Chapter 1 Flashcards
When did the Kaiser abdicate?
9 November 1918
Was the Kaiser aware of his abdication?
No, he had been forced to accept it after Max of Baden announced it
Where did the Kaiser’s advisers tell him to go and why?
to Holland, which remained neutral during the war
When was the Armistice?
11 November 1918
What had General Ludendorff and the German high command realized by the end of September 1918?
That Germany was on the brink of defeat
What did Ludendorff say the only option was in 1918?
To surrender and ask allies for an armistice
What offered a possible basis for negotiated peace?
Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points
What would be an obstacle to making peace through Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points?
Germany’s autocratic political system
How did Ludendorff counteract the obstacle set by Germany’s autocratic system to gain better peace terms?
He advocated a partial democratisation, in order to get better peace terms through allies
What were the October reforms?
in October, following recommendations of Ludendorff, the Kaiser introduced some reforms which effectively ended his rule
What was included in the October reforms?
- He appointed Prince Max of Baden as his new chancellor
- The chancellor was to be responsible for the Reichstag and he established government based on majority parties
- the armed forces were put under control of the civil government
fill in gap
These reforms were a major ___________ government.
Constitutional
What were the reforms amounted to?
‘A revolution from above’
What was the Peace note?
a note written on 3rd October, Prince Max had asked Wilson for an Armistice
How long did it take for Wilson to reply to the peace not and why?
Nearly 3 weeks as he thought it was an excuse for Germany to regroup and prepare for a new offensive
what were Woodrow Wilson’s demands to accept the peace note?
- Germany must leave all occupied territory
- end of submarine warfare
- Germany must fully democratise their political system
Why could Ludendorff not accept the demands of Wilson?
It would mean Germany had to surrender and Kaiser had to abdicate
What happened to Ludendorff after the peace note?
Ludendorff tried gathering support for one last military resistance but it failed.
This caused Ludendorff to resign and flee to Sweden
What was the German public’s reaction to the peace note?
They had lost morale and lost respect for the Kaiser
What was the Kaiser increasingly seen as?
An obstacle to peace however he refused to abdicate
What was the November revolution 1918
sailors mutinied against their officers in the naval base in Kiel, on 3 November 1918
What happened by 6 November 1918?
There was soldiers and workers protesting all over Germany
What happened to Bavaria on 8th November 1918?
- A republic was proclaimed in Bavaria and the Bavarian Monarchy was deposed
What did the SPD do on 9th November 1918?
- They called a general strike to force Kaiser to abdicate
- they threatened to remove support from Prince Max’s government
