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Kaiser abdicates
Kaiser abdicates his throne and flees to the Netherlands. Phillip Scheidemann (a Socialist politician) proclaims the German Republic. Friedrich Ebert (leader of Socialists – also called the SPD) was Chancellor (Ebert became President in 1919). -
World War 1 ends
Armistice is signed. The fighting stops. German troops were mostly on enemy territory – they had not been pushed back onto German territory on most of the front. Allied soldiers taken prisoner by Germany and immediately released. German solider taken prisoner by the Allies are kept in captivity. Germany has to hand over artillery, machine-guns, warships, merchant ships, U boats, aeroplanes. German forces had to leave Allied territory. -
Spartacist uprising
Spartacist uprising in Berlin and other cities. Spartacists had renamed themselves the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) the previous month. The names “KPD” and “Spartacist” were used interchangeably for the same organisation at this time. This uprising carried on for three weeks. Crushed by army with the help of the Freikorps. -
Worker's Party
German Worker’s Party founded. Hitler joins shortly thereafter. -
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles signed. General Ludendorff had already begun spreading the stab in the back myth. -
The Treaty of Versailles
One of the peace treaty's at the end of world war one between Germany and the allied forces. -
Ebert 'Friedrich'
Was president in 1919 until his death in 1925.( Not a Correct Date ) -
25 points
25 point party programme adopted by Nazis. -
Kapp Putsch
Attempt to over throw the Weimar Government and put a right wing party in power. -
Hitler became leader of Nazis.
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Ruhr
Belgian and French armies occupy the Ruhr due to German non-payment of reparations. This lasted till August 1925. German workers strike in Ruhr. German government goes on paying them – printing more money to do so. Hyperinflation is the result. -
Beer hall putsch
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Dawes Plan begins to be implemented.
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Wall Street Crash
Shares on the US Stock Market lost a huge amount of their value. This predicated a worldwide slide into recession. Leading to Economic Depression. -
Article 48
Hindenburg invokes Article 48 to decree (order) certain laws to be enacted even when the Reichstag votes against them.( not exact date) -
Von Papen -Chancellor
Franz von Papen appointed Chancellor in place of Bruning. The day before von Papen had promised the Centre party’s leader, Kaas, never to accept the Chancellorship. The Centre party began moves to expel von Papen for his betrayal – he left the party before they could kick him out. Von Papen was rather right wing for the Centre Party and he was very anti-Weimar. -
Kurt von Schleicher becomes Chancellor.
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Hitler becomes Chancellor
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Reichstag Fire
Communists banned very shortly thereafter. -
Elections
Nazis poll 44%. With their coalition partners – DNVP and DVP – they have a majority. -
Enabling law.
Hitler can rule as he chooses without Reichstag approval. He can change the constitution at will. This law was to last for 3 years. It was later made permanent. Hitler banned the Socialists shortly after the Enabling law was passed. -
May Day bank holiday
May Day bank holiday granted in Germany. A stop to workers. The next day the Nazis ransack trades union offices and ban trades unions. The only trades union allowed is the Nazi-run DAF (meaning German Worker’s Front). -
RAD (Reich Labour Service.)
Foundation of the RAD (Reich Labour Service). This conscripted men, women and children into working for the Reich. The RAD worked on construction projects and in forestry. They wore a uniform. They were run on military lines. The RAD was partly a means of reducing unemployment. -
Law against parties
Law against new formation of parties. All parties had already voluntarily dissolved themselves and those that had not done so had already been outlawed. -
Mefo bills
Government starts issuing Mefo Bills. These were I-O-Us for a non-existent company. Mefo bills were a way of borrowing money for the government. Mefo is an acronym for Metallurgisch Forschung – meaning ”metallurgical research.” It was v difficult to borrow money in the normal way. People were reluctant to lend money because the govt had fixed the interests rate so low – 4.5% (Not exact date) -
Night of the Long knives.
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Hindenburg dies
Hindenburg dies, Hitler assumes Presidency as well as remaining Chancellor. He prefers to be called simply Fuhrer (Leader). Hitler sacked von Papen and Vice Chancellor. Another was not appointed. -
Four year plan
Goering announces the Four year plan in a speech to the Reichstag. It will prepare Germany for war – building up the armed forces. But it also includes civilian building projects such as the autobahns. The plan also concentrated on synthetic production. Technically the Four year plan expired in 1940 but the office of the four year plan was kept going until 1944 and the economy was run on the same basis.(Not exact date) -
Dr Hjalmar Schacht
Schacht resigns as Minister for Economics and General Plenipotentiary because he disapproves of excessive military spending. He had also clashed with Goering and he had also criticised violent anti-Semitism. He is reappointed President of the Reichsbank but sacked from this job in 1939. (Not exact date) -
Meeting between Hitler and his armed service chiefs.
Meeting between Hitler and his armed service chiefs. He details his plans to start a European war. Hitler emphasised the need for autarky. This was all recorded from memory five days later in the Hossbach memorandum. It was so-called because Colonel Count Friedrich Hossbach was the one who wrote it down. It does not mention any need for increased armament production -
Invasion of Poland
At 4.45 am on 1 September 1939 the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the Polish garrison of the Westerplatte Fort, Danzig (modern-day Gdansk), in what was to become the first military engagement of World War Two. Simultaneously, 62 German divisions supported by 1,300 aircraft commenced the invasion of Poland. -
Fritz Todt (Minister of Armament and War Production) is killed in an air crash.
Fritz Todt (Minister of Armament and War Production) is killed in an air crash. Albert Speer is appointed in his place. Speer increased production four times in the next two and half years.(Not exact date) -
Goebbel’s Total war speech
Goebbel’s Total war speech in the Berlin Sportspalzt. ”Do you want a war more total and more radical than ever before?” He also spoke about the fact that ”the Jewish population has been exterminat… the Jewish population has been evacuated.” He actually let it slip and then went back and corrected himself. After this women are conscripted into the Labour force. -
Hitlers Suicide
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The unconditional surrender of Germany to the Allies
