Year 1- booklet 1, 2, 3 Flashcards
Second Reich
-1871 to 1918
-Kaiser Willhelm II (1888-1918)
Key figures in army
Hindenburg & Ludendorff
1918 divisions
-RW= blamed the democratic politicians for armistice
-LW=diversions between communists and socialists
-2/3 ger protestant, Prussia dominated
East and West border tensions
-Ger invaded France via Rhineland 1871 & 1914 capturing Alsace-Lorraine
death toll/impacts ww1
-Br= 900k
-Fr= 1.3mill
-Ger= 1.7mill & 4.2 wounded. 293k civilian deaths due to starvation etc
-Financial ruin= $37,000,000,000
Revolution from above
-elites
-nov 1918
-Ger army commanders attempt Kaiser to be figurehead to distance themselves from the defeat
-aim: prevent real revolution, best terms for armistice, distance themselves from defeat
-Parliamentary democracy: Kaiser figure head, socialists nominated
First chancellor
-Prince Max of Baden, started ceasefire talks via peace note to Wilson Oct 3 1918
-Ludendorff thought Wilson’s demands (democratise Ger, evacuate occupied territory and end sub warfare) were too big so ran away
November revolution
-Sailors mutinied 3rd November 1918
-workers councils established
-9th Nov SPD call general strike
-Price Max resigned, Kaiser abdicated
-Ebert (SPD) formed socialist interim govt
October reforms
-8th Aug 1918 (Black day of Ger army)
-war going terribly so military/ conservative elite sought to introduce a more democratic form of govt to please the ppl
SPD
-moderate socialist party
-1 mill members led by Ebert, largest party pre-ww1
-Founded 1875
USPD
-more radical left wing
-broke away from SPD 1917 bc SPD weren’t doing enough
-300k in 1917
Spartacists
-most radical lw
-founded: 1916
-complete workers revolution
-communist systems
-5k
DDP
left leaning liberals. most support from intellectuals and mc
Z/ centre party
-formed: 1970
-Catholic interests in a protestant germany
-popular in Catholic Bavaria and Rhineland
DVP
-right leaning liberal party
-support from upper mc and businesses
DNVP
-Based on old conservative party
-landowners and small business owners
-quite RW