History - Germany

• ww1 consequences:

  • economy - 150 million marks in dept(unstable-strikes, revolts, riots)
• ww1 consequences:

  • food - lacking because of British blockade (750,000 died from starvation) lead to unrest (protests)
• ww1 consequences:

  • control - Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on 9th November (pressured into it) - new state created (Weimar Republic) with Frederick Ebert as new leader - communists tried taking over quickly after the abdicated
• ww1 consequences:

  • protests - soldiers: refused to follow orders, no support from generals when the Kaiser abdicated, refused to control strikes civilians: workers went on strike - led by Jewish communists (in Munich), factory workers went on strike
• Fredrich Ebert became Germanys Chancellor in 1919
• Fredrich Ebert didn't want communists in power
• the biggest political party was the social democratic party (SDP) - leader Friedrich Ebert
• a constitution is a new set of rules about how a country is run.
• how did Ebert bring calm and stability

  • worked with the army
  • removed old, extreme politicians from the Reichstag
  • demand a new constitution
  • introduced democracy
• Reichstag - the German government building
• the Armistice was signed on the 11th November 1918
• why was the armistice signed on 11th November:

  • no other choice
  • protest and unrest
  • USA fighting against them
  • Germans were being pushed back by the allies
  • Kaiser had abdicated - no one in full control
• the Treaty of Versailles 1919 - a set of rules given to German as a punishment for WW1
• Britain, France and the USA decided on the terms of the treaty of Versailles - Germany wasn't allowed to take part in the discussions
• its called the Treaty of Versailles because it was signed in the French city of Versailles, in the palace of Versailles (in the hall of mirrors)
• the Treaty of Versailles:

  • war guilt
  • Reparations
  • army forces restricted
  • industrial land taken
  • land and teritory
  • empire
  • diktat
  • dolchstoss
• Treaty of Versailles: war guilt - Germany was forced to take the blame and guilt for the war
• treaty of Versailles: reparations - Germany forced to pay £6.6 billion to allies for compensation. (paying respirations further harmed germanys economy)
• treaty of versailles: industrial land taken - saar given to france (important coal fields)for 15 years - lost 50% of its iron reserves
• Treaty of Versailles: armed forces restricted - only allowed 6 battleships + no submarines + no air force + army limited to 100,000 men + no heavy artillery weapons allowed
• Treaty of Versailles: land and territory - lost 10% of germnay speaking population

  • Poland gained 2 million people
  • part of Germany was split in two (East Prussia was cut off wit Poland gaining land between)
  • land next to France (Rhineland) was demilitarised - no German troops allowed in
• Treaty of Versailles: Empire

  • 11 countries in Africa + far East taken away
  • not allowed to unite with Austria (now separate from Germany)
• Treaty of Versailles: The Dikat - dictated peace

  • treaty was dictated to Germany
  • germany had only 15 days to make any changes - none accepted
• Treaty of Versailles: The Dolchstoss (stab in the back)

  • German people felt this way because of politicians signing the treaty (the November Criminals)
  • German people believed they had not lost the war
  • German people disliked the Wiemar republic as it was linked with admitting guilt and defeat