Untitled

Page 1

3 Stage Revolution:

October 1918 Revolution from Above - try to restore democracy and power

Ludendorff and Hindenburg let Kaiser Wilhelm know war is lost - September

Persuade him to step down (loses power to appoint and dismiss ministers - democratise)

Prince Max of Barden appointed as Chancellor

Want more democratic to - get better terms at peace conference, want to deflect blame onto new government which will sign armistice and peace treaty

November 1918 - revolution of moderate socialists - Germans speaking with USA with armistice to end war, USA wanted Kaiser to leave completely, Admiral Scheer wants to launch last Navy attack - Kiel Mutiny happens, soviets (councils elected by common people - 9th of november taken control of local Germany) - seize control in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin - Revolution from above has failed - 10th November Kaiser flees to Holland

November 1918 - Prince Max appointed Ebert (moderate socialist - not soviet style russia) as next Chancellor of Germany - Interim government, 6 man government and all socialist

Ebert Groener Pact - Ebert afraid of extreme socialists as wants, General Groener and Ebert - Groener offers if Ebert takes prominent action against left wing extremism, have a national assembly - allows for right wing representatives in reichstag in multi party government AND allows the military command to be left with current officer corps - for loyalty of armed forces and action against extremist (particularly left) action

- creates division between moderate and hard line left wing people in government

- senior commanders of army self governing - effects power of democracy

Stinnes Legien Agreement 15th November:

Moderate socialists and industrial leaders - Carl Legien was trade unionist for SPD met with Stinnes to discuss deal, Stinnes asked for:

end wild strikes

guarantee production

drive back influence of left wing councils

Prevent soviet style take over

Legien got: more workers rights, 8 hour working day!

Far Left Extremism

Sparticist Challenge:

Debate on whether Germany should be socialist run national assembly or communist state - moderate socialists were more prominent in government

344-98 agree to national assembly - marxist Socialists irritated by this - lead to formation of Sparticus League, 1919 split from independents and formed KPD - believe national assembly will downtread workers - want worker's state

Why Sparticist Revolution Seemed Right:

Backing from Russia

Support of radicals

Hunger and unrest

Army disintegration

Why Failed:

No serious plans

Theorists not practical military strategists

Powerful conservative forces - ebert groener pact

Stinnes Pact concessions been made so support not as great from workers

Freikorps

Far Right Extremism:

People who came back from war, brutalised by experience of war, lost respect for human life - hate communism and blame them through stab in the back theory

January 1919 Anti Government demonstration by Sparticists - declare revolution try to take over government buildings and crushed by more organised Freikorps

Spring 1919 Strike in Ruhr - crushed by sparticists

May 1919 Bavarian Soviet Republic established - 600 killed by Freikorps

Freikorps seen as saviours - use of them by moderate socialists caused split from extreme socialists

January Elections:

DDP, SPD and Z party make up 80% of the vote - vote for democratic moderate parties

DNVP - right wing party only get 10%

Weimar Constitution:

President - Voted for every 7 years - article 48 emergency powers

Reichstag - voted for every 4 years, main law making bodies

Men and Women over 20 could vote

Proportional representation

Bill of rights - freedom of speech, association, to join trade unions, from arbituary arrest (although can be suspended by president under article 48)

Regional governments - Lander, decide religion and education - The Reichsrat!

Weakness:

PR - unstable new coalitions, allowed communists and far right to gain seats - Germany so divided so difficult for parties to work together (remember PR not issue itself)

Article 48 - wasn't issue during 1920s (ebert used) but was abused by 1930s some more in favour of conservative right wing government/wanted authoritarian nature - Hindenburg uses article 48 after elites and nationalists being in favour of it's use - undermined democracy as it caused bypass of Reichstag

How Revolutionary Was the Revolution?

Universal suffrage - large changes and socialist powers

But No: continuity, conservative right wing groups who hated democracy remained in power - unreformed elites - powerful enemies of democracy, no major redistribution of wealth - tycoons still had majority