GERMANY
1918 March
- Treaty of Brest Litovsk
1918 September
- German Generals call for a new civil gov. supported by Reichstag to seek armistice
1918 October, Kiel and Wilhelmshaven
- Sailors mutiny, set up councils
1918 November
- Prince Max hands over Chancellorship to SPD leader Friedrich Ebert
- Kaiser abdicates and Republic declared
- Ebert-Groener pact to ‘combat Bolshevism’ and get rid of councils
- Stinnes-Legien agreement to deal with radical industrialists, concessions in exchange
for SPD opposition to nationalism
- Bavaria socialist republic proclaimed
- White terror shootings
1919 January
- Spartacist Revolution- leaders killed
- Constituent assembly elections show vast majority for democratic parties (3/4)
1919 March
- Berlin March Battles, general strike, 1200 dead
- Kapp Putsch by Freikorps
1919 April
- Strike wave in industrial heartlands
1919 May
- Bavarian soviet republic suppressed by Freikorps, 700 dead
1919 June
- Treaty of Versailles signed
1921
- Reparations agreed
1923 January
- French invasion
1923 November
- Munich Putsch
- The trial
1924- 29, Stresseman
1924
- Dawes Plan
1925
- Locarno Pact
- Initial volume of Mein Kampf
1926
- League of Nations
- Treaty of Berlin
1928-30, Müller
- SPD-led “Grand coalition”, resigned when Hindenburg refused to use Article 48 to
support his gov.
, - Last coalition gov. with a working majority in the Reichstag
1929
- Young Plan
- Wall street crash
1930-32, Brüning (dour and colourless financial expert, labeled “agrarian Bolshevik”)
- March 1930, Hindenburg, on Schleicher’s advice, appoints him (Z)
- Finance bill rejected by Reichstag, used Article 48 (1930=5 laws, 1921=66)
- Took little action against slump that was causing a heavy rise in unemployment
1930 September elections
- Nazis make major gains (from 2% to 18%, retaliation of voters, decrease in pro-
Weimar parties, more voter turnout, desperation and economic crisis traced back to
ToV and hyperdependence on foreign loans)
- 800 million in investment funds withdrawn by foreigners
- Brüning survives through presidential decrees, policy of toleration by SPD, fears of
extremists
1932
- Reparations banned, started working on public work schemes and land reforms
- April- banned SA
1932 April, Presidential elections
- Hindenburg defeats Hitler (who gained 37%)
- Rise in Nazi vote
1932 May, Brüning falls
- Schleicher withdraws his support in favour of the Nazis
- Dismissed by Hindenburg (dissatisfied with suggestion to buy and break down
Prussian estates) and loss of confidence vote in the Reichstag
1932 May-December, Von Papen (Cabinet of Barons)
1932 May
- Presidential gov., non-party
1932 July
- Ban on SA lifted
- Used emergency powers to depose the socialist-led coalition gov. in Prussia
- Von Papen agrees with Hitler’s demands for fresh elections
1932 July elections
- Extremists make more gains, explosion in Nazi voted made current ruling parties
destitute
- Reichstag deadlocked, political stalemate- Hitler seeking Chancellorship, Schleicher
and Von Papen refused to surrender
1932 August
- Hitler demands Chancellorship, Hindenburg refuses
1932 September
- Von Papen humiliated in Reichstag, no confidence vote, Reichstag dissolved
1932 November elections
- Nazis lose 2 million votes, KPD makes further gains, deadlock in unworkable
Reichstag, no compromises made
1932 December- 1933 January, Schleicher
- Hindenburg dismisses Von Papen and appoints Schleicher
, - Failed to win support from the left and alienated elites and Junkers
- Embittered Von Papen regularly meets with Hitler to conspire against Schleicher
1933 January, Hitler
- Schleicher denied dictatorial powers/rule by decree by Hindenburg, who appointed
Hitler as Chancellor and Von Papen as his Deputy
1933 February
- Reichstag Fire
1933 March elections
- Enabling Act
1933-34 Gleichschaltung
1933 March – regional parliaments dissolved and reformed under Nazis
1933 April – Reich governors appointed and given full power
1933 July – law against formation of new parties- Germany becomes one party state
(SPD banned in June)
1934 Night of the Long Knives
February – unable to find common ground between army, SS and SA
April – Hindenburg dying, Hitler wanted to assume power as Fuhrer
June- Von Papen (vice chancellor) speech against SA excess, strong links to Junkers
and aristocrats, Röhm and main SA leaders shot by SS, 200 murdered, SA eliminated
Decline of Cabinet Government
- 1933= met 72 times
- 1935= 12
- 1938= last time
, 1. From Empire to Republic: The revolutions from above and below
The revolution from above (October 1918) was the most important stage in the
transformation of Germany from Reich to Republic in 1919.
*transformation: altering of Germany’s political system from a constitutional monarchy
under the Kaiser, to a constitutional parliamentary system with an elected government;
from Reich to Republic
1. revolution from above
- general Ludendorff calls for new civilian government to seek armistice after major
German fortifications were breached in the war in October 1918, mutinies at naval
bases of Kiel and Wilhemshaven
- prince Max of Baden appointed Chancellor in the Reichstag, coexisted with Keiser
- Germany now headed by elites
- however, interim government was highly ineffective, mutinies continued
- keiser then abdicates in November 1918
- BUT:
o Keiser replaced by other elites, making his abdication more symbolic, no
inherent political change in government
o Done not in search of change but rather to prevent full scale revolution,
showing strength of revolution from below
o Prince Max’s government lacked capacity for change and progress
o Changes in government only empowered people to hope for change
2. Revolution from below
This urge for change by the lower classes is dialectically linked with the revolution from
above, but is much more significant in achieving substantial change in German politics.
- Spike in number of strikes (x5 from 1916-17) and theft rates in Germany
- Real earnings fell by 30%
- “turnip winter” of 1917- deaths from hypothermia and starvation
- Worsening living conditions caused unrest, strikes during wartime were treason, so
the fact that they were happening shows desperation
- Mutinies on naval base were initiated by working class- triggered elites
- After mutinies, councils set up, six-man government replaced Prince Max’s
government
- Transformation evident in
1918 March
- Treaty of Brest Litovsk
1918 September
- German Generals call for a new civil gov. supported by Reichstag to seek armistice
1918 October, Kiel and Wilhelmshaven
- Sailors mutiny, set up councils
1918 November
- Prince Max hands over Chancellorship to SPD leader Friedrich Ebert
- Kaiser abdicates and Republic declared
- Ebert-Groener pact to ‘combat Bolshevism’ and get rid of councils
- Stinnes-Legien agreement to deal with radical industrialists, concessions in exchange
for SPD opposition to nationalism
- Bavaria socialist republic proclaimed
- White terror shootings
1919 January
- Spartacist Revolution- leaders killed
- Constituent assembly elections show vast majority for democratic parties (3/4)
1919 March
- Berlin March Battles, general strike, 1200 dead
- Kapp Putsch by Freikorps
1919 April
- Strike wave in industrial heartlands
1919 May
- Bavarian soviet republic suppressed by Freikorps, 700 dead
1919 June
- Treaty of Versailles signed
1921
- Reparations agreed
1923 January
- French invasion
1923 November
- Munich Putsch
- The trial
1924- 29, Stresseman
1924
- Dawes Plan
1925
- Locarno Pact
- Initial volume of Mein Kampf
1926
- League of Nations
- Treaty of Berlin
1928-30, Müller
- SPD-led “Grand coalition”, resigned when Hindenburg refused to use Article 48 to
support his gov.
, - Last coalition gov. with a working majority in the Reichstag
1929
- Young Plan
- Wall street crash
1930-32, Brüning (dour and colourless financial expert, labeled “agrarian Bolshevik”)
- March 1930, Hindenburg, on Schleicher’s advice, appoints him (Z)
- Finance bill rejected by Reichstag, used Article 48 (1930=5 laws, 1921=66)
- Took little action against slump that was causing a heavy rise in unemployment
1930 September elections
- Nazis make major gains (from 2% to 18%, retaliation of voters, decrease in pro-
Weimar parties, more voter turnout, desperation and economic crisis traced back to
ToV and hyperdependence on foreign loans)
- 800 million in investment funds withdrawn by foreigners
- Brüning survives through presidential decrees, policy of toleration by SPD, fears of
extremists
1932
- Reparations banned, started working on public work schemes and land reforms
- April- banned SA
1932 April, Presidential elections
- Hindenburg defeats Hitler (who gained 37%)
- Rise in Nazi vote
1932 May, Brüning falls
- Schleicher withdraws his support in favour of the Nazis
- Dismissed by Hindenburg (dissatisfied with suggestion to buy and break down
Prussian estates) and loss of confidence vote in the Reichstag
1932 May-December, Von Papen (Cabinet of Barons)
1932 May
- Presidential gov., non-party
1932 July
- Ban on SA lifted
- Used emergency powers to depose the socialist-led coalition gov. in Prussia
- Von Papen agrees with Hitler’s demands for fresh elections
1932 July elections
- Extremists make more gains, explosion in Nazi voted made current ruling parties
destitute
- Reichstag deadlocked, political stalemate- Hitler seeking Chancellorship, Schleicher
and Von Papen refused to surrender
1932 August
- Hitler demands Chancellorship, Hindenburg refuses
1932 September
- Von Papen humiliated in Reichstag, no confidence vote, Reichstag dissolved
1932 November elections
- Nazis lose 2 million votes, KPD makes further gains, deadlock in unworkable
Reichstag, no compromises made
1932 December- 1933 January, Schleicher
- Hindenburg dismisses Von Papen and appoints Schleicher
, - Failed to win support from the left and alienated elites and Junkers
- Embittered Von Papen regularly meets with Hitler to conspire against Schleicher
1933 January, Hitler
- Schleicher denied dictatorial powers/rule by decree by Hindenburg, who appointed
Hitler as Chancellor and Von Papen as his Deputy
1933 February
- Reichstag Fire
1933 March elections
- Enabling Act
1933-34 Gleichschaltung
1933 March – regional parliaments dissolved and reformed under Nazis
1933 April – Reich governors appointed and given full power
1933 July – law against formation of new parties- Germany becomes one party state
(SPD banned in June)
1934 Night of the Long Knives
February – unable to find common ground between army, SS and SA
April – Hindenburg dying, Hitler wanted to assume power as Fuhrer
June- Von Papen (vice chancellor) speech against SA excess, strong links to Junkers
and aristocrats, Röhm and main SA leaders shot by SS, 200 murdered, SA eliminated
Decline of Cabinet Government
- 1933= met 72 times
- 1935= 12
- 1938= last time
, 1. From Empire to Republic: The revolutions from above and below
The revolution from above (October 1918) was the most important stage in the
transformation of Germany from Reich to Republic in 1919.
*transformation: altering of Germany’s political system from a constitutional monarchy
under the Kaiser, to a constitutional parliamentary system with an elected government;
from Reich to Republic
1. revolution from above
- general Ludendorff calls for new civilian government to seek armistice after major
German fortifications were breached in the war in October 1918, mutinies at naval
bases of Kiel and Wilhemshaven
- prince Max of Baden appointed Chancellor in the Reichstag, coexisted with Keiser
- Germany now headed by elites
- however, interim government was highly ineffective, mutinies continued
- keiser then abdicates in November 1918
- BUT:
o Keiser replaced by other elites, making his abdication more symbolic, no
inherent political change in government
o Done not in search of change but rather to prevent full scale revolution,
showing strength of revolution from below
o Prince Max’s government lacked capacity for change and progress
o Changes in government only empowered people to hope for change
2. Revolution from below
This urge for change by the lower classes is dialectically linked with the revolution from
above, but is much more significant in achieving substantial change in German politics.
- Spike in number of strikes (x5 from 1916-17) and theft rates in Germany
- Real earnings fell by 30%
- “turnip winter” of 1917- deaths from hypothermia and starvation
- Worsening living conditions caused unrest, strikes during wartime were treason, so
the fact that they were happening shows desperation
- Mutinies on naval base were initiated by working class- triggered elites
- After mutinies, councils set up, six-man government replaced Prince Max’s
government
- Transformation evident in
