1. Doomed from the beginning?

2.   Growing discontent among the German people resulted in a revolutionary situation in October of 1918.  The Kaiser abdicated and fled. Germany was declared a republic on November 9, 1918.  However, the revolution was not unified and several factions had different aims/agendas.  A Spartacist uprising caused chaos in Berlin, therefore the small town Weimar hosted the first meeting of the newly elected National Constituent Assembly in February 1919.  Thus, the Weimar Republic was born. Origins

3. Proclamation of the Republic November 9, 1918

4.  Immediate Problems facing the young Weimar Republic  2.5 million deaths from the war and 4 million wounded  Hostile view of the new government  “Stab in the back” myth – November Criminals  Economic woes  Result of the Treaty of Versailles

5.   The Years of Crisis (1919-1923)  Ineffective Constitution  Article 48 gives the president vast “emergency powers  Proportional voting means lot of small, powerless parties – prevented one party from getting a majority  Rebellions  Groups such as the Spartacists led revolts and rebellions throughout the German territory  Putsch  Invasion and Inflation  France invaded the Ruhr Valley – workers went on strike, hyperinflation caused by money printed to pay strikers 3 Phases of the Weimar Republic

6.   The Years of Stability/Prosperity (1924-1929)  Freikorps and army successfully put down Communist revolts  Gustav Stresemann named Chancellor  Negotiated the Dawes Plan and Young Plan  Controlled inflation  Persuaded French to leave Ruhr Valley  Encouraged economic growth  Introduced reforms to help ordinary people

7.   The Years of Collapse (1930- 1933)  Great Depression caused by US Stock Market Crash  German dependence on American loans results in shutdown of businesses and mass unemployment  Extreme parties gain support  Nazi party grows tremendously in membership and Reichstag seats  Nazi leader Adolf Hitler named Chancellor January 1933.