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GCSE MODERN WORLD HISTORYWEIMAR GERMANYINTERACTIVE 1918-1933WHY DID THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC COLLAPSE IN 1933?

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See all of our resources atwww.historyinteractive.co.ukHistory Interactive Teaching and Learning 2013Learning OutcomesBy the end of this section you will know what the Weimar Republic was and how it was set up. You will learn about the political and economic problems it faced and consider why the republic could have collapsed by 1923.GCSE Modern World History Weimar Germany 1918-1933Learning outcomes are what you will know and be able to do after the learning activities in this next section.

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The First World War had a devastating impact on Germany. Throughout the war, the German people had been led to believe by their government that they were winning the war. However, by November 1918 their army was unable to carry on fighting. The sailors at Kiel naval base mutinied, workers went on strike and the country fell into chaos and bloody violence. The Kaiser, the German Emperor, abdicated [resigned] on the 9th November and fled to Holland. This was the German Revolution.On the 11th November 1918, Germany surrendered, signed the Armistice and the First World War was over. Germany no longer had an Emperor and became a republic. The republic was named after the city of Weimar where the first government of the new republic met. The government of Germany was called the Weimar Government. Friedrich Ebert became the first president of the Weimar Republic. He faced some very serious and difficult problems.

GCSE Modern World History Weimar Germany 1918-1933

The German army returns to Berlin after defeat in the First World War.By mid 1918, the commanders of the German army knew the war was lost.However, the German people were told to make even more sacrifices because they were winning.When defeat came, in November 1918, the German people were not prepared for it.The army commanders blamed the defeat on the new Weimar Government.The army said that they would not have surrendered and that the Weimar Government had stabbed the army in the back by signing the Armistice.Was the German army stabbed in the back?

General Paul von HindenburgKaiser Wilhelm IIGeneral Erich LudendorffThe Kaiser AbdicatesNovember 1918The date that the Kaiser abdicated is really important because it helps to explain one of the reasons why the new Weimar Government was unpopular.The Kaiser and his Generals planning a campaign in the First World War.8 NovemberThe Kaiser abdicates[resigns]9 NovemberGermany becomes the Weimar Republic11 NovemberGermany surrenders and signs the ArmisticeSo, who was responsiblefor Germanys defeat?46The new republic got off to a bad start. The Weimar government had serious political problems to deal with between 1919 and 1923. The German people were convinced by the army that they could have carried on fighting in the war but the government had stabbed them in the back by signing the armistice. The government was called November criminals. Things got even worse when they signed the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Germans were outraged that they lost 10% of their land and had to pay 6,600 million in reparations. They blamed the Weimar government and Ebert for this. Ex-soldiers expressed their anger by keeping their weapons and forming Freikorps groups. They demanded to have the Kaiser back and killed government ministers like Walther Rathenau.

The Weimar constitution had several fundamental weaknesses. The voting system of proportional representation meant that small parties existed and coalition governments had to be formed. Members of the government often argued between themselves.

GCSE Modern World History Weimar Germany 1918-1933

The election system of PR and coalition governments.The Treaty was hated and the government was blamed.People showed they hated the government by murdering ministers.There were 3 revolts to try to overthrow the government.The government was unpopular, November Criminals.The government was unable to control the army.WEIMAR GERMANYPOLITICAL PROBLEMSPolitical problems are problems to do with how the country is governed. They include law and order, popularity of the government and the election system. This diagram is a summary of the political problems faced by the Weimar government between 1918 and 1923.