was behind it?
Hitler and Ludendorff

ii. how bad was it?

not so bad

iii. how was it defeated?
Hitler is sentenced to 5 years but gets off in 9 months

5. private armies

i. who was behind it?
Nazis and Communists

ii. how bad was it?

pretty bad, the police and government are now powerless against the private armies

iii. how was it defeated?
it wasn't

C. Economic problems
1. why was Germany facing bankruptcy?

war expenses

2. what was the problem with the reparations payments?

they couldn't pay them

3. how did France attempt to deal with the reparations issue?

they occupied the Ruhr

E. Nazi popularity


1. how did the Nazis propose to fulfill their promises?

i.get rid of Marxists

ii.Get rid of the Versailles Treaty

2. i.What was the SA?
storm troopers

ii. Why was the SA so popular?

they provided uniform and pay

3. Where did the fear of communism come from?

wealthy landowners and industrialists

4. What were Hitler's political abilities?

i.energy

ii.will power

iii.a gift for public speaking

iv.the latest forms of communication
5. What kinds of people supported the Nazis?
working and lower middle classes