1918: Running Up To The Weimar Republic

Question 1

Revolution from Above: what was it?

Answer 1

When US troops and supplies poured into Europe when the USA joined the war against germany OCT 1917,
–> Ludendorff suggested to the Kaiser that a change in govt may calm down unrest
–> Led by Prince Max of Baden and made army leadership step down

Question 2

The Big 3 at the ToV/ Paris Peace Conference

Answer 2

USA: Woodrow Wilson who had his 14 points of peace for international post war peace

Great Britain: David Lloyd George (against Germany but felt ToV was too harsh)

France: George Clemenceau ( wanted Germany to be severely punished due to damage done)

Question 3

What was the treaty of Versailles

Answer 3

signed 28th June 1919 (Officially ended war between Germany and Allies)

Question 4

Treaty of Versailles: Lost land

Answer 4

• all land from treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Upper Silesia, Alsace & Loraine (1.8 million people) , Eupen & Malmédy (Belgium border: 60K people)
• banned from uniting with Austria (Anschluss) & Polish corridor 45 square km (2,023,000 people given to Poland= split Prussia)

-Danzig under League of Nations

• Rhineland was demilitarised and allied troops occupied it

-all colonies worldwide

Question 5

Treaty of Versailles: Military consequences

Answer 5

-Rhineland became a demilitarised buffer zone for France (no german troops)

-German army was limited to 100,000 and could not leave Germany (no tanks or heavy artillery)

-not allowed to have any warships over 10,000 feet and no submarines.

-Total ban on airforce

Question 6

Treaty of Versailles: Reparations

Answer 6

Reparations:
-Germany blamed for starting war (article 231 war guilt cause) and had to pay 132 billion gold marks in article 232 (fixed in 1921)

Question 7

Treaty of Versailles: Overall statistics

Answer 7

Germany lost:
13% of territory
12% of population 6.5 million people (half where ethnic germans)
48% of iron ore/ 16% of coal/ 15% of agricultural production

Question 8

What happened on the 3rd of October with Prince max? What did this cause?

Answer 8

3rd October: Prince max opened negotiations of an armistice
–> lead to news of defeat and unrest
–> 28th Oct: navy in Keil refused to sail against British fleet

Question 9

Due to the sailors refusing to sail in Keil, what happened?

Answer 9

4th /5th November: strikes and mutinies throughout Germany in 1918
–> Workers’ and soldiers’ councils were set up on 5th

Bavaria broke off from Germany in November 8th 1918, becoming a republic

Question 10

Kaiser Wilhelm’s abdiaction

Answer 10

-SPD stated that they would withdraw support unless Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated, so on the 9th Nov 1918, Wilhelm abdicated and fled to Holland

Question 11

Signing of the armistice

Answer 11

Nov 11: Matthias Erzberger of the German delegates signed the armistice on behalf of government at Compiègne, ending the war

Question 12

What happened after the armistice was signed?

Answer 12

Allies told Germany that they could not take part in any treaty negotiations.
As a result, parties began to form and reform, trying to gain more votes to become a voice within the Reichstag.

Question 13

New reforms introduced by the Council of People’s representatives

Answer 13

Govt had made efforts in social reforms to improve the political and economic situation:

• 8 hour working days
• independent trade unions allowed
• set up help for ex-soldiers to find work
• widened health and unemployment benefits

Question 14

Council of people’s representatives

Answer 14

Formed on the 10th of november 1918, set up and led by socialist groups that held power in the Reichstag
–> Most significant: Social democratic party (SPD) led by Freidrich Ebert and
USPD (Independent social democrats) led by Hugo Haase

Ebert became chancellor with a cabinet of SPD and USPD members

Question 15

Setting up for the election of 19th January 1919:

Answer 15

19th December, it was fixed that the elections would be held on the 19th of January.
- Rift between SPD and USPD increased over the radical policies introduced. As a result, many USPD members began joining the KPD

Question 16

What was the Erbert-Groener pact?

Answer 16

After facing many challenges, Erbert made a pact with the army that they would support government if they opposed more left-wing ideas

Question 17

When was the KPD formed?

Answer 17

Dec 1918, represented communism.
- many of their meetings were attacked and interrupted by the private armies of political parties
- Freikorps had units specially recruited to fight against communism

Jan 1919: Spartacists uprising that caused govt to shift from Berlin to Weimar.

Question 18

Who were the Spartacists?

Answer 18

A group led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg who broke away from the USPD in Dec 1918
- Marxist revolutionaries who were not strong in number and did not represent the working people as a whole
-wanted revolution similar to Russia in 1917 and the cancellation of National assembly

Question 19

Spartacist revolt

Answer 19

Jan 1 1919: members held 1st congress in Berlin.
Jan 6th: newspaper offices were taken over and a revolutionary committee was formed
- poorly organised so crushed by government using Freikorps (led by General Walther von Lüttwitz)

Jan 15th: Rosa Lxuemberg and Karl Liebknecht were captured, beaten and murdered

Question 20

Who were the Freikorps?

Answer 20

anti communist volunteer groups formed by demobilised servicemen
- attracted unemployed and especially those who were bitter about Germany’s defeat
-Industrialists who feared the rise of communism often financed Freikorps

Question 21

Why were private armies so common post WW1 in Germany?

Answer 21

Soldiers were unemployed and bitter about signing the armistice so they refused to give up their weapons.
- commonly hired by parties to assassinate and kill other political opponents
- 1919-1922: 376 political deaths with 356 done by right wing extremists