Revolution in Germany Flashcards
In the December 1915 war credit vote, how many embers rebelled against the party?
20
Who resigned from the SPD and why?
Hasse, he changed his position on the war to being against it. He felt that he could no longer lead a party whose majority supported the war.
When Hasse resigned, who replaced him?
Ebert
When were there mass strikes in Berlin inspired by events in russia?
April 1917
How did the split within the SPD manifest itself?
The formation of a new party, the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD)
Who was the first leader of the USPD?
Hasse
With whom were the USPD loosely affiliated?
Spartacus League and the revolutionary Shop Stewards
Who led the Spartacus League
Wilhelm Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
Between which two dates had Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg been imprisoned for agitating against Germany’s involvement with the war?
1916-1918
Who were the revolutionary shop stewards?
A working class political group who helped to initiative and support the strikes taking place in Berlin
What did the USPD become with the affiliation of the Spartacus League an the revolutionary shop stewards?
a kind of umbrella group for all of the left wing groups who had lost faith in the SPD and perhaps wanted a revolution
How many members did the USPD have by when?
By January 1918 the USPD had around 120 000 members
When were there strikes of around 1 million?
January 1918
What was the treaty signed between germany and Russia that ended the eastern frontier of the war and when was this?
the treaty of Brest-Litovsk 3rd March 1918
what was he final straw that forced Ludendorff to accept that the war and been lost?
Bulgaria pulled out of the war
What happened at the Spa Conference and when was this?
Ludendorff informed the kaiser that the war was lost and that political changes had to be made if the old regime was to survive
When was Max of Baden appointed as Chancellor?
3rd October 1918
What were the three reasons for Ludendorff’s insistence that the Chancellor made his government from members of the SPD, the Centre Party and the progressives?
1) He was worried about revolution and thought that moderate political reformers may be sufficient to appease the German people
2) US president Woodrow Wilson instead that peace between nations had to be based on democratic values. Wilson made it clear that he would only represent with people’s representatives, not military leaders
3) Ludendorff understood that by forcing the political parties to negotiate the difficult surrender, he could pass the blame fro defeat onto the german politicians
When did germany become a constitutional monarchy?
When Prince Max’s reforms were passed on 28th october 1918
How did ebert view these reforms?
Substantial, no need to go any further than them
What sparked the revolution from below, whereas previously there had beene a revolution from above?
Kiel Naval mutiny
What was the Kiel naval mutiny in response to?
The demands of the naval leadership or one final battle against the british to regain their honour. The sailers, however, were facing poor conditions and were unwilling to give up their lives for the cause so rebelled
When did who seize power in Bavaria and what did he declare?
Krut Eisner declared an independent republic in Bavaria
What did Prince Max and Bert believe after Eisner declared his republic?
That the only way to stop a full blown revolution was to give into the demands of the protestors and force the abdication of the kaiser
When was the mass strike in Berlin?
9th November
How did the Kaiser react to the events of the 9th november
he rejected them, but when the German military leader Groener announced that the army was no longer loyal to the Kaiser, which Hindenburg confirmed, Wilhelm was forced to accept and left for exile in holland
What government was formed on the 11th Novemebr 1918?
SPD/USPD coalition
How was the absence of a new kaiser confirmed?
Sceidemann went out on to the balcony of the Reichstag and, despite Ebert’s wishes, declared Republic in order to appease the sparticisits
