abdication of the Kaiser Flashcards
When did the Kaiser abdicate ?
give further context
- 9th November 1918
- At 1:30 pm Kaiser Wilhelm ii was brought the news that his abdication had been announced in Berlin
- He was in Belgium at the time
- companions advised him that his only hope for safety was to travel Northwards to the Netherlands (neutral)
what type of rulership did Kaiser Wilhelm ii have in Germany before he abdicated ?
-He ran an autocratic monarchy - he had absolute power
-The USA were democratic - opposite
what was General Ludendorff’s role in ww1
General Erich Ludendorff was the commander of the armed forces in ww1
what was the situation like by the end of September 1918 ww1 ?
- By the end of September 1918, the German army was on the brink of defeat
- Its high in command General Ludendorff, wanted to negotiate an armistice with the allies
Why wouldn’t Woodrow Wilson of the USA negotiate a peace deal with Germany ? and what did the Kaiser do about it ?
- President Wilson would not negotiate with Germany because they were an autocratic monarch (monarch dictatorship)
- There were attempts in early October to reform the German political system by giving the Reichstag (German parliament) more power these reforms were not enough to satisfy the allies
What type of effect did the news that Germany were loosing the war have on the German people ? - give further context
- The morale of the German people were shattered
-This added to the discontent that had resulted from years of hardship due to war efforts - Workers in large cities began to threaten strike action
- In Munich, on the 8th November, a Bavarian republic was declared
What type of effect did the news that Germany were loosing the war have on the German army ? - give further context
- Discontent too among German armed forces
-Soldiers and sailors lost respect for their officers - this lead to MUTINY at there main naval base in KIEL on the 3rd November
What had been been furtherly set up by the soldiers and workers of Germany ?
- They had set up councils
- These councils were similar to those of the Soviets that had been set up in Russia during it’s 1917 revolution
What was the cherry on top that led to the collapse of the Kaiser ?
- The threat of a general strike in Berlin was the last straw that led to the collapse of the Kaisers government on the 9th November 1918
What happened to the chancellor ?
and who was it again ?
- PRINCE MAX OF BADEN resigned
Who took over Chancellorship and what party was this leadership ?
- Friedrich Ebert (SPD)
Who informed the Kaiser of his abdication ?
- 9 th November General Groener told the Kaiser that the army would not fight for him - Kaiser than abdicated
When and where was the Bavarian Republic declared ?
On the 3rd November the Bavarian republic was declared in Munich
