11 mark
Who was the ruler of Germany during the First World War?
Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Friedrich Ebert.
Adolf Hitler.
Von Papen.
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The Weimar Republic 1918-29 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Exam Questions
21 mins21 questions21 mark
What was the name of the government created in Germany after the Kaiser abdicated?
The First Reich.
The Third Reich.
The German Democratic Republic.
The Weimar Republic.
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31 mark
Which country’s leader wanted the Treaty of Versailles to be harshest on Germany?
Georges Clemenceau of France.
Woodrow Wilson of the USA.
David Lloyd George of Britain.
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
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41 mark
What was the most hated term of the Treaty of Versailles by the German people?
Germany gaining new colonies.
The ‘War Guilt’ Clause.
The reduction of Germany’s army to 100,000 men.
Membership to the League of Nations.
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51 mark
Who were the “November Criminals”?
The Kaiser’s government that started the First World War.
The army that signed the Armistice.
The Third Reich who signed the Concordat.
The Weimar politicians who signed the Treaty of Versailles.
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61 mark
Which political party was involved in the Spartacist Uprising of 1919?
The SPD
The NSDAP
The KPD
The DNVP
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71 mark
Who were the Freikorps?
A left-wing group supporting the Weimar government.
A right-wing group of ex-soldiers.
A moderate party advocating for democracy.
The Weimar Republic’s army.
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81 mark
What was the main reason for the failure of the Kapp Putsch in 1920?
The intervention of the Reichswehr.
A general strike by the workers
Support from the Freikorps.
The return of the Kaiser to Germany.
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91 mark
What strategy did the Weimar government encourage in response to the French occupation of the Ruhr?
Violent resistance against France by the workers in the Ruhr.
Negotiations with France to increase coal production.
Full cooperation with the French and Belgian troops.
Passive resistance, including strikes and sabotage.
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101 mark
Study Interpretation 1 and 2. What is the main difference between these two interpretations of the challenges facing the Weimar Republic between the years 1919 and 1923?
Interpretation 1: From The Weimar Republic, 1918 - 1924 by M. Rathbone, published in 2013.
Some democratic parties did support the Weimar Republic. However, powerful political groups on both the Left and Right refused to accept the existence of the Weimar Republic. They were prepared to destroy it by force and replace it with their own form of government. They took action against the Republic very soon after it was created. This made it difficult for the new government to maintain order and govern Germany. |
Interpretation 2: Fromm Alpha History, a history website.
The hyperinflation which happened in 1923 forced the Weimar government to fear for its own existence. After the French had occupied the Ruhr, the industrial workers had gone on strike. The Weimar government supported the strikers by printing more paper money in order to pay them. As the strike continued, the government could not find a solution and simply printed more money. This ruined the economy. People talked openly about removing the government by a popular revolution or a military putsch. |
Interpretation 1 states that the main challenge was its failure to control the industrial workers on strike in the Ruhr whereas, Interpretation 2 states that the main challenge was the Weimar Republic’s inability to govern Germany.
Interpretation 1 states that the main challenge was its failure to maintain order in Germany whereas Interpretation 2 states that the main challenge came from people talking openly about removing the Weimar government.
Interpretation 1 states that the main challenge came from the political groups from the left and right whereas Interpretation 2 states the main challenge came from hyperinflation.
Interpretation 1 states that the main challenge came from the democratic parties that did support the Weimar Republic whereas Interpretation 2 states the main challenge came from the Weimar government’s fear for its own existence.
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111 mark
Study Source C. What is the purpose of this source?
Source C: From an interview with a German woman in 1974. She was a factory worker during the early years of the Weimar Republic. Here she is recalling the hyperinflation of 1923.
You got paid at the end of every day. You had to spend it straight away because the next day your wages would only be worth half as much as the day before. Money was literally not worth the paper it was printed on. Many people who had their savings in a bank account lost all the money they had managed to scrape together. We asked ourselves, ‘How can that happen? How is it that the government can’t control this inflation which wipes out the life savings of most people?’. We never got an answer that meant anything. After the hyperinflation, people didn’t trust the government anymore. |
To entertain those reading the interview.
To preserve the memories and perspectives of individuals.
As propaganda, to persuade German people that hyperinflation was bad.
To educate students at a GCSE level about hyperinflation.
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11 mark
What economic consequences did the terms of the Treaty of Versailles have on Germany?
The German government printed more money to help pay for the reparations. This resulted in hyperinflation.
The German government encouraged the German workers to protest so they did not have to pay the £6.6 billion in reparations. This led to the strikes in the Ruhr.
Germany was left bankrupt because they lost territory which reduced their ability to trade and pay the £6.6 billion in reparations.
Germany fell into a Great Depression because they borrowed money from Switzerland to help pay their reparations.
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21 mark
What caused many political groups to have private armies from 1919 - 1923?
There were 376 political assassinations between 1919 and 1923, and private armies were created to keep politicians safe.
There were 352 political assassinations between 1919 and 1923, and private armies were created to break strikes on behalf of private businesses in Germany.
There were 346 political assassinations between 1919 and 1923, and private armies were created to assassinate the opposition.
There were 332 political assassinations between 1919 and 1923, and private armies were created to stop uprisings in Germany.
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31 mark
What was the main cause of the hyperinflation crisis in Germany in 1923?
The collapse of the German banking system.
The excessive printing of money by the Weimar government.
The refusal of the workers to strike in the Ruhr.
A global economic depression.
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41 mark
Which of the following was not a negative consequence of proportional representation in Germany?
Proportional representation meant that achieving over 50% of the vote was difficult.
Proportional representation caused coalition governments which were slow to pass legislation.
The extreme left and right parties attacked the coalition governments in the Reichstag and caused disruption.
Moderate parties refused to join together to form a coalition, which resulted in more elections.
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51 mark
Study Source B. During which historical event was this photograph taken?
Source B: A photograph published in a German newspaper in March 1920. It shows Freikorps soldiers in Berlin near the Reichstag building.
The Sparticist Uprising.
The Kapp Putsch.
The Munich Putsch.
The Berlin Uprising
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11 mark
What significant negative impact did hyperinflation have on the middle classes in Germany?
They were able to pay off their debts easily.
They lost their life savings, insurance policies and pensions.
Their wages increased faster than the cost of living.
They gained more political power and influence.
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21 mark
What was important about the structure of the Weimar Constitution?
The Constitution gave the people the power to elect members of the cabinet every two years.
The Constitution gave the people the power to elect the Chancellor every four years.
The Constitution gave the people the power to elect the President every seven years.
The Constitution gave the people the power to elect members of the Reichstag every five years.
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31 mark
Why was Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution significant?
It gave the Chancellor the power to pass emergency laws without the support of the cabinet or the President.
It gave the Chancellor the power to pass emergency laws without the support of the Reichstag or the President.
It gave the President the power to pass emergency laws without the support of the Länder.
It gave the President the power to pass emergency laws without the support of the Reichstag.
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41 mark
Study Source C. How helpful is this source to a historian studying the challenges to the Weimar Republic in the years 1919 - 1923?
Source C: From an interview with a German woman in 1974. She was a factory worker during the early years of the Weimar Republic. Here she is recalling the hyperinflation of 1923.
You got paid at the end of every day. You had to spend it straight away because the next day your wages would only be worth half as much as the day before. Money was literally not worth the paper it was printed on. Many people who had their savings in a bank account lost all the money they had managed to scrape together. We asked ourselves, ‘How can that happen? How is it that the government can’t control this inflation which wipes out the life savings of most people?’. We never got an answer that meant anything. After the hyperinflation, people didn’t trust the government anymore. |
Source C is helpful to a historian because it shows why the people of Germany did not trust the Weimar Republic any more as they failed to control inflation.
Source C is helpful to a historian because it shows the effects that hyperinflation had on a factory worker, during hyperinflation
Source C is somewhat helpful because the factory worker lived during hyperinflation. It is also unreliable because the factory worker wrote down her experiences in 1974.
Source C is not helpful to a historian as it does not mention the Weimar Republic.
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51 mark
Study Interpretation 2 and Source C. Interpretation 2 discusses the challenges the Weimar Republic faced due to hyperinflation. How does Source C support Interpretation 2?
Interpretation 2: From Alpha History, a history website
The hyperinflation which happened in 1923 forced the Weimar government to fear for its own existence. After the French had occupied the Ruhr, the industrial workers had gone on strike. The Weimar government supported the strikers by printing more paper money in order to pay them. As the strike continued, the government could not find a solution and simply printed more money. This ruined the economy. People talked openly about removing the government by a popular revolution or a military putsch. |
Source C: From an interview with a German woman in 1974. She was a factory worker during the early years of the Weimar Republic. Here she is recalling the hyperinflation of 1923.
You got paid at the end of every day. You had to spend it straight away because the next day your wages would only be worth half as much as the day before. Money was literally not worth the paper it was printed on. Many people who had their savings in a bank account lost all the money they had managed to scrape together. We asked ourselves, ‘How can that happen? How is it that the government can’t control this inflation which wipes out the life savings of most people?’. We never got an answer that meant anything. After the hyperinflation, people didn’t trust the government anymore. |
Source C supports interpretation 2 as they both mention the same date, 1923.
Source C supports Interpretation 2 as it shows the people of Germany’s dislike and distrust of the Weimar Republic over the issues caused by hyperinflation.
Source C does not support Interpretation 2. Source C states that the German people did not trust the government, whereas Interpretation 2 states that people were openly discussing a revolution against the government.
Source C supports Interpretation 2 as they both state that hyperinflation happened in 1974. This resulted in many Germans losing their money and workers going on strike.
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