Germany becomes a Democracy 1. ( impact of war, the political crises of Oct and Nov 1918 and establishment of Weimar Con ) Flashcards
In September 1918, what did General Ludendorff do ?
He persuaded the Kaiser to hand over his power to a civilian government that had the support of the Reichstag.
Why did Ludendorff suggest this and why did the Kaiser accept ?
He hoped the new government would get better peace terms from the allies.
- Also, he hoped that the civilian government would be blamed for Germany’s loss rather than the army elite or the Kaiser.
Who became Chancellor in October 1918 ?
Max of Baden
On October 3rd what did Max of Baden do ?
He wrote a piece note to the US president Woodrow Wilson for an armistice ( an agreement that between opposing sides of war to stop fighting for a certain amount of time.
German reaction to the Peace Note / armistice ?
When the German public found out about this letter, it was an admission to them that they had lost the war.
- With morale already low, the German people blamed the Kaiser for their downfall and there were calls for him to abdicate .
How did the revolution begin in October 1918 ?
When the German navy were ordered out of Wilhelmshaven on what was basically a suicide mission.Sailors already disgruntled about the poor conditions, refused to obey, took command of the ships and raised red flags.The mission was abandoned and the ships returned back to the main port in Kiel, where the main ringers were arrested.
Where did the November Revolution begin ?
- unrest in the navy spread to the main German base at Kiel.
When did the November Revolution begin ?
- Began on the 3rd of November 1918, sailors there mutinied against their officers and took control of the base.
How did the revolt spread ?
- On the following day, the revolt spread to the city and workers’ and soldiers’ council were established.
- the revolt spread to many other German ports and cities
How was the German revolt different from the communist revolution in Russia ?
- most members of the councils’ were patriotic germans who wanted the Kaiser to abdicate and a democratic republic to be established.
What was the ‘ decisive moment in the German Revolution ‘ ?
- a republic was proclaimed in Bavaria
- Bavarian monarchy was deposed
When was a republic proclaimed in Bavaria ?
- On 8 November 1918
Impact of a republic being proclaimed in Bavaria ?
- it brought home to Prince Max that he had lost all control of the situation
Actions / role of the SPD in the revolution ?
- SPD called on workers in Berlin to join a general strike to force the Kaiser to abdicate
- threatened to withdraw support for Prince Max’s government unless the Kaiser abdicated.
Prince Max’s reaction / response to the SPD’s actions ?
- Max knew he couldn’t continue to govern without SPD’s support.
- When the Kaiser still refused to abdicate, Max released a press statement claiming the Kaiser had abdicated
What did Prince Max do on the 9 November 1918 ?
- He released a press statement claiming the Emperor had abdicated
- On the same day, he resigned as Chancellor
Why did Prince Max release the press statement ?
- It was a desperate move to keep some control over the situation, despite having no constitutional authority to act in this way.
What did General Groener tell the Kaiser ?
- the army would no longer fight for him
Why did Ebert’s government lack legitimacy ?
- as he had come to power through a revolutionary act.
What was Ebert’s first aim ?
- to establish a new constitution as quickly as possible.
Who wanted more radical change ?
- the left
Impact of the workers’ and soldiers’ council ?
- had played a huge role in the early stages of the revolution and established a foothold
What did Ebert do to contain the threat of the left ?
- an agreement was reached between the new government and the Berlin workers’ and soldiers’ council whereby the government accepted that it only exercised power in the name of these councils.
Who did the survival of Ebert’a government rely on ?
- relied on the support of the army
Who were the army officers / ideology of them ?
- Many were from aristocratic backgrounds, who had been loyal to the Kaiser and severely opposed the democracy
Why did the army choose to support Ebert’s government ?
- many officers believed that Germany faced the danger of a Bolshevik revolution, which would lead to a civil war and possible occupation of Allied forces.
What was the Ebert- Groener Pact ?
- an agreement between Ebert and Wilhelm Groener
Who was Wilhelm Groener ?
- General of the German army
What did Groener promise Ebert ?
- Groener assured him loyalty of the armed forces
Why was the support / loyalty of the army useful to Ebert ?
- Ebert’s government lacked legitimacy
- army didn’t respect him
- had pressure/ threat from the strong left
What did Ebert promise Groener ?
- Ebert would resist demands of the soldiers’ council to democratise the army and defend Germany against Communist Revolution.
- promised that the government would take prompt action of the left and uphold the existing structure in the army.
Why was the Ebert - Groener Pact important for Ebert ?
- it was a necessary and unavoidable device to ensure an orderly transition to a democracy
Examples of why the Ebert - Groener Pact was useful / needed ?
- On 6 December, a Spartacist demonstration in Berlin was fired on by soldiers, killing sixteen
- On 23- 24 December, a sailors’ revolt against the government was put down by the army
- On 6 January, Spartacists launched a huge revolt against the government which was crushed after a heavy week of fighting.
Impact of the Ebert - Groener Pact on relations with the left for Ebert ?
- drove a wedge between Ebert’s Social Democratic Party and the other socialist groups, who accused him of allying himself with the enemy.
