SGQ5 9/21/09

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. arm limitations
ii. repartions
iii. war guilt clause
2. who did people generally believe should run the country?
i. army and the 'officer classes'
were the German people justified in the view? why/why not?
ii. No bec ause it was the General, in which they all believe should run the country who asked for an armist and it was the army that was deafted in the war so everything the people thought should run the government failed on them.
3. what weaknesses existed in the Weimar parliamentary system?
i.unporportional represantation
ii. parties were not able to caryy out their programs
4. why did the political parties have no experience?
i. before 1919 Reichstag had not controlled policy and so the parties had trouble adjusting to the new system and the Reichstag had trouble giving parties a clear lead as to what to do.
how did the political parties deal with their bitter rivalries?
ii. They made up private armies for self defense, which tended to lead to violence outbreaks and attempts to overthrow the republic
B. Outbreaks of Violence
1. Sparticists
i. who was behind it?
the communists and they were led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
ii. how bad was it?
The Sparticists occupied almost every major city in Germany. They also made the President beisieged to chancellor.
iii. how was it defeated?
The Freikorps went in with the German military to help regain control then the communist leaders who led the party were clubbed to death and did not have a free trial.
2. Kapp Putsch
i. who was behind it?
The right-wings and the Freikorps
ii. how bad was it?
They managed to gain enough control that they placed a new chancellor into power and occupy Berlin.
iii. how was it defeated?
The workers of Berlin striked and came to help the Social Democrat government and this paraylized the capital. The chancellor resigned and the government regained control. The only person punished because the government was so weak was Kapp who went to jail for two months>The Freikorps were disabanded but even after the members of this group remained hostile towards the repubulic.
3. assassinations
i. who was behind it?
Ex-Freikorps memebers and the right-wingers took sympathy with them.
ii. how bad was it?
They assainted Walter Rathenau a Jewish foreign minister and Gustav Erzberger who was the leader of the armistice delefation. The government was unable to intervine due to the right-wing sympathy.
4. Beer Hall Putsch
i. who was behind it?
Hitlers armies and Gerneral Ludendorff
ii. how bad was it?
Pretty bad because they took control of the Bavarian state government in Munich then later lead a "national revolution" to overthrow the government in Berlon. But the revolution was short lived because the armies broke it up.
iii. how was it defeated?
The governments armies broke up Hitlers march and Hitler was sentenced nine months in jail because the Bavarian authroites had sympathyu with his aims.
5. private armies
i. who was behind it?
The Nazis and Comunnists
ii. how bad was it?
The police were unable to prevent attacks and it created much violence in the streets causing the government to look like they had no control.
iii. how was it defeated?
The view towards a stron authortarian government was in favor because the need to maitain strict public order was needed.
C. Economic problems
1. why was Germany facing bankruptcy?
enormouse expenses from war
2. what was the problem with the reparations payments?
Germany was unable to make the annual payments of money so they requested a suspension
3. how did France attempt to deal with the reparations issue?
French troops occupied the Ruhr and attempted to steal goods.
E. Nazi popularity
1. how did the Nazis propose to fulfill their promises?
i. military force
ii. rebirthing the nation
2. i.What was the SA?
It was one of Hitlers secret armies.
ii. Why was the SA so popular?
It was small and secretive but it overtook many armies such as the Reichswehr and this shoed power which Germany needed.
3. Where did the fear of communism come from?
From the previous problems Germany had with the communist party and its effects on the dying republic.
4. What were Hitler's political abilities?
i. public speaking
ii.propagenda
iii.eliminating employment
iv. power and enthusim
5. What kinds of people supported the Nazis?Thos that were unemployed favored Hitler beacause jobs came up along with wealthy industrualists an dbusniessmen beacuse of the oppurtinites that the Nazis gave them. The farmers also were in favor the Nazis because of the fixed prices Hitler issued and the fact that there farm was herditary and it stayed in the family debt-free.