History - Germany

• Kaiser Wilhelm II


  The difficulties of ruling Germany
• Kaiser Wilhelm II


  • Spent most of his youth in the army
  • Keen to maintain a powerful army and build up a large navy
  • Wanted Germany to be a global power and have an empire to rival Britain's - Weltpolitik - world policy
• The Weimar Republic was established on November 9, 1918.
• Germany lost World War One due to the Treaty of Versailles signed by Woodrow Wilson.
• Wilhelm II abdicated as Kaiser on November 28, 1918.
• Germany lost territory as part of the Treaty of Versailles (1919).
• The Kapp Putsch occurred in March 1920 when Wolfgang Kapp declared himself chancellor with support from the Reichswehr (army). However, he failed to gain popular support and was forced out by workers' councils.
• Friedrich Ebert became Chancellor on December 6, 1918.
• The Weimar Constitution was adopted by the National Assembly on August 31, 1919.
• The Weimar Constitution granted women the right to vote and stand for election.
• The German Empire became the Weimar Republic under President Friedrich Ebert.
• In January 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany through legal means.
• On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag building caught fire, which allowed Hitler to declare a state of emergency under Article 48.