Key Topic 1: The Weimar Republic 1918-1929

Created by: RevisingBird
Created on: 09-04-18 11:32

View mindmap

Key Topic 1: The Weimar Republic 1918-29
- How WW1 effected Germany
  - Political
    - 9th Nov - Social Democrats didn't want extremists to take control so announced Kaiser abdicated
    - Kaiser Wilhelm had to leave on November 10th 1918 due to strikes and mutinies
    - The soldiers had fought many died and they felt stabbed in the back.
    - Germany was run as a military dictatorship and Germany was unstable. German soldiers were coming home angry trying to blame somebody.
  - Physical
    - Germany was run as a military dictatorship and Germany was unstable. German soldiers were coming home angry trying to blame somebody.
    - The Winter of 1916-17 people were starving to a blockade by the British Navy stopped supplies getting in
    - Lack of food meant people were vulnerable to disease
      - Around 750,000 people died due to hunger and disease
        The Winter of 1916-17 people were starving to a blockade by the British Navy stopped supplies getting in
      - 1918 - Germany was producing around half of their milk and 60% of the butter an meat before the war
    - Farming was disrupted because farmers were in armed forces.
      - 1918 - Germany was producing around half of their milk and 60% of the butter an meat before the war
  - Psychological
    - Many German people had lost families and soldiers had injuries and/or shellshock
    - War had made Germans angry and they had been happy before
- Strengths and Weaknesses of the New Democracy
- Uprisings because of the Weimar Republic
  - Spartacist Uprising
    - 5th Jan - 10th Jan 1919
    - Causes
      - Spartacists didn't believe Germany would become democratic
      - Working class thought they wouldn't have as much power as middle class
    - What happened
    - The government won so it was a failure
  - Kiel Mutiny
    - 28th October 1918
    - Causes
      - Germany's Navy Chief made unpopular decision to fight
        Soldiers didn't want to because they thought war would be over soon
    - 1000 soldiers arrested for mutiny
    - Soviet
      - Was set up by workers and soldiers
      - Many troops who came to stop it ended up joining
      - Many soviets set up and the police and army surrendered in many places
      - Kaiser Wilhelm forced to abdicate and Fredrich Ebert
    - People started to argue about what sort of government to have
  - Red Rising in the Ruhr
    - Workers in many parts of Germany tried to start a communist revolution
    - In Ruhr (industrial area) the Red Army was created and took control of many towns
    - Government Free Corps and others sent into rebel areas
    - 1000 members died in fight
    - Government disbanded Red Army ? some ex members formed squads to continue fighting socialists
    - 1921 -23 murder squads killed
    - 356 killed (including politicians)
  - Kapp Putsch
    - March 1920
    - 5000 Free Corps marched into Berlin
    - Government ran away
    - Dr Kapp (extreme Nationalist) became power of the government
- Treaty of Versailles
  - Germany thought it was going to follow the 14 point peace plan
    - They weren't in meetings so they were weakened a lot!
  - Germany hated the Treaty of Versailles because:
    - Too harsh
    - Felt like it was forced
    - They felt they hadn't lost the war
  - Main Terms
    - B: Germany had to accept Blame even though they blame Russia and weren't in meetings.
      - R: Germany had to pay reparations at $6.6 billion. Germans felt this starved their children and destroyed economy.
        A: Arms
        Army limited to 100,000 men
        
        Air force banned
        
        Navy had 6 battleships and no submarines
        
        Not allowed troops in Rhineland
        
        Left Germany powerless against small countries
        
        T: Germany lost territories and land to Britain and France. France given Saar Coalfield for 15 years. Germany couldn't unite with Austria. Many Germans lost right to be German.
  - Signed June 28th 1919
- Hyperinflation
  - Price goes up due to shortage of goods leading to theft and trading.
  - Invasion of the Ruhr
    - What happened
    - The effects:
      - Factory workers
        Paid daily as money lost value quickly
        
        They shopped for anything to barter
      - Pensioners
        Fixed incomes so they couldn't afford a lot
      - Farmers
        Wouldn't have been effected greatly as they grew their own food
        
        Other necessities e.g. clothes would be expensive
      - People in debt
        Had to go bank to pay off debt with money they could use for food
      - Business owners
        They could buy smaller businesses ? benefitted
- How far did Germany recover from the crises of 1919-23
  - Gustav Streseman was appointed the Chancellor of Germany and was in charge of solving these problems

Get Revising

Key Topic 1: The Weimar Republic 1918-1929

Comments

Similar History resources: