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Summary German Rise of Dictatorship
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In depth and thorough notes of Germany iGCSE module; tried and tested - Grade 9 standard. Easy to read and bullet point form- timelines and organised key evidence.
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Establishment of the Weimar RepublicEvents
25 October 1918
Naval commanders at Kiel ordered sailors to fight leading to mutiny
6 Nov 1918
Soldiers’ & workers’ councils established in some German cities
9 Nov 1918
Kaiser went into exile in Holland
10 Nov
Council of People’s representatives took control in Germany
11 Nov
Armistice signed
Jan 1919
First elections for Weimar republic
German revolution 1918-1919
War caused terrible suffering
- Food shortages
- Low domestic production
- Allies naval blockade
When entered war in 1915 leaders promised quick victory
Germany drawn into long bloody conflict
German troops forced to retreat after 4 years of fighting
Allies insisted peace not to happen unless Kaiser abdicated
The revolution
- Late October naval commanders ordered ships to fight against British even though
they would lose
- Sailors led mutiny, refused to fight
- Over next fortnight, strikes and protests across Germany and other soldiers mutinied
against army leaders
- German people call for Kaiser abdication
- Many blamed him for country’s defeat
- Germans set up their own workers’ councils rather than accept authority of the
Kaiser’s officials
-
Kaiser abdication
9 Nov 1918 Kaiser accepted could not continue to rule
Abdicated and fled to Holland to live in exile
10 Nov new republic set up and new president took over, social democrat Freidrich Ebert
Armistice signed 11 Nov
Senior members of German armed forces claimed Germany close to victory if not for
surrender
Germans chose to believe them bc could not face that their country lost the war
They believed politicians who signed armistice were traitors (stab in the back myth)
,Weimar Republic
Council of People’s representatives took control in Nov 1918
Elections held Jan 19 1919
82% of the electorate voted, moderate parties mostly held seats
Ebert SDP won 40% of seats
Weimar constitution
Advantages
- Bill of rights, freedom of speech, religion and equality under law
- All men & women over 20 can vote
- Elected president & reichstag, president every 7 years
- Reichstag made laws, appointed govt
Disadvantages
- Proportional representation - party allocated seats proportional to No. of ppl who
voted -> small parties even with little votes get seats, no party strong enough to get
majority, coalition, parties work together
- Article 48 - president of Weimar Republic can declare state of emergency and pass a
law without approval of Reichstag (Hitler abuses later to take power)
Parties
Stab in the back myth
People believed they should have won the war but were stabbed in the back
Thought it was bc of Jews, Communists, Left-Wing politicians that they lost the war
Hitler use this belief to control the people
Treaty of Versailles
After 1918 allies start peace treaty
Germany did not want too harsh punishment
- Germans believed they were forced into war, all countries take responsibility
- Allies might want to give Germany chance to stabilise
, - President USA Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep negotiations fair
- Kaiser fled and Germany new democratic govt, surely allies not blame the new govt
for actions of old Kaiser
Actual treaty
Clemenceau PM of France determined to make Germany pay, also wanted to weaken
German armed forces
British PM Lloyd George keen to avoid peace settlement which would lead to another war,
did not want to let Germany off too lightly, in Dec 1918 he won election, promised to
‘squeeze the German people until the pips squeak’
Treaty terms
- Alsace Lorraine lost to France
- Eupen and Malmedy lost to Belgium
- Posen and West Prussia lost to Poland
- Upper Silesia voted to become part of Poland
- Northern Schleswig voted to become part of Denmark
- Port of Danzig made international city (not governed by Germany)
- Accept blame for war - War Guilt clause, article 231
- Had to pay reparations 130,000 million marks, £6.600 M to allies
- Military forces cut
Overall
- Lost 13% of European territory
- Lost 50% of iron reserves
- Lost 15% of coal reserves
- Lost all 11 colonies in Africa and Far East, given to victorious countries as mandates
Military
- Navy limited to 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers and 12 torpedo boats
- Army limited to 100,000 men only to be used internally
- No tanks
- No subs
- No air force
German reaction to treaty
Government
- German govt shocked at harness of treaty
- Not allowed to attend negotiations
- Refused to sign
- Allied threaten to start war again
- Germany reluctantly accepted and signed treaty
- Treaty called a ‘shameful diktat’, had to sign treaty unfair and deliberately humiliating
- War guilt allowed allies to justify themselves for forcing Germany to pay reparations
The people
- Many angry govt decided sign treaty
- Germany had been strong and proud nation, allies deliberately seeking to weaken
them
- Politicians who signed = November criminals
- Stab in back myth began
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