Characters Flashcards
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Emperor of Imperial Germany
Led Germany in WWI.
Abdicated the throne on 9th Nov 1918.
Exiled to Holland.
Died in 1941 in Holland.
Philipp Scheidemann
Politician- high up member in the SDP
Announces the Kaiser had abdicated.
Declares that the German republic had been created.
General Groener
2nd in command of the German army
Makes an agreement with Ebert that the army would support the German republic.
Friedric Ebert
Leader of the social democratic party
Takes charge of the republic .
Sets up a government to collect taxes and run services.
Didn’t reform military (Kept military support).
Doesn’t nationalize (Keeps business running).
Won support of trade unions.
Leads 6 politicians to create council of people’s representatives as a temporary government.
Rosa Luxemburg
KPD member
Co-founder of the Spartacist League Led the Spartacist revolution Believed in communism Executed on the 15 January by Freikorps Nicknamed 'Red Rosa'
Karl Liebknecht
SPD member for a time
Co-founder of the Spartacist League
Led the Spartacist revolution
Believed in communism
Executed on the 15 January by Freikorps
Wolfgang Kapp
Politician through WW1 till 1920
Led the Kapp Putsch
Escaped to Sweden after the failed Putsch
Died in custody in Germany, 1922
Anton Drexler
Founder and leader of the (NS)DAP from 1919 to 1921
Railway mechanic Founded the DAP on 5th January 1919 Voted out of leadership of the NSDAP in July 1921 Left the party in 1923 Died in 1942 from natural causes
Rudolf Hess
Deputy Führer of the Nazi party until 1941
Wealthy academic
Lieutenant in German army WWI
Awarded Iron cross 2nd class
Early member of (NS)DAP
Arrested for participating in Munich putsch
Assisted in writing Mein Kampf
Became Deputy Führer in January 1933
Signed the Nuremberg Laws (stripped Jewish people of their rights)
On 10th may 1941, flew to Scotland to arrange peace talks
Sentenced to life in prison at Nuremberg trials
Imprisoned in Spandau
Died in 1987 from hanging, suicide?
Hermann Göring
Commander-in-chief of Luftwaffe
From rich family
Highly awarded fighter ace of WWI
Awarded Iron cross 1st class and Blue max + many more Member of NSDAP from 1922
Participated in Munich putsch, shot in leg
Gained a morphine addiction in hospital
President of Reichstag after 1932 election
Accused for the Reichstag fire by a general after war.
Commander-in-chief of Luftwaffe from 1935 to 1945
Expelled from Nazi party on 22nd April 1945 by Hitler for asking to take control of Reich
Committed suicide on 15th October 1946, was meant to be executed next day
Julius Streicher
Prominant member of Nazi party, caused massive increase in Nazi support.
Lieutenant in Germany Army in WWI
Awarded Iron cross 1st class
joined the German socialist party
Wanted to move from socialist to more antisemitic views
Left the German socialist party in 1921 and joined Nazi party
Many of his supporters followed his movement, doubling its members and increasing support from central Germany.
Created the newspaper ‘ Der Stürmer’ that circulated 14K copies in 1927
Ordered the great synagogue of Nuremberg to be destroyed in Kristallnacht
Hanged in Nuremberg after trial 16th October 1946
Ernst Röhm
Early member of the (NS)DAP and commander of the SA
Joined the army before WWI
Seriously injured in the face in September 1914 leaving him with scars for the rest of his life
Became first lieutenant in army
Awarded Iron cross first class
Part of the Friekorps for a time
Joined the DAP
Lead the SA from 1930 along with Hitler, had supreme power over SA in all regions
Considered a threat to Hitler so was assassinated on the 1st July 1934
