The revolution of 1918 and the establishment of the Weimar Republic

Question 1

What was the impact of WW1 on Germany?

Answer 1

• In 1914 the Germans were proud people. Their Kaiser was celebrated for his achievements
• Their army was the finest in the world
• A journey through the streets would have revealed prospering businesses and a well-educated and well-fed workforce. There was great optimism about the power and strength of Germany
• However in 1918 a similar journey would have revealed something very different. Although not a lot of fighting happened in Germany, the war had still destroyed much of the old Germany.
• Their proud German army had been defeated
• The people were struggling to survive - living off turnips and bread. The flour for the bread had to be mixed with sawdust.
• There was a flu epidemic outbreak, which killed thousands of people who were already weakened by the lack of food

Question 2

What was the end of old Germany?

Answer 2

• By autumn 1918, Germany had clearly lost the war. A state of chaos descended upon Germany.
• The allies offered Germany peace but under strict regulations. One condition was that Germany should become more democratic and that the Kaiser should abdicate.
• However, the Kaiser refused, and sailors in Northern Germany took over the town of kiel. This triggered other revolts.
• The Kaiser’s old enemies (the Socialists) led uprisings of workers and soldiers in other German ports. -Shortly after, other German cities followed
• In Bavaria an independent Socialist Republic was declared
• On November 9th 1918 the Kaiser abdicated and left Germany for the Netherlands
• The next day a socialist leader Friedrich Ebert became the new leader of the Republic of Germany
• He immediately signed an armistice with the allies and the war was declared over. He also announced that Germany had a new government - a republic

Question 3

How did Germany emerge from defeat in WW1? - political challenges

Answer 3

• Competition for power with other political groups
• Needed to maintain its popularity whilst having to make unpopular decisions
• Stresses from the war led to a revolution in October-November 1918. There was fighting between the Right Wing and the Left Wing groups
• Many ex soldiers and civilians despised the new democratic leaders and came to believe that the heroic Field Marshal Hindenburg had been betrayed by weak politicians

Question 4

How did Germany emerge from defeat in WW1? - social challenges

Answer 4

• Pressure to end the war, but the terms of the armistice were so harsh as to make it instantly unpopular when he did so
• There were huge gaps between living standards of the rich and of the poor
• 1.5 million demobilised soldiers returned to society, many disillusioned
• Many German workers were bitter at the restrictions placed on their earnings during the war while factory owners made vast fortunes from the war

Question 5

How did Germany emerge from defeat in WW1? - economical challenges

Answer 5

• Germany was facing significant losses as a result of the war like any other country
• Much of Germany’s income generating industries ie. farming had been affected by the war - eg. land ruined, workers sent off to fight
• War left 600,000 widows and 2 million children without fathers - and the state was spending about ⅓ of its budget on war pensions
• The income was about ⅓ of what it was in 1913
• Shortages of food. In 1918 Germany was only producing 50% of the milk and 60% of the butter and meat than what it had been producing before the war
• Fuel was short and people were cold. Around 300,000 people died from starvation and hypothermia in 1918
• Industrial production was ⅔ of what it had been before the war

Question 6

What was the Instability at the end of WW1 in Germany?

Answer 6

• German people were starving in many areas due to the impact of the war.
• The naval blockade by the British was disrupting food and other supplies coming into Germany,
  making hardship & instability worse.
• German people were surviving on a diet that mainly consisted of turnips and bread.
• Often flour was mixed with sawdust in making bread to make the flour go further.
• There was a flu epidemic sweeping the country (and other parts of Europe), killing thousands.
• People were especially vulnerable to the epidemic as many were starving.
• Germany was in a state of chaos in 1918.
• The Allies offered peace if the Kaiser (King) abdicated (resign); he initially refused.
• In autumn 1918 there was a mutiny (military revolt against their officers/leaders) in the German
  town of Kiel by sailors in protest when the Kaiser refused to abdicate.
• In Bavaria an independent Socialist Republic was declared by left-wing supporters.