3. GERMANY 1918-45 T HE G ERMAN R EVOLUTION

4. Background  From 1914 Germans were assured by the army’s high Command of certain victory. German superiority on land & sea in 1914?

5. WAR: THE LOCOMOTIVE OF HISTORY  The Schlieffen Plan failed & two fronts caused stalemate.  Germany’s last chance for victory was after Russian Brest-Litovsk Treaty in March 1918. It gave Germany huge eastern territories. It freed troops to fight on the western front.  March –July: a series of spring offensives took ground.  August: Allies counter-attacked & gained ground: fresh American reinforcements began to flood into Europe.

6. REVOLUTION  Sept: Field Marshall Hindenburg & General Ludendorff realised that defeat was imminent.  Aim: to protect Army’s reputation & blame civilian politicians.  Ludendorff advised Kaiser to sue for peace & form a new government of the main party leaders. Paul von Hindenburg

7. THE STAB IN THE BACK  1 st Oct: Prince Max of Baden, political moderate & head of German Red Cross became Chancellor.  His government would soon be accused of stabbing Germany in the back. The Stab in the Back!

8. TURMOIL  The new government lasted only weeks before popular revolution occurred:  Sailors mutinied in Kiel, tired and afraid of rumours of a suicide attack.  They were followed by soldiers and hungry workers.  Soviets (councils) were set up in many northern towns.

9.  In Oct 1918 President Wilson (USA) clarified that the war would not end with the Kaiser in office.  He came to be seen as an obstacle to peace and internal pressure forced him to abdicate and flee to Holland on 10 th November 1918.  An armistice was signed on the next day (11 th Nov.) by Friedrich Ebert, leader of the largest party (SDP).  It did not bring peace to Germany. Friedrich Ebert