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Ebert-Groener Pact
An agreement between Ebert (a social democrat) and Groener (the chancellor of Germany). Groener promised Ebert loyalty of armed forces and Ebert promised to take control over uprisings from the left.
The photo shows Ebert and Groener talking in person, showing their agreement with each other. -
German Revolution of 1918 and Kaiser Wilhelm II resigns
Kaiser Wilhelm resigned as a revolution was beginning in Germany and he lost military support causing him to abdicate. He fled to Holland as a result
The photo shows Kaiser Wilhelm II -
Formation of Weimar Republic/Constitution
Freidrich Ebert signed the Weimar constitution which essentially created the Weimar Republic. The start of the Weimar Republic was not strong at first as the political parties in Germany at the time were unstable.
The photo shows the flag of the Weimar Republic. -
Armistice ending WWI
An armistice was created for Germany and the Allies to stop fighting on the Western Front. The armistice was a quick way to end fighting without one side surrendering.
The photo shows the agreement being carried out peacefully to end WWI. -
Spartacist Revolt
100,000 workers went on strike in Berlin to show support for left wing politics. They also showed weaknesses of the Weimar Republic.
The photo shows the Spartacist revolt taking place and displays a few of the workers who were involved. -
Bavarian Soviet Republic
Wanted to create a socialist soviet republic in Bavaria. It was quickly overthrown by Freikorpps.
The photo / drawing shows people holding red flags and protesting the government. -
Treaty of Versailles and the results for Germany
The Treaty of Versailles caused Germany to lose land, decrease military size, and pay for the war. Many people did not like the TOV because they believed it was not fair.
The political cartoon shows Germany with the "weight of reparations" on them after signing the TOV. -
Kapp Putsch
Group whose goal was to overthrow the SPD, the Freikorps, and right wing nationalists. It was not successful because the people of Berlin did not support it.
The photo shows the Kapp Putsch revolting publicly. -
(Red) Ruhr Uprising
A group of armed workers between 50,000 and 80,000. Paramilitary forces were sent to stop the revolt.
The photo displays a group of workers carrying guns and weapons in the street. -
Rapallo Treaty
Between Germany and Russia, the Treaty of Rapallo established diplomatic relations and gave up all financial claims against each other. The Treaty is significant as it broke diplomatic isolation and opened future post-war international relations.
This image shows the agreement being made between the German Chancellor and Russian delegates. -
Occupation of the Ruhr by France and Belgium
France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr Valley, an important German industrial region, after Germany failed to pay reparations. In response, German workers began passive resistance and the government promised they would still receive wages.
This map includes the Ruhr region, which offers a visual aid into which area was occupied. -
Hyperinflation Crisis
The German government began to print more money to pay for foreign currency and striking workers in the Ruhr. This exacerbated the war inflation, and the government found themselves trapped in printing more money.
This graph shows the inflation of the German gold mark, which displays the damage that was placed on the German economy. -
Beer Hall Putsch
Led by the NSDAP and Hitler, the Beer Hall Putsch tried to replace the government. The Putsch failed, and Hitler was arrested.
This image shows Mein Kampf, which Hitler wrote while he was in prison. This book displays the impact of the Putsch as it brought attention to Hitler and the NSDAP. -
Introduction of Rentenmark
The Rentenmark was backed by a mortgage on land instead of gold like the Papiermark. Stresemann introduced the Rentenmark to try to stabilize the economy and his plan was successful.
This is an image of the Rentenmark. -
Weimar Golden Age
After Stresemann’s stabilization of the economy, Weimar Germany entered a Golden Age. Cultural life including literature, Jazz music, and Cabaret flourished during this time.
This painting, representing the rise of interest in the arts, depicts urban life during the Weimar Golden Age. -
Dawes Plan
The Dawes Plan kept the amount of reparations the same, but decreased the payments for the first 5 years to 1 billion Marks. After the first 5 years, they had to pay 2.5 billion Marks for an indefinite amount of time.
This image is of Charles G. Dawes, the American who proposed the plan. Germany would also be loaned 800 million Marks from the US. -
Election of President von Hindenburg - April 1925
President von Hindenburg secured 900,000 more votes than the Center Party Wilhelm Marx. Hindenburg was independent and not a part of a political party. He believed in monarchy and was a conservative. This is a picture of Hindenburg. -
Locarno Treaty
The Locarno Treaty was between Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, and Italy. The most significant agreement under the treaty was the agreement on Germany’s new western borders (Rhineland demilitarization) as an attempt to create European peace.
This image shows the negotiations done while creating the Locarno Treaty. -
German entrance into League of Nations
The Locarno treaties in 1925 allowed negotiations for Germany to enter the League of Nations in 1926. The entrance of Germany was significant to German citizens as it was considered a great honor for them to be considered an equal power alongside the other nations. The entrance boosted the confidence of foreign powers and relations. This is a picture of a newspaper with a headline saying that Germany has joined the League of Nations portraying how huge of a deal this was to nations. -
Treaty of Berlin with Soviet Union
A treaty in which Germany and the Soviet Union agreed on staying neutral in the event of an attack on the other by a third party for 5 years. This reaffirmed the Treaty of Rapallo in 1922. This received unanimous approval of the German political parties. This image shows the cooperation of the signatories of this treaty, which would prove to be significant as it reaffirmed past agreements and strengthened Germany’s international relationships. -
Grand Coalition of Weimar Germany
The DDP, Z, BVP, DVP, and SPD were a part of the Grand Coalition. The Grand Coalition proved to be somewhat stable because it covered a lot of groups from both sides of the political spectrum. However, the Grand Coalition dissolved in 1930 due to the inability to agree on decisions and economic tensions present during this time. This image shows each party that was a part of the Grand Coalition and the percentage of votes they received. -
Beginning of Great Depression
Began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression. The Great Depression was significant in Germany as it caused widespread unemployment, starvation, and misery. These conditions also prompted the rise of Adolf Hitler as people were desperate for a change. This image shows what the Great Depression was like in Weimar Germany. -
Young Plan
Signed on June 7th. A proposed plan that reduced the total amount of reparations that Germany had to pay to 37 million gold marks and annual payments were made lower and over a long period of time, 58 years. In this plan, US banks still loaned Germany money. This plan was significant because it allowed economic recovery as it made it easier for Germany to pay reparations. This is a picture of industrialist Owen D. Young, the person who introduced this plan. -
Von Papen's deal with Hitler
Von Papen wanted to regain power and favor with Hindenburg after being replaced as chancellor by Von Schleicher. He wanted to regain power through helping Hitler become chancellor so that Papen himself could become vice chancellor. He persuaded Hindenburg that Hitler could be controlled once he was in government. This is an image of Franz von Papen, significant as he eventually persuaded Hindenburg to name Hitler chancellor, giving rise to authoritarianism in Weimar Germany. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor
After Von Papen’s secret deal with Hitler, President Hindenburg names Hitler as Chancellor. This is significant as it led to Hitler’s rise to power and Germany’s authoritarianism. This is a picture of Adolf Hitler, in which he is a significant figure in Nazi Germany.