The Birth of the Weimar Republic

1. Why was it called the Weimar Republic and not the Berlin Republic? 
When the republic was created, Berlin was known as violent and unstable. This wasn't appealing and so the republic met in the small town of Weimar.

2. What new rights did Friedrich Ebert promise the German people?

Friedrich told the people that they would have freedom of speech, freedom to worship and better working conditions. 

3. Hey, a democracy. Sounds great! Why was this a shock to the Germany peoples' systems?

The German people had always been used to a republic with the Kaiser. They were shocked by a democracy because they weren't sure what it would bring, and it was change -- which is scary. They thought that if they stuck to tradition of the Kaiser it would be better.

4. What positions did the opposition on the right hold that restricted Friedrich Ebert's new government?

The Kaiser's former advisors remained in military positions, judiciary positions, civil service positions , and industrial positions, therefore restricting Ebert's new government. The majority of the people who held these positions were right leaning and didn't want Ebert's republic. 

5. What was the name of "powerful myth" that developed and what "evidence" was there to support the myth?

This myth was that Ebert had "stabbed Germany in the back" and caused the loss of the war. This was a point where Ebert's opponents could rally support. They believed that Germany could have kept fighting and that an armistice was not needed. The Treaty of Versailles was so unfair and unpopular to Germans, many felt that the politicians who had signed the treaty on Germany's behalf betrayed their state, in turn, they were stabbed in the back. 


Class explanation: 
The Right Wing Believed:
-German Army did not lose WWI on the battlefield 
-It was lost by the politicians, not the army 
Instead:
-Betrayed by civilians and politicians on the home front 
-Especially those that supported the creation of the Weimar Republic
-Those that signed the Armistice were known as the "November Criminals"
-Betrayal led to TOV humiliation 
-Nazis will later use the myth as a part of their "history" 

6. Study Source 3: What position was Ebert elected to in Jan. 1919? Who elected him?

In January of 1919 Ebert was elected President of the Weimar Republic. He was elected by the people of the state in an election form for the first time in Germany's history. 




7. Study Source 3: How would a Chancellor gain power in the Weimar Republic? (Why you need to know this: By 1933 Hitler will have this job.)
In the Weimar Republic chancellors are appointed by the president. By building a good, solid relationship, you could gain positions in the government. ("Sucking up to the president.")

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.