Leader of Germany: Date
Kaiser Wilhelm II 18 The End of WW1 and its Legacy
3 Nov 18 As Germany was losing WW1, German sailors at naval base Kiel refused orders to attack the British Royal Navy
This mutiny led to rebellions throughout Germany - led to the Kaiser's abdication
Short term impacts:
2mil German soldiers died and 4mil were injured (11mil fought)
Gov debt of 50bil marks to 150bil marks
More than 750k died from food shortages - the British had blockaded all German ports from 1916
Germany had once been famous for order + discipline, now infamous for civil unrest + disorder - country's pride attacked
Fall of the First Reich and the Abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II (Emperor)
9 Nov 18 Kaiser visited army headquarters in Spa, where ministers tried to persuade him to abdicate. Kaiser refused, army refused support to Kaiser so he must abdicate
10 Nov 18 The Kaiser fled to Holland
Revolution and the declaration of the republic
9 Nov 18 The German Republic declared by SDP member Philipp Scheidemann in Berlin from a window of a house
10 Nov 18 Friedrich Ebert suspended old Reichstag - forms temporary Council of People's Representatives
11 Nov 18 WW1 ends, the armistice was signed by the new gov and the Allies (Britain, France, USA)
The Origin of the Republic
Friedrich Ebert 19 Feb 19 The first election was held - the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) won by 37.5% of votes, Friedrich Ebert became the first Weimar president
11 Aug 19 The SPD drew up a new constitution of the Republic
The New Republic
President: head of the Weimar Republic, elected by all adults over 21 every 7 years, chose the Chancellor, Article 48: could pass laws without Reichstag during crisis
Chancellor: head of government, chose all government ministers
Cabinet: main decision-making body of the government
Parliament: made up of the Reichstag and Reichsrat, all laws had to be passed through both houses, proportional representation
Reichstag: more powerful of the two houses, controlled taxation, elected by the people every 4 years
Reichsrat: represented the regions of Germany - each region having a certain no of representatives depending on size, also elected every 4 years
Strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution
Strengths:
Proportional representation: every small parties had a few seats - a representative democracy
Voting system: both genders could vote, voting age reduced from 25 to 21, election every 7 years - genuine democracy, Bill of Rights (freedom of speech, equality) - huge improvement from previous military dictatorship, middle class having little say
Power of the Reichstag: no one group/person would have too much power, central gov was more powerful but local gov still had some power
Structure of government: Reichsrat could regulate power of the Reichstag by delaying new laws
Weaknesses:
Proportional representation: coalition governments were unstable/fell apart, lack of strong government meant Article 48 would be used
Challenges from Left and Right
The Spartacist Revolt (before the Treaty):
5 - 12 Jan 19 50k left-wing Communists from the Independent Socialist Party (Soviet support due to Commuist Bolshevik Revolution 1917) + 100k workers led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht rebelled in Berlin, taking over the gov newspaper and telegraph bureau
15 Jan 19 Ex-soldiers Freikorp troops defeated the Spartacist uprising, executing Luxemburg and Liebknecht
May 19 Freikorp troops completely crushed all Spartacist uprising
The early unpopularity of the Republic
The 'November criminals' - Due to the signing of the Armistice, people saw the government as traitors, as they had expected to win WW1 - 'stab in the back' theory
28 Jun 19 The Treaty of Versailles (BRAT) - called a 'Diktat' (enforced peace):
Term of blame: Article 231; Germany was humiliated, having to accept the blame for the war
Term of reparations: Germany had to pay £6.6 billion to Britain + France for damage in their countries, £6600 million each year
Term of armed forces: 100,000 army limit, 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats and no submarines, demilitarisation in the Rhineland (border to France) as a 'buffer zone'
Term of territory: all colonies were lost, Alsace-Lorraine back to France, Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium, France took coal from the Saar region, some Upper Silesia to Czechoslovakia, the Polish corridor to Poland, Baltic states independent - lost 13% European territory
Challenges from Left and Right
The Kapp Putsch (after/as a result of the Treaty):
The Treaty of Versailles meant that the army was significantly reduced and the Freikorps troops were disbanded - so feared unemployment
13 - 17 Mar 20 Nationalist politician Dr Wolfgang Kapp (studied law) led 250k right-wing Freikorps to march on Berlin with their weapons
The Freikorps were able to take over Berlin since the head of the army would not listen to Ebert to resist the Freikorps, so the gov organised trade unions to go on strike, causing chaos so Kapp fleed to Sweden
20 Mar 20 The Weimar ministers returned after the Kapp Putsch failed
Political assassinations - 376, eg June 22 Walter Rathaneau (foreign minister), Aug 21 Matthias Erzberger (finance minister)
Judges of the trials of the right-wing extremists preferred the Kaiser's gov, so gave light/no punishments to the terrorists
Hitler's early career
Jan 19 Hitler joined the German Worker's Party (DAP), led by Anton Drexler
Sept 19 Hitler first attended a DAP meeting, agreeing w the main views, eg Weimar was weak for accepting ToV, Jews were to blame for poor economy
Feb 20 Hitler became Drexler's right hand man, created the 25-point programme together
Jun 20 Hitler became the Party's leading public speaker + propagandist - led to membership increasing to 2000 by end of 1920
Aug 20 Hitler suggests renaming the group as National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) or Nazis, adopting the swastika as the emblem
21 Hitler elected Party Chairman and leader of the Nazis, becoming party Fuhrer
21 Hitler assembled the Sturmabteilung (SA)
Nov 23 As a result of the Munich Putsch, the membership of the Nazi party became 20k
Key Nazi beliefs in the 25-Point Programme:
The ToV should be abolished
All German-speaking people should be united in one country, Germany should expand - 'Lebensraum' need of 'living space'
Germany should be economically self-sufficient - an 'autarky'
Everybody should have a job, all citizens should have equal rights and duties
Germany should be ruled by a single leader with complete power rather than a democracy - a Fuhrer
The Aryan race was superior and Jews were 'subhuman'
No non-Germans in Germany (eg Jews, Communists) as they were a danger and should be destroyed
The Assembly of the SA
Hitler assembled a large group of unemployed men and former soldiers (viewed the government as 'Novermber criminals' as the Nazi private army: the Storm Troopers, nicknamed 'Brownshirts' after their uniforms
The role of the SA was to protect party meetings, march in Nazi ralles, intimidate political opponents by (violently) breaking up their meetings, led by Ernst Rohm
By 1932, the SA had 400k members
By 1933 when Hitler became Fuhrer, there were 2mil SA members - a job for unemployed men
The hyperinflation crisis of 1923 - a single loaf of bread was 200 trillion marks
Before 1923, more money was printed to pay for WW1 in 1914-18, then for reparations 1918-22, but Germany was still unable to pay back the reparations from the ToV
11 Jan 23 French troops invaded the Ruhr as reparation payment in goods + raw materials
The German workers in the Ruhr went on strike 'passive resistance' so 80% of German coal, iron + steel stopped production - a disaster for the German economy, French killed 132 Germans in the Ruhr
Nov 23 As the gov printed more money to pay strikers and for the loss of coal, iron + steel production, the German mark became worthless
Positive effects of hyperinflation: farmers benefited as they were paid more for food, some people + businesses could pay off loans + mortgages, fixed rents for rooms/shops became v cheap, foreign visitors could buy more using their money
Negative effects of hyperinflation: wages didn't rise as quickly as prices did, some businesses went bankrupt, people w fixed/monthly incomes (eg pensioners) suffered the most, savings became worthless - especially affecting the middle class
As a result, people blamed the Weimar gov, becoming even more unpopular
Kaiser Wilhelm II 18 The End of WW1 and its Legacy
3 Nov 18 As Germany was losing WW1, German sailors at naval base Kiel refused orders to attack the British Royal Navy
This mutiny led to rebellions throughout Germany - led to the Kaiser's abdication
Short term impacts:
2mil German soldiers died and 4mil were injured (11mil fought)
Gov debt of 50bil marks to 150bil marks
More than 750k died from food shortages - the British had blockaded all German ports from 1916
Germany had once been famous for order + discipline, now infamous for civil unrest + disorder - country's pride attacked
Fall of the First Reich and the Abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II (Emperor)
9 Nov 18 Kaiser visited army headquarters in Spa, where ministers tried to persuade him to abdicate. Kaiser refused, army refused support to Kaiser so he must abdicate
10 Nov 18 The Kaiser fled to Holland
Revolution and the declaration of the republic
9 Nov 18 The German Republic declared by SDP member Philipp Scheidemann in Berlin from a window of a house
10 Nov 18 Friedrich Ebert suspended old Reichstag - forms temporary Council of People's Representatives
11 Nov 18 WW1 ends, the armistice was signed by the new gov and the Allies (Britain, France, USA)
The Origin of the Republic
Friedrich Ebert 19 Feb 19 The first election was held - the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) won by 37.5% of votes, Friedrich Ebert became the first Weimar president
11 Aug 19 The SPD drew up a new constitution of the Republic
The New Republic
President: head of the Weimar Republic, elected by all adults over 21 every 7 years, chose the Chancellor, Article 48: could pass laws without Reichstag during crisis
Chancellor: head of government, chose all government ministers
Cabinet: main decision-making body of the government
Parliament: made up of the Reichstag and Reichsrat, all laws had to be passed through both houses, proportional representation
Reichstag: more powerful of the two houses, controlled taxation, elected by the people every 4 years
Reichsrat: represented the regions of Germany - each region having a certain no of representatives depending on size, also elected every 4 years
Strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution
Strengths:
Proportional representation: every small parties had a few seats - a representative democracy
Voting system: both genders could vote, voting age reduced from 25 to 21, election every 7 years - genuine democracy, Bill of Rights (freedom of speech, equality) - huge improvement from previous military dictatorship, middle class having little say
Power of the Reichstag: no one group/person would have too much power, central gov was more powerful but local gov still had some power
Structure of government: Reichsrat could regulate power of the Reichstag by delaying new laws
Weaknesses:
Proportional representation: coalition governments were unstable/fell apart, lack of strong government meant Article 48 would be used
Challenges from Left and Right
The Spartacist Revolt (before the Treaty):
5 - 12 Jan 19 50k left-wing Communists from the Independent Socialist Party (Soviet support due to Commuist Bolshevik Revolution 1917) + 100k workers led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht rebelled in Berlin, taking over the gov newspaper and telegraph bureau
15 Jan 19 Ex-soldiers Freikorp troops defeated the Spartacist uprising, executing Luxemburg and Liebknecht
May 19 Freikorp troops completely crushed all Spartacist uprising
The early unpopularity of the Republic
The 'November criminals' - Due to the signing of the Armistice, people saw the government as traitors, as they had expected to win WW1 - 'stab in the back' theory
28 Jun 19 The Treaty of Versailles (BRAT) - called a 'Diktat' (enforced peace):
Term of blame: Article 231; Germany was humiliated, having to accept the blame for the war
Term of reparations: Germany had to pay £6.6 billion to Britain + France for damage in their countries, £6600 million each year
Term of armed forces: 100,000 army limit, 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats and no submarines, demilitarisation in the Rhineland (border to France) as a 'buffer zone'
Term of territory: all colonies were lost, Alsace-Lorraine back to France, Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium, France took coal from the Saar region, some Upper Silesia to Czechoslovakia, the Polish corridor to Poland, Baltic states independent - lost 13% European territory
Challenges from Left and Right
The Kapp Putsch (after/as a result of the Treaty):
The Treaty of Versailles meant that the army was significantly reduced and the Freikorps troops were disbanded - so feared unemployment
13 - 17 Mar 20 Nationalist politician Dr Wolfgang Kapp (studied law) led 250k right-wing Freikorps to march on Berlin with their weapons
The Freikorps were able to take over Berlin since the head of the army would not listen to Ebert to resist the Freikorps, so the gov organised trade unions to go on strike, causing chaos so Kapp fleed to Sweden
20 Mar 20 The Weimar ministers returned after the Kapp Putsch failed
Political assassinations - 376, eg June 22 Walter Rathaneau (foreign minister), Aug 21 Matthias Erzberger (finance minister)
Judges of the trials of the right-wing extremists preferred the Kaiser's gov, so gave light/no punishments to the terrorists
Hitler's early career
Jan 19 Hitler joined the German Worker's Party (DAP), led by Anton Drexler
Sept 19 Hitler first attended a DAP meeting, agreeing w the main views, eg Weimar was weak for accepting ToV, Jews were to blame for poor economy
Feb 20 Hitler became Drexler's right hand man, created the 25-point programme together
Jun 20 Hitler became the Party's leading public speaker + propagandist - led to membership increasing to 2000 by end of 1920
Aug 20 Hitler suggests renaming the group as National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) or Nazis, adopting the swastika as the emblem
21 Hitler elected Party Chairman and leader of the Nazis, becoming party Fuhrer
21 Hitler assembled the Sturmabteilung (SA)
Nov 23 As a result of the Munich Putsch, the membership of the Nazi party became 20k
Key Nazi beliefs in the 25-Point Programme:
The ToV should be abolished
All German-speaking people should be united in one country, Germany should expand - 'Lebensraum' need of 'living space'
Germany should be economically self-sufficient - an 'autarky'
Everybody should have a job, all citizens should have equal rights and duties
Germany should be ruled by a single leader with complete power rather than a democracy - a Fuhrer
The Aryan race was superior and Jews were 'subhuman'
No non-Germans in Germany (eg Jews, Communists) as they were a danger and should be destroyed
The Assembly of the SA
Hitler assembled a large group of unemployed men and former soldiers (viewed the government as 'Novermber criminals' as the Nazi private army: the Storm Troopers, nicknamed 'Brownshirts' after their uniforms
The role of the SA was to protect party meetings, march in Nazi ralles, intimidate political opponents by (violently) breaking up their meetings, led by Ernst Rohm
By 1932, the SA had 400k members
By 1933 when Hitler became Fuhrer, there were 2mil SA members - a job for unemployed men
The hyperinflation crisis of 1923 - a single loaf of bread was 200 trillion marks
Before 1923, more money was printed to pay for WW1 in 1914-18, then for reparations 1918-22, but Germany was still unable to pay back the reparations from the ToV
11 Jan 23 French troops invaded the Ruhr as reparation payment in goods + raw materials
The German workers in the Ruhr went on strike 'passive resistance' so 80% of German coal, iron + steel stopped production - a disaster for the German economy, French killed 132 Germans in the Ruhr
Nov 23 As the gov printed more money to pay strikers and for the loss of coal, iron + steel production, the German mark became worthless
Positive effects of hyperinflation: farmers benefited as they were paid more for food, some people + businesses could pay off loans + mortgages, fixed rents for rooms/shops became v cheap, foreign visitors could buy more using their money
Negative effects of hyperinflation: wages didn't rise as quickly as prices did, some businesses went bankrupt, people w fixed/monthly incomes (eg pensioners) suffered the most, savings became worthless - especially affecting the middle class
As a result, people blamed the Weimar gov, becoming even more unpopular
