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First teaching 2024

First exams 2026

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

Revision Note

Natasha Smith

Written by: Natasha Smith

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

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

A timeline illustrating key events from November 1918 to July 1919: Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates, Germany signs an armistice, the Weimar government is elected, and a new constitution is created.

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

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Some students confuse the Council of People’s Representatives with the National Assembly. Try to remember that Ebert chose the Council of People’s Representatives, not the people of Germany. The National Assembly were formed as a result of elections in January 1919.

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 eight-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.

Diagram of the Weimar Constitution

A diagram explaining the Weimar Constitution of Germany, detailing the roles of the President, Chancellor, Cabinet, Parliament (Reichstag and Reichsrat), and Electorate.
A diagram showing the electoral structure of the Weimar Constitution

The Weimar Constitution - Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

Strengths

Weaknesses

The people gained more rights such as voting

An increase in elections weakened the public’s enthusiasm for voting. During the 1920s and 1930s, fewer people voted in elections

Proportional representation ensured the Reichstag represented smaller parties. One seat was equivalent to 60,000 votes

The use of proportional representation meant no single party won a majority in the Reichstag. There were nine coalition governments between 1919 and 1923 alone. This meant policies lacked vision and took longer to pass

The system was designed to stop someone from taking ultimate power. For example, the president chose the chancellor but the public elected the president every seven years

Article 48 meant the chancellor could ask the president to pass emergency laws without the support of the Reichstag. Ebert used the emergency article 63 times from 1923 to 1924. The abuse of the article continued into the 1930s

The Reichstag and the Reichsrat worked together. The Länder (local governments) retained power over schools and the police. The Reichsrat could challenge laws unless two-thirds of the Reichstag voted against the Reichsrat’s intervention

The new Constitution did not subdue the extremist political parties. They continued to violently attack the Weimar Republic. The government relied on force to maintain power

Worked Example

Give two things you can infer from Source A about the strength of the Weimer government by December 1918

4 marks

Source A: A photograph taken at the end of 1918 in Berlin. The building behind the soldiers shows damage caused by rioting

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Answers:

i) What I can infer:

I can infer that the Weimar government continued to face opposition in Berlin by December 1918 (1)

Details in the source that tell me this:

The broken windows in the picture were caused by rioting (1)

ii) What I can infer:

I can also infer that the Weimar government relied on the army to keep control (1)

Details in the source that tell me this:

There are men in the picture who are holding guns. They appear to be patrolling the streets (1)

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Ensure the ‘Details in the source’ section is completed with what you can see in the source. Avoid using any of your own knowledge that you have on the subject that is not presented in the image or text you are given. You can use the provenance (the explanation above the source) to help you add detail to your inferences. You can see an example of this in the first inference of the worked example.

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Natasha Smith

Author: Natasha Smith

Expertise: History Content Creator

After graduating with a degree in history, Natasha gained her PGCE at Keele University. With more than 10 years of teaching experience, Natasha taught history at both GCSE and A Level. Natasha's specialism is modern world history. As an educator, Natasha channels this passion into her work, aiming to instil in students the same love for history that has fuelled her own curiosity.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.