1. NEW TOPIC: What were the problems faced by the Weimar Republic 1919-23?

2. Defeat, unrest and the creation of a new republic 1918-9
Focus: the abdication of the Kaiser, the birth of the new republic, ‘a revolution from above’?
The German Revolution

3. Key points so far…
In 1918 Germany came close to military success in the First World War, but then was forced to seek peace to avoid a military disaster
Parliamentary democracy was created in October 1918 in a ‘revolution from above’, advocated by the generals as a device to blame others for military defeat

4. The creation of a democracy COPY
By Sept 1918,Ludendorff made the decision to persuade the Kaiser to transform the Second Reich into a parliamentary democracy but still retaining a constitutional monarchy.
Ludendorff also urged an immediate armistice
What were Ludendorff’s motives? See next slide

5. “I have advised His Majesty to bring these groups into government whom we have in the main to thank for the fact that we have reached this mess. We will now therefore see these gentlemen move into the ministries. Let them now conclude the peace that has to be negotiated. Let them eat the broth they have prepared us.’
Ludendorff
Origins of stab in the back myth?

6. What were Ludendorff’s motives? COPY
A desire to secure the best possible peace terms from the Allies – it was believed that the Allied leaders would be more sympathetic to a democratic regime in Berlin.
He hoped the change would prevent the outbreak of political revolutionary disturbances.
He saw the need to shift the responsibility for Germany’s defeat away from the military and conservative forces in Germany. Instead he intended to put the blame for the defeat on the new leadership – ‘origins of the stab in the back myth’

7. ‘Revolution from above’ – Oct 1918
29th Sept – Generals recommend a new civilian government and an armistice
3rd Oct- A new civilian government led by Prince Max of Baden, based on Reichstag support and including Liberals and Socialists, is formed
What were the constitutional reforms? Does this really amount to a ‘revolution from above’?

8. October 1918 reforms
In the following months a series of reforms came into effect which turned Germany into a parliamentary democracy.
The Kaiser gave up his powers over the army and the navy to the Reichstag.
The Chancellor and his government were made accountable to the Reichstag instead of the Kaiser.
At the same time armistice negotiations with the Allies were opened.

9. ‘Revolution from above’ – Oct 1918
The changes of Oct have been traditionally portrayed as a ‘revolution from above’. This suggests that they were brought about by those in power and not forced as a result from a ‘revolution from below’. In other words the army and conservative forces intended to prevent the radical overthrow of the system. However some historians have suggested that the steps taken by the military coincided with increasing pressure from the Reichstag to bring about political change.
‘Revolution from below’

10. November 1918 revolution
By early Nov it was clear that the creation of a constitutional monarchy would not defuse what had become a revolutionary situation.

11. The start of the German Revolution? NOV 1918
News began to spread that Germany was suing for an armistice
Mutinies
Sailors began to mutiny at Kiel
Plus, calls for the Kaiser to abdicate
Mutinies spread to other ports; Worker councils set up Bremen and Rostock
Revolt in Munich
Kurt Eisner (leading member of the USPD) lead a demonstration in Munich which ended with his supporters taking over public buildings
He proclaimed a Socialist Republic in Bavaria

12. By 1st week in Nov it was clear that the Oct reforms had failed to impress the German people. Calls grew for an immediate peace and the abdication of the Kaiser.
9th Nov – Prince Max hands over the chancellorship to Socialist leader Ebert. A republic is declared and the Kaiser abdicates and flees to Holland

13. GERMANY’S FIRST EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY!!
A Republic is born
National defeat and humiliation
Political division
Revolution?
Economic crisis
Disgruntled political elite esp army and junkers questioning legitimacy
Threats from the left and right
Kaiser gone
GERMANY’S FIRST EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY!!

14. Problems/Issues/Challenges at the end of 1918
Situation in 1918
Economic Chaos
Strikes
Demobilisation of work force
Hunger/Flu
Inflation
Naval Blockade
Political Issues
Continued activism of workers’ councils
Extreme hostility of the political right / elite  threats of revenge
Many demobilised soldiers very anti-communist and armed
Fears of middle class
Military
Still powerful generals
Bitterness at defeat
Blame defeat on revolution
Social Issues
Politicization of Society
Highly armed society
Millions of returning soldiers
See Layton p106

15. 1918
A genuinely revolutionary situation existed in Germany in early Nov However, this revolutionary wave was not a united force
Left wing movement, that was behind it, consisted of three main strands.
Spartacists
USPD
SPD
Left
Wing

16. SPD- German Social Democratic Party
Moderate socialist aims- Frederich Ebert and Philip Scheidemann became the largest party in the Reichstag,1m membership.
Wanted a socialist republic but was committed to parliamentary demo, therefore rejected anything that may have been likened to Soviet style communism.

17. USPD- Independent German Socialist Democratic party
Breakaway group from the SPD. Hugo Haase/Karl Kautsky. Minority in the Reichstag, had a following of 300,000 members.
Wanted socialist republic governed by workers and soldiers council in conjunction with parliament.
Social/Economic and political reforms demanded.
Lots of internal divisions and arguments.

18. Spartacists- Spartan League
Extreme left- Karl Liebknecht/Rosa Luxemburg. 1918, 5000 membership. Deeply influenced by Lenin and Bolshevism- Germany should be same as Russia.
Workers and soldiers councils.

19. Problems…
Due to all of the above, lack of unity in Ebert’s coalition govt which included the SPD and USPD
9th Nov 1918, Ebert created a provisional govt- until new elections could be called. A republic was declared (Weimar)
Difficult time in Germany

20. The forest at Compiegne
Terms of the Armistice came into effect on 11th Nov
The jubilant scenes in Paris and London were not repeated in Berlin where the city was under grave threat of a mass uprising

21. Ebert’s Problems & Solutions
What does Ebert decide about the future of Germany’s political structure?
A national democratically elected parliament
Elections called for 19th January 1919
National Constituent Assembly formed on 6th February and assigned task to draft constitution
What does Ebert want to do with the workers’ councils?
Abolish them
How does Ebert deal with workers’ unrest and uprising?
10th November Ebert-Groener Agreement
Wilhelm Groener: Ludendorff’s successor
Army agrees to support government in maintaining order and crushing uprisings
Ebert agrees to maintain authority of army officers, no restructuring of army and to oppose the spread of revolutionary socialism.
Army and Freikorps used to suppress Spartacist uprising in Berlin and Communist uprising in Bavaria Feb 1919

22. Ebert’s Solutions
How does Ebert address workers’ rights and the power of industry?
Stinnes-Legien agreement
Hugo Stinnes: Leader of industrial employers
Karl Legien: Leader of trade unions
Creation of Zentralarbeitsgemeinschaft (centralised bargaining)
Industrialists agree to workers’ committees and 8 hour working day
Trade unions agree to support private ownership and free markets
Public administration
Focus on returning to stable government, so kept judiciary and bureaucracy in place
Army
No reform. Not really committed to the new democracy (Weimar Republic)
Ebert-Groener Agreement

23. Key Debate: Did Ebert betray the German Revolution?
No, he saved those changes which had been achieved during the October and November Revolutions by focussing on stability. Without this stability Germany would have succumbed to violent anarchy and communism:
Change was revolutionary: a republic with a new constitution
Danger of left illustrated by Spartacist uprising and uprising in Bavaria
Instability of situation illustrated by National Assembly moving to Weimar
Huge number of workers’ councils  system in place to instigate further socialist upheaval
Yes, Ebert betrayed the revolution and undermined its successes by maintaining those elements of society which opposed the republic and had brought Germany to the point of destruction in the first place:
Ebert-Groener agreement
Stinnes-Legien agreement
Administration kept in place
Those responsible for German plight still in place
Old elites are still powerful and just waiting for chance to overthrow republic. Army not really commited to democracy.

24. Left wing splits Divisions, divisions, divisions!
SPD government moved increasingly to the right and grew dependent on the army to maintain effective government.
Dec 1918 USPD members of Ebert’s government resigned.
1st Jan 1919 the Spartacists formed the KPD – German Communist party.

25. The Spartacist Revolt
1st Jan 1919 Spartacist Congress in Berlin and formally created the KPD German Communist Party
Rev uprising in Berlin on 5th Jan - Spartacist revolt
Newspaper offices seized
Revolutionary committees formed
3 days of fighting

26. The Spartacist Revolt BUT:
poorly planned and easily crushed by General von Luttwitz and Freikorps (bands of ex-soldiers)
Liebknecht and Luxemburg murdered by army on 15th Jan

27. The Spartacist Revolt
Germany saved from widespread Communist Uprising – the moderate socialist gov survives
BUT:
Strengthens position of right
Anti-democratic forces and methods to establish democracy! This becomes a big issue for the WR

28. The new National Assembly, Jan 1919
Despite the disturbances across Germany, the republic held its first elections for a National Assembly in Jan 1919.
All Germans over the age of 20 could vote for the first time
Elections to the new National Assembly held for the first time 19 Jan 1919 against backdrop of left wing uprisings
High turnout – 85%

29. Political Parties
Look at the political parties on page 70-1 red book. Pick out:
Obvious coalitions
Possible coalitions
Unlikely coalitions.

31. Constituent Assembly Election, January 1919
Parties committed to democracy that later voted for the Weimar Constitution
% of vote
Deputies
SPD 38
163 ZP 20 91
DDP 19 75
Parties that later voted against the Weimar Constitution
% of vote
Deputies
DNVP 10 44
USPD
7.6 22
DVP
4.4 19
What was encouraging for the survival of democracy in the election results?
What do the results suggest about the strength of socialism?
Do they prove that Ebert’s fears of radical revolution in 1918 were unjustified?

32. The new National Assembly, Jan 1919
Strength of centre ground
Clear winner was SPD – 37.9%
76% voted for democratic parties.
Main 3 democratic parties – SPD, DDP, Centre party (ZP)formed a coalition gov – ‘Weimar coalition’
DNVP – Hostile to the new republic only received 10.3%

33. Hmk:
Read Layton handout p and make notes on what kind of revolution had taken place in Germany and whether or not Ebert and the SPD had betrayed the revolution.
Complete slide 10 google docs.