Impact of the War

1. 1.3 mill. dead
2. influena epidemic
3. 4.2 milll. wounded

1. Revolution from Above
   1. Main motivations
      1. Real Revolution
      2. Get best terms for the armistace
      3. Distance themselves from the defeat
   2. September/ October 1918
      1. Ger. became a democracy, cerimonial Kaiser, Ersatz Kaiser
      2. Prince Max von Baden became chancellor
      3. socialist and centre party ministers appointed
      4. Pressure from allies and in Ger fro the Kaiser's abdication
2. Transition?
   1. 8th August 1918- 'the black day for the German Army'- Ludendorff
   2. Economic defeat
      1. $37,000,000,000
   3. Home front demoralised
3. The November Revolution
   1. Scheer breakout plan

      Annotations:

      • Sailors mutinied and raised red flag of socialism showed the movement towars left wing politics
      1. Sailors mutinied and raised red flag of socialism
   2. 9th November 1918
      1. SPD called a stike n Berlin
      2. Prince Max announced abdication of Kaiser
      3. Chancellorship handed to Fredrich Ebert (SPD), 6 man socialist interim government
      4. Groener (Army) withdrew supporrt for the Kaiser
      5. 10th November
         1. Ebert Groener pact, secret deal with army
   3. The Armistice
      1. Ebert's new socialist government signed armistice 11th November 1918
      2. Many in the army and right wing refused to believe that the army had been defeated
         1. Der Dolstoss

            Annotations:

            • Stab in the back myth, many in the army encouraged the belief that the army had been betrayed by; Socialists, pacifists and Communists, some Jews were also blamed for the signing of the Armistice

Annotations:

• national assembly drew up a new constitution for Ger. weimar as Berlin wasnt safe due to spartacists 

1. Elections to a constituent assembly

   Annotations:

   • Women allowed to vote SPD largest share but no majority. Ebert elected by Assembly as the first President of the Republic. Phillip Scheidemann (SPD) made chancellor in a coaltion government with the centre and democratic parties. Workers' Sailors soldiers Rate handed over power to the Assembly.
   1. New Constitution should break with Germany's autocratic trditions
   2. Problems for Ebert

      Annotations:

      • Debt hunger- allied blockade flu epidemic uprepared public for military defeat. demobilisation. lw hostility. rate rw hostility. freikorps separist movements.
      1. Spartacist revolt
         1. Spartacist League

            Annotations:

            • hard line Marxis comitted to worker's revolution
         2. Nov. 1918 debate
            1. SPD wanted a soviet state
            2. Spartacits wanted a Soviet state
         3. Jan 1919
            1. Anti- government protests

               Annotations:

               • Seized government buildings and declared the other throw of the govt.

1. Strenghts
   1. individual rights

      Annotations:

      • Education.
   2. President Control
      1. Army
      2. Reichtag
      3. States
   3. Citizens had welfare provisions
   4. Constitution was democratic and progressive
   5. Regular elections
2. Weaknesses
   1. Ebert Groener Pact meant a lot of elites still in Power
   2. Key social and dministrative members were unchanged.

      Annotations:

      • many of who were unhappy within the democratic republic.
   3. Threat from a Communist revolt.
   4. Unreformed army

      Annotations:

      • still right wing.

1. Reparations
   1. Article 231
      1. War guilt
   2. 1921 £6.6.billion.
2. Disarmament
   1. No air force
   2. Rhineland becomes De-militarised
   3. All heavy weapons
   4. 100,000 men army
   5. 15,000 men Navy
   6. Dismantle forts
3. War Guilt
   1. Pay reparations
   2. Hand over railway
   3. Article 231
   4. Ship fleet
4. Territory East

   Annotations:

   • Loosing so much land meant that Germany's once powerful country now looked pitiful.
   1. Memel taken by Lithuania
   2. Polish Corridor
      1. Posen
      2. West Prussia
      3. Pomerrania
   3. 70,000 km2 was lost
5. Diktat
   1. Imposed on Germany

      Annotations:

      • Germany didn't have a say on the terms
6. Territory West

   Annotations:

   • Loosing so much land meant that Germany's once powerful country now looked pitiful.
   1. Belgium
      1. Eupen and Malmedy
   2. Ger. lost
      1. 75% of Iron core
      2. 68% of zinc ore
      3. 15% of arable land
   3. France
      1. Alsace- Lorrane
   4. Denmark
      1. North Schleshlig
      2. Holsteli

1. Horror and Disbelief
   1. majority of Germans

      Annotations:

      • Until 1914, Ger. was a great military power- shock caused they were convinced they were going to win WW1. GER. propoganda misled the public on the state of the war. Civillians were humiliated by the result.
   2. Territorial Changes

      Annotations:

      • Wilson stressed the importance of National self determination. People who lived in West Prussia were now in Ger. the Ger. people felt that they had been decieved by Wilson. 
   3. War Guilt clause

      Annotations:

      • Seen as a humiliation.  Most Germans believed that they were forced into a 'just war.' and when had to accept the guilt for the war it seemed they were being forced to admit false blame.
   4. Reparations

      Annotations:

      • Significant anger. the amount was high. didn't accept war guilt which justified the reparations. They felt that ger. economy would be crippled if they had to pay the reparations.
   5. Occupation and foreign control raised friction

      Annotations:

      • french control of saarland  outlawed of nationalist group. germans were agrivated by the occupatin by the French.
   6. Disarmament

      Annotations:

      • Germany had to de-militarise itself. the civilians felt that their once proud nation was being weakened therefore they resented this change.
2. Scheidermann
   1. Resigned
      1. German honor.

         Annotations:

         • if he had signed the treaty then he would've been disgracing German honor due to the large reparations and de-militarisation.
      2. Bauer signed the treaty
         1. Being realistic
            1. Wasn't a chance of German winning any future conflict
3. Political groups
   1. Pro- Republican parties (Zentrum, SPD, DDP)
      1. Tried to negotiate terms
      2. Political Demoralisation.
      3. Asked their opponents to state that the SPD weren't being upatriotic.
      4. Use supporters
   2. Right wing parties (DNVP and extreme nationalist groups).
      1. Resentment
         1. Revolutionist Groups
      2. Labelled the government as the 'November criminals.'
      3. Stab in the back myth.
4. Countries
   1. Britain
      1. Civillians were pleased with this, Germany had lsot their power
      2. Lloyd George wanted Ger. to become a trading partner
      3. Some felt that Ger. had been treated unfairly.
      4. France were greedy.
   2. France
      1. Seeking revenge
      2. Demilitarisation
      3. Too lenient
      4. President Clemencau lost election in 1920
      5. Marshal Foch said, ' this is not peace, it is an armistice for twenty years.'
   3. USA
      1. Negative
      2. Unfair
         1. Britain and France were gready.
      3. Seperate peace treaty in 1921 as congress wouldn't vote for the league.
      4. Didn't join the league of nations..