Origins of the Weimar Republic/Creation

• The origins of the Weimar Republic

  • The impact of the First World War on Germany
  • The reasons why the Weimar Republic was created
  • The strengths and weaknesses of the new Weimar Constitution
• During the First World War, Germany had faced the combined might of the Allies, which included Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the USA
• The fighting lasted four years, from 1914-1918
• Eleven million Germans fought in the war. Almost 2 million German soldiers died and over 4 million were wounded-over 55% of the German soldiers became casualties
• The cost of the war trebled the German government's debt from 50 billion to 150 billion marks by 1918
• Over 750,000 Germans died because of food shortages
• By 1918, there was widespread anger and unrest in Germany
• Abdication of the Kaiser

  1. Unrest and anger at the conditions in Germany grew into a revolution that called for the Kaiser to step down and abdicate

  2. The German Navy mutinied and refused to follow orders

  3. Workers in Munich declared a general strike and took control of the government

  4. The Kaiser agreed to abdicate
• Declaration of a Republic


  1. The politicians in the Reichstag feared a communist revolution

  2. Ebert took action to prevent the extremists from seizing control

  3. Ebert arranged for a national election to be held in January 1919
• Creation of the National Assembly

  1. The moderate parties won the most seats in the election

  2. The National Assembly met for the first time and began to write the new Weimar Constitution
• The new Weimar Constitution was finished after 6 months