electorate

1. STARTER – match the words/phrases below to the meanings shown on the table handout. Write each word/phrase into the empty column on the table handout. electorate seats President majority Article 48 appointed universal suffrage Chancellor Reichstag constitution This one has been done for you!

2. GERMANY REVISION SESSION 1 • What you need to know about…… • The Weimar Constitution • The key features of the Weimar Constitution • The weaknesses of the constitution • Left wing and right wing uprisings 1919-20 • The Spartacist Rising 1919 • The Kapp Putsch 1920 • Causes • Key features • Why they failed • Why they made Germany difficult to govern

3. Key features of the Weimar Constitution

4. What were the weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution?

5. Can you explain why Article 48 was a potential weakness in the constitution, using these words/phrases? Reichstag dictator President national emergency 7 years undemocratic

6. Proportional Representation in the German Reichstag In Weimar Germany, each party received a number of seats in the Reichstag based upon the % of votes they received in Reichstag elections. This is called proportional representation. This meant that lots and lots of parties were represented in the Reichstag. No party had a majority so the major parties shared power. This is called a coalition government. It was very difficult to pass any laws as the parties struggled to agree on anything. Can you explain what proportional representation was, and why it made law making difficult?

7. The 6 mark ‘describe’ question Describe the key features of the Weimar Constitution. (6 marks) One key feature of the Weimar Constitution was Article 48. This was a law that said in an emergency the president can make laws without the support of the Reichstag. Another key feature of the constitution was it allowed suffrage to all men and women over 20. Every 4 years the public would elect members of the Reichstag and every 7 years people were to elect a new president. The president could choose a chancellor who had the support of a majority within the Reichstag. 6/6 marks • THE EXAMINER SAYS…. • 2 key features are described and supported with knowledge. • The student has defined these key features accurately. • The student has not made the mistake of including unnecessary detail or explanation – eg. they haven’t got side-tracked into explaining the weaknesses of the constitution.

8. The Weimar Constitution has also come up in 16 markers….. • Was the effect of reparations the main reason why the Weimar Republic found it difficult to govern Germany in the years 1919–24? • The effect of reparations • Attacks on the government by Left and Right wing political parties • The French Occupation of the Ruhr • The weaknesses in the Constitution • For an A grade answer, you need to • explain how 3 of the bullet points made/didn’t make Germany difficult to govern. What would you say about the weaknesses of the constitution? • write a conclusion comparingthe importance of all three. How could you argue that the constitution was the main reason why Germany was difficult to govern? Revision tip – check out 16 marker questions on your past paper Qs list. Plan out A grade conclusions for common questions as part of your revision.

9. The Spartacist Uprising 1919 and the Kapp Putsch 1920: which one’s which?

10. Right wing Left wing Centre Want a revolution to put the workers in charge of Germany – this had already happened in Russia in 1917. Think that democracy weakens a country. Bitter about Germany losing the war/the TOV/the SITB myth. Want a single, strong ruler running Germany, not a democracy. Want to restore law and order to Germany. Believe in democracy. The Social Democrats The Communists/ Spartacists The Freikorps

11. Spartacist Rising or Kapp Putsch March? (a) Decide which uprising the following words and phrases describe; (b) can you explain their relevance? opposed by leaders Ludendorff & Luddwitz right-wing government Luxemburg & Liebknecht general strike Lack of support from other left wing groups German army March 1920 Jan 1919 100 killed Freikorps 100,000 Treaty of Versailles

12. Explain how the Weimar Republic dealt with attacks from left wing and right wing groups in the years 1919-22. (8 marks) To get B or above on explain howqs, try to give an overview/the big picture at the end of each paragraph. Focus on how the uprisings were dealt with, not telling the story of what happened With all 8 markers, aim for 2 points

13. Explain how the Weimar Republic dealt with attacks from left wing and right wing groups in the years 1919-22. (8 marks) • One way in which the WR dealt with attacks from the left and right was by using force to crush uprisings and weaken extremist groups. For example, when the Spartacists tried to seize power in January 1919, Ebert ordered the Freikorps to crush the uprising. The Spartacists lacked support from other left wing groups, and they only managed to seize control of a few buildings. Nevertheless, the Freikorps hated communism, and were glad of the opportunity to weaken the left wing. They murdered 100 Spartacists and, without permission from the government, murdered the two leaders of the party, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.This defeated the uprising because without their leaders the Spartacists were even less able to coordinate the uprising. However, by asking the political enemies of the Spartacists to crush the uprising, the Weimar Republic had put their future into the hands of the Freikorps, who could not be trusted to support the Weimar Republic. • In 1920, the Freikorps themselves tried to seize power. This led to another way in which the WR dealt with attacks from left and right - by calling on the people to launch a general strike……