Impact of WWI on Germany

Make a list of the challenges facing Friedrich Ebert when he became the leader of Germany following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II on Nov. 9, 1918.

Political Challenges

• Political system was completely altered - monarchy has been destroyed
• Became a democratic-republic (Weimar Republic)
• Many ex-soldiers hated the democratic leaders – “Field Marshall Hindenburg was betrayed by weak politicians”
• Thought of the democrats as evil and that they were ruining the role that Hindenburg played in Germany
• Bavaria declared themselves an independent Socialist Republic

Social Challenges

• War had divided Germany even more - people with different ideas and living in different classes of society
• Large gaps between rich and poor living standards
• The poor lived to the extremes because they were being payed less while the rich lavished in the money they were making from the war
• Women being called to work in factories during the war – damaging to family values
• Families were torn apart when women had to work in factories and the men were busy fighting in the war

Economic Challenges

• National income was about 1/3 of what it used to be in 1913
• Germany was virtually bankrupt
• Had to start over if they were dependent on old currency
• Currency was basically worthless - people had lost life savings
• Industrial productions was 2/3 of what it used to be in 1913
• Workers had to earn less which was making them bitter while factory owners gained vast profit

Germans React Angrily to the Treaty

Under each of the following six points briefly explain why Germany reacted so angrily to the Treaty of Versailles.

1. Germans were not aware of the situation in 1919.

• Many of the Germans didn't know how badly devastated the military was during the war
• Really didn't even think that they lost the war - really didn't know
• Thought that Germany had signed a ceasefire and that they were at the Paris Peace Conference
• Angry because they weren't represented at the peace talks
• So much confusion in the citizens of Germany at this time

2. War guilt and reparations

• 'War Guilt Clause' - very hated by the Germans
• German citizens think that the blame needs to be shared with the other involved countries
• Expected to pay for ALL the damage the Allies were faced with
• Economy in Germany was extremely poor at the time making it hard to pay the reparations
• Belgian and French troops seized main industrial area when they couldn't make a payment

3. Disarmament

• Very upsetting - an army of 100,000 was very small
• Germany was a larger country that was suppost to be a world power and couldn't be with such a small army
• Army was a sign of pride - without it/with a small one it made a bad image
• None of the Allies disarmed as much as Germany was forced to do - going against Wilson's 14 points
• Opening doors for Hitler - revamping the army to make the citizens happy

4. German territories

• Lost a lot of territory - another shot to German pride just like the shortening of the army was
• Important industrial areas (Saar and Silesia) were lost
• They had to watch as the Allies took what they wanted from Germany's former territories in Africa and the Middle East
• Less places around the world Germany could control
• This was also a major blow to Germany's pride because it lessened it as a world power because it didn't control many nations around the world

5. Fourteen Points and League

• The people of Germany are feeling very insulted seeing that the treatment of Germany was not keeping on with the 14 Points
• Even though self control was given to some countries German-speaking people were still divided
• They were divided and sent off to live in countries that were ruled by 'non-Germans'
• By not being invited to the League of Nations Germany also felt very insulted

6. Double Standards?

• Nobody cared about Germany's complaints about the Treat of Versailles
• Is Germany operating a double standard? - thoughts of people during the time
• They were complaining that the treaty was way too harsh even though they created one even worse with Russia in 1918 (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk)
• Beliefs that Germany's harsh economic issues were self-inflected and it was their own fault - pretty insulting
• Government planning on taxing the defeated countries

Germany is "Punished" by the Big Three at Versailles

1. Using information and sources on pages 14 - 17, summarize the aims of the three leaders at the Paris Peace Conference.

Georges Clemenceau (France)

Attitude towards Germany:

• Wants revenge and to cripple Germany - no chance of winning against France in another war
• Extremely angered with Germany wants them to be completely crippled

Main Aim:

• Ease the people of France's mind - crippling Germany
• Payback

How he felt about the treaty

• Good chance to get payback
• We like it
• Wants it harsh

Woodrow Wilson (United States)

Attitude towards Germany:

• Calmer than Clemenceau
• Wants to keep the peace and prevent future wars

Main Aim:

• Strengthen Democracy in Germany so it would less likely cause another war

How he felt about the treaty

• Clemenceau's thinking is too harsh
• Make it fair

David Lloyd George (Great Britain)

Attitude towards Germany:

• They should be punished but fairly

Main Aim:

• Get rid of Germany's Navy - no threats to Britain
• Prevent future wars

How he felt about the treaty:

• Clemenceau was too harsh

Main Terms of the Treaty of Versailles against Germany

2. Read pages 18 - 19. Summarize the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles:

War Guilt:

Germany had to take blame for the start of the war.

Reparations:

Germany has to pay the Allies for the damage that the wat brought.



German Territories and Colonies:

Germany was to give all territories and colonies over to the League of Nations (France and Britain).



Germany's Armed Forces:
Germany was to cut down on its army (lower number of troops, battleships, and no armored transportation) to reduce the threat to the Allies.


League of Nations:

A peacekeeping strategy that would act like a "world police".

The German Revolution

1. Using the documents in Chapter 1 as evidence, list the ways in which conditions in Germany worsened during the war.

• Woman complaining of high price of food (large inflation) & want 'their men' back from the trenches
• Lack of food - ships couldn't get through
• "Turnip Winter" - no coal, gas, light, food
• Little to no glory in the soldiers making the battles weaker

2. Give two reasons why the war caused such bad conditions for German civilians.

• Food shortages - blockades from cargo ships and the fact that the army needed the food so they took it from the civilians (malnutrition from the number of calories they were receiving)
• There was a large inflation causing prices of everyday items to heighten

3. After reading Chapter 2, give two reasons why Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on November 10, 1918.

• Revolutions that he couldn't control started to take place
• Army stopped supporting him

4. Using the information you have read in this chapter, give evidence to support the statement that there was "revolution all over Germany."

The is a lot of support to the statement that there was "revolution all over Germany". One example is that the people that are supposed to be fighting for the country, the navy, are now revolting and protesting against it. They start to move to the land with mutiny all over Germany.

5. Study the information about the German Socialists in Chapter 2, page 5. What did the three Socialist groups have in common?

All three socialist groups had aimed to improve workers' conditions and to give democratic rights to the citizens of Germany.

6. In what ways were the Socialist groups different.

The socialist groups had different methods.

Social Democratic Party - support government & make reforms by acts of parliament

The Independent Socialists - oppose government & make reforms with strikes

The Spartacists - overthrow government in revolution & workers would make reforms

7. After reading Chapter 3 make a time chart of the events of the German Revolution from Nov. 10, 1918 to Jan. 15, 1919. You should be able to find six events.

November 10, 1918

Early/Mid December - Social Democrats shot into the crowd of a Spartacist gathering/demonstration killing 16

Late December (23?) - Underpaid sailors hold Elbert hostage at gunpoint demanding for more pay

January 1 - Spartacists changed their name to Communist Party of Germany

January 6 - Communist Party of Germany (Spartacists) start revolution

January 10 - Ebert's Free Corps fighters attacked back in the streets of Berlin for three days

January 15, 1919 - Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht arrested, tortured, and killed by Ebert's fighters

8. At what time would you say the Communists had their best chance of seizing power? Explain your answer.

I would say that the Communists had their best chance at seizing power right when the civilians were paying for the war. With the ideas of Communism that would have probably been very appealing to the people having to live in the conditions of Germany at the time of the war. Mostly because of the high costs and poor amounts of food that were circulating to most of the civilians.

The German Revolution

1. Using the documents in Chapter 1 as evidence, list the ways in which conditions in Germany worsened during the war.

• Woman complaining of high price of food (large inflation) & want 'their men' back from the trenches
• Lack of food - ships couldn't get through
• "Turnip Winter" - no coal, gas, light, food
• Little to no glory in the soldiers making the battles weaker

2. Give two reasons why the war caused such bad conditions for German civilians.

• Food shortages - blockades from cargo ships and the fact that the army needed the food so they took it from the civilians (malnutrition from the number of calories they were receiving)
• There was a large inflation causing prices of everyday items to heighten

3. After reading Chapter 2, give two reasons why Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on November 10, 1918.

• Nothing he could do for his country
• Army stopped supporting him

4. Using the information you have read in this chapter, give evidence to support the statement that there was "revolution all over Germany."

5. Study the information about the German Socialists in Chapter 2, page 5. What did the three Socialist groups have in common?

All three socialist groups had aimed to improve workers' conditions and to give democratic rights to the citizens of Germany.

6. In what ways were the Socialist groups different.

The socialist groups had different methods.

Social Democratic Party - support government & make reforms by acts of parliament

The Independent Socialists - oppose government & make reforms with strikes

The Sparti

7. After reading Chapter 3 make a time chart of the events of the German Revolution from Nov. 10, 1918 to Jan. 15, 1919. You should be able to find six events.

8. At what time would you say the Communists had their best chance of seizing power? Explain your answer.

Russia, 1861-1905

1. List the general goals of the:

a. socialists

• Wanted to create a classless society ultimately ending the suffering of the workers and peasants
• OUT with Capitalist economic system
• Take from the owners and give to the state idea

b. liberal reformers

• Ideas from the Enlightenment
• Use Western constitutional practices to end problems that happened in the past

2. List three characteristics of serfs' lives.

• Considered peasants
• Usually the workers (farmers)
• Large part of the population (90%)

3. List four reforms of Tsar Alexander II.

• Emancipation of the Serfs
• Jury trials
• "Relaxed censorship laws"
• Zemstvos - local elected assemblies

4. Why did the populists go "to the people" in 1873-1874?

The populists went "to the people" because they made up most of the population. They tried to find out what it was like to be a peasant so they could make their tactics more relatable.

5. List two consequences of the famine of 1891.

• Communities started to get angered leading to small revolts and land seizes
• 500,000 peasants died from malnutrition and disease

6. Why was Karl Marx important to Russian intellectuals?

Karl Marx was important to Russian intellectuals because the ideas he portrayed in his books seemed to explain to them why the famine actually occurred. They also liked the ideas of Russia becoming more Westernized which they saw Marx explain.

7. What were the Goals and Methods of the following political groups in early twentieth century Russia? (see page 8 of the reading)

a. Liberal Democrats

• Supported the idea of Russia becoming more like a Western European government
• Value individual liberty
• Role of state = protecting citizen rights

b. Socialist Revolutionaries

• "Ancestors" of the terrorist group "the People's Will"
• Socialize all land and transfer it to communes
• Replace monarchy with democratic republic

c. Social Democrats

• Beliefs based in Marxism
• Wanted to work with peasants and slow industrialization
• Workers lead into revolution

8. How did Bloody Sunday change people's attitudes toward the Tsar?

Bloody Sunday changed people's attitudes toward the Tsar because he ended something peaceful with something violent on his own people. He was unable to provide for the people after as well.

9. List four reforms in Tsar Nicholas's October Manifesto.

• Expansion of civil liberties
• A limited monarchy
• A legislature elected byuniversal suffrage
• Legalization of trade unions and political parties

The Seeds of Conflict

1. Define "The West." Make sure you could identify several countries as examples.

"The West" was the name when referring to countries with capitalist governments. America, Britain, and France were examples.

2. Explain the differences in the economic ideology between the West and the USSR.

West: In "The West", social classes were evident. Businesses could be owned privately creating barriers from the working class and the rich.

USSR: The communists of the USSR believed that businesses should be owned by "the people" meaning that the state as a whole should own it. The good produced would be distributed fairly.

3. Explain the differences in the political ideology between the West and the USSR.

West: "The West" believed in Liberal Democracy. Basic freedoms such as press, worship, and speech are believed to be important. Also it gave the people the choice to vote for government.

USSR: The communists in the USSR believed that there was no need for different political parties because it would be ruled by and for the people.

4. What was the Comintern (Communist International) and why did it concern the West.

The Comintern was a way for the communist groups from all over the world to stick together. This frightened the West because it would work in order to get rid of capitalism by all means.

5. What occurred during the Russian Civil War (1918-21) that solidified the opposition between the West and the Communists? (Be specific and use key details.)

During the Russian Civil War the Communists realized that the West would use military action in order to stop Communism. Also when Hilter's policy came into action it created a large opposition between the West and the Communists.