The Origins of the Weimar Republic, 1919 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Timeline - The Creation of the Weimar Republic

The First World War & the Creation of Weimar Germany - Summary

The Effects of the First World War on Germany

• Between 1914 and 1918, two million German soldiers died and four million more were wounded

  • Hitler was one of these wounded soldiers. He was temporarily blinded by a mustard gas attack in October 1918

• Germany’s debt trebled from 50 billion marks in 1914 to 150 billion marks in 1918

• The German people were near starvation

  • The British Navy had blockaded German naval ports. No food from overseas could enter the country

• As a result, Germany experienced a wave of civil unrest

  • In October 1918, the German navy mutinied in the ports of Kiel and Hamburg

  • Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria, experienced a general strike of workers on 7th November. They announced they were a separate communist state

  • In Hanover, soldiers joined workers and rioted on the streets

  • In Berlin, the capital of Germany, there were mass protests on the streets

• Without the support of the capital city, the Kaiser had lost control of the whole country

The Abdication of the Kaiser

• The Kaiser could no longer rule Germany

  • Many towns had set up councils of workers and soldiers. These were to replace the Kaiser’s official local authorities

• On 9th November 1918, the Kaiser’s military advisers told him he must abdicate to stop the civil unrest

  • Max von Baden, who the Kaiser had appointed to be Chancellor on 3rd October, announced the Kaiser’s abdication without his consent or knowledge

  • The Kaiser was not in Berlin at the time. He was roughly 700km away at the Army’s headquarters in Spa

• The next day (10th November), the Kaiser escaped from Germany by train and arrived in the Netherlands

  • The Allies placed pressure on the Netherlands to extradite the Kaiser to Germany

  • They wanted him to stand trial as a war criminal

  • Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands refused to allow the Allies to take the Kaiser out of the country

• The Kaiser remained in the Netherlands until he died in 1941

The Creation of the Weimar Republic

• The Social Democratic Party (SPD) aimed to bring Germany under control after the Kaiser abdicated

  • Phillip Scheidemann, a leading member of the SPD, heard that armed rioters wanted to establish a communist government in Berlin

  • He shouted out of a window of the Reichstag (Germany’s parliament) for the German people to remain calm and support a more moderate government 

• Max von Baden resigned as Chancellor of Germany and offered the position to Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the SPD. Ebert accepted the role

• On 10th November, Ebert attempted to save Germany from communism

  • He worked with General Groener and the army to suppress the communist rioters

  • He dismissed the old Reichstag and created a Council of People’s Representatives

    • This consisted of six politicians who would govern Germany until elections could be held

• Ebert’s measures succeeded in the short-term

  • The Council of People’s Representatives, along with the army, was able to regain control of Germany

  • Germany avoided becoming a communist state

• Ebert’s methods would have long-term consequences

  • His use of force would continue throughout the early years of the Weimar Republic. This showed the Weimar government lacked genuine control over Germany

Elections & the National Assembly

• The first nine months of the Weimar Republic were critical to increase people’s confidence in the new government

  • The civil servants under the Kaiser’s government continued their work. They collaborated with the army and the new workers' councils

  • Ebert continued his alliance with General Groener to keep the Weimar Government in power. In return, Ebert promised not to reform the army

  • Businesses kept their land and property. The state would not nationalise their businesses. This helped Germany’s economy recover and won the support of big business owners like Hugo Stinnes

  • Ebert promised more worker rights to gain the approval of trade unions. An example of this was guaranteeing an 8-hour working day

• Ebert announced there would be elections to choose a National Assembly. The assembly would be responsible for writing the German Constitution

  • Under the Kaiser, Germany did not have a written Constitution. This was so the Kaiser could create and change laws as he pleased

  • The creation of a Constitution would signify the start of democracy. It would hold the new government and the German people accountable for following the rules

• On 19th January 1919, Germany elected their new government

  • The SPD won 40% of the vote and the Centre Party gained 20% of the vote. These were both moderate parties

  • 82% of enfranchised people voted

• In February 1919, Friedrich Ebert was elected as Germany’s first president

• From November 1918 to July 1919, the Republic had not consolidated their power

  • Extreme political parties did not support the new Republic. They continued to demonstrate and riot across Germany

  • The SPD had gained 40% of the vote but lacked a majority. They would have to rule in a coalition government with other parties 

The Weimar Constitution - Structure

• The National Assembly met in February 1919 to write the Constitution

  • They met in the town of Weimar because of the unrest in Berlin. This is where the term ‘Weimar Republic’ comes from 

  • The Constitution took 6 months to complete. It was passed by 262 votes to 75

• The Constitution outlined each elected official's power and responsibilities in the Weimar government. The structure of this is shown below:

Diagram of the Weimar Constitution

A diagram showing the electoral structure of the Weimar Constitution

The Weimar Constitution - Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution