Hyperinflation Constitution Passive resistance Ebert Munich Putsch Ruhr

Hyperinflation Constitution Passive resistance Ebert Munich Putsch Ruhr Wolfgang Kapp President Kaisser Stab in the back Hyper inflation Freikorps Ruhr Reparations Reichstag Spartacists

Hot Seat – 1 minute! Defeat of World War 1 Treaty of Versailles Political Violence Invasion of the Ruhr Hyper inflation

What was the most serious threat to the Weimar Government from 1919 -1924? L/O: To rank importance of threats To show the problems are interlinked Treaty of Versailles Political Violence Invasion of the Ruhr Hyper inflation Defeat of WW 1

Rank and link! 1) Think about the importance and seriousness of each threat to the government and place them in order in your book to show them from the LEAST to the MOST important. 2) Can you explain why you have put the threats where you have? 3) Can you link any of your factors together – try to show each factor is connected to another 4) Is there a factor which is connected to most of the others – what could you say about this threat?

Exam style questions What political problems existed in Germany in the period 1918– 20? (4) What were the powers of the President under the Weimar Constitution? (4) Why was 1923 a year of crisis for the Weimar Republic? (6) Why was the Spartacist Uprising unsuccessful? (6)

A fab answer! Following the armistice of November 1918 one of the immediate political problems was that of devising a new constitution for Germany. The Kaiser had abdicated and the main political parties in the Reichstag wanted to set up a democratic republic. To ensure maximum public support for this, the Weimar Constitution introduced universal suffrage and a voting system of proportional representation for Reichstag elections. Unfortunately this resulted in a succession of unstable, short-lived coalition governments. The Weimar governments also had to contend with continuing economic and financial crisis and the discredit that resulted from their signing of the unpopular Treaty of Versailles. There were left- and right-wing attempts to overthrow the Weimar government from the very beginning. The Spartacists, inspired by the Bolsheviks, led a rebellion in December 1918/January 1919 while Wolfgang Kapp led a revolt supported by the Freikorps in March 1920. During the latter putsch the government was handicapped by the position of neutrality taken up by the German army.

I can …… q Describe the Spartacist Uprising and explain why it failed. q Understand the role and activities of the Freikorps, 1919– 20. q Describe the Kapp Putsch and explain why it failed. q Identify the main features of the Weimar Constitution. q Explain why the Weimar Republic faced a crisis in 1923. q Understand the nature and impact of the 1923 hyperinflation.

1923 – What’s going on? Due Monday 17 th January A new extreme group has set up in Germany and it is your job to report on them they are called. . . The Nazi Party! Report on: - Hitler’s background - Hitler’s qualities - His and his parties beliefs - The methods he uses