The birth of the Weimar Republic Cambridge IGCSE History revision
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In plain words
Germany's first democracy was born in the worst week of its history. The army was beaten, the Kaiser had run away, sailors were in revolt and people were starving. The men who took charge were blamed for all of it.
9 things to know
- By autumn 1918 Germany was losing the war. The Allied naval blockade had caused severe food shortages, and the army was in retreat.
- In late October 1918 sailors at the naval base of Kiel refused to obey orders. The mutiny spread, and workers and soldiers took control of towns across Germany.
- On 9 November 1918 the Kaiser abdicated and fled to the Netherlands. Germany became a republic. Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the Social Democrats, became its head.
- On 11 November the new government signed the armistice that ended the war. Its enemies never forgave it for that.
- In 1919 an elected assembly met in the town of Weimar, because Berlin was too violent. It drew up a new constitution, and Ebert became the first president.
- The Weimar Constitution was very democratic. All men and women over 20 could vote. The parliament, called the Reichstag, was elected by proportional representation, in which each party got seats in proportion to its votes.
- The president was elected every seven years. He appointed the chancellor, who led the government. Under Article 48 the president could rule by decree in an emergency, without the Reichstag.
- Weaknesses: proportional representation produced many small parties, so governments were weak coalitions that often fell. Article 48 could be misused.
- Many judges, civil servants and army officers had served the Kaiser and disliked the Republic. The army saw itself as loyal to Germany, not to the new government.
Worked example
Explain why the Weimar Constitution made it hard to govern Germany. This is a 6-mark question.
- Proportional representation: with seats shared out exactly by votes, no party could win a majority, so every government was a coalition.
- Coalitions were unstable: the parties disagreed and governments kept collapsing, so decisions were slow in a crisis.
- Article 48: when the Reichstag was deadlocked, presidents ruled by emergency decree, which weakened democracy itself.
Tips and tricks
- Two features of the constitution to learn above all: proportional representation and Article 48. Almost every question on Weimar's weakness uses one of them.
- The order of events in November 1918: mutiny, abdication, republic, armistice. The Republic signed the armistice, so it took the blame for the defeat.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
The birth of the Weimar Republic: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What happened on 9 November 1918?
The armistice followed two days later.
Who was the first president of the Weimar Republic?
He was the leader of the Social Democrats.
What did Article 48 allow?
It let a president bypass the Reichstag.
Why did the assembly meet in Weimar?
The Republic took its name from the town.
Why did proportional representation lead to weak governments?Stretch
No single party could govern alone.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 14 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
The birth of the Weimar Republic
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 · 14 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What were the main features of the Weimar Constitution?[4]
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Any four: all adults over 20 could vote; the Reichstag was elected by proportional representation; the president was elected every seven years; the president appointed the chancellor; Article 48 allowed the president to rule by decree in an emergency; the rights of citizens were guaranteed.
Why was there a revolution in Germany in November 1918?[6]
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Germany was losing the war, and the army was in retreat. The Allied blockade had caused severe shortages of food, and people were hungry and exhausted. Sailors at Kiel mutinied, and the revolt spread to workers and soldiers across the country. The Kaiser lost the support of the army, and abdicated.
What problems did the new Republic face in 1918 and 1919?[4]
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Any four: it was blamed for signing the armistice; there were shortages of food; there was violence in the streets from the left and the right; the army, judges and civil servants were not loyal to it; it had to accept the Treaty of Versailles.
Answers: The birth of the Weimar Republic
- 1. Any four: all adults over 20 could vote; the Reichstag was elected by proportional representation; the president was elected every seven years; the president appointed the chancellor; Article 48 allowed the president to rule by decree in an emergency; the rights of citizens were guaranteed.
- 2. Germany was losing the war, and the army was in retreat. The Allied blockade had caused severe shortages of food, and people were hungry and exhausted. Sailors at Kiel mutinied, and the revolt spread to workers and soldiers across the country. The Kaiser lost the support of the army, and abdicated.
- 3. Any four: it was blamed for signing the armistice; there were shortages of food; there was violence in the streets from the left and the right; the army, judges and civil servants were not loyal to it; it had to accept the Treaty of Versailles.