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German Revolution
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Topic 1: The German Revolution 1918-1919Why did imperial Germany collapse?
There were many reasons why the system of imperial rule in Germany, which had existed
since 1871, collapsed at the end of WWI in 1918.
Loss of WWI- Although Germany had made progress in the early years of the war; by 1918 it
was becoming clear that they would lose the war. The Allies were being replenished with
both troops and supplies from America while Germany was running out of both. By
September 1918 German had to accept that the war was over and plans were made for an
armistice to be signed. The new government asked Wilson for “the immediate conclusion of
an armistice on land, at se and in air.” This shocked the Germans who had been convinced
that the war had been going well. Their anger was directed at the government who had
preached victory for so long while hiding the truth about Germany’s position in the war.
Threat of social and economic collapse in Germany- Britain’s naval blockade of Germany
prevented food supplies from getting to Germany. The severe food shortages and poor
agricultural production in 1917 and 1918 led to 3/4 of a million Germans dying of starvation
and malnutrition. The German economy was in near ruin. The Mark had lost 75% of its
value in 1913. The German citizens resented how industry made profits from the war. The
government was financing war by printing money. This led to an inflation crisis.
Major political upheaval- The wave of nationalist pride that had swept Germany at the
beginning of the war in 1914 was rapidly fading. Civilian and military morale was fading and
the threat of revolution from left-wing groups was increasing. Both civilians and politicians
alike were calling for peace. Faith in the existing government was at an all-time low and
opposing parties began to gain popularity.
Why did the Kaiser abdicate?
At the end of WWI, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated as German Emperor and fled to Holland.
There were many reasons for this.
Wilson (American president) had begun to outline peace terms with Germany- To show
they were serious; the German government began moving Germany towards a
parliamentary monarchy, a system which the Allies would find more acceptable than the
current imperial system. The Reichstag was given greater political control and Germany’s
new Chancellor (Prince Max of Baden) formed a government that met the approval of the
Reichstag’s biggest parties. The Chancellor now answered to the Reichstag rather than the
Kaiser. This was a major step away from autocratic rule and towards democratic rule.
The German people- Once the news of an impending armistice had spread sailors refused to
carry out a mission they deemed a pointless suicide. A few days later they mutinied at the
port of Kiel and took control of the city. These actions were replicated across Germany.
Workers and sailors councils took control of various cities. Their main demand was an end
to war but Wilson’s insistence on the resignation of those responsible for Germany’s policy
led to the demand for the abdication of the Kaiser.
Conclusion- It was a mixture of both internal and external pressure that caused the Kaiser
to abdicate from Germany following WWI.
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