Germany 1918 - 1920

• The Aftermath of WWI

• Problems for the New Government

• The Sparticist Rising The

• The Weimar Republic • Kapp Putsch

The Aftermath of WWI• Sept 1918 Allied troops break

through German line on the Western Front. Defeat inevitable.

• British blockade on German ports causes food shortages.

• Kiel mutiny takes place when orders where given for one last attack on British navy.

• Kurt Eisner declares Bavaria a socialist republic and workers all over Germany form councils similar to Russia.

• Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates to Holland.

Problems for the New Government

• Armistice signed on 11 November 1918

• Believed that Germany had been betrayed by politicians and should have fought on.

• Ebert’s gov. named ‘November Criminals’ and got off to unpopular start.

Sparticist Rising• January 1919 Sparticist

League, Germany’s Communist Party staged revolt in Berlin.

• Ebert gov. had few troops so formed units of volunteer soldiers ‘Freikorps’

• Bitter opponents of communism and crushed revolt.

• Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, executed.

• Bitter hostility between KPD (German communists party) and SPD.

The Weimar Republic• National election held soon

after Sparticist Rising, with SPD winning most seats but needing coalition with Centre Party and democratic Party (DDP)

• The Weimar Republic was then set up which had many constitutions which will soon explain.

• Proportional Representation did not help.

• Public wanted one strong leader and not democracy.

The Kapp Putsch• Ebert tried to disband

Freikorp’s but they staged revolt on Berlin and proclaimed that Wolfgang Kapp was the leader of Germany.

• Army refused to fire on Freikorps, so army fled.

• Kapp was not popular with public, who obeyed call for a general strike.

• Gas, water, and electricity came to halt.

• Kapp had to flee to Sweden and Government returned.