Empire to Democracy: 7 political authority 1914-1919 Flashcards
why were political disputes swept aside in August 1914?
joined forces to pledge support for the German war effort
trade unions also promised not to disrupt wartime production through strike action
political truce known as the Burgfriede produced a unanimous Reichstag vote to grant war credits
what does burgfriede mean?
‘castle peace’
refers to medieval times when conflicts between individuals were forbidden within an area controlled by a castle; it thus came to mean a ‘state of truce’
what are war credits?
allowed the Kaiser’s government to raise money for the war by selling bonds (guarantees or repayment with interest after a fixed period) to the German people
as the war progressed into 1915 what did Pan-German propaganda encourage support for?
Seigfriede
‘blessed peace of victory’ - the glory that would come over once the war was over
result of land annexations that would establish Germany’s supremacy in Europe
aristocrats and middle classes were enthusiastic supporters of the doctrine promising acquisition of new farming land in the East, industrial land in the West and colonies in Africa
what did most of the SPD believe of the war?
that Germany was fighting a defensive war and was firmly against the idea of territorial annexation and the prospect of extending the war in the interests of the upper classes
anti-war movement increased in 1916 - despair of victory, deaths, wartime shortages and declining living standards
what turning point happened in August 1916?
Kaiser appointed Paul von Hindenburg as the army chief of staff
Erich von Ludendorff was his deputy
the Kaiser surrendered his supreme commands to Hindenburg and allowed him superiority over the Chancellor
basically allowing a military dictatorship to emerge
what political breakdowns followed the Kaiser’s new ‘military dictatorship’?
- increasing popular disturbances, strikes and clamours for peace. there were calls for a reform of the German constitution and of the government of Prussia and the Lander. These escalated after the ‘turnip winter’ and Russian revolutions 1917 which saw the establishment of a Marxist gov
- split in the SDP in April 1917
- first direct Reichstag intervention
- replacement of BH by George Michaelis
- establishment of the Fatherland Party
- appointment of Count von Hertling
who were the Spartacists?
breakaway group of the SPD (1916)
founded by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
(subsequently became the Communist party of Germany KPD in 1919)
what did the SPD split into?
SPD
Spartacists 1916
USPD 1917 - Independent Social Democratic Party with a commitment to end the war.
what was the first direct Reichstag intervention?
the passage of the ‘peace resolution’ of July 1917. proposed by a Zentrum politician, called for end to war without annexations - supported by SPD, USPD and Z - Cons were anti
who replaced Bethmann Hollweg and how did he react to the peace resolution?
George Michaelis, an insignificant Prussian administrator, in july 1917
Michaelis ignored the peace resolution by stating ‘I interpret it as’ thus persuading the Reichstag to support war credits
what was the Fatherland Party?
established by Wolfgang Kapp and Admiral Tirpitz - supported donations from industry in Sept 1917
attracted Conservatives, right-wing liberals, middle classes, and the Army High Command
by 1918 party had 1.2 million members
who was Count von Hertling?
elderly, half-blind Bavarian aristocrat - to succeed Michaelis in Nov 1917
promised to reform the Prussian three stage franchise and seek the peace revolution, but the Supreme Court still made the key decisions
after failed spring offensive a final attempt was made to break through the Western Front in March 1918
Ludendorff abandoned his objections to a parliamentary democracy and suggested the Chancellor seek an armistice based on Wilson’s 14 points
what were Wilson’s 14 points?
devised as a means of dealing fairly with the aftermath of war
e.g. return of Alsace Lorraine to France
support for a League of Nations to monitor future disputes, self-determination to permit races to rule themselves, and general disarmament gave comfort to the German generals
what were the two stages of the 1918 revolution?
revolution from above and revolution from below