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The Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic. Lesson starter: What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?. Today we will…. Revise the terms of the Treaty of Versailles Understand the public reaction to the treaty in Germany Identify the problems facing the new government. Terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

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The Weimar Republic

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  1. The Weimar Republic Lesson starter: What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

  2. Today we will… • Revise the terms of the Treaty of Versailles • Understand the public reaction to the treaty in Germany • Identify the problems facing the new government

  3. Terms of the Treaty of Versailles • Germany lost land and colonies • Germany had to pay reparations • Rhineland demilitarised • Anschluss banned • Disarmament (Army & Navy reduced, Air Force and conscription banned) • War Guilt Clause

  4. Introduction… • Germany lost the war for several reasons • The biggest party in the Reichstag (parliament) thought the allies would be kinder to a more democratic Germany • It was decided the Kaiser should abdicate…

  5. Now the Kaiser had gone, Germany needed people to run the country • The German people voted for a new National Assembly • It was very democratic – meaning that the people had a say in what happened

  6. Weimar Republic Clips • http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-wstablishment-of-the-weimar-republic/2434.html - beginning of • http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/why-were-the-germans-unwilling-to-support-the-weimar-republic/2437.html - lack of support • http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/why-was-the-weimar-republic-weak/3267.html - weaknesses

  7. Friedrich Ebert was the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) • They were the biggest political party in Germany • The democratic parties like the SPD were left to form a government after the Kaiser and generals fled • They were forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty – the Treaty of Versailles • They became known as the ‘November Criminals’for signing it. • This was because the Germans hated the terms of the treaty

  8. The New parliament met in the town of Weimar for a short time as Berlin was in the middle of a violent revolution • The new democracy was named The Weimar Republic. • They agreed on the new rules – the constitution - that would make Germany a better country

  9. Lesson Starter • Why did the German Government of 1919 meet in Weimar instead of Berlin? • Why did many Germans hate the Weimar Government from the start? • Who were the “November Criminals”?

  10. The Weimar Constitution (rules)

  11. Vocabulary • Democracy – when the people have a say in the running of the country • Abdicate – step down as King/ Queen • November Criminals – the German government members who signed the Treaty of Versailles • Weimar Republic – the government of Germany 1919 - 1933

  12. Problems facing Weimar • . Problems facing the Weimar government

  13. Treaty of Versailles • Their first job was to sign the Treaty of Versailles which made them very unpopular with the German people

  14. Germans didn’t like democracy • Many Germans had been told what to do by the Kaiser and his Generals. • Suddenly they had democracy with lots of elections, 35 political parties and lots of different governments. • Many Germans hated democracy, didn’t trust politicians and wanted to go back to the old ways of running the country.

  15. Reparations • Germany had been punished with a huge fine called reparations which was £6.6 billion pounds (£6,600,000,000) • The Weimar Government had to start paying reparations, leaving them little money to spend to rebuild Germany.

  16. Presidential Power The President had a lot of power: • He chose the government and Chancellor. • He could dismiss the government. • He could rule without the Reichstag in an emergency. • He had control of the army. • He could potentially become a Dictator

  17. Germany as a country • There would be many crises over the next five years which would be a challenge for any country. But Germany was poor because of the war, it had a new democratic government it didn’t trust and it had lots of extremists who said the answer was a violent revolution.

  18. How Useful question • Source A is from a newspaper article in Germany following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Source A The German people have been stabbed in the back and it is the politicians who are to blame. It is they who have humiliated the great German people. It is they who have caused the crumbling of the great German empire. It is they who have signed this despicable treaty. • How useful is Source A as evidence of the German reaction to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles? 4 marks

  19. Today we will… • Revise the terms of the Treaty of Versailles • Understand the public reaction to the treaty in Germany • Identify the problems facing the new government

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