Germany

• Unification of Germany after victory against France in 1870

  1871
• Chancellor in the 1870s and 80s


  Otto von Bismarck
• Bismarck's attitude towards ethnic minorities


  • He attempted to assimilate ethnic minority groups within the new empire, such as the Poles
• Kaiser Wilhelm II became Kaiser at the age of 31


  1888
• Kaiser Wilhelm II had seen the European powers seize colonies in Africa (Scramble for Africa)
• Many Germans agreed with Kaiser Wilhelm II's Weltpolitik
• By 1914, the left-wing Social Democrat Party gained power because it appealed to Germany's growing number of industrial workers
• The middle class were happy with the right-wing government by 1914 because they were afraid of the growing political strength of industrial workers
• In 1880, Germany produced half the amount of steel as Britain, but by 1914 it produced twice the amount
• By 1914, Germany was producing 1/3 of the World's electrical goods
• Germany's population grew from 40 million in 1871 to 68 million by 1914
• By 1914, only 1/3 of the labour force worked in agriculture, so food imports rose quickly reaching about 1/5 of Germany's needs
• Both right-wing and central political parties accepted the authoritarian nature of German rule before World War I because of the developing wealth and power the middle class gained
• The government introduced social reforms such as old age pensions and sickness and accident insurance schemes to pacify socialist demands before World War I
• The Social Democrat Party gained nearly 1/3 of the seats in 1912
• Prussia made up 2/3 of the population and over 1/2 of the territory of Germany
• The influence of military chiefs often determined Germany's foreign policies, which were concerned with expansion
• Admiral von Tripitz


  Became State Secretary of the Navy in 1897 and argued that Germany needed large battleships
• In 1896, the German Navy had 6 ships
• First Navy Law


  Passed in 1898, allowed for the addition of 7 battleships (Germany already had 12). Didn't match British or French but marked turning point in German foreign policy
• Second Navy Law


  Passed in 1900 (during the Boer War), doubled the size of the fleet to 38 battleships
• Main objective of the German Navy


  To compete against the British
• The Royal Navy launch of the Dreadnought in May 1906


  Germany responded with a 3rd Navy Law, adding 6 cruiser-type ships to the building programme
• A total of 5 Navy Laws were passed in Germany before World War I
• Germany had 0-19 Dreadnoughts from 1907 to 1914
• The Anglo-German naval arms race developed in 1902
• Effects of World War I on Germany


  • Opposition to the Kaiser developed
  • Anarchy
  • 500 women protested against war in 1915 and in 1916 10000 workers turned against the Kaiser
  • Produced less food (1/2 of milk and 3/5 of butter and meat)
  • Spanish influenza spread
  • Made Germans feel angry
• Sailors mutinied at Kiel

  25th October 1918
• Strikes and demonstrations across Germany

  26th October- 5th November 1918
• Soldiers and workers took control of cities like Munich and Hamburg


  6th November 1918
• Social Democrats led by Ebert demanded the abdication of the Kaiser


  7th November 1918
• General Strike in Berlin. Kaiser abdicates. Ebert takes over as Chancellor

  9th November 1918
• Spartacists


  A group of radical socialists who wanted a revolution like the Russians
• Spartacist leaders


  Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebnecht
• Spartacist Uprising


  5th January 1919
• The Spartacist Uprising failed because it was poorly organised, lacked support of other left-wing groups, the government had 2000 Freikorps, and the Spartacist leaders were killed so they lacked leadership
• End of the Spartacist Uprising

  15th January 1919
• The Weimar government came out of the Spartacist uprising as a success, as they had managed to stop the first major uprising under their power. However, they had given too much power to the right-wing Freikorps
• Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles


  War Guilt Clause -- placed complete blame for the war on Germany
• The reparations payment was £6.6 billion