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Weimar Goverment

The end of the war The German army had not been defeated by October 1918. However, it was necessary for the Government to end the war and make peace for a number of reasons: • Many German civilians were starving and there were severe food shortages. • Germany was running out of raw materials

The Treaty of Versailles The German Government agreed to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, to make peace. *Territory was taken from Germany, •Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war, leading to feelings of humiliation and anger. *Germany had to pay reparations of £6.6 billion, •Germany’s armed forces were severely reduced. For example, there was no air force, a maximum 100,000 soldiers and a reduced navy.

Weimar government The end of World War One, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated and fled to Holland. The new Government which replaced him initially met in Weimar as there were security risks in Berlin. So, it became known as the Weimar Republic.

The Spartacist Revolt January 1919, the Weimar Government led by President Friedrich Ebert and his Social Democratic Party, was challenged by a group of revolutionaries called the Spartacists. The aims of the Spartacists The Spartacists were communists, who wanted Germany to be run by the working classes. They believed that power and wealth should be shared equally among the population.to achieve this they had to Overthrow the central government. The revolt In January 1919, 50,000 workers went on strike and demonstrated in the centre of Berlin

Economic problems 1919-23 The French invasion of the Ruhr Cause As a consequence of signing the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar Government was obliged to pay reparations to the victors of World War One. In 1922, the Weimar Government stated that it would not be able to pay the next three years’

Germany’s problems. They adopted policies that could be supported by many different groups of Germans: • Socialists – they promised that farmers would be given their land, pensions would improve and public industries such as electricity and water would be owned by the state. • Nationalists – they promised that all German-speaking people would be united in one country, the Treaty of Versailles would be abandoned and there would be special laws for foreigners. • Racists – they promised that Jews would not be German citizens and immigration would be stopped. • Businessmen, landowners, the rich and the army – they promised that remilitarisation would begin and contracts would be awarded to Germans. They also promised protection from the communists. • The unemployed and workers – they promised an increase in employment and wages. He came across as energetic and passionate - as someone who cared about the plight of the German people.