Notes on Germany

World War One started on the 28th June 1914 and ended on the 18th of November 1918    

Germany lost the War to the Allies      

The Treaty of Versailles was signed on the 28th June 1919      

• Territorial-provisions that took land away from Germany
• Militairy-provisions that limited Germany's armed forces
• Financial & Ecenomic  
• There were a total of 440 Articles in the Treaty
• Polish Corridor given to Poland (Rich Farmlands)
• Danzig made a free City Under League of Nations Control
• Germany made to take Blame for War (War Guilt Clause most hated part of Treaty) Article 231
• Germany to pay reperations
• German Armed Forces:German Army restricted to 100,000 men                                       Germany Navy restricted to 6 Battleships/No Submarines
•                                       Germany Not allowed Air Force
• All Germany's Colonies taken and given to France & Britain as Mandates
• Saar given to France for 15 years (Rich Colefields)
• German Army no longer allowed in the Rhineland
• Germany not allowed to join The Covenant of League of Nation  
• Germany forbidden to unite with Austria
• Alsace-Lorrainne given back to France

Weimar

Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to the Netherlands after being forcd to Abdicate   New Democratic Government Declared in February 1919 in small Town of Weimar   Dangerous to make a declaration in Berlin after the revolt by  the Spartacists   The Weimar Republic was the most Democratic system of the time   Th Weimar Republic:

• Bill of Rights- every German Citizen freedom of Speech,Religion,Equality under the Law
• BOTH men and women over 20 have right to vote (Britain only women over 30)
• Elected President and Elected Reichstag (Parliament)
• Reichstag made Laws and appointed Government-Had to do what Reichstag said 
• If Citizens didn't vote then extreme parties were allowed in
•  

  Two Flaws-Eventually Destroyed the Republic

  Proportional Representation

• Instead of Voting for MP, Voted for Party
• Each Party allocated seat in Reichstag
• In thoery Fair but resulted in multiple small parties
• No Party Getting Majority therfore no Government passing Laws

Article 48

• In Emergency President could Issue Decree without consulting Reichstag
• Didn't specify Emergency
• Hitler used this to take power

Friedrich Ebert

Key Problems 1919-1923

1918-1919

• Created in Time of Confusion and Chaos
• Many thought Treat of Versailles harsh (resented Government for signing and agreeing)
• People hated Government for siging armistice(Called them Novmber Criminals)
• Freikorps refused to disband and formed Private Armies

Voilence and Unrest:

• January 1919

Spartacist Uprising

The Spartacists were an extreme left-wing group who broke of from the Independant Socialists because they didn't agree with their involvment in the government.

 On January 1st 1919 members of the Spartacist movement  rose in an attempted revolution.

The newly formed Weimar Government reacted promptly, and brutally. The army was deployed to bring the revolution to an end, and these…