Impact of WW1

• 9 November 1918 - Kaiser abdicates and disappears
• 1914

  • war was popular and patriotic
  • British navy ships stopped food getting into Germany, leading to food and other shortages
• 1915-16

  • protesters demanded an end to the war, with demonstrations raging from 500 - 10,000 protesters
  • soldiers were worn down by bombs, gas, and machine gun fire
• political instability

  • flu epidemic - nation as a whole close to defeat
  • Ludendorff stated Germany could not win the war, advised Kaiser to make the country more democratic so Allies would treat Germany more fairly
  • Kaiser allowed main parties to form a govt. but very little else. Reichstag power limited, German people unhappy