Syllabus Effects Details
Abdication of the • End of WWI • Allies insisted on the abdication of the Kaiser
Kaiser and the • Creation of the before making peace with Germany saying they
German Weimar Republic would only negotiate with ‘representatives of the
Revolution of people’ -> calls from the German people for
1918-19 Kaiser Wilheim II to abdicate (mutinies &
protests e.g. Kiel Mutiny 25 October 1918) ->
armistice signed two days after his abdication,
marking an end to WWI
• A day after the abdication of the Kaiser a
republic was set up with Friedrich Ebert (leader
of the SDP) at its head -> govt. would
continually suffer criticism for forcing the
Kaiser’s abdication and prematurely ending the
war
Weimar Republic • Establishment of a • Elections for a new National Assembly held on
(1919) democratic 19 January 1919 -> 82% of the electorate voted
political system in the elections and ‘the Weimar Republic’ was
• Rise in political formed -> Weimar Constitution promised civil
instability and liberties (freedom of speech & religion and
extremism equality) to all German citizens -> all men and
women over twenty given the vote and a
parliamentary democracy was set up
• Weimar Constitution implemented a system of
proportional representation in the Reichstag ->
weak coalitions formed (1919-23 seven different
chancellors due to failing coalitions ) ->
disagreements between parties (esp. extremists
KPD (FL) and DNVP (FR)) made it difficult to
pass laws meaning the problems facing the
nation could not be effectively addressed ->
revolts against the govt. i.e. Spartacist Uprising
and Kapp Putsch
Treaty of • Increased political • Treaty became known as the ‘diktat’ as Germany
Versailles instability had no choice but to sign it even though they
(28th June 1919) • Harmed the were not invited to the peace negotiations ->
German economy reduction of the army to 100,000 men resulted in
the Kapp Putsch -> politicians blamed for
signing the Treaty as people in Germany
believed the army could have continued fighting
-> those who had agreed to the treaty were seen
as having stabbed Germany in the back
(‘Dolchstoss’) and they became known as the
‘November Criminals’
• ToV imposed heavy reparations on Germany
which was already nearly bankrupt by the war ->
reparations total was set at £6600 million (£100
million annually + 25% of all exports) -> the
ToV also meant Germany lost 13% of its
European territory (inc. almost 50% of its iron
reserves and 15% of its coal reserves) -> loss of
resource rich lands made it even harder for
Germany to pay the reparations -> economy
placed in an impossible situation -> led to
hyperinflation
, Spartacist Uprising • Govt. popularity • Govt. found it difficult to suppress the uprising
(January 1919) and authority as the ToV had limited the army to 100,000 men
weakened -> Ebert and his defence minister, Gustav Noske,
• Extremist groups had to persuade units of volunteer soldiers, the
gathered strength Freikorp, to aid them -> the force of 250,000
soon ended the revolt on 15th January, murdering
the leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl
Liebknecht -> Ebert’s party the SDP fell by over
half compared to Jan. 1919 in the following
elections in June 1920 -> appeared weak as
could not govern on their own authority -> 1919-
22, 376 political assassinations occurred
• The govt.’s reliance on external support proved
that it was weak -> encouraged groups to
continue to challenge its authority and try and
overthrow it -> Kapp Putsch in March 1920 and
Munich Putsch in Nov. 1923
Kapp Putsch • Govt. popularity • Govt. was forced to appeal to the German people
and authority for support as the army refused to stop the
weakened Freikorps as they felt sympathy for them ->
• Extremist groups encouraged the people to go on general strike
gathered strength (12 million responded and did not go to work) ->
eventually ended the Putsch as Kapp realised he
did not have enough support -> govt. officials,
inc. Ebert, had fled to Dresden, further
showcasing their weakness Ebert’s party the SDP
fell by over half compared to Jan. 1919 in the
following elections in June 1920 -> appeared
weak as could not govern on their own authority
-> 1919-22, 376 political assassinations occurred
• The govt.’s reliance on the people to stop the
Putsch and the fact they did not have the support
of the army made them appear weak ->
encouraged extremist groups to continue to
challenge its authority and try and overthrow it -
> Munich Putsch in Nov. 1923
French occupation • Brought the • Govt. seen to resist the French and were
of the Ruhr Weimar Republic providing strike pay to those following the
(January 1923) temporary Policy of Passive Resistance -> 7.5 trillion marks
popularity given to workers and factories as compensation -
• Further worsened > the invasion united Germany against the
the state of the French and Belgians
German economy • Worsened hyperinflation (had already begun to
fund reparation payments) -> Germany lost
income as industrial products were being taken
from the Ruhr (80% of German coal and iron
based in this region) by the French and Belgians
-> disruption increased Germany’s debts,
unemployment and shortages -> shortages,
decrease in tax revenue and paying workers on
strike accelerated hyperinflation
Hyperinflation • Decline in govt. • Weimar Republic blamed for the issues caused
popularity by hyperinflation -> shortages worsened as
• Ordinary citizens foreign suppliers refused to import goods as
lost savings and would not accept marks as payment -> prices
pulled into poverty rose rapidly throughout Germany (at a higher
rate than wages) -> bread cost 1 mark in 1919
Abdication of the • End of WWI • Allies insisted on the abdication of the Kaiser
Kaiser and the • Creation of the before making peace with Germany saying they
German Weimar Republic would only negotiate with ‘representatives of the
Revolution of people’ -> calls from the German people for
1918-19 Kaiser Wilheim II to abdicate (mutinies &
protests e.g. Kiel Mutiny 25 October 1918) ->
armistice signed two days after his abdication,
marking an end to WWI
• A day after the abdication of the Kaiser a
republic was set up with Friedrich Ebert (leader
of the SDP) at its head -> govt. would
continually suffer criticism for forcing the
Kaiser’s abdication and prematurely ending the
war
Weimar Republic • Establishment of a • Elections for a new National Assembly held on
(1919) democratic 19 January 1919 -> 82% of the electorate voted
political system in the elections and ‘the Weimar Republic’ was
• Rise in political formed -> Weimar Constitution promised civil
instability and liberties (freedom of speech & religion and
extremism equality) to all German citizens -> all men and
women over twenty given the vote and a
parliamentary democracy was set up
• Weimar Constitution implemented a system of
proportional representation in the Reichstag ->
weak coalitions formed (1919-23 seven different
chancellors due to failing coalitions ) ->
disagreements between parties (esp. extremists
KPD (FL) and DNVP (FR)) made it difficult to
pass laws meaning the problems facing the
nation could not be effectively addressed ->
revolts against the govt. i.e. Spartacist Uprising
and Kapp Putsch
Treaty of • Increased political • Treaty became known as the ‘diktat’ as Germany
Versailles instability had no choice but to sign it even though they
(28th June 1919) • Harmed the were not invited to the peace negotiations ->
German economy reduction of the army to 100,000 men resulted in
the Kapp Putsch -> politicians blamed for
signing the Treaty as people in Germany
believed the army could have continued fighting
-> those who had agreed to the treaty were seen
as having stabbed Germany in the back
(‘Dolchstoss’) and they became known as the
‘November Criminals’
• ToV imposed heavy reparations on Germany
which was already nearly bankrupt by the war ->
reparations total was set at £6600 million (£100
million annually + 25% of all exports) -> the
ToV also meant Germany lost 13% of its
European territory (inc. almost 50% of its iron
reserves and 15% of its coal reserves) -> loss of
resource rich lands made it even harder for
Germany to pay the reparations -> economy
placed in an impossible situation -> led to
hyperinflation
, Spartacist Uprising • Govt. popularity • Govt. found it difficult to suppress the uprising
(January 1919) and authority as the ToV had limited the army to 100,000 men
weakened -> Ebert and his defence minister, Gustav Noske,
• Extremist groups had to persuade units of volunteer soldiers, the
gathered strength Freikorp, to aid them -> the force of 250,000
soon ended the revolt on 15th January, murdering
the leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl
Liebknecht -> Ebert’s party the SDP fell by over
half compared to Jan. 1919 in the following
elections in June 1920 -> appeared weak as
could not govern on their own authority -> 1919-
22, 376 political assassinations occurred
• The govt.’s reliance on external support proved
that it was weak -> encouraged groups to
continue to challenge its authority and try and
overthrow it -> Kapp Putsch in March 1920 and
Munich Putsch in Nov. 1923
Kapp Putsch • Govt. popularity • Govt. was forced to appeal to the German people
and authority for support as the army refused to stop the
weakened Freikorps as they felt sympathy for them ->
• Extremist groups encouraged the people to go on general strike
gathered strength (12 million responded and did not go to work) ->
eventually ended the Putsch as Kapp realised he
did not have enough support -> govt. officials,
inc. Ebert, had fled to Dresden, further
showcasing their weakness Ebert’s party the SDP
fell by over half compared to Jan. 1919 in the
following elections in June 1920 -> appeared
weak as could not govern on their own authority
-> 1919-22, 376 political assassinations occurred
• The govt.’s reliance on the people to stop the
Putsch and the fact they did not have the support
of the army made them appear weak ->
encouraged extremist groups to continue to
challenge its authority and try and overthrow it -
> Munich Putsch in Nov. 1923
French occupation • Brought the • Govt. seen to resist the French and were
of the Ruhr Weimar Republic providing strike pay to those following the
(January 1923) temporary Policy of Passive Resistance -> 7.5 trillion marks
popularity given to workers and factories as compensation -
• Further worsened > the invasion united Germany against the
the state of the French and Belgians
German economy • Worsened hyperinflation (had already begun to
fund reparation payments) -> Germany lost
income as industrial products were being taken
from the Ruhr (80% of German coal and iron
based in this region) by the French and Belgians
-> disruption increased Germany’s debts,
unemployment and shortages -> shortages,
decrease in tax revenue and paying workers on
strike accelerated hyperinflation
Hyperinflation • Decline in govt. • Weimar Republic blamed for the issues caused
popularity by hyperinflation -> shortages worsened as
• Ordinary citizens foreign suppliers refused to import goods as
lost savings and would not accept marks as payment -> prices
pulled into poverty rose rapidly throughout Germany (at a higher
rate than wages) -> bread cost 1 mark in 1919
