Impact of WWI on Germany

Make a list of the challenges facing Friedrich Ebert when he became the leader of Germany following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II on Nov. 9, 1918.

Organize the challenges as follows:

Political Challenges

• Many ex-soldiers and civilians despised the new democratic leaders and came to believe that the heroic leader Field Marshal Hindenburg had been betrayed by weak politicians.

Social Challenges

• War left 600,000 widows and 2 million children without fathers -- by 1925 the state was spending about ⅓ of its budget in war pension
• The war had deepened divisions in German Society
• There were huge gaps between the living standards of the rich and the poor
• During the war women were called up to work in factories. Many people saw this as damaging to traditional family values and society as a whole
• Many German workers were bitter at the restrictions placed on their earnings during the war while the factory owners made vast fortunes from the war

Economic Challenges

• National income was about ⅓ of what it had been in 1913
• Germany was virtually bankrupt

Germans React Angrily to the Treaty

1. Germans were not aware of the situation in 1919. 
German citizens didn't fully understand how the Germany army had suffered in WWI. Germans were convinced that their country was doing well in the war therefore didn't understand/were angry at the news of the Treaty and the fact that their country wasn't allowed at the Paris Peace Conference. 

2. War guilt and reparations
Germans did not at all like this clause because they thought that war blame should be shared throughout nations. Many people feared that the reparations would cripple them because it resulted in no food for individual families. 

3. Disarmament
The disarmament terms upset Germans for a number of reasons. There army was now only 100,000 men, not only was this such a small number for such a large country, but in the past their army was a representation of their pride, so with a small army, their pride was faltered. Disarmament was a part of Wilson's 14 point plan.

4. German territories
Germany's territory was lost. Much like disarmament, this put a gauge in their pride and economy. Saar and Upper Silesia were very important. As Germany lost land, America and Britain gained it. 

5. Fourteen Points and League

Many Germans felt that Wilson's 14 points did not correspond with the actual treatment of their country. Germany felt insulted by not being able to officially join the League of Nations. 

6. Double Standards?

Many people thought that the Germans were a double standard. There were also many economic problems. States had raised taxes to farther in order to pay for war. 

Germany is "Punished" by the Big Three at Versailles

Georges Clemenceau (France)

Attitude towards Germany: 
The war affected almost an entire generation. France suffered enormous damage to its land, industry, people and self confidence. France felt threatened by Germany because Germany was seen as a threat. 

Main Aim: 
Use the Treaty to his advantage in weakening Germany. French President Poincare wanted Germany broken up into a collection of smaller states but Clemenceau was realistic and knew that the British and Americans would not agree to this, so they had to be rational. 

How he felt about the treaty
Clemenceau (as well as French President Poincare) saw the Treaty as an opportunity to cripple Germany so that they could not make attacks on France or other European countries anymore. 

Woodrow Wilson (United States)

Attitude towards Germany: 
Wilson wants Germany to be punished but believed that the punishment should not be too harsh because if it was, Germany would eventually get its revenge back.

Main Aim: 
Wilson was seen an idealist whose aim was to build a better and more peaceful world from the ruins of the Great War, but he still would not be pushed around. His main aim was to strengthen democracy in the defeated nation so that is people would not let its leaders cause another war.

How he felt about the treaty
He believed that nations should cooperate to achieve world peace. He believed that the Treaty should punish Germany but not too harshly. He published his "Fourteen Points" which would ultimately help to achieve this. However many people in Britain and France did not agree with these fourteen points.

David Lloyd George (Great Britain)

Attitude towards Germany: 
Wanted Germany to be justly punished but not too harshly. Wanted Germany to lost its navy and its colonies because Britain thought that they threatened the British Empire. He agreed with Wilson that if punishment was too harsh, Germany might seek revenge within another war in the future.

Main Aim: 
Wanted ultimately to keep a good relationship with Germany because before the war they were trading partners. Trading meant jobs for them so keeping a safe relationship was essential.

How he felt about the treaty: 
George was often times middle ground. Agreed mostly with Wilson about the Treaty -- fair punishment but not too much. 
Main Terms of the Treaty of Versailles against Germany

2. Read pages 18 - 19. Summarize the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles: 

War Guilt:
The simple clause that said that Germany was responsible for starting the war, though it was very harsh, the Germans knew that they had to accept this fact.

Reparations:
The major powers agreed that Germany was to pay reparations to the Allies for the damage caused by war. The final amount that they had to pay wasn't agreed to until 1921 when it landed at 6,600 million pounds. Germany finally finished paying this off in 1984.

German Territories and Colonies:
Germany's overseas empire was taken away. The League of Nations controlled them now, which meant Britain and France. Germany's European borders were very extensive and the section dealing with former German territories was a complicated part of the Treaty. The Treaty forbade Germany to join together with its former ally Austria.

Germany's Armed Forces:
Germany's army was a major concern of all powers (especially France). The Treated restricted German armed forces to a level well below what they had been before the war.

• Army was limited to 100,000 men.
• Conscription was banned -- soldiers had to be volunteers.
• Germany was not allowed armored vehicles, submarines or aircraft. 
• The navy could build only six battleships. The Rhineland became a demilitarized zone. No German troops were allowed into that area. The Rhineland was important because it was the border area between Germany and France. 

League of Nations:
The League of Nations were responsible for setting up international "police force" (a new method of keeping peace). Germany was not invited to join the League until it had shown that it was a peace-loving country. 

The German Revolution

 1. Using the documents in Chapter 1 as evidence, list the ways in which conditions in Germany worsened during the war.

-Food shortages
-no coal
-no electricity
-gas power turned down
-Germany experienced one of the coldest, most brutal winters which killed all their potato crops (cause of the food shortage), known as the "Turnip Winter"
In the document, it says “there seems to be no more potatoes -- each of us has been given a half pound of what they call potato-flocken.” This is a letter that a woman named Ethel Cooper wrote to her sister on account of the hard times in Germany.
-Since there was war, many families were split while husbands and fathers were at war.

2. Give two reasons why the war caused such bad conditions for German civilians.
-The German ports which food was brought in was blockaded by the British
-Much of the attention of the country was based on the war and the problems there rather than the citizens of the country. The men in the war needed supplies too. By 1918, many Germans were sick of war.  Families had husbands at war which meant that not as much food was being brought home, also the soldiers were suffering. It was hard for the government to provide for the soldiers which in turn made it hard for the soldiers to provide for their families.

3. After reading Chapter 2, give two reasons why Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on November 10, 1918.
There was a spark of revolution that was lit on Oct 28 when Germany’s naval ships ordered the warships to put to sea for war with Britain. When the sailors did not agree, there was a mutiny. This spread across Germany with more rebellions and mutinies from workers and sailors. People were taking control of the government and the country was falling apart. Wilhelm’s country was out of control and his army generals refused to support  him. In turn, he had to abdicate. He secretly left the country and went to Holland.

4. Using the information you have read in this chapter, give evidence to support the statement that there was "revolution all over Germany."
What started as an unexpected mutiny, caused domino effect across Germany. Once people like sailors and workers realized that they had power over what happened in the government, it spread like rapid fire. There were so many food shortages and electrical problems, that the people also saw this as a way to rebel.

5. Study the information about the German Socialists in Chapter 2, page 5. What did the three Socialist groups have in common?
The three socialist groups were the Social Democratic Party, the Independent Socialites, and the Spartacists. All three groups wanted to improve conditions for workers and to give Democratic rights to all Germans such as the right to vote.

6. In what ways were the Socialist groups different.
The three groups had different ideas on how to achieve these goals. The Social Democratic Party wanted to support the government, the Independent Socialites wanted to oppose the government and force it to make reforms and the Spartacists wanted to overthrow the governrnent.

7. After reading Chapter 3 make a time chart of the events of the German Revolution from Nov. 10, 1918 to Jan. 15, 1919. You should be able to find six events.
1. Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on November 10, 1918
2. There is a diagreement between Socialist parties regarding how to address change in Germany. The Spartacists wanted Germany run by a council and the Social Democrats wanted an elected Parliament.
3. There was a demonstration held by the Spartacists where 14 people were killed.
4. Two days before Christmas, hungry and unpaid sailors break into gov’t headquarters and hold Ebert at gunpoint, demanding more pay.
5. The Spartacists renamed themselves to be the German Communist Party on New Year’s Eve.
6. The Spartacists begin a revolution on 9/19/1919. Ebert gets support of the Free Corps and they gain control. They arrest party leaders, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht and killed them.

8. At what time would you say the Communists had their best chance of seizing power? Explain your answer.
I think that the Communists had their best chance of seizing power during the time of revolution in the country. During a time of revolution there is much confusion and weakness in a country and it would’ve been best to take advantage of that when they could. Weakness is a chance to overthrow.

Russia, 1861-1905

1. List the general goals of the:

a. socialists-create a classless society that would end the exploitation of peasants and workers-dismantling the capitalist economic system by taking the "means of production" from owners and placing them with the state
-rally to have peasants and workers on their side


b. liberal reformers-believed in Enlightenment
-believed that they could be put in a place western constitutional practices and the rule of law to solve Russia's problems and correct the injustices of the past

2. List three characteristics of serfs' lives.
1. Serfs lived an extremely harsh life that let them live on average to about 35
2. Lived in remote villages that lacked schools or communication with the rest of the world. The cottages they lived in were often small and dark and shared with chickens and other farm animals.
3. Serfs were grouped together in communes.


3. List four reforms of Tsar Alexander II.1. Elimination of the system of serfdom in order to take a stop toward modernization. Because of this, millions of serfs were freed and a new system of land transference was established.
2. There was a new land transfer system put in place. Most peasants liked the idea of emancipation however they did not agree to the land transfer system since the land that the serfs once owned got distributed to peasants. There was also a over population problem in 1917 which became a cause in peasant poverty. 
3. Created local elected assemblies known as zemstvos, which were established to address issues such as road maintenance, irrigation, primary education and taxation.
4. He worked a lot on industrialization. There was an expansion of the railroad system. This provided ex-serfs an opportunity for employment. This was another part to the Tsar wanted to modernize Russia. 


4. Why did the populists go "to the people" in 1873-1874?
Populists were ones who wanted to overthrow the government because they did not like the Tsar's idea of reform. These populists went "to the people" in 1873-1874 because they wanted to establish personal connections with the downtrodden peasantry. The movement "to the people" ended with many arrests of young radicals.

5. List two consequences of the famine of 1891.
1. The Russian economy was dependent on the constant infusion of foreign currency. Because of this, the government encouraged grain exports during the famine. "Even if we starve we will export grain." -Russian government slogan
2. Many peasants because increasingly bitter due to the fact that they were hungry and famished. Many communists staged small-scale revolts and land seizures to protest the government.

6. Why was Karl Marx important to Russian intellectuals?
Marx's ideas were adapted into a political philosophy known as Marxism. Karl Marx was important to Russian intellectuals because these intellectuals grew dramatically after the 1891 famine because his ideas seemed to offer explanation for the causes of the famine. Some also thought that Marx's "European ideas" could help Russia become more like Europe.

7. What were the Goals and Methods of the following political groups in early twentieth century Russia? (see page 8 of the reading)
a. Liberal Democrats
-Liberal Democrats wanted to evolve into a Western society class
-many came from the middle class
-valued individual liberty
-thought the role of the government was to protect the rights of citizens
b. Socialist Revolutionaries
-Socialist Revolutionaries worked to get support of workers and peasants for a "revolutionary" change in Russia
-this party was one of two (the other being the Marxist Social Democrats) of the early twentieth century
-most radical party
-its supports from the past were the People's Will and the entire population movement
-known as a party of the peasants
-they called for two monumental changes 
1. socializing all land and transferring it to the communes
2. replacing the monarchy with a democratic republic 
-they had three major problems 
1. the peasants' wide geographical dispersal
2. the party's loose organization
3. police opposition
c. Social Democrats
-Socialist Revolutionaries worked to get support of workers and peasants for a "revolutionary" change in Russia
-this party was one of two (the other being the Marxist Social Democrats) of the early twentieth century
-believed that as Russia industrialized and became more capitalistic, it was becoming more fertile ground for socialist activity focusing on the working class instead of peasantry 
-the next year, this party split into two: the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks 


8. How did Bloody Sunday change people's attitudes toward the Tsar?
People's attitudes changed toward the Tsar after Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday was an incident in which many workers, their wives and their children were marching to the tsar's Winter Palace to bring a petition of economic grievances. Thousands of the Tsar's troops attacked them and fired, killing two hundred and wounding many more. Many people before this occurrence saw the tsar as a protector of the people... this view changed immediately. Workers then rampaged through the streets later that day expressing their anger toward the government. A demonstration unexpectedly got turned into a revolution.  

9. List four reforms in Tsar Nicholas's October Manifesto. 
-was issued on October 17, 1905 (October 30 in the Gregorian calendar) by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia under the influence of Count Sergei Witte as a response to the Russian Revolution of 1905.
1. Freedom of the press, assembly and association 
2.  Political Parties and labor unions could now legally form
3. The Tsar would share power with two chamber legislature 
-half the members of the upper house would be appointed by the tsar and the other half would be elected by the people 
-the lower half would consist of elected representatives
4. plans were announced for elections and for the organization of a new government (that listed in number 3)

The Seeds of Conflict

1. Define "The West." Make sure you could identify several countries as examples.
"The West" is the name used to describe capitalist countries of western Europe and North America during the Cold War. Many countries who belong to "The West" were allies of the United States as well as members of NATO. Countries like Britain and France were considered western countries.
2. Explain the differences in the economic ideology between the West and the USSR.
Many followers of Karl Marx believed that there was an unfair divide in classes based on the idea of capitalism in the West. Because of private ownership of businesses, there seemed to be division of "rich factory workers" and "poorer working classes". The USSR (communists) believed that the way to fix this problem was by having factories, businessmen, and land taken over by the government. Therefore, goods would be distributed equally to everyone. Capitalism in the West disagreed believing that individuals have the freedom to own their own businesses and in turn control and receive their own profits.

3. Explain the differences in the political ideology between the West and the USSR.
The US considered themselves a "liberal democracy". This political system upheld important freedoms, such as those written in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. People had the right to vote for their own political figures, therefore having a say in politics. Communism believed that political parties were simply a result of different classes in society. Living in a communist community, political parties were unnecessary with no classes. The "Communist Party" was the one and only party. They didn't have rights that countries in the West had.

4. What was the Comintern (Communist International) and why did it concern the West.
The Comintern was an organization (1919) set up to facilitate differences between communists between groups all over the world. Its main goal was to further the cause of communism and support the collapse of capitalism. The Comintern convinced all communists groups around the world to attempt to undermine capitalism (even if it meant revolution). The group was a threat to the West.

5. What occurred during the Russian Civil War (1918-21) that solidified the opposition between the West and the Communists? (Be specific and use key details.)
The Russian Civil War was fought between members of The Bolshevik Red Army and the conservative forces in Russia known as "The Whites". The Whites did not want the establishment of Bolshevik rule and fought. They were supported by the allied governments of the USA, France, Britain and Japan. These allies also wanted to change Lenin's decision to pull Russia out of the World War I with Germany. When The Whites received the support of allies of The West, there was a solidified opposition between the West and Communists. The Bolshevik regime of Lenin won the Civil War; however it was proven through the United States' involvement that they would use military action against the communists when and if necessary.