Kaiser Abdication
1918
- Near end of war, Germany on brink of military occupation
- Kiel naval mutiny sparked protest and mutinies across the country
- There was a call for Kaiser to abdicate, blamed him for losing war
- Ebert became president day after abdication
1919 Establishment of Weimar Republic
- Lots of opposition:
- Ex officials, soldiers ( angry government surrendered)
- Communists (wanted russian-style dictatorship)
- Kaiser supporters (wanted kaiser monarchy)
Proportional representation
- Lots of representation/visibility (even if only 1 seat)
- But also gave small, extremist parties a voice/exposure
- Coalitions would fall part as they would disagree on bigger, serious matters
Current Leaders
● Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Wilson
Treaty of Versailles
- War Guilt - humiliating
- Reparations
- Limited armed forces
- Public angry, called politicians who signed ‘November Criminals’
- Some politicians who said Germany had no choice were assassinated
Spartacist Uprising
- Luxemburg + Liebknecht tried to form separate communist government in
Berlin, and revolt by cutting off some communication centres and
encouraging strikes
- Ebert used Friekorps
- Leaders assassinated - seen as martyrs for cause + communism support
grew after their deaths
Kapp Putsch
1920 - Ebert tried to disband 2 Friekorps units
- Units all unified and marched through Berlin declaring Dr Kapp their leader
- Army didn’t fight against them as they sympathised
- Ebert called on public to go on strike, they did, city stopped working
- Kapp fled and Friekorps disbanded
- Ebert has public’s support but not army’s
1918
- Near end of war, Germany on brink of military occupation
- Kiel naval mutiny sparked protest and mutinies across the country
- There was a call for Kaiser to abdicate, blamed him for losing war
- Ebert became president day after abdication
1919 Establishment of Weimar Republic
- Lots of opposition:
- Ex officials, soldiers ( angry government surrendered)
- Communists (wanted russian-style dictatorship)
- Kaiser supporters (wanted kaiser monarchy)
Proportional representation
- Lots of representation/visibility (even if only 1 seat)
- But also gave small, extremist parties a voice/exposure
- Coalitions would fall part as they would disagree on bigger, serious matters
Current Leaders
● Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Wilson
Treaty of Versailles
- War Guilt - humiliating
- Reparations
- Limited armed forces
- Public angry, called politicians who signed ‘November Criminals’
- Some politicians who said Germany had no choice were assassinated
Spartacist Uprising
- Luxemburg + Liebknecht tried to form separate communist government in
Berlin, and revolt by cutting off some communication centres and
encouraging strikes
- Ebert used Friekorps
- Leaders assassinated - seen as martyrs for cause + communism support
grew after their deaths
Kapp Putsch
1920 - Ebert tried to disband 2 Friekorps units
- Units all unified and marched through Berlin declaring Dr Kapp their leader
- Army didn’t fight against them as they sympathised
- Ebert called on public to go on strike, they did, city stopped working
- Kapp fled and Friekorps disbanded
- Ebert has public’s support but not army’s
