Weimar

• The First World War ended in 1918 and left Germany scarred and crumbling, having been defeated by the combined force of Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the USA
• Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party, became the first German president and declared Germany a republic
• Impact of the First World War on Germany

  • 2 million German troops died
  • Over 4 million were wounded (11 million in total fought in the war)
  • Government debts increased from 50 billion marks to 150 billion marks
  • More than 750,000 Germans died because of food shortages
  • Devastating effects left many people with no option other than to revolt by striking and rioting
• The Kaiser fled to Holland on 10 November 1918
• The Kaiser visited army headquarters on 9 November 1918 and ministers tried to persuade him to abdicate, but he refused
• Army officers refused to support the Kaiser, so he had no option but to abdicate
• Once the Kaiser had abdicated, the German Republic was declared on 9 November 1918
• On 10 November, Friedrich Ebert suspended the old Reichstag and formed the Council of People's Representatives as a temporary measure
• The streets were crowded, with some people armed, hoping to take over parts of the city
• The revolutionary period continued until August 1919, when the Weimar Republic was finally established
• The armistice, the peace agreement between Germany and the Allies, was signed on 11 November 1918 and was the first major decision of Ebert's new Republic
• The terms of the peace, the Treaty of Versailles, became a very big burden for the country
• President


  Head of State, elected by the people every seven years, chose the chancellor
• Chancellor


  Head of the government of the Weimar Republic, close all government ministers
• Reichstag


  The main decision-making body of the government, the Parliament, made up of two houses: the Reichstag and the Reichsrat
• Reichsrat

  Also elected every four years, represented the regions of Germany, each region sent a certain number of representatives depending on its size
• Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional representation made sure small parties had a fair share of seats
  • Women able to vote as well as men
  • Voting age reduced from 25 to 21
  • No one group or person could have too much power
  • There was an election for president every seven years
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

  • Proportional representation led to coalition governments that were unstable, or found it difficult to have strong policies and often fell apart
  • Lack of strong government led to weakness in a crisis that ended up with the president passing laws without the prior consent of the Reichstag
  • Article 48 of the constitution enabled the president to do this, it was not the choice of the people so was not that popular
• The Treaty of Versailles damaged Germany's economy making the Weimar Republic weak from the start
• People blamed the leaders of the new German republic for signing the Treaty of Versailles and were labelled the 'November Criminals' because they surrendered in November 1918 and were seen as traitors to their country
• Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles said that Germany was guilty of starting the war, which ordinary German people hated and felt very resentful about, as they believed they fought the war in self-defence and that other countries were to blame
• Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

  • £6,600 million was to be paid in yearly instalments to the Allies to repair damage in their countries
  • Army limited to 100,000
  • Navy limited to six battleships, six cruisers, 12 destroyers and 12 torpedo boats (and no submarines)
  • All planes were destroyed and no air force was allowed
  • No military was allowed in the land bordering France (the Rhineland)
• German people never believed their army had been defeated in the war, and those who criticised the treaty said that the army had been betrayed by politicians - that they were 'stabbed in the back' and forced to surrender when they could have won
• Expressionism


  An art movement in Weimar Germany concerned with raw emotion, the seedier side of everyday life and confronting the disaster of the First World War
• Bauhaus school


  Set up in Weimar in 1919 by the architect Walter Gropius, bringing together all the disciplines of art, architecture, design, typography, sculpture, etc. and challenging traditional styles