1918 to 1923

Weimar Germany 1918-1923. From Political differences to Economic disasters.

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1918

In 1918 problems were forming for Germany. There was a flu virus spreading across the land that was killing thousands each week. Of course The Treaty of Versailles didn't exist then but two of Germany's allies had stopped fighting at the battle front. The armies were forced to retreat... With the shock and devastation at home the German army asked the allies for peace and so the treaty and decisions would have to be formed...

Political differences:

On the 2nd of October Kaiser Wilhelm was forced to share his power as the allies would only agree to peace if the country became democratic. In order for this Kaiser Wilhelm would have to share his power. That is exactly what he did and he shared his power with the main parties in the Reichstag, Germany's parliament so they could form a new government. Below is a table indicating who the Kaiser Wilhelm's power was going to go to and their aims...

Parties	The Social Democratic Party  Leaders: Friedrich Ebert (to the left) and Philip Scheidemann. Membership: approximately 1,000, 000	Independent Social Democratic Party Leader: Hugo Hasse. Membership: approximately 300,000	The Spartacus League (communist party) Leaders: Rosa Luxemburg (to the left) and Karl Liebknecht.Membership: approximately 5,000
Aims
1.	Germany to be a republic.	Germany to be a republic.	Germany to be a republic.
2.	Germany to be governed by a national parliament elected by all Germans aged 18+	Germany to be governed by workers' and soldiers' councils elected in each town, working with a national parliament.	Germany to be governed by workers' and soldiers' councils in each town. No national parliament.
3.	Army to continue as Germany's main armed force Authority of officers to be maintained.	Army to be reformed: officers to be elected, badges of rank abolished, soldiers' councils to be in charge of discipline. A national militia to be created.	Police and army officers to be disarmed. Army to be disbanded. Local workers' militias set up to take its place.
4.	Existing local government, law courts, police and civil service to continue to run the country.	Immediate nationalisation of key industries and companies. Large estates to be broken up and sold.	Immediate nationalisation and workers' control of all mines, factories, large companies and large estates of land.
5.	Key industries and companies to be gradually nationalised.	People to have right of free speech, right to join trade unions etc.	People to have right of free speech and all other personal freedoms.
6.	People to have right of free speech, right to join trade unions etc.	Welfare benefits for workers, e.g. sickness and unemployment benefit, 8 hour day etc.	Full range of welfare benefits for workers.
7.	Welfare benefits for workers, e.g. sickness and unemployment benefit, 8 hour day etc.
Methods
	Hold elections for a national parliament to decide the future of Germany .	Strikes, trade union action in factories and co-operation with Ebert until a parliament was elected.	Street demonstrations, rallies, strikes, sabotage and assassination. Also no co-operation with Ebert and no support for the proposed parliament.

(Table taken from Germany 1918-1945 textbook by Josh Brooman. Source 3 The German Socialists in 1918 page 12.)

On the 28th of October a revolution began with the navy mutiny soldiers refusing to fight for control of the seas as peace talks had begun. People revolted along with the troops sent to arrest the soldiers in the navy. It showed that Kaiser Wilhelm was losing control of his country and his power. Wilhelm left and Ebert the leader of The Social Democratic Party took over.

Economic disasters: