HISTORY, GERMANY, CHAP 1; weimar republic & it’s early problems

Key events of 1918

• 25th Oct. ; sailor mutiny at Kiel

• 9th Nov. ; Kaiser abdicates & flees to the Netherlands. Imperial Chancellor resigns & transfers his power to Ebert

• 10th Nov. ; Ebert sets up a socialist government, the CPR

• 11th Nov; Armistice is signed, ending World War I.

When did Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicate?

9th of November, 1918

When was the mutiny at Kiel & why? 

25th October 1918. They were ordered to fight British naval forces even though it was clear that they’d lose. 

Significance of Kiel Mutiny?

• sparked unrest & caused resistance over the next 2 weeks (from the 25/10 to 9/11)

Effects of WW1 on Germany

• Starvation & food shortages; Allies imposed a naval blockade

• Low morale; promised a quick and easy war, instead became 4 devastating years of fighting 

• By early November 1918, the troops had to retreat; risk of Allied military occupation 

What events lead to the Kaiser’s fall?

• The allies insisted peace would not come until Wilhelm II abdicated

• Kiel Mutiny & it’s following effects;

• Strikes & protests 

• More Germans blamed the Kaiser for the loss in WW1

• Many Germans set up worker’s councils and ignored the authority of Kaiser officials

Results of the 19th Jan. 1919 elections

• positive for supporters of the democracy

• 82% of electorate voted

• Moderate parties gained most of the seats

• Ebert’s SDP gained 40% of the seats

Members of the new government system & their features

• President ; elected every 7 years, appoints chancellor, has power to dissolve the Reichstag, could rule by decree

• Chancellor ; head of government elected by president, needed the support of the majority of the Reichstag

• Reichstag; main legislative body, proportional representation of political parties

• Länder; state governments. Each state had its own parliament, laws & police force

Points of the Weimar Constitution 

• Men & women over 20 could vote

• Every citizen had freedom of speech and religion & equality under the law

• Elected government (Reichstag) set up

• Article 48; president could bypass the Reichstag in times of emergency

What was Ebert’s approach?

He reached out to different groups of interest; civil servants to work with soldier & worker’s councils, industry leaders, promises to trade unions

Who opposed the new government?

• senior figures - especially army leaders

• Germans who wanted the Kaiser back

• People who were influenced by & wanted a communist revolution

Structural & Political weaknesses of the new republic

Proportional representation lead to a lot of small parties that had to make coalitions - these coalitions were weak & couldn’t make long-term decisions.

Germany had no experience with this sort of system. 

Lack of unity in the new republic 

Germany was politically divided and the politicians in charge of governing Germany didn’t share a strong commitment to making the new system work.

Many powerful groups didn’t support democracy - they preferred the old system.

Opposition to democracy in the new republic

• people who were against democracy could still vote - extremists could make it so parties that wanted fo destroy democracy could influence politics

• The party faced serious, organised opposition. Stabilising the country became harder 

Socioeconomic problems of the new republic

Germany was economically damaged after WW1, so it was harder to handle any crises. Many Germans also blamed the government for their hardship & humiliation