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

In 1918, Germany was under a dictatorship of the Kaiser - the German word for ‘King’. Kaiser Wilhelm II ruled Germany from 1888 and pushed the country to increase its economic and military power. He refused to give the people of Germany rights and freedoms.

Most of the First World War had seen Germany stuck in trench warfare against the Allied forces of France, Britain and the USA. Germany launched their Spring Offensive in March 1918 and their military leaders were confident it would result in German victory. Despite its early successes, the gamble of the Spring Offensive did not deliver the necessary defeat of the Allies.

The German people were at breaking point. The loss of family members and food shortages caused an eruption of strikes and demonstrations across the country. By November 1918, the situation was unrecoverable for the Kaiser. His abdication and exile to the Netherlands allowed a new state to emerge. Germany became known as the Weimar Republic.

The Weimar Republic, under the chancellorship of Friedrich Ebert, pursued several policies. The first action of the Republic was to sign an armistice to end the First World War. The German public resented admitting defeat to the Allies. The subsequent treaty to formally end the war created mass anger against the Weimar government. 

The Weimar government introduced reforms that the German people had never experienced before. The government created universal suffrage and produced a new German Constitution. While the Weimar Constitution aimed to bring democracy to the people, it held many flaws. In particular, the choice to use proportional representation in elections created a weak coalition government. To pass necessary laws, it abused its emergency powers. The Weimar Constitution would later lead to negative public opinions and multiple opportunities for the system of government to be exploited.

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

The Weimar Constitution - Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution