Chapter 4: Descent into Chaos Flashcards
Germany was immediately faced with extremely harsh peace terms following the war which included…
All troops were forced to withdraw east of the Rhine.
German fleet including all submarines were to be surrendered to allies.
Treaty of Brest-Litvosk with Russia was to be repudiated.
To ensure Germany followed initial peace terms, the Allied forces did the following…
Maintained their economic blockade of Germany ensuring the continuance of dire food shortages.
Following the war, this mythic gained significant currency among military caste and centre-right of political spectrum…
The ‘stab-in-the-back’ myth.
Notable proponents of the ‘stab-in-the-back’ myth include…
Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff
WHO SAID IT: ‘For thirty years the army was my pride. For it I lived, upon it I laboured, and now, after four and a half brilliant years of war with unprecedented victories, it was forced to collapse by the stab-in-the-back from the dagger of the revolutionists, at the very moment peace was within reach!’
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Following the forced abdication of Wilhelm II, this occurred as had been intended by Erich Ludendorff…
Democratic parties were forced to negotiate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
These were the main demands of the Treaty of Versailles…
Alsace-Lorraine was to be returned to France.
Saarland was removed from Germany.
Rhineland would be demilitarized and occupied by Allied forces.
Poland would become an independent state along with the ‘Free City’ of Danzig.
Germany and German-speaking Austria were barred from unification.
Germany was to accept sole responsibility for the outbreak of the war in 1914.
Significant financial reparations were to be paid to allied forces, particularly to France and Belgium.
German military was to be reduced to 100,000 troops with bans on large navy ships and air force.
Wolfgang Kapp formed this party which surpassed the Pan-Germans as the leading nationalist party in Germany. They espoused similar views and fictitiously reported a membership of 1.25 million that in actuality was 445,000…
German Fatherland Party
Many soldiers returning from war faced scorn and disrespect from communist revolutionaries at home. These incidents pushed these soldiers towards the right and nationalist causes and promoted the spread of this myth which characterized these soldiers…
Myth of the ‘Front Generation’
This group of Front Generation soldiers was formed by Franz Seldte and was one of the first prominent paramilitary groups in postwar Germany boasting a membership of 300,000…
Steel Helmets: League of Front Soldiers
Military models of conduct had been common prior to 1914 and became pervasive in postwar Germany. This view became commonplace as a result…
The other party was an enemy to be smashed. Struggle, terror and violence became accepted as legitimate weapons in political struggle.
The lack of decorum within postwar German politics led to this becoming a common occurrence on German streets…
Armed clashes of paramilitary squads focused on repressing opposing views.
The German Revolution of 1918-1919 otherwise known as this resulted in the murder of Communist leaders Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg…
Spartacist Uprising
The Social Democrats lent their support to this paramilitary group that assisted in suppressing the Spartacist Uprising. They later turned on their masters due to their unshakeable belief in the ‘stab-in-the-back’ myth…
Freikorps
The majority of the army caste and right-wing politicians believed ‘the reds’ to be an extreme threat to Germany. Together these groups began to refer to the socialists and democrats responsible for Germany’s defeat (in their view) as…
November Criminals
