Brandon

Timeline of World War 1, from 1905 to

1918

1
The Alliance System and International
Rivalry
Tensions in European Powers…

Germany:
Germany was formed following unification of the German states in 1871, and took Alsace-Lorraine from France as part of the
Franco-Prussian war. This was an important industrial area, and Germany and France were rivals.

Austria-Hungary:
Austria-Hungary was a large empire in central Europe with many different nationalities, some of whom wanted independence. The
main concern of the Austrian emperor was to keep the empire together, but Russia supported the Serbs and so Austria-Hungary and
Russia were rivals.

Italy:
Italy was a fairly new country. Italy joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in the Triple Alliance in 1882, forming an anti-France,
anti-Russia alliance.

France:
​France allied with Russia in 1892 to protect Alsace-Lorraine and gain support against Germany.

Russia:
Russia's main concerns were that Germany would expand into central Europe and Austria-Hungary would take measures against
Slavs.

Great Britain:
Britain had a strong navy and overseas empire during the 19th century, but by the beginning of the 20th century, the German Kaiser
wanted Germany to have an empire and a strong navy, which was a threat to the British Empire. In 1904, Britain joined with France
to form the Entente Cordiale.

Militarism:
● Britain and Germany competed on building up their navies.
● Control of the sea = dominance
● The British build the Dreadnought (A class of warship that has more firepower, better armour, and speed than any other
ships built during its time)
● Germans did not want to lose their dominance
● Military expenditure dramatically increased from 1900 to 1914.
● Most European countries introduced conscription, except Britain.

Alliance:
● European powers created alliances in the late 1800s for security reasons.
● Each promised that in case their allies were attacked, they would join the conflict to protect them.

Central Powers Triple Entente

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Britain, France, Russia (Withdrew in 1917),

Empire United States (Joined in 1917)
Imperialism:
● By the late 19th century, many European countries had established colonies.
● Britain and France were the dominant colonial powers, both had territories in Southeast Asia, Africa, and concessions in China.
● Late 19th century: Scramble for Africa, this brought imperial rivalry to a new level, it is mainly fueled by nationalism.
● Germany was rather late into the colonial rivalry (post 1870s)
● Germany had control over most of East Africa.

Nationalism:
● European countries believed in their own superiority over another.
● Newly formed countries such as Germany (1871) had governments that relied on nationalism to consolidate support.
● European countries were obsessed with expansion and the arms race.

2
The Moroccan Crisis
The situation of Morocco in the late 19th Century
● A Muslim country ruled by a succession of different dynasties
● Morocco was popular for European traders due to low tariffs (low tax on imports)
● Britain benefited the most from this situation.
● The only country left by the late 19th century that is not controlled by any European power

Reasons why Morocco

● Geographical advantages
● Located at the Gibraltar strait
● Control of the Gibraltar strait = control of all ships passing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean

Major powers and their objectives

● The French saw Morocco as the best
opportunity to regain their prestige after the
1871 Franco-Prussian War
● Encouragement of the Sultan to award
contracts for financial and technical
assistance exclusively to French companies

How did the Moroccan Crisis create escalated tension?

● Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Tangier (a city in
Morocco) in 1905
● The Kaiser openly declared that Germany
would support an independent Morocco.
● The Algeciras Conference was held to provide a
solution to the crisis.
● At the conference, Britain declared that it will
support France
● Germany gained nothing, and France also did not
control Morocco
● Britain and France became closer.

Second Moroccan Crisis

● The French often used border disputes
● as an excuse to enter Moroccan territory.
● French troops had to handle frequent
unrest up until 1910.
● French troops occupied Fez to deal with
uprisings
● Germany sent a gunboat (the Panther)
as a response

What was the immediate impact of the Agadir Crisis?

● The dispatch of the gunboat alarmed
Britain’s interest in the Mediterranean
Sea.
● The conflict further broke down the
relationship between the Entente and
Germany
● Both Germany and Britain accelerate
their arms race, and brought it to new
heights.
● The naval agreement signed in 1912
between France and Britain.

3
The Balkan Wars, Bosnian Crisis
Developments in the Balkans
● Located in south-eastern Europe.
● It included the nations and provinces of Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Bosnia.
● Strategically located at the crossroads of the Ottoman, Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires.
● Because of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria gained
independence from Ottoman rule.
● By the decline of the Ottoman rule, many Western European powers turned their interests to the
Balkans

INTENTIONS OF EUROPEAN POWERS OVER THE BALKANS

● Russia stationed its navy and established ports on the Black Sea, which later gained
control of the Bosphorus. It expanded its territory by moving into the region.
● Britain wanted the Ottoman Empire to remain intact in opposition to Russian expansion.
Meanwhile, Germany acquired bankrupt vassal states.
● ​In October 1908, Austria-Hungary proclaimed its annexation of the Balkan provinces of Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
● Although Bosnia and Herzegovina were officially part of the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary
had the right to occupy and administer the dual provinces since the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
● Russia yielded to the annexation but provoked anti-Austrian sentiment in the Balkan region.

TWO BALKAN WARS

● Influenced by Russia, many Balkan nations formed the Balkan League in 1912
● Aimed to wage war against the Ottoman Empire.
● In October 1912, the League declared war against the Ottomans and defeated the Ottoman
Empire.
● In June 1913, Bulgaria took advantage and attacked the former Balkans, but was defeated by
Greece, Serbia and Romania after a few weeks. As a result, Bulgaria was punished under the
Treaty of Bucharest signed in August 1913.
● Serbia became the most powerful nation in the Balkans. This alarmed Austria-Hungary. Russia
supported Austria-Hungary as well
Bosnian Crisis
● The king of Serbia claimed that the two provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina should belong to
Serbia. This was because most people living in the two provinces were Serbs. Serbia sent a
formal protest to Austria- Hungary.
● Russia supported Serbia and protested Austria-Hungary.
● Germany stepped into the row and made it obvious that it supported
Austria-Hungary.

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The Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan and reasons for its failure
● Helmuth von Moltke modified the Schlieffen Plan before implementing it on 2 August 1914.
● Moltke reduced the size of the attacking troops. These modifications were blamed for the plan’s failure.
● Germany could not fend off the Russians when they reached the border.
● Belgium made it harder for Germany by putting up resistance
● The British joined the war to help Belgium and France, which made the war more difficult for the Germans.

The Trench System

● The main trench system of three parallel lines joined by communications trenches
● Trenches were dug in a zigzag fashion
● The design makes it impossible for the enemy to fire straight down the trenches.
● The Trenches were difficult to attack as they had barbed wire, sandbags, and machine guns.
● The mud in the western front also made movement more difficult.
● The lack of new tactics also made casualties high, many generals were trained in using cavalry charges and hand-to-hand
fighting.

The trench system, life in the trenches, new weapons and methods
● Infantry weapons, such as the rifle and hand grenade
● Barbed wire and razor wire
● Machine guns
● Artillery, such as infantry support guns and howitzers
● Landmines
● Mortars
● Helmets
● Poison gas and gas masks

Three standard ways of digging a trench:

● Entrenching
● Sapping
● Tunnelling

Reasons for deadlock

● The Germans advanced through Belgium and invaded northeastern France.
● The French army and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) attacked the Germans.
● French General Joseph Joffre proposed to counterattack the Germans.
● British leader Sir John French supported the plan after being convinced by Lord Kitchener.
● The Germans were forced to fight the war on two fronts: fighting with the Russians on the Eastern Front and holding off
the French and the British on the Western Front.
● Germans built trenches to hold off the French and British

Key features of Somme and Passchendaele

From 1916 to 1917, some of the longest battles were fought, such as the Battle of Verdun, the Battle of Passchendaele and the
Battle of the Somme,
● Casualties reached close to a million.
● Those two battles operated on brutal trench warfare, as well as in 1917.
● Initiated by British commander Sir Douglas Haig
● The goal was to destroy the German submarine bases on the northeastern coast of Belgium.
● Succeeding battles such as the Battle of Menin Road, the Battle of Polygon Wood, and the Battle of Broodseinde
eventually established victory for the British and the Allied possession of the ridges of Ypres, which they evacuated the
following year.

Role of General Douglas Haig

● Became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in December 1915
● Ordered the Battle of the Somme, but was a controversial figure because of the high casualties (60,000 dead on the first
day
● The Battle of Passchendaele succeeded in weakening the German army to its defeat in 1918.)
● The hundred Days Offensive led to more victories for the Allies

Successes and failures on the Western Front, including the responsibility of Haig
● The French had requested military assistance from the British to help them in their Battle Of Verdun against the Germans.
● Commander Haig planned to launch an attack on the Germans that would force them to remove some of their troops from
the Verdun battlefield, thus, relieving the French at Verdun
● This tactic led to the loss of 600,000 men on the Allies' side, 400,000 of which were British Commonwealth Troops.
● The Allies gained 10 miles of land by the end of the battle.

5
 Crises in the Balkans
Developments in the Balkans
● Located in south-eastern Europe.
● It included the nations and provinces of Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Bosnia.
● Strategically located at the crossroads of the Ottoman, Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires.
● Because of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria gained
independence from Ottoman rule.
● By the decline of the Ottoman rule, many Western European powers turned their interests to the
Balkans

INTENTIONS OF EUROPEAN POWERS OVER THE BALKANS

Russia stationed its navy and established ports on the Black Sea, which later gained
control of the Bosphorus. It expanded its territory by moving into the region.

Britain wanted the Ottoman Empire to remain intact in opposition to Russian expansion.
Meanwhile, Germany acquired bankrupt vassal states.

​In October 1908, Austria-Hungary proclaimed its annexation of the Balkan provinces of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina were officially part of the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary had the
right to occupy and administer the dual provinces since the Congress of Berlin in 1878.

Russia yielded to the annexation but provoked anti-Austrian sentiment in the Balkan region.

TWO BALKAN WARS

● Influenced by Russia, several Balkan nations formed the Balkan League in 1912
● Aimed to wage war against the Ottoman Empire.
● In October 1912, the League declared war against the Ottomans and defeated the Ottoman
Empire.
● In June 1913, Bulgaria took advantage and attacked the former Balkans, but was defeated by
Greece, Serbia and Romania after a few weeks. As a result, Bulgaria was punished under the
Treaty of Bucharest signed in August 1913.
● Serbia became the most powerful nation in the Balkans. This alarmed Austria-Hungary. Russia
supported Austria-Hungary as well

6
Main battles in the Western Front
Battle of Somme
The French and British commanders agreed on a full-scale attack along the River Somme in
1916, while the German Chief of the General Staff, General Falkenhayn, planned a major attack at
Verdun in February 1916.
French casualties were high, with 542,000 killed, wounded or missing, while German casualties
were 434,000.
The Somme Offensive was important to push through German lines and draw German troops
away from Verdun, as the French were still defending Verdun.
General Haig began the Somme Offensive in June 1916, but the Germans were well aware of the
attack. They were not taken by surprise when a massive artillery attack began on 24 June 1916 and
quickly moved back from the front-line trenches to specially built strengthened trenches. 1.73 million
shells were fired at the German trenches, and Haig believed it had knocked out most of the German front
line, but he did not know that the bombardment had been shelling empty.
The first day of the Somme battle was a disaster for the British troops, who were killed in their
thousands by German machine guns as they walked across no-man's-land. General Haig ordered
200,000 men to advance slowly toward the enemy, but when the shelling stopped, the Germans raced to
their front-line trenches and their machine guns. He saw no reason to change his tactics and ordered
attack after attack, always with the same dreadful results. In September, he used a new weapon - the
tank - but only 50 were ready for war and 29 of these broke down before reaching the battlefield. By
November, 620,000 Allied and 450,000 German soldiers had been killed or wounded, and the Allies had
advanced by 15 km along just part of the Western Front.

Battle of Passchendaele
General Haig believed he could break through the German lines in Flanders and aim for the
coast, capturing the naval bases at Blankenberge and Ostend to make it harder for the Germans to attack
British shipping. British politicians were doubtful about another major offensive, as the land over which
Haig was fighting was likely to flood and German troops were in well-constructed trenches. Nevertheless,
Haig won the argument.
The Battle of Passchendaele was a joint British and Canadian offensive led by General Haig. It
started on 2 July 1917 with a bombardment of over 4 million shells, which turned the already wetland into
a sea of mud. Haig ordered the troops to advance, but many found themselves struggling in the mud and
filth. Fighting was difficult, but not impossible, and the Allies made slow progress. The bodies of dead
men and horses sank into the mud, and the battlefield began to smell very bad.
The Battle of Passchendaele lasted for 3 months and the Allies were able to capture the village in
November 1917. General Haig was able to claim victory, but 240.000 British and 220,000 German
soldiers were killed or wounded and all the Allies had gained was 800 m of mud. When Haig sent one of
his staff officers to visit the battlefield, he cried and said 'My God, did we send men to fight in that?'

7
Naval Battles
Why was the war fought at the North Sea?
● British fleets blockaded German shipping. Around 770,000 people died in this blockade
● On 4 February 1915, Kaiser Wilhelm proclaimed the North Sea a war zone, which meant a
widening of boundaries of naval warfare.
● All merchant ships, no matter whose side they were on, were vulnerable to being attacked.

Naval battles
● German and British ships began to clash in the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914.
● British troops attacked German patrols off the northwest German coast.
● Cruisers and battlecruisers engaged in long-distance deployments.
● Germany suffered a great loss as they were outnumbered in troops and weapons.
● Britain was considered the victor in this battle despite the disparity of the ships involved.

German raids, Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland

● 24 January 1915, the Battle of Dogger Bank took place between the British Grand Fleet and the
High Seas Fleet (Kaiserliche Marine).
● The British squadrons ambushed the German fleets.
● When the Germans fled, they were chased by the British until they engaged in long-range
gunfire.
● The British sank the German ship Blücher while the Germans disabled the British flagship HMS
Lion.

Battle of Jutland
● In May 1916, the largest naval engagement of the First World War occurred: the Battle of Jutland.
● Over 250 ships participated in the battle.
● Both the Germans and British fleets made no further advancements to break the naval blockade.
● Both sides did not want to have any more losses on both sides.

Battle of Jutland (May 31, 1916):

5 PM

● Both sides started an artillery duel in the Skagerrak (Jutland) between the forces of Vice Admirals
David Beatty (British) and Franz Hipper. (German side)
● Hipper's ships took severe hits yet survived due to their superior honeycomb hull structure.
● On the other hand, due to a lack of anti-flash protection from turrets, Beatty lost three cruiser
ships, caused by fires started by shells of turrets hitting them.

7 PM

● Admiral John Jellicoe brought his ships into a single battle line by executing a 90-degree wheel to
port. Jellicoe made use of the fading daylight, enabling him to cut the Germans off from their
home base and twice crossed the High Sea Fleets.
● Admiral Reinhard Scheer's ships took seventy direct hits; they scored twenty hits against Jellicoe.
● Scheer’s fleet escaped certain defeat by executing three 180-degree battle turns away.

10 PM
British losses amounted to 6,784 men and 111,000 tons, and German losses to 3,058 men and 62,000
tons.

8
Gallipoli Campaign
Background information
● The Ottoman Empire joined the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1914.
● By 1915, there was a stalemate at the Western Front.
● The Russians were also struggling in the war against the Germans.
● The Ottoman Empire controlled the Dardanelles, a narrow strip of water linking the Black Sea and the
Mediterranean Sea
● The Dardanelles was important for the Russias. The Russians needed food and supplies delivered to them
through the Dardanelles.
● Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty) proposed to open the Dardanelles to British and French
shipping
● This can allow enemy troops to move away from the Russians.
● More supplies can be sent to Russia

Objectives of the Gallipoli Campaign (British and French, and Anzac (New Zealand + Australian)
● Naval bombardment to known out the forts on the Gallipoli Peninsula
● Once the forts were destroyed, the Entente powers would land their troops on the coast.
● The Entente powers would then advance to Constantinople (the capital of the Ottoman Empire)

Features of the Gallipoli Campaign

● 19th February 1915: The Anglo-French naval forces destroyed some forts.
● 18th March 1915: The Entente (Anglo-French) forces launched the main attack
● However, 3 battleships were blown up, and 300 sailors died.
● 25th April 1915: The British and Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army corps) landed on the Gallipoli
Peninsula, but were met with several problems:
○ The maps were outdated
○ The slopes were too steep
○ Inexperienced soldiers
○ The Turkish forces were well-defended.
● The Anzac forces were unable to advance at Anzac Cove, they moved to Suvla Bay, but were also met with
fierce resistance
● The British and French forces were also defeated.

Evacuation of the Gallipoli Campaign

● British and Anzac forces were pushed back and dug trenches to defend themselves.
● The campaign became a stalemate
● Soldiers suffered from heat, poor hygiene, and diseases.
● General Hamilton planned for an evacuation by the Autumn of 1915.
● Hamilton was then replaced by General Monro. Monro proposed the evacuation take place immediately.
● The British and Anzac forces left Gallipoli, without the Ottoman forces noticing due to Monro’s tactics.
Monro’s tactics placed rifles at different positions to fire at certain times; the Ottomans believed that there
were still enemy troops.

Consequences of the campaign

● Over 200,000 Allied troops were injured, and 48,000 died.
● The Dardanelles could not be opened to support Russia, and Russia soon faced a shortage of supplies.
● The stalemate in the Western Front could not be broken,
● The moral of the Ottoman forces was high.
● General Hamilton was forced to resign
● Winston Churchill also had to resign as First Lord of the Admiralty.

9
Defeat of Germany
US entry into World War One
● The US had stayed neutral for most of the war.
● However, the sinking of the Lusitania changed the US’s stance on the war.
● There was strong public opinion against Germany.
● In February 1917, Congress passed an arms appropriations bill worth $250 million intended to
prepare the US for war.
● On 2 April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson stood in a joint session of Congress to call for a
declaration of war against Germany. Four days later, the US officially entered the war.

The significance of the US entry into the war

● In early 1917, there were only 133,000 members of the US army.
● Upon the passage of the Selective Service Act, 2.8 million men were inducted into the US army
by the end of the Great War.
● During the war, approximately 2 million additional men served in the armed forces voluntarily.
● Over 2 million US troops served on the Western Front.
● Over 50,000 US troops died on the Western Front.
● The entry of the US provided great support to the Allied forces.
● The US would provide supplies and financial loans to the British and French.
● US troops increased from 85,000 to 1.2 million by September 1917.
● The US Navy sent out massive support: destroyers, submarines, and even a battleship group to
Scapa Flow.

Ludendorff Spring Offensive

● 21 March 1918, Germany launched the Ludendorff Offensive against the British.
● also known as the Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht meaning "Kaiser's Battle.”
● Germany rushed into defeating the Allied Powers before the manpower and materials coming
from the US overpowered them.

Key features of the Ludendorff spring offensive

● Territorial gains for Germany
● The resources and manpower of German troops were exhausted
● The Allies were also negatively affected but recovered thereafter

The Allied drive to victory (July–November 1918)

The Hundred Days Offensive

The ultimate offensive that happened in the First World War was The Hundred Days Offensive. After the
Germans made impressive gains with their offensive, the Allies rallied and launched a series of
successful offensives against the Germans. On 8 August 1918, the Battle of Amiens marked the
beginning of the end. Led by the British Fourth Army, ten Allied divisions of the British, French and
Australian forces went full force with more than 500 tanks. This attack resulted in around 30,000 German
casualties. German morale collapsed. General Erich Ludendorff called the day “The Black Day of the
German Army.” On 10 August, the Germans pulled back from their present occupation and went back to
their stable defensive line: the Hindenburg Line.

The End of WW1

● On 11 November 1918, the Germans signed the Armistice of Compiègne which ended the battles
on the Western Front.
● The armistice gave the ultimate victory for the Allies and defeat for Germany.
● It was not until after six months of negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference that a peace treaty
ultimately concluded the war. This treaty was called the Treaty of Versailles.

10
Different weapons and features of WW1

11
Causes for Germany's defeat in World War One
US entry into World War One
● The US had stayed neutral for most of the war.
● However, the sinking of the Lusitania changed the US’s stance on the war.
● There was strong public opinion against Germany.
● In February 1917, Congress passed an arms appropriations bill worth $250 million intended to
prepare the US for war.
● On 2 April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson stood in a joint session of Congress to call for a
declaration of war against Germany. Four days later, the US officially entered the war.

The significance of the US entry into the war

● In early 1917, there were only 133,000 members of the US army.
● Upon the passage of the Selective Service Act, 2.8 million men were inducted into the US army
by the end of the Great War.
● During the war, approximately 2 million additional men served in the armed forces voluntarily.
● Over 2 million US troops served on the Western Front.
● Over 50,000 US troops died on the Western Front.
● The entry of the US provided great support to the Allied forces.
● The US would provide supplies and financial loans to the British and French.
● US troops increased from 85,000 to 1.2 million by September 1917.
● The US Navy sent out massive support: destroyers, submarines, and even a battleship group to
Scapa Flow.

Ludendorff Spring Offensive

● 21 March 1918, Germany launched the Ludendorff Offensive against the British.
● also known as the Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht meaning "Kaiser's Battle.”
● Germany rushed into defeating the Allied Powers before the manpower and materials coming
from the US overpowered them.

Key features of the Ludendorff spring offensive

● Territorial gains for Germany
● The resources and manpower of German troops were exhausted
● The Allies were also negatively affected but recovered thereafter

The Allied drive to victory (July–November 1918)

The Hundred Days Offensive
The ultimate offensive that happened in the First World War was The Hundred Days Offensive. After the
Germans made impressive gains with their offensive, the Allies rallied and launched a series of
successful offensives against the Germans. On 8 August 1918, the Battle of Amiens marked the
beginning of the end. Led by the British Fourth Army, ten Allied divisions of the British, French and
Australian forces went full force with more than 500 tanks. This attack resulted in around 30,000 German
casualties. German morale collapsed. General Erich Ludendorff called the day “The Black Day of the
German Army.” On 10 August, the Germans pulled back from their present occupation and went back to
their stable defensive line: the Hindenburg Line.

The End of WW1

● On 11 November 1918, the Germans signed the Armistice of Compiègne which ended the battles
on the Western Front.
● The armistice gave the ultimate victory for the Allies and defeat for Germany.
● It was not until after six months of negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference that a peace treaty
ultimately concluded the war. This treaty was called the Treaty of Versailles.

12
The Weimar Republic
After World War One- Effects of the Treaty of Versailles
● The Armistice of 11 November 1918 ended conflict between the Allies and Germany, thereby ending WWI. It
was prolonged three times until the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919 and took effect on 10
January 1920.
● By 1918, the war for Germany was hopeless, Ludendorff requested an immediate ceasefire and
recommended the acceptance of U.S. president Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points.

Weimar Republic
● By 1918, support for the Kaiser had totally collapsed, and an uprising in Belgium took him by surprise.
● WW1 ended on 11 November 1918
● Near the end of WW1, civil unrest broke out in different parts of Germany.
● The unrest was led by Left-Wing groups
● Kaiser-Wilhelm abdicated and fled to the Netherlands
● The Weimar Republic replaced the German Empire. Germany thus became a parliamentary republic

The Treaty of Versailles

● The victors of the First World War met in the Versailles Palace to discuss the post-war arrangements of
Europe and the defeated powers (Germany, Austro-Hungary)
● The Big Three (US, Britain, France) led to the conference.
● The defeated powers were not invited to the conference.
● Germany had to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 28 1919.

Big THREE

George Clemenceau (France)

● Wanted to destroy Germany since France had the most casualties.
● Never wanted Germany to recover.

Woodrow Wilson (US)

● Proposed to set up the League Of Nations
● Germany should not be punished harshly.

David Lloyd George (UK)

● Should not punish Germany harshly, wanted to resume trade with Germany.
● The public pressured him to punish Germany harshly

After World War One- Effects of the Treaty of Versailles

Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to
● Disband its air force
● Army only limited to 100,000 men
● Conscription is banned
● No tanks allowed
● Only 6 Pre-dreadnought ships allowed
● Give up all colonies, all colonies to be controlled by League of Nations
● War Guilt Clause 231: Germany must accept responsibility for causing the war.

Effect of the Treaty of Versailles

● Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to pay £6.6 billion
● The Rhineland is to be demilitarised, this affected Germany’s industrial production as most of the industry is
located in the Rhineland

Weimar Republic
● Successor state of the German Empire
● Formally surrendered to the Allies

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 ● A Representative Democracy
● The new republic adopted a proportional democratic political system

Political System of the Weimar Republic

● The Reichstag:
○ The parliament of the German republic, consists of different political parties
○ Elected every 4 years
● Chancellor:
○ Head of Government
○ Must have 50% support from the Reichstag
○ Appointed by the President
● President:
○ Head of State
○ Voted every 7 years
○ Can dissolve the Reichstag
○ Head of armed forces

Article 48
● The President can be granted emergency powers
● With the emergency powers, the president does not have to get the Reichstag approval for passing any law
● “If public security and order are seriously disturbed or endangered within the German Reich, the President of
the Reich may take measures necessary for their restoration, intervening if need be with the assistance of
the armed forces.”

How stable was the Weimar Republic?

● The Weimar Republic was presented with political and economic challenges
● Political revolts such as the Spartacus Uprising and Kapp Putsch showed extreme Left and Right groups
challenging the Weimar government.

Wings:

Left Wing
● Composed of the Communists (KPD) and Social Democrats (SPD).
● Strong supporters of taxation, welfare programmes, labour unions, and equality for women.
● Less militaristic and anti-semitic.
● However, the KPD believed in the republic, while the SPD favoured Russian communism.

Centre
The Democratic Party (DDP), Catholic Center Party (Z) and the People’s Party (DVP) composed the Centre.
● Unlike the left and right wing, the Centre was most moderate.
● Protected the interests of Germany’s Catholic population.

Right Wing
● Comprised of the German Nationalist Party (DNVP) and National Socialist Party (NSDAP-Nazi)
● extremely nationalistic and believed in the capability of a large army.
● favoured industrialism
● Supported the role of religion and the traditional role of women.

Political violence in Germany (1919-1924)

Spartacus Uprising (1919)
● Extreme left-wing movement to overthrow the Weimar Republic and establish a Communist regime
● Inspired by Russian Revolution in 1917
● The Weimar government hired Freikorps to suppress the rebellion - This shows how weak the Weimar
government was.

14
Kapp Putsch (1920)

● This disbandment of the Freikorps made the members unhappy with the government. Most of these were
former soldiers that fought in WW1.
● The coup was conservative, right-wing.
● The Freikorps staged a coup and took over the government in Berlin. Kapp was declared as the new
Chancellor for 4 days.
● No action was taken by the army.
● The coup failed due to lack of recognition from conservative groups.

Beer Hall Putsch (1923)

● Hitler and a group of former army generals attempted to take over the Bavarian state government in Munich
● The movement was again suppressed by the government.
● Hitler went to prison, but was given a shorter sentence. (5 years reduced to 9 months)
● Hitler wrote the book Mein Kampf during his time in prison
● Putsch members soon became key leaders in Hitler’s government after he came to power

Ruhr Crisis (1923)

● Germany was unable to pay the reparations to France.

● In 1923, the French sent the military and took over the Ruhr region.
● The German workers in the region participated in a passive resistance movement - refusing to work.
● Hyperinflation result in 1923 as a result.

Effects
Key industries and factories located in the Ruhr were controlled by the French. In response, the Weimar government
persuaded the German workers to go on strike instead of working for the French. Instead of negotiating with the
German workers, the French sent their own labourers to do the work and began arresting leaders of the movement.

Impact
Winners of the Ruhr Crisis Hyperinflation
● Borrowers were able to pay their debts or loans easily.
● Farmers with in-demand products received more money.
Losers of the Ruhr Crisis Hyperinflation
● People with fixed income and pensioners lost income.
● Wealth through
savings and
creditors damaged.

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The Weimar Republic (Stresseman's policies,
Golden Age of the Weimar Republic)
Gustav Stresemann
● 1920: Elected to the Reichstag
● 1923: Became Chancellor of the Weimar Republic for 3 months
● 1923-1929: Worked as the foreign minister until his death.

Overview of Foreign relations

Locarno Treaty (1925):

● The treaty settled the borders of Germany after WW1.

Germany joined League of Nation (1926)

Kellog-Briand Pact (1928):

● The pact renounced the use of war as a means to resolve international disputes

The Dawes Plan and Young Plan

● Headed by Charles Dawes (Former Director of the Bureau of the Budget and chair of the Reparation
Commission)
● Supported the improvement of the German economy.
● Foreign banks, mainly from the US, provided loans to Germany to stabilize the economy.

Dawes Plan (1924)

● The plan brought back economic stability
● France and Belgium withdrew troops from the Ruhr, ending the Ruhr Crisis
● Germany’s economy and industry prospered
● Plan continued until 1929
● From 1924 to 1929, Germany receive a total of 25 billion marks.
● The US became the main investor in Germany.
● Most of the investment was in the industrial sector.
● Living standards improved.

Young Plan
● Headed by Owen Young, head of General Electric and member of the Dawes committee.
● A Bank for International Settlements was established to finally resolve payment of reparations.
● Reduction of payment of the reparation by 20%.
● Germany still had to pay reparations over a period of 59 years.
● Some right-wing nationalists were angry that Germany had to continue to pay reparations.

The Kellogg-Briand Pact

● The Kellogg–Briand Pact was a 1928 international agreement in which signatories agreed not to use war as
a means to resolve disputes or conflicts. Those who failed to uphold the agreement would be denied of the
benefits offered by the treaty.
● 7 August 1928: the Pact was signed by fifteen nations including France, the United States, the UK, Canada,
Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium, India, Poland, Germany, Italy, Japan and and
Czechoslovakia.
● Named after its authors, U.S. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg and French foreign minister Aristide
Briand.

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Rise of the Nazi Party up to the Beerhall
Putsch
Hitler and the German Workers’ Party
● Born in Austria-Hungary 20 April 1889
● Fought in WW1 and awarded the Iron Cross
● Entered the German Workers’ Party (DAP) in 1919 after WW1.
● Worked for the party’s propaganda
● Showed talent in speaking
● DAP was renamed as the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi)

Hitler and the Nazi Party

● Within two years, the party has grown to around 55 000 members, with 15 000 as part of the militia - SA,
Stormtroopers and Brownshirts.
● Aimed to create a mass movement using mystique and power to foster loyalty to him.
● He used constant propaganda through the party newspaper, the Völkischer Beobachter, to achieve this.
Hitler was a charismatic and dynamic leader able to attract devoted cadre, including Johann Dietrich Eckart,
Alfred Rosenberg, Rudolf Hess, Hermann Göring, and Julius Streicher.

Munich Putsch (1923)

While the Weimar government was in crisis, Adolf Hitler, along with other nationalist leaders, instigated a revolution in
Munich in 1923. For them, it was the perfect opportunity to take over the city, but Hitler failed and was sent to prison.

1. Along with nationalist leaders Kahr and Lossow, Hitler organised the Sturmabteilung (SA) for a revolution.
2. However, on October 2, 1923, Kahr and Lossow called off the rebellion. Hitler and his 600 SA managed to
get the support of General Ludendorff on November 8.
3. The following day, Hitler and the SA marched to Munich to take power, but Kahr called the police. As a
result, 16 SA were killed. Hitler fled but was captured two days later.

Consequences
1. Hitler was placed on trial for treason. He used the publicity to his advantage to further spread his
ideology………. Also realized from the failed Putsch that for the movement to succeed, it must be through
legal means, not a coup.
2. Sentenced to five years in prison, but only served nine months and in relative comfort…………. Created the
first volume of his political autobiography, Mein Kampf………… Articulated many of his ideas including racial
superiority, natural order exulting the Aryan race, Germans as the greatest people, that the state existed to
serve the people - unity of the people was manifest in a Führer with absolute authority, and that the greatest
threats was Marxism and the Jews.
3. During Hitler’s imprisonment, party membership fell due to internal dissent. Upon his release, he faced new
challenges as economic stability had been achieved through the new currency and the Dawes Plan had
scaled back Germany’s World War I reparations. Hitler was also not allowed to speak in public until 1928.

Reorganization of the Nazi Party

● Hitler realized that only lawful means were the only way for the Nazi Party to succeed.
● The Nazi Party was reorganized with the following:
○ National Headquarters in Munich
○ Divided Germany into 34 districts, each district having a Nazi member to gather support
● In the 1926 Bamberg Conference, Hitler made his 25-point program

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