THE EARLY YEARS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC
THE PEACE NOTE
The civilian response:
• A shocking blow: this was the rst time that the German people had learnt about the hopeless
military situation that their country was in.
• Unpopularity of the Kaiser: it undermined the peoples respect for the Kaiser and his military
and political leaders.
• Strike at Friedrichsafen: on 22nd October had workers shouting; ‘the Kaiser is a scoundrel’
and ‘up with the German Republic’.
The military and naval response:
• Naval mutiny at Wilhelmshaven and Kiel: were cruisers refused to obey orders. It became the
beginning of a much broader revolutionary movement.
Wilsons reply and demands:
1. Germany must evacuate all occupied territory.
2. Germany must call and end to all submarine warfare.
3. Germany must fully democratic its political system.
THE OCTOBER REFORMS
Following recommendations from Ludendor , the Kaiser began a series of reforms that e ectively
ended his autocratic rule. The reforms included:
1. The appointment of Prince Max von Baden as chancellor
2. The chancellor was made responsible for the Reichstag.
3. He established a new government based on majority parties in the Reichstag, including the
SPD.
4. The armed forces were put under the control of the civil government.
• A ‘revolution from above’: these reforms were a major constitutional transformation in
Germany. The ‘revolution from above’ was designed to save humiliation from Germany as well
as save the Kaiser’s rule.
THE NOVEMBER REVOLUTION OF 1918:
1. 3rd November, unrest in the navy: spread to the navy base at Kiel.
2. 4th November, revolt spread to cities and worker and soldier councils are established
similar to the Soviets in Russia and their communist revolution!
3. 6th November, worker and soldier council revolts were all over Germany, advocating for
the abdication of the Kaiser and the establishment of a democratic republic.
4. 8th November, republic proclaimed in Bavaria and the Bavarian monarchy was deposed.
William Carr: ‘it was a decisive moment in the German revolution’.
5. 9th November, Max’s resignation, abdication of the Kaiser and Schidemann’s declaration
of a German republic all occurred on this day. Freidrich Ebert (leader of the SPD) succeeded
Prince Max. Groener told the Kaiser the army would no longer support him. Ebert proclaimed
himself as ‘imperial chancellor’ and declared his goal to bring peace.
fi ff ff
, EVENTS IN BAVARIA 1919
Context of Bavaria:
• Bavaria was one of the oldest and largest states of Imperial Germany.
• It had been a separate independent state before the German states were uni ed by Bismark in1871.
• However, even after 1871, Bavaria kept its monarchy and had special rights and privileges.
What happened in 1918?
• In 1918, King Louis III of Bavaria was deposed, and the Socialists proclaimed Bavaria to be an
independent Socialist state.
• Kurt Eisner of the USPD led the Bavarian republic.
What happened in February 1919?
• Kurt Eisner was assassinated and the Bavarian state government ed.
• The Communists declared a soviet republic in Bavaria in April 1919.
What happened in May 1919?
• The army and the Freikorps were called upon to restore order and remove the Communist threat from
Bavaria in May 1919.
• During ‘the White Terror’ hundreds of Communists were shot.
What had happened by September 1919?
• The free state of Bavaria was created within the Weimar Republic with its own minister- president,
Johannes Ho mann.
What event occurred in Bavaria 1920?
• Ho mann resigned, and the conservative Gustav Von Kahr replaced him.
• Kahr provided a safe haven in Bavaria for right-wing extremists.
EBERT’S STRUGGLE FOR POWER
Why did Ebert struggle for power?
1. Struggle to maintain law and order: his authority did not extend much further than Berlin.
2. The autocratic constitution: was embedded into the German citizens. It had been drew up
by Otto Von Bismarck 1871.
3. Lack of governmental legitimacy: Ebert was not a revolutionary, he believed in evolutionary
change through majority votes. Though being chosen as chancellor by Max, he had come to
power through a revolutionary act and was cautious that his government lacked legitimacy.
ff
ff fl fi
THE PEACE NOTE
The civilian response:
• A shocking blow: this was the rst time that the German people had learnt about the hopeless
military situation that their country was in.
• Unpopularity of the Kaiser: it undermined the peoples respect for the Kaiser and his military
and political leaders.
• Strike at Friedrichsafen: on 22nd October had workers shouting; ‘the Kaiser is a scoundrel’
and ‘up with the German Republic’.
The military and naval response:
• Naval mutiny at Wilhelmshaven and Kiel: were cruisers refused to obey orders. It became the
beginning of a much broader revolutionary movement.
Wilsons reply and demands:
1. Germany must evacuate all occupied territory.
2. Germany must call and end to all submarine warfare.
3. Germany must fully democratic its political system.
THE OCTOBER REFORMS
Following recommendations from Ludendor , the Kaiser began a series of reforms that e ectively
ended his autocratic rule. The reforms included:
1. The appointment of Prince Max von Baden as chancellor
2. The chancellor was made responsible for the Reichstag.
3. He established a new government based on majority parties in the Reichstag, including the
SPD.
4. The armed forces were put under the control of the civil government.
• A ‘revolution from above’: these reforms were a major constitutional transformation in
Germany. The ‘revolution from above’ was designed to save humiliation from Germany as well
as save the Kaiser’s rule.
THE NOVEMBER REVOLUTION OF 1918:
1. 3rd November, unrest in the navy: spread to the navy base at Kiel.
2. 4th November, revolt spread to cities and worker and soldier councils are established
similar to the Soviets in Russia and their communist revolution!
3. 6th November, worker and soldier council revolts were all over Germany, advocating for
the abdication of the Kaiser and the establishment of a democratic republic.
4. 8th November, republic proclaimed in Bavaria and the Bavarian monarchy was deposed.
William Carr: ‘it was a decisive moment in the German revolution’.
5. 9th November, Max’s resignation, abdication of the Kaiser and Schidemann’s declaration
of a German republic all occurred on this day. Freidrich Ebert (leader of the SPD) succeeded
Prince Max. Groener told the Kaiser the army would no longer support him. Ebert proclaimed
himself as ‘imperial chancellor’ and declared his goal to bring peace.
fi ff ff
, EVENTS IN BAVARIA 1919
Context of Bavaria:
• Bavaria was one of the oldest and largest states of Imperial Germany.
• It had been a separate independent state before the German states were uni ed by Bismark in1871.
• However, even after 1871, Bavaria kept its monarchy and had special rights and privileges.
What happened in 1918?
• In 1918, King Louis III of Bavaria was deposed, and the Socialists proclaimed Bavaria to be an
independent Socialist state.
• Kurt Eisner of the USPD led the Bavarian republic.
What happened in February 1919?
• Kurt Eisner was assassinated and the Bavarian state government ed.
• The Communists declared a soviet republic in Bavaria in April 1919.
What happened in May 1919?
• The army and the Freikorps were called upon to restore order and remove the Communist threat from
Bavaria in May 1919.
• During ‘the White Terror’ hundreds of Communists were shot.
What had happened by September 1919?
• The free state of Bavaria was created within the Weimar Republic with its own minister- president,
Johannes Ho mann.
What event occurred in Bavaria 1920?
• Ho mann resigned, and the conservative Gustav Von Kahr replaced him.
• Kahr provided a safe haven in Bavaria for right-wing extremists.
EBERT’S STRUGGLE FOR POWER
Why did Ebert struggle for power?
1. Struggle to maintain law and order: his authority did not extend much further than Berlin.
2. The autocratic constitution: was embedded into the German citizens. It had been drew up
by Otto Von Bismarck 1871.
3. Lack of governmental legitimacy: Ebert was not a revolutionary, he believed in evolutionary
change through majority votes. Though being chosen as chancellor by Max, he had come to
power through a revolutionary act and was cautious that his government lacked legitimacy.
ff
ff fl fi
