War weariness and the monarchy

• The First World War affected Germany socially, economically, and politically.
• German society expected a quick victory. So by 1918, German society was exhausted. 
• During the war 2 million died from fighting and 4 million were wounded leaving 600,000 women as widows
• During the war 763,000 civilians died from starvation and a further 150,000 died from the flu-pandemic
• By 1918 industrial production was about 33% lower than it had been in 1913
• Geramny's debt had increased over WW1 from 50 billion marks to 150 billion marks in 1918
• Geramny printed more money to fund the war effort meaning the value of the Geraman mark fell causing inflation
• The average wage for a worker in 1918 was only 60% of what they earnt in 1913
• Big armament business owners profited greatly from the war causing workers to resent them
• By the autumn of 1918, it was becoming obvious that Germany could not win the war. A series of events led to Kaiser Wilhelm abdicating .
• 29th September 1918


  Field Marshall Hindenburg and General Ludendorf told Kaiser wilhelm II that Germany couldn't win the war.Hindenburg and Ludendorf said that a democratic government was needed for a favourable peace settlement with the allied forces .
• 3rd October 1918


  Hindenburg infromed the reichstag of the decision to create a more democratic government.Kaiser appointed a liberal Prince Max of Baden, to be chancellor under which a new government was created .
• The German military laeders handed over power to the civillian government just in time for them to take the blame for the loss of WW1
• 28th October 1918


  Kaiser loses the support of his miliatary

  Kiel mutinty:Sailors in the navy refused to follow the Kaisers orders

  Kurt Eisner, a communist, caused massed strikes in Munich after supporting an uprising against the Kaiser
• 9th November 1918


  Ministers tried to make the Kiaser abdicate which he refused then army leaders drew their support for the Kaiser forcing him to abdicate and subsequently flee to Holland .
• 10th November 1918


  Phillip Scheidemann a member of the SPD declared the new German republic

  Friedrich Ebert, leader of the SPD ,became the leader of the German republic
• Ebert created the council of People's represresentatives as a temporary government.This council ran Germany until new elections were held in 1919
• 11th Novemeber 1918


  Ebert admitted defeat and signed the armistice with the allies
• Some Germans felt that Germany could have won the war and so were 'stabbed in the back' by Ebert and his government.Ebert and the politicians who negotiated peace became known as the 'Novemeber criminals' and Berlin became a hotbed for revolt.