CHAPTER 1 Flashcards
What were the October Reforms?
Kaiser beginning a series of reforms to end his autocratic rule
Who did the Kaiser appoint as Chancellor as part of these reforms?
Prince Max of Baden on 3 Oct 1918
What was a Chancellor responsible to?
Reichstag
What did Max of Baden establish?
New gov based on the majority parties in the Reichstag
Who was put under control of the Civil Government?
The Armed Forces
What did these reforms mean?
Germany was undergoing major constitutional reform
What did Prince Max of Baden do on 5 October 1918?
Wrote the Peace Note
Wrote to President Wilson asking for Armistice
What was Wilson’s response?
- Germany must evacuate all occupied territory
- Call an end to submarine warfare
- Fully democratise its political system
What was Ludendorff’s response to this?
Terms were too much to accept so he resigned and fled to Sweden
What impact did the Peace Note have on people?
- Shattering blow to moral
- Peace Note was admittance that Germany had lost the War
- Undermined their respect for the Kaiser and leaders
What impact did the Peace Note have on soldiers and sailors?
- Lost respect for their officers
English Channel
Name one way in which the sailors disobeyed orders and what it led to.
When ordered to attack British Ships in the English Channel, they refused. This led to more naval mutinies.
What did sailors do on 3 November 1918?
Mutinied against their officers and took control of the base in Kiel
What was happening by 6 November 1918?
Workers and Soldiers Counils were being created all over Germany
What did the SPD do on 9 November 1918?
Called on workers in Berlin to join a general strike to force the Kaiser to abdicate. Also threatened to withdraw support from Baden’s gov unless the Kaiser abdicated in 24 hrs.
What did Prince Max of Baden release on 9 November 1918?
Press staement stating that the Kaiser had abdicated, in response to the SPD.
What did Prince Mac of Baden do 9 November 1918?
Resigned, leaving Friedrich Ebert (leader of SPD) to take over.
What did Groener do on 9 November 1918?
Informed the Kaiser that the army would no longer fight for him.
What was Ebert’s priority after the Armistice?
To organise elections for a Constituent Assembly.
What did Ebert urge Germans to do?
- Keep essential services running
- Avoid street demonstrations
- Maintain law and order
What did ex-soldiers do after the armistice?
Roamed the streets and participated in demonstartions.
What was The Spartacist League?
Party founded in 1916 by a more revolutionary group in the SPD. Changed its name to KPD in 1918.
Who led The Spartacist League?
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.
What were the KPD’s main aims?
- Establish republican gov controlled by councils
- Establish welfare benefits
- Nationalisation
Who supported the KPD?
Workers
What was the KPD’s membership as of 1918?
5000
What was the USPD?
Party founded in 1917 by a breakaway minority from the left of the SPD
Who led the USPD?
Hugo Hasse
What were the USPD’s main aims?
- Wanted a republic with national Reichstag working with councils
- Improvements in welfare
- Nationalisation
- Reform army into national militia
What was the membership of the USPD as of 1918?
300,000
What was the SPD?
Party founded in 1875
Who led the SPD?
Friedrich Ebert and Philip Scheidemann
What were the SPD’s main aims?
- Wanted more moderate socialist republic
- Improvements in welfare
- Wanted continuity and order
Who supported the SPD?
Working class voters
What was the SPD’s membership as of 1918?
1,000,000
Why would the USPD and KPD not allow Ebert to make key decisions without referring to them?
Both parties had established a key foothold.
What happened on 22 November 1918?
Agreement reached whereby gov accepted that it only exercised power in the name of the Councils in Berlin.
What did the Left believe?
The autocratic system would not be abolished unless the aristocrates were broken up.
Splitting up of army, civil service and judiciary
What did Ebert’s survival depend on?
Support of Army.
What happened on 10 November 1918 between Groener and Ebert?
Ebert-Groener Pact. Army would support gov, gov would resist demands to democratise army and defend Germany against communist revolt.
How did the Left react to the Ebert-Groener Pact?
Felt betrayed.
Why did the Left feel betrayed by the Ebert-Groener Pact?
Believed that it represented a compromise with the reactionary military establishment and an abandonment of the socialist revolution that they had hoped to achieve.
What events occurred on the 6 December 1918?
Spartacist demonstration in Berlin was fired on by soldiers, killing 16.
What happened from 23 - 24 December 1918?
Sailors’ revolt against gov in Berlin was put down by army. In protest, 3 USPD ministers resigned.
What happened on 6 January 1919?
Sprtacist launched an armed revolt against the gov.
When was the Spartacist Uprising supressed?
After a week of heavy fighting, revolt was crushed.
What did the Spartacist Uprisng highlight?
Highlighted the deep divisions within the German left and the challenges of building a unified socialist movement in the wake of the November Revolution.
