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German Revolution of 1918 and Kaiser Wilhelm II resigns
A civil conflict inside of Germany in which Kaiser Wilhelm II, the leader of Germany was forced to resign and abdicate his power. On Nov. 9, 1918, the public had broadcasted that he had abdicated, and he was coerced into resigning from that, even though he had not given up power yet. -
Ebert-Groener Pact
The deal between Friedrich Ebert (first president of republic) and Wilhelm Groener was signed on November 10, 1918. The pact called for the army support of the republic in exchange for maintaining officers' authority. This protected the new republic but gave the military exceeding power. This photo illustrates Groener and Ebert together in the signing of this pact. It showed a mutual agreement between representatives of the government and military. -
Armistice ending WW I
Issued 2 days after Kaiser Wilhelm II’s abdication on November 11, 1918; this was due to Germany’s declining condition, economically and socially, during WW1. As the armistice was signed, WWI officially ended. This photo is significant as it highlights how the signing of the Armistice signaled the end of WW1. -
Formation of Weimar Republic/Constitution
The Weimar republic was Germany’s Government from January of 1919 to February of 1933. Its constitution took effect in August of 1919, the goal of which was to set up a democratic government, as every citizen over 20 was given the right to vote, in contrast to the previous monarchical government. The symbol of the Reichstag represents the Weimar republic -
Spartacist Revolt
January 5-12, 1919, the communists of Germany attempted to stage a revolution, taking over Berlin, but were then quickly taken out by the Freikorps, including the leaders of the revolution: Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. In order to avoid this conflict, the German government is moved to Weimar, the city. This image demonstrates the conflict between the Freikorps and the revolutionaries. -
Bavarian Soviet Republic
The Bavarian/Munich Soviet Republic was a communist state that was formed by a workers’ council in Bavaria in April 1919. Supporters of this were attempting to create an independent nation, but this Soviet republic was overthrown by the Freikorps. This illustration highlights the amount of land that was taken by the Bavarian Soviet Republic and the extent to which communist ideology was being accepted by the German public. -
Treaty of Versailles and the results for Germany
On June 28, 1919, Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, which forced them to accept blame for the war and therefore pay over 130 billion gold marks, as well as some territory. It was also limited in its military size to 100,000 men, and it was forbidden from producing submarines and an air force and was limited to only 6 battleships. These limitations did not go over well with the German population. This image shows the land that Germany gave up due to the treaty of Versailles -
Kapp Putsch
The Kapp Putsch was a right-wing revolt in March 1920 by Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von Lüttwitz. Freikorps took control of Berlin and attempted to overthrow the republic, but Ebert solved this through utilizing the workers of the republic and calling for a general strike. As seen in the photo, armed Freikrops took control of Berlin using force with the public. This is significant as it was effective in establishing control, but this did not last long. -
(Red) Ruhr Uprising
A left-wing worker’s uprising in Germany on March 14, 1920, in which the Red Ruhr army beat the Freikorps, the government had to send in forces to suppress the revolution. This image shows soldiers marching to combat the revolutionaries. -
Rapallo Treaty
The Rapallo Treaty was a secret deal between the Soviet Union and Germany signed on April 16, 1922. The treaty allowed for German weaponry to be produced in the Soviet Union and marked diplomatic relations between the nations, and this was significant as it allowed for Germany to still fit into the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. This visual emphasizes how Germany was able to fit the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. -
Hyperinflation Crisis
As to compensate for the occupation of the Ruhr, Germany printed money for workers to pay them, but this severely devalued the value of one mark. A loaf of bread, which cost 250 marks in January 1923, had risen to 200,000 million marks in November 1923. This photo elucidates how much money people had, but it became less and less valuable as Germany kept printing money, jit ballin. -
Occupation of the Ruhr by France and Belgium
January 9, 1923, France and Belgium begun to occupy the Ruhr, a region of Germany with resources and factories that were taken during this occupation to compensate for unpaid reparation payments from Germany. This image shows some of the area being occupied during this time. -
Introduction of Rentenmark
Gustav Stresemann introduced the Rentenmark in November 1923: a temporary currency to replace the inflated Reichsmark. The rentenbank issued this currency to the public, and combined with increased taxes, more jobs, and passive resistance on the Ruhr being called off, the hyperinflation crisis settled. This photo illustrates the rentenmark in production and what it looked like. -
Beer Hall Putsch
On November 8, 1923, the Nazi party attempted to start a revolution in Germany, they stormed a beer hall while Gustav Kahr, the Bavarian Prime Minister, was giving a speech. He was forced to support the revolution, and after being released, told Berlin of what was going on. This picture shows the masses of people that were in the hall during this time. -
Weimar Golden Age
Between 1924 and 1929, the Weimar republic was in its golden age due to its newfound economic stability, increased quality of life, and its security. This was mainly attributed to Gustav Stresemann and Charles Dawes. This art shows the increased quality of life in Germany during the time -
Dawes Plan
The Dawes plan was an economic agreement between the US and the Weimar Republic in 1924 created by Charles Dawes. The annual reparation payments for Germany were lowered, and Germany was loaned 800 million marks by the US. This helped stimulate the economy of the Weimar Republic. This photo shows the cycle of payments that was created by the Dawes Plan. -
Election of President von Hindenburg
Von Hindenburg was elected to the presidency in April 1925 with support from the DNVP, DVP, and BVP. Hindenburg was previously a military chief, and his election sparked debate in German politics. This photo depicts Hindenburg as the president and in work. -
Locarno Treaty
December 1, 1925, Germany, France, Belgium, Britain, and Italy signed a pact outlining each member’s willingness to accept Germany, France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland’s borders, and to all mutually guarantee it, applying sanctions towards those who disobey the pact. The pact also required the allies’ removal of troops from the Rhineland. This image shows the differing leaders of the countries coming together to form the Locarno pact. -
Treaty of Berlin with Soviet Union
On April 24, 1926, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty declaring that they would mutually protect each other in the event that one of them was attacked by another party sometime in the next 5 years, essentially reaffirming the Rapallo treaty. This image shows German and Soviet leaders coming together to support each other within this treaty. -
German entrance into League of Nations
Through the aid of the Locarno Treaty and the work of Gustav Stresemann, Germany was allowed to enter the League of Nations in September 1926. Germany was promised representation in the council, and this was significant as it marked European acceptance of Germany. This photo shows how German representatives met with European diplomats as councils in the League of Nations. -
Grand Coalition of Weimar Germany
Due to proportional representation, many political parties formed coalitions to meet their goals. In 1928, several political parties (DDP, Z, BVP, DVP, SDP) formed the grand coalition in which they all combined to create some political stability. This photo highlights representatives of all the political parties meeting together for political purposes. -
Beginning of Great Depression (1929)
The German Great Depression initially began in 1929, after the effects of the many reparations put upon them after they were forced to take full blame for the destruction caused by WWI. This depression represented the end of the Golden Age for Germany, as unemployment, as well as poverty rates skyrocketed during this time period between 1929 and 1933. This picture displays the frantic nature of the German people after the stock market crash was first announced. -
Young Plan
June 7, 1929, a plan to reduce Germany’s reparation payments, increase Germany’s economic independence, and establish an international bank. This plan failed due to the great depression, it showed how the US was willing to step into European affairs. This image demonstrates the young plan’s ideas and goals. -
Von Papen’s deal with Hitler (1933)
Von Papen was anti-Weimar and anti-democratic and once he was not in power, he was angered. With hope of regaining power, he made a deal with Hitler that would make him Vice and Hitler chancellor. This would benefit them both because they would both have power. In result, Hitler became chancellor in 1933. Hindenburg thought that allowing this to happen would give him control over Hitler, which in the end did not happen. This picture shows both Von Papen and Hitler. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor (January 30, 1933)
One of the main reasons that Hitler was able to become chancellor was because of his deal with Von Papen and Hindenburg's want to keep him in control. This happened as the NSDAP won 37% of the vote in the elections and became the largest party in the Reichstag. This picture displays the control Hitler gains after gaining this new position of Authority and control.