-
Economic Impacts at the End of the War
By the end of the war, industrial output in Germany had dropped by 40%. The entire cost of the war as approximately $40 Billion. The German workforce was greatly depleted due to mass casualties. -
The Abdication of Kaiser Wilhlem II
-
Leftist Uprisings
Harsh conditions during war such as food shortages as well as the nation's controversial defeat contributed to a general malcontent with governement. Many uprisings occured in support of a socialist system. -
Elections Held in Germany, favoring a democracy
The majority of the German public voted for new parties that favored the formation of a new democracy -
A New Constitution
A new constitution was made by the national assembly (Reichstag) and elected a new president (Ebert). There were many political parties and under the new Constitution, a coalition government would rule if the elections did not yield a clear winner. Weimar Germany saw as many as 20 different governments in fourteen years, the longest lasting 2 years. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The economic effects of the Treaty of Versailles were crippling for Germany. The Allies demanded 226 Billion Marks in repayment for war damages and stripped Germany of her colonies (previously a source of income; a shortage of raw materials was also hurting the German economy). -
French Occupation of the Ruhr
Because Germany could not afford to pay back reparations, the French seized the coal mining region on the border known as the Ruhr Region. Loss of production in the Ruhr was catastrophic, causing a cascade of unemployment eslewhere in Germany.
