WW1 Impact

• Debt


  Germany had borrowed huge amounts of money to fight the war that would have to be repaid. Germany had loaned money to their allies which would not now be repaid.
• Pensions


  With thousands of wounded soldiers eligible for pensions taxation would have to be increased to pay the pensions.
• Divisions


  Factory owners had made huge profits in the war whilst workers had been paid low wages and suffered due to rising prices.
• Women


  Had gained greater independence and freedom from their wartime jobs.
• Traditional Values


  Many older Germans worried about the impact of women working on traditional family life and gender roles
• Widows


  Thousands of German women had lost their husbands
• Political Instability


  With the Kaiser gone and no elections there was political unrest over who should be running the country and what they should be doing
• The Spartacists


  Were a group of German communists, wanted Germany to be run by small councils of workers and soldiers
• Uprising


  On 6th January 1919 the Spartacists seized power in Berlin
• Friekorps


  Ebert needed to take back control but had no troops so he sent 2,500 ex-soldiers to attack the Spartacists and take back control
• Defeat


  After 3 days of fighting, the Freikorps defeated and killed the Spartacist leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknicht
• January 1919 Elections


  The SPD were the largest party and Ebert became President