BACKGROUND: IMPERIAL GERMANY#

• German Confederation- to 1871
• German Empire (the second reich)- 1871 to 1919
• Weimar Republic - 1919 to January 1933
• Nazi Germany- January 1933- 1945
• WEST GERMANY: Federal Republic of Germany- 1949 to 1990
• EAST GERMANY: German Democratic Republic- 1949 to 1990
• The German Confederate:

  • Before 1860s there were 39 Germanic States
  • Largest and most powerful was Prussia
• Prussia achieves unification:

  • masterminded by Otto Von Bismarck (Chancellor)
  • won wars against Denmark(1864), Austria(1866), France (1870)
  • Second Reich established after Franco Prussian War
• Political Parties:

  • Conservatives: landowners and farmers who prior to industrialisation made money from land owning
  • National Liberals: middle class industrialists
  • Moderate Liberals: lower middle class
  • Centre (Catholics): called Zentrum, made to protect religious rights as Germany was mainly Protestant
  • Social Democrats: working class (mainly followed the marxist theory)
• Reichstag Elections:

  • Liberals and conservatives lost seats
  • SPD grows massively
  • Big social changes due to industrialisation
  • Bigger working class
• German Economy:

  1871- agricultural, starting to industrialise

  1914- industrial superpower, beginning to rival Britain
• Agricultural prosperity:

  • new farming machinery was more efficient
  • productive as food was being farmed and everywhere needed food
  • economy increased
  • wealth if aristocratic landowners increased -> known as JUNKERS
• Workers had more jobs and a rise in wages but they had overcrowded living and working conditions which allowed diseases to be spread more easily
• The growth in the working class due to industrialisation and urbanisation meant that the Marxist theory spread quickly. Rising discontent due to overcrowding allowed marxism to spread even more. Berlin was a communist hotspot. Junkers didn't like the marxist theory and they influenced the government.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II was an unpredictable and unstable man who was incharge at an erratic time in European history
• Military grew
• The October Reforms:

  • General Ludendorff wanted to agree an armistice- urged Kaiser to give up aristocratic power
  • Prince Max of Baden is appointed Chancellor
  • Max was well liked by the allies as he treated war criminals with the respect they deserved
  • Armed forces under civil government control
  • Called the REVOLUTION FROM ABOVE
• The Peace Note:

  • Prince Max requests an Armistice
  • Allies agree if it is an unconditional surrender
  • Kaiser refused to abdicate although he was told to
• The November Revolution:

  • Strikes from navy as they were told to sail to their deaths against the British Naval Blockade
  • Naval Mutiny
  • Revolt
  • Workers councils set up
  • Prince Max says Kaiser has abdicated although he hasn't
  • Kaiser then abdicates
• The army was fighting but they were in retreat, and economically and socially in chaos