german revolution and creation of weimar republic 1918-1919 Flashcards
military defeat: naval blockades
severe effects of the british naval blockades led to nation wide shortages of food and materials. supples directed to army which resulted in overall low morale and discontent with war.
military defeat: starvation
lack of food from british naval blockades led to 293,000 deaths from starvation and hypothermia. increased disease due to lack of food left people unable to work and provide for their families. increased tensions as gov were supposed to support them.
military defeat: exhaustion
german high commands military plans for quick victory failed and germany fought a prolonged war on two fronts. growing futility and discontent with war situation.
military defeat: USPD
radicals opposed to the war broke from SPD to form the USPD and reichstag voted 212: 126 for peace. whilst people were clearly upset with conditions, war continued.
military defeat: USA
april 1917 saw the arrival of the USA in large numbers into war to fight against germany on western front. further demoralised troops as defeat became closer and closer.
military defeat: treaty of brest-litovsk
march 1918 treaty of brest-litovsk- expansion of germany into russian territory. russia lost 1m square miles of land and much of its coal and iron stores. expansion of influence + raised tension
military defeat: treaty of bucharest
1918 treaty of bucharest allowed german civil servants to veto decisions made by romanian cabinet ministers + fire romanian civil servants. stripped romania of its independance, expansion of influence.
military defeat: keil mutiny
major revolt by sailors of the german high sees fleet. forced navy to call off final attack. sailors councils were set up similar to russian soviets. mutineers demanded political freedom and influence spread across germany.
military defeat: ludendorff offensive
march 1918 new offensive to win the war ultimately failed due to vast influx of US troops - germany had lost all morale and motivation to win this war. ‘blackest day in for german army in history of the war’ - ludendorff
military defeat: armistice
by september germanys allies requested an armistice and the hindenburg line was breached in sep 1918. germany now faced possibility of invasion + reichstag called for new gov that would have its confidence.
revolution from above: parlimentary democracy
pressure from the threat of invasion and defeat in september influenced ludendorff decision into persuading the kaiser to transform the second reich into a parlimentary democracy. significant change in political structure.
revolution from above: ludendorff armistice
in addition to new civilian gov he urged an immediate armistice that would renounce brest-litovsk treaty and continue naval blockade. he hoped new civilian gov would gain improved peace terms from allies and revert blame from generals to civilian gov - unaccountable + able to maintain powerful positions
revolution from above: ludendorff to military staff quote
‘let them eat the broth they have prepared for us’
revolution from above: stab in the back
belief that germanys undefeated army had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by unpatriotic and weak politicians who undermined the war effort. weimar democracy was associated with germanys underserved defeat and humiliation of peace treaty - weakened prospects for weimar democracy and reinforced hostility.
revolution from above: was new civilian gov revolutionary
new gov under prince max of baden passed some reforms however its significance was lessened by the growing climate of discontent amoungst civilians after defeat in war.
revolution from above: kaisers abdication
actions at keil and wilhelmsaven challenged authority of the state and in prevention of a revolution baden announced kaisers abdication and chancellorship was handed to ebert, declaring a republic.