Germany after WWI

history

why did Ludendorff hand over power to the reichestag in September 1918.

• Shifting the blame of losing WWI to new movement before it officially ended This later fed into the “stab-in-the-back” myth—the false idea that the army was betrayed by weak politicians and revolutionaries at home.

• preventing revolution ludendorff believed that giving more power to the Reichstag (the elected parliament) might calm the population and prevent a socialist uprising.

what agreement assured army support for the new republic

Ebert–Groener Agreement) made on 10 November 1918.

• it was a informal agreement between Friedrich Ebert, ( head of new gov) and General Wilhelm Groener ( senior officer)

• Groener promised the loyalty of the army to the Weimar government In return, Ebert agreed to maintain the authority and structure of the army, keeping the existing military hierarchy and preventing the army from being democratised or disbanded.

what was the dolchstosslegende

The stab in the back myth - which claimed that Germany had not been defeated in war but stabed in the back by civilians at home, particularly socialists, communists, and Jews, who allegedly caused unrest, strikes, and political instability.

who was it created by - it was created by the Right-wing nationalists and some military leaders, including General Erich Ludendorff.

why it was created- To shift blame for Germany’s defeat away from the army.

effect - 

• Undermined trust in the Weimar Republic - cause they were the ones who signed treaty ending war 

• Fueled antisemitism and anti-left sentiment in German society.

• became key Nazi propaganda, blaming the republic’s leaders as “November criminals” who betrayed Germany.

what were separatist goals and belifes

• workers rev to overthrow capitalist system and Establish a communist government run by workers’ and soldiers’ councils (soviets) instead of a parliament.

•  wanted to overthrow the weilmar’s domocratic government and replace with a communist movement 

separatist leaders

Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.

separatist what they did 

In January 1919, they led the Spartacist Uprising in Berlin, attempting to seize power and create a communist state left
However, the revolt was crushed by the army and the Freikorps (right-wing paramilitary groups) under orders from Ebert’s government. Luxemburg and Liebknecht / leaders were captured and murdered.

How did the freikorps effect german politics 

• Crushed left-wing uprisings: helped the new Weimar government (under Friedrich Ebert) suppress communist revolts like the Spartacist Uprising (1919), violently attacking socialists and communists and killing leaders such as Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.

• Created political instability: Although they defended the republic at first, the Freikorps were deeply anti-democratic and anti-republican. Many members despised the democratic system and blamed it for Germany’s defeat in WWI.

• Involved in right-wing coups: In 1920, they helped lead the Kapp Putsch, an attempted coup to overthrow the Weimar government and establish a right-wing dictatorship.

• Weakened democracy long-term: By normalizing political violence and undermining respect for democratic institutions, the Freikorps contributed to the fragility of the Weimar Republic.

• Influence on Nazism: Many future Nazis, including early supporters of Adolf Hitler, came from the Freikorps. Their militant nationalism and hatred of communism helped shape the ideology and tactics of the Nazi Party.

who were the freikorps

• right-wing paramilitary groups

• made up mostly of ex-soldiers, nationalists, and former officers.

• emerged after WWI when Germany’s regular army was limited by the Treaty of Versailles.

what happened to karlliebkecht and rosa luxemberg in 1919( separatist uprising)

Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, leaders of the Spartacist (Communist) movement, were arrested by the Freikorps after their attempt to overthrow the Weimar government failed. Both were brutally murdered on 15 January 1919

• their deaths crushed the Spartacist Uprising.

• The killings weakened the German communist movement and deepened divisions on the left, particularly between the SPD (Social Democrats) and KPD (Communists).

• It also highlighted the brutal role of the Freikorps in suppressing opposition to the Weimar government.

who were the major winners from the events of January 1919 (Spartacist uprising )

• The Weimar Government- won and new Social Democratic (SPD) government maintained control over Germany.

• The Freikorps and the Army- gained power and influence by proving that the military still held significant authority despite Germany’s defeat in WWI.

What happened to the left of German politics because of January 1919?

• The violent suppression of the uprising by the SPD government (using the Freikorps) created deep hatred and mistrust between the SPD ( mid left social democrats) and KPD ( far left separtacist communists) .

• left win movement became split between Social Democrats (SPD) — who supported the Weimar Republic and worked with the army and Freikorps to maintain order. and the he Communists (KPD) — who wanted a revolutionary, Soviet-style system.

social Democrats (SPD) beliefs and goals

• Moderate/ reformist Left / Center

• Supported parliamentary democracy and gradual social reforms.

• Wanted to defend the Weimar Republic and maintain order.

• Opposed violent revolution.

social Democrats (SPD) actions in 1919

• Formed the Weimar government after the Kaiser abdicated in November 1918.

• Used the army and Freikorps to crush the Spartacist Uprising, despite being a left-wing party.

• Focused on building democracy and stabilizing Germany after WWI.

• Outcome:

  • The Weimar Republic survived its first crisis.

  • However, SPD’s use of the Freikorps created mistrust with the KPD, dividing the left.

what is article 48

• allows the president to rule by decree ( make laws without rechstag’s approval) in an emergency

• temporary autocracy

what is the main drawback of portional representation

• caused political instability - because it was hard to form strong governments.

• hard to find majority

• reichstag divided

• big parties had to form coalitions ( alliances with smaller groups) to rule - however disagreements often led to these falling apart, causing frequent elections and gov changes,

• allowed extremist parties a voice in parliament weakening support for democracy.

what is the Reichstag

• elected parliament of Germany, responsible for making laws and representing the people.

• main democratic institution

• Members were elected by proportional representation — meaning even small parties could gain seats.

• It approved laws, controlled the budget, and could approve or remove the Chancellor.

Kapp Putsch, 1920

• right winged attempted coup to overthrow the weimar repubic 

• 5,000 Freikorps soldiers led by Wolfgang Kapp (a nationalist politician) and General Walther von Lüttwitz marched into Berlin.

• opposed the government’s plan to disband the Freikorps ( for treaty ) 

• however the freilkorps refused to fight their former soldiers, 

• this showed that the army’s loyalty lay with the old traditions not democratic Weimar Republic

• this weekened gov which now had to rely on workers strike, to defeat coup

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