Weimar Republic

Annotations:

• *Food shortages due to naval blockade. *Kaiser abdicated November 9th 1918 to Holland. *Provisional Government set up *"Stab-in-the-back" and blamed the "November-Criminals". *600,000 widows, 2 mil orphans had to pay off war pensions. *Riots in Berlin. *Ex-Soldier taking weapons home *In shock people believed they could go on as Kaiser never told bad news, and the other nations did not invade Germany.

Annotations:

• CLAW Riots Putsch's Germany defenceless against other nations Extremist undermining democracy by hatred of Versailles Germans were bitter they were only ones disarmed Shamed by war guilt Did not achieve self-determination Economy crisis due to high reparations 1/8 of population in another country 

1. The terms of ToV

   Annotations:

   • *Cash- £6.6 billion- agreed to pay 1921. Land- 10% of land lost and some colonies, example of land lost was Alsace-Lorraine, Saar. Army- 100,000 men, 15,000 naval men, 6 battleships, no submarines/airforce War guilt- Clause 231.
2. How the Germans reacted

   Annotations:

   • *Thought it was a DIKTAT (Dictated Peace) *Riots in Berlin- attempted to overthrow, Kapp Putsch, March 1920 by Freikorps led by Dr. Wolfgang Kapp- failed. Munich Putsch, November,1923 by Hitler and Nazi's and Hitler's SA (stormtroopers/brownshirts) -failed. And Spartacists attempt to overthrow the Weimar Republic to convert it to Communism in 1919, failed the leaders Liebknecht and Luxemburg executed by the Freikorps. *Claimed it was unfair as led on to believe it would be based on Woodrow Wilson's 14 points and they would achieve self-determination. *Believed peace was imposed as they were not called in to negotiate the terms until end when it was given to them.

Annotations:

• *People of Germany uplifted *Nazi party only had 12 seats in 1928 *They had freedom- no censorship *Improved International relations  -Locarno Treaty,1925 agreed borders with Belgium and France. -Joined LoN, 1926- accepted as a major power. -Dawes Plan, 1924- 800 million gold marks from America. Then to extend it with Young Plan. -Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928- agreed to keep peace. *Culture flourished- cabaret, movies, literature, loads of newspaper, "All quiet on the Western front." *Economic stability *The great coalition *Rentenmark HOWEVEEEEEEEEEEER. *Depended on loans from America. So when America demanded back loans after Wall Street Crash, they had probs. *Growing prosperity based on US loans *Seen as decadent *Small business and agriculture in decline *Still many unemployed *People still believed in "November Criminals" and "Stab in the back"

Annotations:

• *Both women and men could vote. Britain did not have that until 1928? *Democracy *Flourishing culture *Stability *The great coalitions *Improve international relations

Annotations:

• *Women and Men over 20 can vote. *Article 48 *Proportional Representation *President was head of state

Annotations:

• *150 billion marks in debt *Need to pay war pension to 600,00 widows *Food scarce and expensive

Annotations:

• *Riots *Strikes *Food Shortages- Turnip Winter *Ex-soldiers keeping weapons 300,000 malnourished.

Annotations:

• *Didn't know how democracy works *Berlin dangerous *Weak coalitions *Republic blamed for war *Proportional Representation *In the Reich no party got more than half of the vote in the Reich.

Annotations:

• 1922 Germany failed to pay reparations, so the French army came into the Ruhr and took raw materials, German workers told to go on strike, French kills 100 workers and then Germany pays strikers with passive resistance resulting in strike.