SGQ1

Why did the Weimar Republic fail?
A. Disadvantages
1. why was Versailles "humiliating" and "unpopular"?
i. It had arms limitations.
ii. It had reparations.
iii. It had the "war guilt clause".
2. who did people generally believe should run the country?
i. The "officer class," members of the army.
were the German people justified in the view? why/why not?
ii. They were not justified in this view because it was the general of the German Army himself who asked for an agreement.
3. what weaknesses existed in the Weimar parliamentary system?
i. It relied on proportional representation, so that no party was able to gain a majority and carry out its agenda.
ii. The parties of the lower house of Parliament, the Reichstag, now had the final say. However, they had little experience and were not good at compromising, so decisions were difficult to make.
4. why did the political parties have no experience?
i. Because prior to the Weimar parliamentary system, they were not in control; The chancellor had the final say.
how did the political parties deal with their bitter rivalries?
ii. The communists refused to work with the Democrats, who in turn built up private armies to defend themselves.

B. Outbreaks of Violence
1. Sparticists
i. who was behind it?
The communists.
ii. how bad was it?
They occupied every major city, and besieged the President.
iii. how was it defeated?
The government enlisted the Freikorps, an independent army, to help them defeat the Sparticists.
2. Kapp Putsch
i. who was behind it?
The right-wing groups, including the Freikorps.
ii. how bad was it?
The Freikorps had one of their men appointed Chancellor, and the German army didn't stop them.
iii. how was it defeated?
The workers went on strike, paralyzing the capital and allowing the weak governmet to take control.
3. assassinations
i. who was behind it?
The ex-Freikorps members.
ii. how bad was it?
The Jewish Foreign Minister and the leader of the armistice delegation were both killed, and the government was powerless to stop them.
4. Beer Hall Putsch
i. who was behind it?
Hitler and General Lunderdorff.
ii. how bad was it?
Hitler didn't manage to do much before his arrest.
iii. how was it defeated?
His band was broken up by the police, and he was sentenced to five years in prison (although he only served nine months).
5. private armies
i. who was behind it?
The Nazis and the Communists.
ii. how bad was it?
The government was powerless to stop the opposing armies from attacking each other.
iii. how was it defeated?
It wasn't.
C. Economic problems
1. why was Germany facing bankruptcy?
The huge cost of the war.
2. what was the problem with the reparations payments?
Germany didn't have enough money to continually pay the payments.
3. how did France attempt to deal with the reparations issue?
They occupied the Ruhr to get goods from factories and mines.
E. Nazi popularity

1. how did the Nazis propose to fulfill their promises?
i. Getting rid of the "real problems": Marxists, "November criminals," Jesuits, Freemasons and Jews.
ii. They promised to overthrow the Versailles settlement.
2. i.What was the SA?
Hitler's private army.
ii. Why was the SA so popular?
It gave young men a small wage and a uniform.
3. Where did the fear of communism come from?
From the Russian's Communism failure.
4. What were Hitler's political abilities?
i. Tremmendous energy.
ii.Will-power.
iii. A gift for public speaking.
iv. Use of modern communication: rallies, parades, radio, and film.
5. What kinds of people supported the Nazis?
The lower middle class, those most harmed by the economic crisis.