-
German Revolution/Kaiser Wilhelm II Resigns
During the end of WWI the Kaiser lost the support of the military and was forced to abdicate the throne the revolution started. The revolution was civil and eventually abdicated to the people and established the democratic government known as the Weimar Republic.
The image shows Kaiser Wihelm II in his regal attire that emphasizes how he is the symbol of the imperial government and his abdication marked the end of the imperial government. -
Formation of the Weimar Republic/Constitution
The Reichstag, formally only in charge of economic policies, worked to create the new constitution after the Kaiser abdicated. They established a parliamentary democracy with proportional representation. However this did not go into affect until 1919.
The crest shows the republic's symbol of an eagle known as the Bundesadler (federal eagle) which is symbolic of the Republic's intended balance and strength. -
Ebert-Groener Pact
An agreement made with Social Democratic Chancellor Friedrich Ebert and military official Wilhelm Groener. This promised military support to the German military barring any significant power struggles in the new government.
The image shows both the sides of the pact because they were significant perspectives aligning to influence the outcome of the Weimar Republic. -
Armistice that ended WWI
After the US joined the Allies and the German Spring Offensive failed, the Germans were forced into an armistice and a treaty that ended war with German and the Allies.
The image shows the the celebration of the armistice and the positive reaction of the allies which is a great contrast to the German reaction which was a negative perspective. -
Spartacist Revolt
Also known as the January uprising, in which 100,000 workers went on strike and assembled in Berlin but was then put down by the military and Freikorps on behalf of the government which ended the revolt on January 12th.
The image shows the workers that armed themselves which is significant because it deviates from the usually peaceful strikes. -
Bavarian Soviet Republic
Also known as Munich Soviet Republic, which was a short live socialist national established in the German province of Bavaria but was crushed by Freikorps only one month after its creation.
The image is a red flag of th state which is significant because red is representative of the socialist perspective. -
Treaty of Versailles & outcomes for Germany
After the treaty was signed the Germans believed that they were cheated by their representatives and continued to believe they could've won the war.
The image shows the German representative (that happens to be Jewish) that signed the treaty which was one of the most important events of this time because it allowed Hitler and anti-semetic followers to blamed the Jewish community for the German downfall that followed the war. -
Kapp Putsch
13-17 March 1920 - Dr. Wolfgang Kapp led the Freikorps into a right-wing takeover of Berlin to combat the SPD government. The regular army woudn't attack them as "Reichswehr doesn't attack Reichswehr". The attack was only put down because the German citizens of Berlin had all gone on strike after a radio call from the government and it caused Germany to go into a static state, ending the attack. (the image demonstrates the Freikorps and their clear power over Berlin, showing the severity) -
(Red) Ruhr Uprising
13 March – 12 April 1920. March 13, 1920, the left-wing citizens in the Ruhr had begun an uprising in response to the right-wing Kapp Putsch. The Freikorps and the military were sent to put this revolt down, which they did violently and it ended April 12 1920. (The image demonstrates the military (right-wing) standing side by side to take down the left, which demonstrates the clear division between the political parties within Germany) -
Rapallo Treaty
April 16th, 1922, the USSR and Weimar Germany signed the treaty of Rapallo (in Rapallo, Italy). This renounced all territorial claims and economic claims between Germany and Russia and they started to communicate behind the backs of the other countries. The pair secretly made weapons (even tanks) together, allowing for Germany to work around the Treaty of Versailles. (The image shows the two countries coming together to sign the treaty, which demonstrates the isolation of Germany breaking) -
Hyperinflation Crisis
Jan 1923, inflation in Germany had began to grow exponentially, reaching its peak around Oct 1923 and finally calming down by the end of 1923. The German government decided to print more money to pay worker pages, yet this only caused hyperinflation. The crisis was calmed by Gustav Stresemann and the Dawes plan towards the end of 1923. (The image demonstrates the lack of value to the Reichsmark by showing children playing with it as if it was a toy for them to destroy) -
Occupation of the Ruhr by France and Belgium
On Jan 1st, 1923(- Aug 25th, 1925) France and Belgium marched to the Ruhr for occupation. Germany had begun to fall behind on their reparation payments to France and Belgium, who needed this money to rebuild their countries. Eventually, this occupation was ended by the London conference and neither side "won" this. Occupation ended on Aug 25th, 1925, and the Dawes Plan was introduced. (The image shows the power of foreign occupation in the Ruhr and their power). -
Beer Hall Putsch
Nov 8 1923. Hitler's attempt to rebel against the Weimar Republic in Munich. He attmepted to get officials to support him, yet they refused. Extremsists still supported it, but Hitler was put down and jailed for five years. During those five years, he wrote Mein Kampf. (the image demonstrates Hitler and his amount of supporters on their route during the Beer Hall Putsch) -
Introduction of Rentenmark
Stresemann, in his dealing with hyperinflation, introduced the Rentenmark in strictly limited quantities. "It was backed by a mortgage on the entire industrial and agricultural resources of the country." One Renternmark was initially introduced as equivalent to one billion Reichsmarks. The picture below is the representation of how one Rentenmark, the question mark, was equivalent to several Reichsmarks and balanced out the economy, which ended the hyperinflation. -
Weimer Golden Age
From 1924 to 1929, this age was when Germany enjoyed a booming culture, economic stability, and improved standards of living. Berlin became the new cultural capital of Europe. The soldier represents how Germany took the cultural lead of Europe ad France got put aside. -
The Dawes Plan
The plan provided for an end to the Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr and Germany had to pay fewer reparations total and fewer reparations yearly over a lengthened period of time. The Dawes plan is represented in its simplest form below n the picture. -
Election of President Von Hindenburg
Heavily supported by the right-wing nationalist parties, especially the German National People's Party, former German military leader Von Hindenburg won the elections on April 26th and was sworn in on May 12th. The picture below represents Von Hindenburg as a powerful military man, showing how his election to the presidency was significant as he was a stern leader. -
Locarno Treaty
A series of agreements between Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, and Italy. Meetings began on October 16th and the treaties were signed on December 1st. The treaty guaranteed Germany's western frontier, which the bordering states of France, Germany, and Belgium pledged to treat as inviolable. The picture represents how the treaty of Locarno was viewed as the next step in peace amongst the European powers. -
Treaty of Berlin with Soviet Union
This treaty confirmed and extended the friendly relations established in the treaty of Rapallo between Germany and the Soviets. The treaty of Berlin received the unanimous approval of the German political parties. The picture represents how all the different political parties (represented by the multiple different colours) unanimously agreed to the treaty due to the belief in its immense benefits for Germany. -
Germany entrance into the League of Nations
Germany eventually entered the League of Nations in 1926. This is largely due to the improvement of foreign relations because of the Locarno Treaty. Other nations in the league were in favor of their addition, offering Germany a permanent seat. The picture shows the League of Nations meeting where the Locarno Treaty was signed. -
Grand Coalition of Weimar Germany
The Grand Coalition formed in 1928 between the Social Democratic Party, Catholic Central Party, German People's Party, and German Democratic Party. This coalition disbanded shortly after in 1930, only being together for two years. This image shows the breakdown of Weimar Germany's many coalitions. These coalitions highlight the government's instability. -
Beginning of the Great Depression
The Wall Street stock market crash led to worldwide economic instability. Germany also suffered as they relied too much on US loans. They experienced high unemployment and poverty rates as a result. The image depicts German citizens protesting on the streets against the reliance on US loans. -
Young Plan
The Young Plan was created to lower the reparation payments Germany owed. The reparations were cut to 121 billion gold marks and were set to be paid over a period of 59 years. The plan also stopped foreign supervision of troops. This political cartoon shows the Young Plan as a German loophole to avoid paying their full reparation dues. -
Von Papen's deal with Hitler
After being removed from Chancellorship, Von Papen was eager to regain power. Von Papen negotiated to be Hitler's Vice Chancellor if he could convince President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler. Von Papen argued that Hitler would be easy to control in power. The picture depicts Hitler and Von Papen in the midst of their negotiations. -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor
With the influence from Von Papen's deal, President Hindenburg elected Hitler to be Chancellor. Hindenburg did this under the impression that Hitler would be a "Chancellor in chains". The picture shows Hitler’s inauguration as chancellor. This depicts the event that allowed Hitler to finally gain more substantial power outside just his party.
