The early challenges to the Weimar Republic, 1919-23.

• The Germans signed the armistice on the 11th November 1918 but it was not until the 28th June 1919 that the treaty ending WW1 was signed.
• The Germans expected the treaty to be based off Wilson's 14 points and they expected to lose land they had conquered.

  They viewed Wilson's view of self-determination as a protection for Germany's sovereignty.

  When the terms were signed, many Germans were horrified.
• The French wanted revenge and to make sure that Germany could never threaten France again.

  The UK wanted a large amount of financial reparation.

  The USA had to mediate the negotiations.
• Germany lost 13% of its land, 48% of its iron production and more than 6 million German citizens were absorbed into new countries.

  The 'War Guilt' clause stated that Germany must take the blame for starting the war in 1914.

  Germany was denied entry into the League of nations.
• All colonies had to be given to the allies.

  Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France.

  Saar was to be administered by the League of Nations.

  Posen and West Prussia were given to Poland as they could have a corridor to the sea.

  Danzig was made a free city.

  Memel to be administered by the League of Nations.

  Germany could not form an Anschluss with Austria.

  North Schleswig to Denmark.
• Army could not exceed 100,000.

  No tanks, armoured cars or heavy artillery were permitted.

  No military aircraft.

  No naval vessel to be greater than 10,000 tons.

  No submarines.

  Rhineland was demilitarised.
• Coal was to be mined in the Saar by France.

  Reparations fixed at £6.6 billion.

  Cattle and Sheep given to France and Belgium as reparations.

  Ships over 1,600 tons were given up.

  Germany had to build merchant ships to replace allied boats sunk by U-boats.
• Most Germany saw the treaty of Versailles as a humiliation and a 'Diktat'.

  Ebert and the Weimar Government were made the scapegoats and called the 'November Criminals' for signing the armistice as many in Germany did not believe that Germany had truly lost the war.
• On the 19th June, Scheidemann resigned as chancellor in disgust.

  Ebert called the treaty an 'enforced peace'.

  The German people had not been informed that the Allies had told the German leaders that refusal to sign the treaty would lead to a renewal of hostilities and an immediate invasion of Germany.
• The 'Stab in the back' theory was that the government and the politicians had stabbed the army in the back.

  This theory was known as the Dolchstoss theory.