origins of the republic 1918-19

• what was germany like in 1914?

  • germans were proud people
  • had beaten their main european rival, france, in franco-prussian war (1870-71)
  • kaiser = praised for his achievements
  • strong economy
  • one of the most industrialised nations in europe (beating britain in economic output)
  • many germans = well-educated
  • great optimism about power + strength of germany
• social impacts of ww1 on germany

  • 60,000 widows
  • 2 million children without fathers
  • by 1925 = 1/3 of entire annual german budget spent on pensions for war widows + disabled ex-soldiers
  • deepened social divisions in german society between working, middle + upper classes
  • wealth gap between living conditions of poor + rich grew
  • violence in major german cities
• social impacts of ww1 on germany (food)

  • by 1918 = producing 50% of milk as before
  • winter 1917 = run out of potato supply = turnips as alternative
  • farmers = short of labourers to bring in harvest
  • food shortages = pushed many to brink of starvation
  • lack of food weakened ability to fight disease
  • flu epidemic swept through the country
  • nearly 750,000 died of combo of flu + starvation
  • sawdust = mixed into flour
• economic impacts of ww1 on germany

  • germany = virtually bankrupt after funding the war
  • huge queues outside stores due to food shortages = inflation
  • industrial production decreased by 2/3 compared to 1913
  • soldiers = not able to work as demobilised
  • no employment
• political impact of ww1 on germany

  • stresses of war led to revolution of Oct-Nov, 1918
  • revolution led to removal of kaiser, turning germany into a republic
  • kaiser's autocratic style of government replaced by more democratic style
  • from king to public government
• what is a republic

  without monarchy
• october 1918


  • new government set up in germany
  • led by prince max of baden
  • accountable to the reichstag not the kaiser
  • prince max approached US president wilson about ending war
  • wilson refused to discuss peace terms with kaiser + his military advisers in control
  • wilson insisted they had to go
• end of october 1918

  • german navy mutinied + refused to fight the british
  • unrest spread through germany
• 9th november 1918


  • kaiser wilhelm ii = little support
  • forced to abdicate
  • flees to exile in netherlands
• 10th november 1918


  • new republic established
  • led by friedrich ebert
• who was the new president/head of state in 1918

  freidrich ebert
• 11th november 1918


  • ebert signed armistice with the allies
  • fighting temporarily stopped until peace treaty could be drawn up and signed
• what was an armistice

  agreement to end hostilities/fighting in a war

  NOT a treaty (which brings permanent peace)
• january 1919


  newly elected president of the weimar republic, ebert, called new nation elections to elect a new parliament

  weimar = chosen as location for new government to meet as berlin = still place of unrest
• when were the first elections of the weimar republic held

  january 1919
• how often was the president elected

  every 7 years
• what was the president's role

  • supreme commander of the armed forces
  • selected the chancellor
• what was the chancellor's role

  • chosen by the president
  • member of the reichstag
  • needed support from majority of the reichstag
  • needed support from the reichsrat
• what were the houses of parliament

  • the reichstag
  • the reichsrat
• what was the reichstag

  • the lower house
  • voted for by the german public
  • using proportional representation
  • made laws for the german people
• what was the reichsrat

  • the upper house
  • each german state sent representatives
• role of the german people

  • votes for the reichstag
  • votes for the president with the help of the reichstag
  • everyone over the age of 20 can vote
• what were the results of the jan 1919 elections

  • a coalition government
  • as no singular party gained majority of the votes (212)
• what was the coalition government after the jan 1919 elections

  • social democratic party (SDP) - 163 votes
  • centre party (ZP) - 71 votes
  • german democratic party (DDP) - 75 votes
• left wing parties


  KPD

  SDP

  DDP
• right wing parties


  NSDAP

  DNVP

  DVP
• KPD


  communist party

  extreme left wing

  opposed weimar republic

  supported by some workers + middle classes
• SDP

  social democrats

  moderate left wing

  supported weimar republic

  supported by workers + middle classes
• DDP

  german democratic party

  moderate left wing

  supported weimar republic

  backed by business
• ZP

  centre party

  moderate

  supported weimar republic

  originally part of catholic church
• DVP


  german people's party

  right wing liberal

  supported weimar republic (in 1920s)

  backed by upper middle classes
• DNVP


  german national people’s party

  right wing

  opposed weimar republic

  backed by landowners, wealthy middle classes + big businesses
• NSDAP


  nazi party

  extreme right wing

  opposed weimar republic
• what were the parties that opposed the weimar republic

  KPD (communist + extreme left)

  DNVP (national party + right)

  NSDAP (nazi + extreme right)
• left wing


  • liberal / socialist section
  • far left : equality, social change, distribution of wealth
• right wing


  • political / social / economic conservatism
  • far right : personal liberty, capitalism, private property
• freidrich ebert


  first president

  former leader of SDP
• first chancellor


  phillip scheidmann

  SDP
• what was a constitution

  articles (rules) to help run the country
• what were the articles in the weimar constitution

  article 1

  article 22

  article 23

  article 41

  article 48

  article 54

  article 135