-
Armistice signed
After Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated and fled to Holland, an armistice to end WWI was agreed between Germany and the allies. This was hard for Germany to take as their fortunes had changed so quickly. -
Spartacist Uprising
Spartacists wanted a revolution similar to the Communist Revolution in 1917 in Russia. The uprising was lead by Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Leibknecht. On 5th January, the group captured the government newspaper and telegraph in Berlin. They struggled to get support and were easily crushed by the Freikorps. The leaders were arrested, interogated and murdered. After the uprising, the Freikorps were used to crush other Communist uprisings across Germany. -
Treaty of Versailles signed
Germany forced by the allies to sign a 'diktat' (dictated peace) to punish them for starting WWI.
Main terms:
Land - lose 13% of land with 6 m people living on it, lost all overseas colonies, Alsace-Lorraine and the Polish Corridor, 10% of industry and 15% of agricultural land
Army - army limited to 100 000, navy to 15 000, 6 battleships, no submarines or air force
Money - pay £6600 million to the allies
Blame - Article 231 blamed Germany for starting WWI -
Kapp Putsch
Soldiers who lost their jobs under the Treaty of Versailles joined the Freikorps. The German government tried to disband the Freikorps after they started to exceed the number of troops Germany was allowed to have. This caused Wolfgang Kapp to march into Berlin and declare a new government. The government asked for help from the workers, who went on general strike. This caused the putsch to collapse four days after it started. The leaders were not punished. -
Matthias Erzberger assassinated
Former Finance Minister assassinated by an ultra-nationalist organisation. He had been the head of the delegation that signed the armistice to end the First World War. -
Walther Rathenau assassinated
German foreign minister assassinated by an ultra-nationalist group. -
Hyperinflation, 1923
The German government could not pay the people striking in the Ruhr so they started to print more. This caused hyperinflation, when the value of the money decreases and cost of things like food increase. People who lived on their savings (like pensioners) and the middle classes who owned businesses had all their money wiped out. This caused a lot of people to lose faith in the government. -
Occupation of the Ruhr
Germany could not pay their reparations payment in 1923 so French and German troops invaded the industrial region of Germany, the Ruhr, intending to ensure they got their money. The German workers responded with passive resistance, a policy of refusing to cooperate with the troops and refusing to work. The factories stopped working and the government promised to keep paying the wages of the men no longer working, causing even more financial problems. -
Stresemann becomes Chancellor
Called off passive resistance even though the public thought he should have continued. Introduced the Rentenmark and signed the Dawes and Young Plans and got Germany into the League of Nations.
Was Foreign Ministed until 1929 and continued to be a stablising influence on Germany, losing the Nazis a lot of support. -
Munich Putsch
The Nazi Party lattempted to take over the government after the Weimar government announced that passive resistance was to end. Hitler wanted to take over Bavaria and then march to Berlin with his supporters. Kahr (the leader of Bavaria) agreed, at gun point, to support him after Hitler stormed a public meeting he was holding. Hitler let Kahr go, who informed the police. On 9th November, the Nazis started marching out of Munich but were met by armed police who shot 16 Nazis and arrested Hitler. -
Rentenmark introduced
Old money was scrapped and burnt and a new currency introduced. The government controlled the amount of money in circulation and stopped hyperinflation. The people who had lost money during hyperinflation were not compensated. -
Dawes Plan
Plan signed to set Germany's reparations payments and make them more manageable. The Americans lent money to Germany to boost trade and industry and ensure their reparations could be paid. The plan also instructed the allies to leave the Ruhr. -
Young Plan
Reduced the amount of money Germany had to pay in reparations to make sure they could pay. -
Stresemann dies
Died of a stroke. Germany lost its stablising influence. -
Wall Street Crash
Germany had borrowed 800 million marks from the USA under the Dawes Plan. When America needed the money back when Wall Street crashed, Germany went into an economic depression. The Chancellor cut wages and raised taxes to try to stop hyperinflation. Busineses collapsed, young people and factory workers became unemplyed and the government cut unemployment benefits. People began to support extreme parties such as the Nazis and Communists as the Weimar government failed to solve the problem. -
1932 elections
The Nazis become the single biggest party in the Reichstag, winning 230 seats. Hitler uses the run up to the election to use new technology by flying to parade grounds to give speeches under Hitler Over Germany. -
November elections
The Nazis lost 34 seats as the Communists gained 11. The Nazis were still the largest party in the Reichstag but were disappointed not to gain an overall majority. The SA lost the Nazis support as they were seen as thugs causing trouble. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor
Hindenburg didn't want Hitler to be Chancellor even though he had the most seats in the July 1932 elections, so he made Franz von Papen Chancellor. He had no support and Hitler refused to cooperate so Hindeburg called the November elections. General von Schleicher persuades Hindeburg to make him Chancellor. Von Schelicher can't raise enough support and has to resign. Hindeburg can't reappoint von Papen so Hitler is made Chancellor and Hindeburg wrongly believes he can control him.
