Weimar Republic: 1918-1929

• Weimar Republic

  Germany's first democratic government, set up after the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918
• Key Topics

  • The setting up the Weimar Republic
  • The early challenges, 1918-23
  • The recovery of Germany, 1924-29
  • The Weimar Golden Age
• German sailors at Wilhelmshaven refuse to follow orders, this leads to the Kiel Mutiny where sailors refuse to go and fight the British navy

  29th October 1918
• 40,000 sailors join dock workers and set up a Workers' and Soldiers' council to rule themselves, they take over the dockyard. Government control of the country breaks down in areas like Bavaria and Hamburg


  4th November 1918
• Kaiser Wilhelm II realises he has lost control of Germany, and under pressure from his own ministers and Allies who say they will only negotiate with 'representatives of the people' decides to abdicate. He flees to Holland

  9th November 1918
• Power is given to Friedrich Ebert from the Social Democrat party (SPD), he becomes Chancellor of the new government called the Weimar Republic. Germany was now a democracy for the first time in its history


  10th November 1918
• By 1918, Germany was facing mounting problems; Germany's Spring Offensive had failed, the allies were on the offensive, the country had lost over 2 million soldiers and there was feeling the army would collapse. Furthermore, the allied blockade of the ports was causing mass suffering due to food shortages
• Short Term Effects of the Revolution

  The new Weimar Republic immediately calls for a ceasefire (an end to the fighting) which leads the armistice on the 11th November 1918. Germany had lost the First World War
• Long Term Effects of the Revolution

  Politics in Germany became very unstable as extreme left-wing and right-wing groups fought for power over the country. There was so much trouble, the new government didn't fully take control until mid-1919
• The First World War had significant impact on Germany, the Weimar Republic and the future of Germany
• Growing problems in Germany

  • Deaths and Casualties
  • Financial Problems
  • New Government
  • Mass Starvation
  • Losing the war
  • Social Unrest
• Many were unsure of the new government, some wanted the Kaiser to return
• Thousands of soldiers left the army, causing riots and problems with those back in Germany. One group were the Freikorp (ex soldiers who refused to give up their weapons)
• Weimar Constitution


  A set of rules used to govern Germany as a democracy
• Key Features of the Weimar Constitution

  • Freedom of speech, religion and to hold meetings
  • Personal freedom and equality
  • All men and women over 20 could vote
  • The Reichstag (government) was voted for by the people and made the laws
• Proportional representation

  The voting system where political parties gain seats in the Reichstag (parliament) based on the percentage of votes they receive
• Key Parts of the Weimar Government

  • The President
  • The Chancellor
  • The Cabinet
  • The Reichstag
  • The Reichsrat
• Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional representation made sure small parties had a fair share of seats
  • The system meant that not one group or person could have too much power, it hoped to end dictatorships
  • In 1919, Germany was the most democratic in Europe, by giving equal rights and votes to women, more than Britain
  • There were elections for both the Reichstag and President
  • There was free speech and freedom of religious beliefs
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional representation often led to coalition governments who found it difficult to get along and agree, so they often collapsed
  • In the 1920s, there were 29 different parties, which meant less chance of one getting a majority
  • The army, judges and civil servants wanted a return of the Kaiser and were opposed to the Weimar Republic
  • Article 48 meant that the President could take control if he thought there was an 'emergency' – leading to dictatorship
  • The Weimar Republic was hated by the people
• Main Political Parties in the Weimar Republic

  • Centre Party (Z)
  • Social Democrats (SPD)
  • German People's Party (DVP)
  • National Socialist Party (NSDAP)
  • Communists (KPD)
• The SPD joined in a coalition with the DDP and Centre Party to control 80% of the Reichstag whilst the extreme right and left had the remaining 20% of the Reichstag
• Treaty of Versailles

  The treaty ending the First World War, signed in 1919, which was forced on Germany and became a major reason why Germans hated the Weimar Republic
• Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

  • Military Terms
  • Reparations
  • Blame
  • Territorial Terms
• Diktat


  The Germans were given no say in the treaty - sign it or risk invasion. This led to the Germans calling the Treaty the 'Diktat' - a dictated peace!
• War Guilt


  Many German people hated Article 231 - they felt why should they be blamed for that the Kaiser and other countries had done
• The German people were disgraced and humiliated by the War Guilt clause
• Germans were bitter and angry at the allies, who they thought were trying to destroy Germany
• The £6.6 billion fine would almost bankrupt Germany, and the lost of land would make it harder to pay back
• Kapp Putsch

  In 1920, after the crushing of the left, Ebert tried to reduce the size of the army and disband the Freikorps, causing uproar. The leader of the Freikorp and Berlin politician Wolfgang Kapp then took the government buildings using the army and declared a new right wing government
• The Kapp Putsch failed but despite 400 army officers being involved, very few were punished
• In the early years (1918-23) there were constant threats from the left and right, assassinations and several uprisings across Germany
• Adding to these problems was the communist Revolution in Russia in October1917, which spread ideas of a revolution to Germany
• Spartacist Uprising


  In January 1919, 50,000 Spartacists attempted to overthrow Ebert and the Weimar Republic. They captured the government newspaper but failed to take any others, or get any support from other left wing groups
• Reasons for unrest in Germany

  • Hated the Weimar Republic for signing the Treaty of Versailles
  • High taxes introduced to pay reparations
  • Fought to take control for political reasons
  • Unhappy at the social problems facing Germany
• The communist Revolution in Russia in October 1917 spread ideas of a revolution to Germany
• In 1918, revolution was in the air and many workers began to set up council
• The Spartacists were an extreme group led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg who aimed to turn Germany into a communist country
• The Spartacist Uprising

  1. 50,000 Spartacists attempted to overthrow Ebert and the Weimar Republic

  2. They captured the government newspaper but failed to take any others, or get any support from other left wing groups

  3. Ebert used the army (Reichswehr) and Freikorps to put down the rebellion

  4. The Spartacist were defeated, Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht were murdered

  5. The communist threat ended after the swift and violent put down
• Right wing groups that hated the Weimar Republic


  • The army
  • Agreed with the Dolschtoss Theory that they had been stabbed in the back
  • Wanted to set up a military right wing dictatorship
• There were 376 murders (most of them by the right wing) in the period 1919-22