Germany the establishment of the Weimar rebulblic

• German Revolution


  • Soldiers' and workers' councils established in German cities
  • Council of People's Representatives took control in Germany
• Council of People's Representatives took control in Germany


  10 November 1918
• First elections were held for the Weimar parliament


  January 1919
• A new constitution was approved by the National Assembly


  31 July 1919
• The war had caused terrible suffering among the German people
• There were dreadful food shortages due to low domestic production and because the Allies had imposed a naval blockade to prevent imports of food
• When Germany entered the war in 1914, its leaders promised a quick victory
• Instead, Germany was drawn into a long and bloody conflict against the Allies on the Western Front
• By early November 1918-after 4 years of fighting- German troops had been forced to retreat and the country faced the threat of military occupation
• The Allies insisted that peace could not come until the Kaiser abdicated, but he would not agree to stand down
• In late October, the naval commanders at Kiel ordered their ships to fight against British naval forces, even though it was clear they would lose
• The sailors led a mutiny and refused to fight
• Over the next fortnight, there were strikes and protests across Germany and other soldiers also mutinied against the army leaders
• There were calls from the German people for the Kaiser to abdicate - many Germans blamed him for their country's defeat
• The Kaiser had lost control and many ordinary Germans set up their own workers' councils rather than accepting the authority of the Kaiser's officials
• During the First World War, Germany mobilised about 11 million military personnel
• It is estimated that around 1.8 million were killed, while a further 1 million were taken as prisoners of war or reported as missing
• Around 4 million soldiers were injured, many of whom were left with permanent physical and psychological disabilities
• In addition, approximately 750,000 civilians died during the war from the effects of starvation and disease, including a flu epidemic