Context

• kaiser


  emperor. supreme decision-maker, head of armed forces
• Reichstag


  German Parliament
• conservatism


  no change
• liberalism


  democracy, constitutions, government by consent
• nationlism


  total loyalty to nation
• socialism


  greater equality
• capitalism


  private enterprise
• communism


  total equality, classless society, requires revolution
• fascism


  authoritarian. extreme nationalism
• when did Germany become a country

  1871. v new
• Russian monarchy


  the Romonovs. Tsar Nicholes 2. ignored poverty & hunger of working class (worsened by ww2), lead to revolution
• Russian revolution 1917


  Bolsheviks overthrew and murdered monarchy. revolted a second time when democratic provisional gov put into place. wanted a completely equal society. communist party. Lenin
• changes Bolsheviks/Lenin made


  nationalised banks and factories. shared housing between classes. confiscated Church land and land owned by Tsar/nobility, gave to poor. killed middle/upper class members opposing the revolution or put them into Gulags. got rid of all other parties
• what were communists known as

  the reds. opposition = whites
• how did the war end

  Ludendorff offensive in spring 1918. Germans tried to outflank British army at the Somme. greatest advance since 1914. no allied soldiers on German soil. but ran out of supplies, petered out by April.
• who signed the armistice

  Matthias Erzberger signed the ceasfire (representative of social democrats) rather than Kaiser who abdicated and fled to Holland
• why did the Germans think they would win

  Kaiser had assured victory. propaganda, militaristic
• der Dolchstoss


  stab in the back. (Jews, communists, politicians)
• effect of the war: economic

  Brit navy blockaded German ports so imports couldn't enter. huge amounts spent on war leading to inflation and bankruptcy after. gov in huge debt (tripled between 1914 and 1918)
• effect of the war: political

  soldiers = angry at defeat, sparked protests against Kaiser. allies forced Germany to reject Kaiser. became democracy, signed armistice Nov 1918. right wing found scape-goat. working class set up worker's councils, wanted socialism/communism. politicians feared communist revolution so forced Kaiser to abdicate
• effect of the war: psychological

  Germans = bitter after being so ambitious for their country. disease e.g. rickets and TB (poor diet) [links to economic] shocked- unaware that defeat was near. dislike those leading the country [links to political]
• social democrats


  Germany's moderate left-wing party. wanted greater but not total equality. did not want revolution
• Friedrich Ebert


  leader of social democrats at end of war
• trade unions


  organisation of workers from a particular trade or set of trades that campaign to protect and further the rights of the workers
• civil service


  people who work for the state to keep all aspects of gov working
• republic


  a country with no monarch or emperor
• in the last few weeks of the war in Stuttgart at the Daimler plant...

  workers went on strike and demonstrated in the streets
• in Hanover soldiers...


  refused to control riots in the streets
• what was set up in many places to take over cities

  worker's and soldier's councils
• in Oct 1918, some crews in the German navy...


  mutinied
• in Nov 1918 in Munich the workers...


  declared a general strike and protested in the streets led by Jewish communist Kurt Eisner. they announced their separation from the rest of Germany
• what do these examples of unrest point towards and how is it dealt with

  a communist revolution and/or civil war. politicians persuade Kaiser to abdicate to prevent this
• why did Kaiser abdicate 9th Nov 1918

  lost support of army, most senior officers (Groener) and ministers
• what did Philipp Scheidermann do

  stood at window of Reichstag, persuaded crowd not to revolt. helped to ensure peaceful transition of power from Kaiser to new German Republic. [leading member of social democrats]
• what did Friedrich Ebert do and who was he

  leader of social democrats. persuaded army to support him. established council of people's reprsentatives. (6 moderate ppl replaced Reichstag, temporary until new constitution) supported trade unions & told big businesses there would be no communist revolution so had their support too
• Who was Matthias Erzberger?

  Ebert's represtentative in the negotiations with the allies. signed ToV
• what did General Groener do

  agreed to Ebert. gave army's support
• Council of People's Representatives

  took control after Germany lost ww1. temporary. nov 1918- feb 1919. leader = Ebert. signed armistice
• National Assembly


  national elections held to elect this. feb 1919- june 1920. main job = treaty of versailles & new constitution
• what issues did the social democrats have

  constant threats from the far left and far right. several uprisings across Germany.