Weimar Germany and the Treaty of Versailles,

Treaty of Brest Litovsk, March 1918 Germany defeats Russia on the Eastern front and imposes a harsh treaty on Lenin and the new Bolshevik government

War in the West, March 1918 The Ludendorff Offensive March 21 st Germany launches her biggest attack since 1914 on the Western front in an effort to win the war before the US can bring pressure to bear. The gamble fails…..

War in the West, autumn1918 The collapse of the Central Powers September 29 Bulgaria concludes armistice negotiations Bulgaria concludes armistice negotiations October 3-4 Germany and Austria send peace notes to US President Woodrow Wilson requesting an armistice Germany and Austria send peace notes to US President Woodrow Wilson requesting an armistice October 30 th Turkey concludes an armistice with the Allies Turkey concludes an armistice with the Allies November 3 Trieste falls to the Allies; Austria-Hungary concludes an armistice Trieste falls to the Allies; Austria-Hungary concludes an armistice November 7-11 Germany negotiates an armistice with the Allies in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage headquarters at Compiegne Germany negotiates an armistice with the Allies in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage headquarters at Compiegne

The Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates On 9 th November 1918, Germany’s wartime leader, Kaiser William II, abdicated and fled to Holland. Germany was declared a republic

Germany’s New President Following World War I, the republic emerged from the German Revolution in November Fredrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) becomes the first president of Germany on 9 November 1918

The Armistice was signed on November 11 th 1918

Territory lost by Imperial Germany after Versailles 1918

The left wing Spartacist Uprising in December 1918 Spartacists (Communists) seized control of Berlin in December 1918 The Spartacists under Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht controlled Berlin for a month

Spartacist Leaders Murdered Spartacist leaders Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht were murdered on 15 January 1919 by Freikorps (ex-soldiers) and the Spartacist Uprising collapsed.

Weimar National Assembly On 19 January 1919 elections were held for a National Assembly (parliament) The National Assembly met in Weimar on 6 February Their job was to write a new constitution for the new republic

Versailles Treaty Signed 28 th June 1919

The Weimar Constitution The National Assembly in Weimar presented their new constitution on 11 August 1919 The new German republic was now known as the Weimar Republic

The Reparations Commission In 1921, the Allies decided that Germany would have to pay £6,600 million as war reparations to the defeated allies. This was the notorious War Guilt Clause, Article 231

Problems facing the new Weimar government also included: Attacks from the Left wing and the Right. The Right wing supporters of Wolfgang Kapp in March The putsch failed

French and Belgian Invasion of the Ruhr in Jan.1923 Germany paid the first installment of £50 million in reparations in 1921 but in 1922 nothing was paid In January 1923 French and Belgian soldiers entered the Ruhr and began to take what was owed to them in raw materials and goods German workers went on strike

Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany in 1923 The German currency the mark, collapsed in November 1923 In an attempt to solve the problem the govt. printed more money but the money was worthless.

Hitler’s Munich Putsch Nov 1923 In November 1923 Hitler’s National Socialists attempted to seize the government in Bavaria Hitler was arrested and sentenced to nine months in Landsberg prison where he wrote Mein Kampf