1919 - 1933

Question 1

The Social impact of WW1 on the attitudes of Germany

Answer 1

• Food and fuel shortages 1916-17
• 293,000 civilians died from starvation and hypothermia in 1918
• Infant mortality increase by 50%
  -Flu epidemic 1918-19
• Inflation - longer hours for less pay

Question 2

The military impact of WW1 on attitudes of Germany

Answer 2

• Germany has 1.8 million military deaths (highest out of any other country)
• The central powers have over 100 million less military
• 4.2 million wounded

Question 3

The economic impact of WW1 on the attitudes of Germany

Answer 3

• Germany spends the most on the war out of any other country (39 billion)
• 1915-1919 number of strikes increased from 141 to 3719
• Inflation - average prices doubled between 1914-18 whereas wages only rose by 50-75%

Question 4

Consequences of WW1 for Germany

Answer 4

• Spring offensive (attack on Western front) not being successful, led to armistice with the USA
• Led to abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II on 9th November 118
• Friedrich Ebert came into power under the temporary government Council of People’s representatives

Question 5

Pressures of the WW1 for Germany

Answer 5

• Germany’s failure to achieve rapid victory in 1914 - German Supreme Command’s strategy was built on the notion of a quick victory to avoid a long drawn out conflict
• Stalemate - Germany forced to fight on two fronts resulting in stalemate. Made particularly difficult by Allies limiting imported supplied
• Strengths of the allies - Britain and France major colonial powers, joined by the USA made 2 million stronger
• Limitations of German war economy - unprepared for the economic costs of a prolonged war

Question 6

When was the Revolution from Above?

Answer 6

September- October 1918

Question 7

What was the Revolution from Above?

Answer 7

• General Ludendorff pushed for political change after realising that an allied invasion of Germany would lead to internal disturbances
• Ludendorff wanted to change Germany into a constitutional monarchy (monarch shares rule with government)
• He intended to put responsibility of defeat on the new leadership of the Weimar ( Stab in the Back myth)

Question 8

What happened to Kaiser Wilhelm II

Answer 8

• He was aided by Wilhelm II to change to a more constitutional monarchy and hand over power to the civilian government
• Wilhelm II gave up his powers over the army and navy to the Reichstag
• Prince Max Von Baden was appointed chancellor 3rd Oct 1918 and was made accountable of the Reichstag instead of Kaiser
• Prince Max announced Kaisers abdication to prevent full scale revolution and handed over chancellorship to socialist leader Ebert

Question 9

Why did the Revolution from Below start?

Answer 9

• Naval mutiny starts revolt as they were unwilling to accept and retrieve their reputation and they realised that war was lost
• The sense of national shock after hearing of Germany’s military defeat delayed by propaganda and censorship
• Anger over socio-economic conditions

Question 10

What was the Revolution from Below?

Answer 10

• Naval mutiny starts revolt, disobeyed orders, hoisted the red flag and formed councils to control the ships and ports and towns on Germany’s sea board
• Prince Max’s government lost control and by 2 November 1918 sailors gained control of Kiel and Hamburg
• This caused Prince Max to announce the abdication of the Kaiser

Question 11

The Course of the War 1914-1918

Answer 11

• Breakdown of the Schlieffen Plan
• Unrestricted submarine warfare
• Failure of alternative strategies
  -Attrition
• Submarine Warfare and entry of USA into war
• The Final German offensive

Question 12

What was the Schlieffen plan and why did it break down?

Answer 12

• Devised as a means of dealing with the possibility of combined attack from eastern and western fronts
• Russia mobilised faster than expected, additional units to the Eastern front
• Stalemate - neither front made progess
• Germany was military and economically unstable

Question 13

-Unrestricted submarine warfare

Answer 13

• Introduced in Feb 1915
• Short lived, ended after sinking of Lusitania in Sept - 1098 killed
• Re adopted in Feb 1916

Question 14

The final German Offensive

Answer 14

• Germany’s defeat seemed apparent by the nd of 1917 - didn’t surrender until Nov 1918 due to Bolshevik regime in Russia
• Russia seeked armistice with Germany followed by negotiated peace Mar 1918 - Treaty of Brest Litovsk

Question 15

Treaty of Brest Litosvk terms

Answer 15

• previously Russian territories of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania annexed by Germany
• Russia had to pay 3 billion roubles in reparations

Question 16

How did the Treaty affect Germany

Answer 16

• Boosted civilian and military morale at a critical time
• Freed Germany from the 2 front war
• However still 1 mill on Eastern front and USA joined war

Question 17

The Silent Dictatorship

Answer 17

• Replacement of Falkenhayn with Hindenburg
• On 29th Aug Ludendorff and Hindenburg became joint leaders of the supreme command
  Hindenburg and Ludendorff forced Chancellor Bethmann out of office

Question 18

What is the Ebert Groener Pact

Answer 18

Groener assured Ebert the loyalty of the armed forces and in response Ebert promised that the government would take action against any leftist uprisings

Question 19

What is the Stinnes - Legien agreement

Answer 19

• Only an 8hr working day
• recognition of the trade unions as official representation of the workforce
• clause guaranteeing soldiers to get their job back after WW1

Question 20

The Impact of the treaty of Versailles

Answer 20

Germany lost
- 10% of land
- 16% of coal
- 48% of iron
- 12.5% of population

Question 21

Land lost due to the treaty of Versailles

Answer 21

• The Saar
• Rhineland
• Alsace - Lorraine
• Danzig - Made a free city under LON control
• The Polish corridor - Over 1 mill Germans came into Polish control after Germany was cut in 2 to give Poland access to the sea

Question 22

Treaty of Versailles - Reparations and disarmament

Answer 22

• 132,000 marks paid over 30 yrs
• Reduction of army to 100,000
• Navy limited to 15,000
• Article 231 peace clause - Germanys accepted that the war was their fault

Question 23

Threats to Weimar Republic from the Left

Answer 23

• Many more left win revolts
• Spartacist uprising
• Ruhr revolt

Question 24

The Spartacist revolt

Answer 24

• Jan 5th 1919
• communists take over all the important buildings in Berlin and by 11th all important buildings turned into ports
• over 100 workers killed
• Army support for government against left due to Groener pact
• Defeated by the Freikorps - killed Rosa Luxembourg and Liebknecht