Establishment and Early Weimar Years

Impact of the War - Reasons for Crisis

'Turnip Winter' saw an extremely cold winter in Germany. Fuel shortages enhanced the problems and many died of hypothermia and starvation

Infant Mortality increased by over 50% during the War

Influenza Epidemic hit Europe, killing between 20-40 million people - a higher figure than the casualties of WWI

Workers were forced to work longer hours but wages fell below the inflation rate.

Shortages of food and supplies increased prices and people turned to the black market.

Lack of imports of raw materials caused clothing production to rapidly decline.

Crisis of 1918

Revolution from Above

Revolution from Below

October Reforms (declined by the Kaiser)

The Peace Note 1916 - request for an armistice

Abdication of the Kasier

Declaration of a German republic in Berlin

Prince Max resigned as Chancellor

Freidrichsafen Strike (industrial workers)

Naval mutiny

November Revolution 1918 - Germany was on the verge of a communist

Bavarian Government deposed

SDP called on workers to strike

Communism

The Weimar Constitution

Ebert-Groener Pact - alliance between the new democratic government and the old imperial military. The army would protect the government if it did not call to diminish the officer's corps authority.

Sparticists The Sparticists wanted the government to be controlled by the workers and soliders councils. They were founded in 1916 by a revolutionary minority group ad led by Karl Leibknecht and Rose Luxembourg.

Views

State owned businesses and land

Small selection of items on offer to buy

Equality of wealth across citizens

State owned property

Welfare benefits

Nationalisation

Disbanding of the army

Not Democratic

Democratic

Full democracy in both local and central government

The constitution clearly set out the rights of the individual

Germany had wider voting rights - they allowed women to vote

Referendums could be called for by the president or by the public's request

Proportional representation allowed smaller parties to win seats

For a chancellor to be elected at least half the Reichstag had to be in support.

Elections were on a regular basis - every four years for the Reichstag and every seven for the President

Because of PR, larger parties couldn't win a majority, which meant coalitions were often set up. They were normally weak and didn't last for very long

Article 48 gave the President the power to rule by decree in exceptional circumstances

President had the power to dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections

Small, anti-republican parties could gain seats, so they exploited the system

The Treaty of Versailles

Reactions to the Treaty

Limit Germany's Army reduced the risk of Germany starting another War, and makes them vulnerable against future attacks.

Reparations Make Germany pay for their damage which crippled the Germany economy

War Guilt Clause Germany had to accept all responsibility for starting the War. This caused the most resentment and low morale

  • Other terms
  • Various German captured land had to be returned, such as Alsace Lorraine to France.
  • Germany could not have an airforce
  • Navy could only have 6 battleships and no submarines
  • Germany was not allowed to have an airforce

Anger over the incredibly high reparations. Germany was already bankrupt and struggling from the war.

Nationalists were outraged by the occupation of areas by foreign troops.

Humiliated by the War guilt clause

Upset over the loss of jobs following the cut down of the the army

November criminals - Felt betrayed by the generals who had signed the treaty

Stabbed in the Back Myth German citizens thought they had been 'stabbed in the back' by the politicians who signed the treaty. Many people began to blame socialists and minority groups

Post War Economy

Hyperinflation and Economic Crisis

Positives

Negatives

Germany was in deficit due to spending money on artillery, the army and reparations as well as the loss of trade partners and land which had offered many important resources.

Unemployment was low

Government refused to raise taxes

Rich people took out short term loans

A scheme was set up to pay reparations yearly

Borrowing money meant further debts over time

Printing more money meant it became worthless over time and led to extreme inflation

By 1920, the currency had devalued by 14 times compared to pre-war

Causes

Medium Term

Short Term

Long Term

The war effort had required huge levels of government spending

The government decided to not raise taxes, but print more money

Loss of tax revenue due to many business closures

Payments to civil servants continued and welfare benefits were extended

German industrialists were benefiting from taking short term loans

Injured soldiers were needing care

French occupation of the Ruhr led to passive resistance, so there was a decrease in resources

Levels of reparations were not set until 1921 - decided on £6.6 billion

Germany's currency was very unstable and they began to ask for loans

Impact

Tariffs on German products as other countries were reluctant to buy from them

Winners

Losers

Mortgage Holders could easily pay off what they owed with worthless money

Peasants coped fairly well as they were more self sufficient than others and food remained in demand

Those in Debt owed a fixed amount which became worthless so was easy to pay off

Pensioners savings became almost worthless so they were relying on state pensions to survive

Landlords who relied on fixed rents couldn't make their prices keep up with the inflation

Workers , particularly those who didn't belong to a trade union lost out. Wages rose, but not at a competitive rate

Those on Benefits the sick were hit badly as medical care costs rose and rapid rise in food prices led to widespread malnutrition. Fixed benefits didn't match inflation rates

KPD pushed for a workers revolution, to overthrow the state. They received around 10-15% of election votes. However, their main failures were due to lack of cooperation, poor leadership and repression from the authorities

Sparticist Uprising in Berlin January 1919 was the first of many left wing uprising/strikes

Red Threat people feared a revolution from the Communists and their plotting for the downfall of regional government