Germany, democracy and dictatorship

• Frederick William Victor Albert


  Also known as Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Kaiser Wilhelm II was born in Berlin in 1859 to Princess Victoria and German Emperor Frederick III
• Kaiser Wilhelm II's birth


  Traumatic, born with a disability that made his left arm smaller and essentially useless
• Kaiser Wilhelm II blamed his disability


  On his mother, and this is where his hatred for the British started, which grew even stronger due to a British physician that practiced electrotherapy and other absurd procedures on the future Kaiser
• Kaiser Wilhelm II


  • Intelligent but had a quick temper and a very strong personality
• Kaiser Wilhelm II's strong personality


  Caused problems in his Reign, such as a Daily Telegraph Affair where the Kaiser publicly offended the British
• Kaiser Wilhelm II's ideals

  Preferred German standards of nationalism and traditionalism over British ideals of democracy and liberalism
• Kaiser Wilhelm II's goal

  To have a stronger Germany to compete with his cousins Tsar Nicholas II and George V, which he believed was achievable by growing German industries, military and navy
• Constitution of the new German Empire

  • Made the Kaiser the most powerful figure in Germany, as he was in absolute control of the army, foreign policy, and could appoint the chancellor and propose new legislation
• Germany had an economic boom from 1890 to 1924, and by the start of the 20th century, Germany was mainland Europe's most powerful nation
• Iron and coal production in Germany doubled, and Germany now produced 2/3 of Europe's steel
• This rapid industrialization led to an increase in the working class and poor working conditions, which made people want change
• This led to a rise in socialism and the Social Democratic party of Germany (SPD), whose seats in the Reichstag increased from 11 in 1887 to 81 by 1903
• By 1914, 3.3 million people were involved with trade unions in Germany, which was a big threat to the Kaiser and his power
• The government's fear of promoting socialist ideals


  Led to not passing reform, which made people angrier and supported more radical political parties
• Kaiser Wilhelm II's response

  War, to distract the people by passing laws to encourage nationalism and military pride
• Kaiser Wilhelm II's Navy Laws

  1. Passed in 1898 to build and improve Germany's naval fleet to compete with the British Royal Navy

  2. The main goal was propaganda to increase patriotism and decrease the popularity of radical parties like the SPD
• The Navy Laws were effective, and Germany increased its number of battleships to 19 by 1903
• Germany's increased naval power

  Caught the eye of the British, who answered by designing the powerful HMS Dreadnought, starting an arms race
• By 1914, Germany had only produced 17 dreadnoughts, while Britain had produced 29
• The naval arms race worsened Anglo-German relations and is argued to have possibly led to World War I
• By 1918, Germany was desperate due to a British naval blockade, food, medicine, and clothing shortages, and the Spanish flu pandemic killing an estimated quarter of a million Germans
• On October 31st, 1918, the Kiel Mutiny occurred as sailors refused to go on a suicidal attack against British ships, and many other soldiers and civilians joined the mutiny
• On November 9th, 1918, the Kaiser abdicated and escaped to the Netherlands, and Germany was declared a republic
• The Treaty of Versailles imposed severe territorial, military, and financial losses on Germany, including the loss of 12% of its population, 75% of its iron ore, 68% of its zinc ore, and 26% of its coal
• The Treaty of Versailles also forced Germany to accept the blame for starting and prolonging the war, which many Germans saw as unfair and insulting
• The Weimar Constitution


  • Had fair and equal representation for everyone over 20 years old, a balance of power, and a constant rotation of leaders
  • But proportional representation led to too many parties that struggled to agree and cooperate, allowed extremist parties to have a say, and gave too much power to the president in case of an emergency
• The Treaty of Versailles left Germany crippling debt and took away its money-making industry, leading to hyperinflation and extreme poverty
• This instability led to three significant attempts to overthrow the Weimar government: the Spartacist Revolt, the Kapp Putsch, and the Munich Putsch led by Adolf Hitler
• Gustav Stresemann was appointed Chancellor in 1923 and implemented effective reforms that stabilized the economy and improved relations with the Allies
• Between 1924 and 1929, Stresemann signed several international agreements that set Germany on the international stage, including the Locarno Pact, Germany's admission to the League of Nations, and the Kellogg-Briand Pact
• The economic stability and improved living standards during the Weimar Republic's "Golden Age" allowed for a flourishing of art, literature, cinema, and social freedoms
• Hitler's rise to power involved destroying democracy in Germany through 5 key steps
• Steps to destroy democracy in Germany

  1. Exploit the Reichstag fire to suspend civil liberties

  2. Pass the Enabling Act to consolidate legislative power

  3. Synchronize and coordinate all institutions under Nazi control

  4. Eliminate political opponents through the Night of the Long Knives

  5. Merge the Chancellorship and Presidency to consolidate Hitler's power
• Hitler promised "Lebensraum" (living space) to the German people, emphasizing the need for territorial expansion
• Hitler announced German rearmament would commence


  1935
• Hitler reoccupied the Rhineland

  Formed a military alliance with Mussolini in Italy
• Hitler annexed Austria


  The Allies celebrated and did nothing
• Hitler violated the Munich agreement


  Annexed the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia
• Hitler surprised the world by signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact, a non-aggression treaty that included a secret agreement to invade and divide Poland