Key Movements of Change & Revolution in Germany

Question 1

What was stage one?

Answer 1

Getting rid of the Kaiser
- Condition for peace that the Germans got rid of the Kaiser, but he refused to abdicate.

Question 2

25 October 1918

Answer 2

• Naval commanders at Kiel decided to send their ships out to fight the British fleet in one last suicidal bid for glory.
• Sailors mutinied

Question 3

26 October - 5 November 1918

Answer 3

• Kaiser & gov didn’t try to send the army to crush this mutiny.
• Quickly followed by strikes and demonstrations against the war and the Kaiser all over Germany.
• Soldiers mutinied and joined the protests.

Question 4

6 November 1918

Answer 4

• Now soldiers’ and workers’ councils took control in many cities.
  
  • main aim: end war.
    
    • Politicians say it to be a real danger of total revolution.
• Social Democrats were the leading party in the Reichstag.
  
  • Party that the workers traditionally voted for.
  • In theory, they were socialists committed to social change.
  • In practice they were cautious and conservative.

Question 5

7 November 1918

Answer 5

• Social democrat leaders sent an ultimatum to the Kaiser that unless he abdicated they would join the revolution.

Question 6

9 November 1918

Answer 6

• General strike in Berlin
  
  • Armed workers and soldiers roamed the streets.
• Social Democrats were afraid that the extremists would gain control of the revolution.
  
  • Caused Ebert’s colleague to announce the abdication of the Kaiser and the setting up of a German Republic, which they would run in coalition with other socialist parties.
  • Ebert took over as Chancellor

Question 7

10 November 1918

Answer 7

• Kaiser Wilhelm fled into exile in Holland

Question 8

11 November 1918

Answer 8

• An armistice was agreed between Germany and the Allies

Question 9

What was stage two?

Answer 9

Who would control Germany?
- Kaiser gone = Social Democrats were in charge (but not in control)
- Unstable Germany
- Still a threat from the extreme left-wing revolutionaries

Question 10

What did the left-wing revolutionaries want?

Answer 10

Wanted a real social revolution like the Russian Revolution of the previous year
They didn’t trust Ebert and the Social Democrats

Question 11

What was the Spartacus League?

Answer 11

Main group of revolutionaries
- Named after a famous Roman gladiator who had led a revolt in ancient Rome.

Question 12

What was the disagreement among the Spartacists on how to achieve the next stage of revolution?

Answer 12

Rosa Luxemburg (leader) thought they would need to wait until workers in Germany were disillusioned with Ebert’s government.

Many members of the League wanted to try to seize power from the Social Democrats straight away while Berlin was still in turmoil.

Question 13

Who was Rosa Luxemburg?

Answer 13

a revolutionary who fled from Poland and came to Germany in 1898.
By WWI she was leading socialists in Germany and had an international reputation as ‘Red Rosa’
1914 - she split with the Moderate German socialists when they expressed support for the war.
Nov 1918 she was released from prison (giving anti-war propaganda) and returned to Berlin to lead Spartacists

Question 14

What were Social Democrat speeches full of?

Answer 14

Marxist ideas, calling each other comrade as the Bolsheviks did.
- Were very moderate & didn’t want a Communist-style revolution.
- Too afraid of losing the elites support (landowners & industrialists)