Upgrade to remove ads
Only $2.99/month

Weimar Republic 1919 to 1934

Terms in this set (28)

November 11th, 1918
The armistice that ended fighting in World War One
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Emperor of Germany during World War I, forced to abdicate the throne before the Armistice
Weimar Republic
Germany as a democracy with an elected president
Proportional system
Voting system that meant small parties gained seats in the Reichstag
Reichstag
German Parliament
Article 48
Allowed president to rule by decree in an emergency
Diktat
Germany forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles
Reparations
£6.6 billion to pay for war damage, announced April 1921
Dolchstoss
Stab in the back theory-- that German democratic politicians had agreed to end the war without the consent of the people-- theory favored by right-wing extremists.
November Criminals
German Leaders who signed Treaty of Versailles; slanderous term from right-wing extremists who believed the Dolchstoss
January 1919
Spartacist Revolt, German communist coup
Freikorps
Nationalist former German soldiers, used by the government to suppress left-wing uprisings
March 1920
Kapp Putsch, right-wing attempted coup
January 1923
Ruhr invasion by French and Belgian soldiers, due to non-payment of 2nd reparations bill
Ruhr
Industrial region of Germany
Hyperinflation
Money lost its value: mostly due to excessive printing of money by the government to cover wage costs; peak in November 1923
Gustav Stresemann
Germany's foreign minister, died in October 1929
Rentenmark
New German currency that helped stabilize the German economy starting in 1924
Dawes Plan
$24 billion US loan, 1924
Young Plan
Reduced reparations to £2 billion, 1929
27 February 1933
Reichstag fire, blamed on Dutch communist Van de Lubbe, propaganda made this communist threat larger and gave an excuse emergency action to suppress the KPD and imprison communists.
June 1934
Night of the Long Knives: SA leaders were arrested and killed for plotting against Hitler. He found them a liability since they wanted nationalisation of businesses and integration of army into SA. Helped Hitler secure his position with business and army
Ernst Röhm (1887-1934)
Loyal supporter of Hitler from the early days of the NSDAP, purged (killed) to lessen the threat of the paramilitary organization he headed and to appease the German army.
Reichstag Fire Decree
Decree for the Protection of People and State-- euphemistic naming for the action that used Article 48 to suppress the communist party in Germany.
March 1933
'Rigged' elections in which Nazis 44% were the largest party; KPD only 12.3%. Most communists had been imprisoned or at least prevented from campaigning by emergency powers, but the Nazis still didn't get an outright majority. However, they were able to make an alliance with other right wing parties to control the Reichstag.
Enabling Act
March 24, 1933: enabled Hitler to get rid of the Reichstag parliament and pass laws without reference to parliament
August 2, 1934
Hindenburg dies and Hitler becomes Fuhrer
30 January 1933
Hitler appointed chancellor
OTHER SETS BY THIS CREATOR