What impact did the War have on Germany? The Weimar Republic Social impact - • traditional values were changing as more and more women • 9th November 1918 the Kaiser abdicated (he gave up his worked during the war throne) • German workers were bitter and angry about restrictions • Frederich Ebert became the leader of the new placed on their earnings during the war whilst factory owners government- the Weimar Republic. He signed an made a lot of money armistice (truce) bringing the war to an end • There were huge gaps between the standards of living between • A powerful myth developed- called stab in the back. This the rich and poor. was the idea that Germany had been stabbed in the back by politicians who accepted the end of the war Political Impact • In January 1919 elections took place for the new • Germany had a revolution and became an unstable republic government • Stresses of war led to a revolution in October and November 1918 The constitution • Many ex –soldiers and ordinary people disliked the new

government- they thought Germany had been betrayed by the The President Weimar politicians Article 48

Economic Impact Chancellor Armed forces • Germany was nearly broke by the end of the war Courts • Industrial production was two thirds what it had been in 1913 • National income was a third of what it was before the war • The government was left with 600,000 widows and 2 million children to support- it spent one third of all its money on pensions. Government Ministers

The Weimar Republic faced lots of threats 1919-1921

Reichstag

The Threat from the Left Who:- Spartacists (Communists) When:- January 1919 German people- all vote over the age of 20. They

Leaders:- Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht elect members of the Reichstag and the President Why:- wanted a more Communist style government- wanted workers to run the countries based on a system of Soviets (worker councils) Constitution- set of rules and laws that govern a country What happened:-workers took control of some of the cities. The government Reichstag-Parliament used the right wing Freikorps to crush the Spartacists- the leaders were Reichstag were voted by Proportional Representation- this killed. means the % of votes = the no. of seats in the Reichstag Results:- the Communist threat had ended and they never really made any Article 48- attempts to take power again. But Ebert had used the right, the Freikorps emergency powers given to the President- can rule without the Reichstag in times of emergency who equally didn’t like the government- they had made them powerful. It shows that lots of people didn’t like the government. Chancellor- was in charge of the Reichstag- needed support from more than half of the Reichstag President was head of the government.

Threat from the Right Who:- Kapp Putsch (army and Freikorps) When:- March 1920 Leaders:- Dr Wolfgang Kapp Why:- disliked Versailles and they thought the Weimar Republic were weak. They wanted a strong government. What happened:- Kapp and 5,000 Freikorps marched into Berlin and took control of the city and government. Ebert and the Weimar Republic fled, before they left they called a general strike which crippled the city and after 4 days Kapp was forced to leave. Results:- the government had survived but showed that it lacked any real power. However, it did have some popular support because the Berlin people supported it and went on strike. The Treaty of Versailles Another threat was the Treaty of Versailles

Guilt- Germany blamed for the war Arms reductions- 100,000 soldiers, no tanks or airforce Reparations- set at 6.6 million German territory- lost 12% including Rhineland, West Prussia, Posen, Overseas colonies Le-ague of Nations

Germany hated the treaty • Guilt- unfair- all countries were to blame not just Germany. Kaiser had started the war but he left • Reparations- they were too high and would take too long to pay off. They claimed

Economic crisis and hyperinflation The invasion of the Ruhr • In 1921 Germany paid her first reparations, but in 1922 said she could not pay even though it was only 2% of her industrial output • The French were fuming and thought Germany were lying • Jan 1923 they invaded the industrial area of the Ruhr, the German government couldn’t stop them, so they decided to follow policy of passive resistance- the workers would go on strike • 100 workers were killed and 100,000 protestors were kicked out of the region • What this meant was that Germany was no longer making any money and was broke- they couldn’t pay wages or their debts

Hyperinflation • Because the government had no goods to trade- they had no money • They decided to print more money • This set of a chain reaction- there was too much money in circulation and wages and prices rapidly increased • Prices increased so much that mid 1923 bread cost millions and millions of marks. People got paid mid day before prices went up and had to carry their wages in wheel barrows.

The Munich Putsch The Munich Putsch

November 1923 Hitler and the Nazis attempted to What happened? th take power in Bavaria, Munich • 8 Nov Hitler crashed a meeting in a Beer Hall in Munich and tried Why to persuade Kahr and Lossow to support him • 1923 was a year of crisis and Weimar was at • The next day they marched into Munich but the army were waiting its most unpopular for them- Kahr had been let go and informed the authorities • Bavaria and its leaders were known to be • The Putsch failed and Hitler and the other leaders were arrested anti-Weimar- they thought they would and put in prison for 5 years. They only served 9 months support them Results • Hitler was supported by old war heroes like • Short term failure- Hitler went to prison Ludendorff • Long term- more successful- Hitler reorganized the Party and • Hitler though people like Kahr would decided they would get power legally- votes support them • He had time to think- wrote his book in prison- Mein Kampf