1-9 Flashcards
What happened on 3rd October 1918?
Prince Max asked the Allies for an armistice.
Who was Prince Max?
Max von Baden, was a German prince and politician. He was heir presumptive to the grand ducal throne of Baden, and in October and November 1918 briefly served as Chancellor of the German Empire.
What did the government of Prince Max achieve?
It made some constitutional reforms - the vote was extended to all men and ministers and the army were made responsible to the government rather than the kaiser.
Why did Prince Max sue for peace?
He sued for peace on Germany’s behalf at the end of World War I based on U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, which included immediately transforming the government into a parliamentary system and proclaiming the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II.
How were the reforms of Prince Max greeted by the German public?
Unrest and talk of revolution continued. Some saw the reforms as a cynical fake, others focused on what remained unchanged: the country was still at war, the kaiser still ruled.
What happened on 28th October 1918?
This was the new government’s official inauguration day - the navy refused to set sail against the British fleet. This set off strikes and mutinies across Germany.
Who were the Spartacists?
The Spartacists, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, were a group of radical socialists who found ‘fame’ in the first few months after the November Armistice when Germany experienced its so-called ‘Revolution’. The Spartacists were named after Spartacus who led a revolt by slaves against the might of the Romans in 73 B.C.
What did the Spartacists do before the Spartacist Revolt?
Workers’ and soldiers’ councils were set up. Some shared the communist ideals of the Russian soviets. Others were less radical, but all wanted change.
What did Prince Max do about the kaiser?
He was urged to press the kaiser to abdicate, but the kaiser refused.
What happened on the 8th November 1918?
Bavaria broke from Germany, declaring itself a republic.
What effect did Bavaria’s break from Germany have on the kaiser and Prince Max’s government?
The kaiser could not ignore his empire breaking up; he abdicated and fled to Holland. Prince Max’s government had to resign; it had lasted less than a month.
What replaced the government of Prince Max?
On the 10th November 1918, a new government was set up - the Council of People’s Representatives. This was led by the socialist groups that held power in the Reichstag.
What were the most influential socialist groups in the CPR?
The Social Democrats (SPD), led by Friedrich Ebert and the Independent Social Democrats (USPD) led by Hugo Haase.
Who became chancellor?
Ebert, with a cabinet of SPD and USPD members.
What problems did the CPR face?
All the same ones as the previous government, only made worse by a month of disruption and unrest.
What did Ebert do when he became chancellor?
He formed the Ebert-Groener Pact with the army whereby the army would support the government as long as the government opposed the more left-wing ideas of parties in the Reichstag.
Did the coalition between the SPD and USPD work?
Not really. They couldn’t agree, let alone gain the wholehearted support of the smaller parties. For example, Ebert wanted to arrange elections asap and leave any major reforms to the newly-elected National Assembly (which was due to write the new constitution) whereas Haase wanted to start social and economic reforms at once and wanted nothing to do with the army until it was reformed.
What steps did the CPR take?
Their first move was to stop the war. On 11th November, a representative signed the armistice on behalf of the government.
How was the CPR humiliated by the Allied powers?
They were told they could not take part in treaty negotiations.
What reforms did the CPR introduce?
They set an eight-hour working day, allowed independent trade unions, started help for ex soldiers to find work and widened health and unemployment benefit.
When were elections to be held?
On 19th December, they set elections for the 19th January.
What happened between the SPD and USPD?
The rift widened so far about how radical their policies should be that USPD council members resigned and many of them joined the German Communist Party (KPD).
What was the Sparticist Revolt?
In January 1919, 50,000 workers went on strike and demonstrated in the centre of Berlin. This demonstration was taken over by the Spartacist leadership. Newspaper and communication buildings were seized and the demonstrators armed themselves. However, many protesters returned home frustrated at the lack of planning by the Spartacists.
Who were the Freikorps?
In the aftermath of World War I and during the German Revolution of 1918–19, Freikorps consisting largely of World War I veterans were raised as right-wing paramilitary militias, ostensibly to fight on behalf of the government against the Soviet-backed German Communists attempting to overthrow the Weimar Republic. However, the Freikorps also despised the Republic and were involved in assassinations of its supporters. The Freikorps were widely seen as a precursor to Nazism, and many of their volunteers ended up joining the Nazi militia, the Sturmabteilung (SA).
