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German Revolution of 1918 and Kaiser Wilhelm II resigns
The German revolution of 1918 was a civil conflict in the German empire at the end of the first world war and it had resulted in the replacement of the German federal constitutional monarchy with a democratic parliamentary republic that was then known as the Weimar republic. And Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated as the German Emperor in November of 1918 -
Bavarian Soviet Republic
The Bavarian or Munich soviet republic was a short lived socialist state in Bavaria during the German revolution. -
Ebert-Groener Pact
An agreement between the Social Democrat Friedrich Ebert at the time the chancellor of Germany was Wilhelm Groener. -
Armistice ending WW I
An armistice signed that had ended fighting on land, sea and air in the first world war, between the Allies and their opponent Germany. The armistice had been agreed previously with Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire -
Spartacist Revolt
A general strike in Berlin. Germany being in the middle of a post war revolution and two perceived paths were social democracy and council republic similar to the ones seen in Bolsheviks in Russia. -
Treaty of Versailles and the results for Germany
The German delegation was shocked at the severity of the terms and protested the contradiction between the assurances made when the armistice was negotiated and the actual treaty with the acceptation of the war guilt clause and the reparation terms. -
Formation of Weimar Republic/Constitution
Friedrich Ebert a member of the social democratic party and the provisional president of the German government signs a new constitution into law creating the first parliamentary democracy -
Kapp Putsch
A coup to overthrow the Weimar Republic. The army doesn’t step in because Germans don’t shoot Germans. Question of ability to fight also Berlin freed before troops came in. Strikers refused to work and all services came to a complete stop. This destroyed the new government that putschists or rebels tried to set up and on 17 March 1920, it fell apart completely. -
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Ruhr Uprising
When the Red Ruhr army or left-winged workers created an uprising that was a revolt in Ruhr Germany. This was significant in showing the weakness of political unity in the Weimar Republic. -
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hyperinflation crisis in Weimar Germany
Even though Germany's government pledged to pay reparations to the Allies, economic conditions prevented Germany from keeping up with the payments. By printing money to support striking workers, hyperinflation began. This affected many Germans as their life savings wiped out overnight. However, it was also beneficial as it allowed Germans who had borrowed money to pay off their debts with a currency that was worth less than what they had originally borrowed. -
Rapallo Treaty
A treaty between the German Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic that renounced territorial and financial claims against one another after WW1 and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. -
Grand Coalition of Weimar Germany
The Grand Coalition was a coalition formed by the 4 major parties of Germany including the SPD, Center Party, DDP, and DVP. The idea was to unite these parties in order to fight extremists and eliminate major problems. -
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Occupation of the Ruhr by France and Belgium
France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr when Germany lacked payment of reparations. In retaliation, the people revolted and this was funded by the Republic, which was starting to print money to keep up with financing it. -
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Beer Hall Putsch
Also known as the Munich putsch, when the NSDAP gained nationwide attention in November 1923, Hitler and Ludendorff attempted a rebellion against the Weimar system in Munich. Hitler confronted conservative Bavarian officials in a local beer hall and demanded support to march on Berlin and seize power. Officials backed out of the putsch, but the ultra-nationalists marched, with resistance from Bavarian police. Hitler was then arrested for convicted of sedition. -
Introduction of Retenmark
Gustav Stresemann introduces the Retenmark in order to alleviate economic stress in the Weimar Republic. The currency was introduced in order to replace the prior currency which had become near worthless in the hyperinflation crisis. -
Dawes Plan
Used to help in the problem of reparations and economic problems. Solved by using loans from US banks which made for a very fragile system. -
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Weimar Golden Age
Weimar was put into an era of growing culture and economy, namely thanks to Gustav Stresemann and his economic plans. It social aspects were able to change due to the influence of America through trade. While this allowed for social change, many traditionalists opposed the changes that were happening. -
Election of President von Hindenburg
Voted into office in 1925 as a right leaning politician. Because of this and the popularity of his time in office, the right leaning parties became increasingly popular and appealing. -
Locarno Treaties
Treaty that ensured peace in Europe as France, Germany, Britain, Italy, and Belgium agreed to maintain it. The treaty established the final borders after WWI, ending political and possible military disputes over them. The treaty was used to hinder acts of aggression in Central Europe, but violations were not always dealt with as the specifics of the treaty did not compel certain countries to act. -
German Entrance to League of Nations
In September of 1926, Germany was added to the League of Nations with other great powers of the world. This allowed them to become informed of world actions and chime in on decisions that would shape the world as a whole. This was big in regaining power after WWI. -
Treaty of Berlin with Soviet Union
Treaty between Germany and Soviet Union which strengthen Rapallo Treaty policies. This allowed for a strengthened relationship between the Weimar Republic and the Soviet Union -
Beginning of the Great Depression
In August of 1929, the crash of the American economy led to Germany being hit hard due to its amount of loans held by the United States. The German economy was hit severely, resulting in Hitler destroying democracy in Germany. -
Young Plan
In February of 1929, Owen D. Young of the Americans met with a committee in order to change the restrictions placed on Germany such as lowering reparations, ended foreign controls on economic life, and changed their economy. -
Von Papen's Deal with Hitler
On May 31st 1932, there was an agreement made between Hitler and Papen's government that Papen would be tolerated if "fresh elections were called." This allowed a national election to occur, giving Hitler a gateway for power. -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
On January 1st 1933, Hitler was named leader/chancellor of Germany and controlled the Nazi party. Negotiations that went wrong allowed him to gain power quickly as the Nazi party gained traction faster than expected.