Weimar Republic

• The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed in 1919 that officially ended World War I and imposed heavy penalties on Germany.
• Germany lost territory to France, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Lithuania.
• The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919.
• The harsh terms of the treaty contributed to economic instability and political unrest in Germany, which ultimately led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic.
• The Great Depression had a significant impact on the political stability of the Weimar Republic, contributing to the rise of extremist political parties.
• The Treaty of Versailles was seen as harsh by many Germans who felt it unfairly blamed them for starting the war.
• The treaty also included provisions related to disarmament, demilitarization, and international relations.
• Germany lost territory, had to pay reparations, limit its military forces, and accept responsibility for the war.
• German colonies were taken away by the Allied powers.
• Germany had to pay reparations (compensation) to the Allied countries.
• The German army was limited to 100,000 men and could not have tanks or submarines.
• Germany had to pay reparations (compensation) to other countries involved in the war.
• Unemployment rates skyrocketed during this time, with over six million people out of work by 1930.
• Inflation also increased dramatically during this period, leading to hyperinflation in 1923.
• The loss of land and resources made it difficult for Germany to recover economically from the war.
• The reparations payments required under the treaty put a strain on Germany's finances and contributed to inflation and economic hardship.
• The German government faced opposition from nationalists and conservatives who saw the treaty as humiliating and demanded its revision or cancellation.
• The Rhineland region was occupied by French troops until 1930.
• Inflation caused prices to rise rapidly, making it difficult for people to afford basic necessities like food and clothing.
• The origins of the Republic, 1918–19
• The end of World War One
• By autumn 1918 it was clear that Germany would lose World War One
• On 3 November at the main German naval base in Kiel frustrated German sailors mutinied instead of following orders to attack the British Royal Navy
• Expressionist film-makers favoured darker storylines and themes, including horror and crime.
• The most prominent film directors of the time were Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau.
• The most famous films of the period were The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922 – based on the Dracula story), Phantom (1922), The Last Laugh (1924) and Metropolis (1927).
• The sailor’s mutiny sparked rebellions all over Germany and in a matter of days led to the collapse of the German government which forced the ruling monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm II, to abdicate on 9 November
• Following his abdication Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) became Chancellor (the equivalent of Prime Minister in Britain) and took power over Germany.
• On 11 November 1918 World War One ended when an armistice was agreed with the Allies (Britain, France and the USA) and Germany surrendered.
• The armistice was signed by representatives of the new, civilian government, including Ebert and members of the SPD.
• This meant that later, their opponents started to call them the 'November Criminals' – people who had signed the armistice behind the Germany army’s back
• This became known as the Dolchstoßlegende – the ‘stab-in-the–back’ theory.
• In January 1919, elections had given the SPD party the most power
• Shortly after, Friedrich Ebert, leader of the SPD became the first democratically chosen President
• He and his party (which had won a majority of seats in election) started to draw up a new constitution for Germany.
• They met in the town of Weimar as Berlin was deemed too unsafe after the Spartacist uprising earlier in the month.
• The Weimar Republic was set up as a representative democracy which tried to give genuine power to all Germans.
• The Weimar Republic was meant to be a representative democracy that looked after the interests of all Germans.
• The Weimar Republic was created at a time of confusion and chaos after Germany had lost World War One.
• Many Germans hated the government for signing the armistice in November 1918 - they called them the November criminals