Impact of WW1

Question 1

Turnip Winter

Answer 1

Cold winter, fuel and food shortages, people resorted to eating turnips
1916

Question 2

Death from starvation

Answer 2

starvation and hypothermia deaths reached around 300,000 by 1918

Question 3

Child deaths

Answer 3

increased by 50% for children below 1yr

Question 4

Spanish Flu

Answer 4

killed 20-40 million people

Question 5

Inflation

Answer 5

wages fell below rate of inflation, average prices doubled

Question 6

War deaths

Answer 6

2 million Germans killed, 6 million wounded

Question 7

Social discontent

Answer 7

anger at those profiting at the time from the majority who were suffering
rich did not suffer like majority, worsening social divisions

Question 8

Strikes

Answer 8

wave of strikes across Germany in 1917

Question 9

War economy

Answer 9

economy prioritised military over civilians

Question 10

Rationing

Answer 10

price ceilings were first introduced, followed by requisitioning, the rationing
Food was in short supply, as well as coal and clothing

Question 11

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Answer 11

new Russian government admitted defeat against Germany in 1917, and the treaty was imposed on Russian in the spring of 1918

Question 12

By autumn 1918

Answer 12

German army needed to sue for peace and realised that Wilson would be more amenable to a civilian government

Question 13

Social and political unrest

Answer 13

bitterness and resentment at sacrifice and hardship people faced during the war led to this, in civilians and in the army

Question 14

Bolshevik Revolution

Answer 14

1917
worried political elites across Europe
resulted in greater political activity among working classes
these revolutionaries showed it possible to overthrow an autocratic monarchy and that the army couldn’t prevent the revolution

Question 15

Revolution in Germany

Answer 15

economic problems and military failures meant a drop in morale in 1918
government was criticised
Germans became more open to revolutionary politics
mutinies spread from Kiel across Germany
committees for revolution were formed, which demonstrates the anger at political and military leaders

Question 16

Unrest in Germany 1918-19

Answer 16

German Revolution - revolution from below

alongside important political change

Question 17

civilian government

Answer 17

military wanted a new civilian government to be formed and to admit defeat and take the blame
made up of moderate and left wing parties
civilian government was thought to bring in better peace terms

Question 18

Prince Max Von Baden

Answer 18

Ludendorff persuaded Kaiser to make Prince Max chancellor in 1918
Max has credibility with civilians and military

Question 19

SPD government

Answer 19

Prince Max could bring them in, allowing a moderate left-wing civilians govt. to take the blame

Question 20

Civilian government and armistice suggested

Answer 20

September 29, 1918

more power for Reichstag, less power for Kaiser

Question 21

Prince Max made chancellor and forms govt.

Answer 21

3rd October, 1918

Question 22

Kiel Mutiny, spreads unrest

Answer 22

31st October, 1918

Question 23

Ebert, SPD leader, becomes chancellor

Answer 23

9th November, 1918

Question 24

Kaiser abdicates and flees to Netherlands

Answer 24

9th November, 1918

Question 25

Ebert-Groener Pact

Answer 25

10th November, 1918
deal between chancellor Ebert and General Groener
Groener guaranteed army and civil service would support Ebert if govt. supported officer corps and protected food supply of army

Question 26

Armistice signed

Answer 26

11th November, 1918

Question 27

Stab in the back myth

Answer 27

anti-Semitic conspiracy theory spread in right-wing circles, promoting the belief that German army didn’t lose the war on the battlefield, but instead the Germans were betrayed by the civilians on the home front, specifically the Jews