Table of contentsThe legacy of the First World WarThe abdication of the Kaiser, the armistice and the revolution 1918-19The creation of the Weimar RepublicThe Weimar ConstitutionThe challenges of the Republic of Left and RightThe Spartacist RevoltThe Kapp PutschPolitical violenceHyperinflation in GermanySo why did the Weimar Republic collapse?The legacy of the First World WarThe First World War was a global conflict in which the powers (including Germany) were fighting against the Allied Powers (including Britain, the United States, France, Italy and Russia). The Allied Powers won the war. The war had financially exhausted Germany. Germany lost 2 million soldiers and more than twice as many wounded. World War I lasted 4 years, from 1914 to 1918. The German government's debts tripled between 1914 and 1918, from 50 billion marks to 150 billion marks. The German people also suffered. A British naval blockade reduced food supplies, forcing many people in Germany to starve. More than 750,000 Germans died from lack of food. The war caused significant problems for the German government as unrest spread across the country, with strikes and rebellions in Stuttgart, Munich, and the ports of Kiel and Hamburg. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe Kaiser's abdication, the armistice and the revolution 1918-19In October 1918, the German navy mutinied and refused to follow orders in the ports of Kiel and Hamburg. The Kiel Mutiny occurred as Kiel sailors refused to attack the British navy. This caused unrest that spread throughout Germany. After realizing he had lost the support of the army, the Kaiser had no choice but to abdicate, which he did on November 9 and went into exile in Holland the next day. On November 9, the Kaiser's chancellor, Max von Baden, handed over his functions to Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Ebert suspended parliament and appointed six moderate politicians to form the Council of People's Representatives which would run the government until a constitution could be adopted. On November 11, Ebert's representative, Matthias Erzberger, signed the armistice – a formal agreement ending the First World War. The creation of the Weimar Republic ensured that civil servants remained in office in order to guarantee the functioning of the state. He reassures General Groener that the army will not be reformed and that the officers will retain their ranks. In exchange, Groener agreed to use the German army to help keep the new Republic in power. Ebert also reassured industry leaders that there would be no industrialization of private industries. This has helped ensure that the economy continues to function. Eventually, Ebert won the support of the unions by promising to establish an eight-hour workday. Elections to the National Assembly took place on January 19, 1919. Moderate parties won most of the seats. Due to unrest in Berlin, the National Assembly met for the first time in the city of Weimar in February 1919. On July 31, the National Assembly adopted a new constitution. The new republic was known as the Weimar Republic. The Weimar Constitution The National Assembly was to create the Constitution of the Weimar Republic. Strengths of the Weimar Constitution: Germany was a democracy andallowed women to vote as well as men. It was more democratic than Britain at the time. The electorate could change president every 4 years. The chancellor's decisions regarding adopted laws had to be approved by Parliament. The Reichsrat could delay laws adopted by the Reichstag. These checks and balances meant that no one person or group could ever have too much power. Proportional representation meant that the number of votes they received resulted in an equivalent number of seats. This means that fair representation is ensured in the Reichstag. Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution: Article 48 of the constitution gave the president incredible power to rule without a parliament. This opened the constitution to possible dictatorships and made it less democratic. Proportional representation meant that the number of seats depended on the number of votes received. This gave rise to many parties and made it difficult to make quick decisions in a crisis. The army was against the Weimar constitution because they wanted the Kaiser to return and restore his status. There was great resistance to the constitution from the left as well as the right. He proved extremely unpopular for several years. Coalition governments have often fallen out and collapsed, leading to a lack of clear and strong policies. people. The German Communist Party (KPD) was the largest left-wing party in 1919. In the Reichstag, the far left gained 205 seats, causing problems for other parties. Outside the Reichstag, the far left challenged the Republic through rebellions like the Spartacist Revolt. Far-right groups supported capitalism and wanted to return to a strong government with a strong military. In the Reichstag, the far right won around 20% of the seats. Outside of the Reichstag, the far right experienced significant challenges with the Kapp Putsch in 1920 and the Munich Putsch in 1923. The Spartacist Revolt The Spartacist Revolt was a left-wing uprising aimed at establishing a communist state in Germany and destroy the Weimar Republic. . It was led by the Spartacist League – a group within the Communist Party led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. In January 1919, Ebert fired police chief Emil Eichhorn. Eichhorn was popular in Berlin and, following his dismissal, workers demonstrated in the streets. Seeing this demonstration, the Spartacist League took the opportunity to rebel and bring down the government. Following protests against Eichhorn's dismissal, a general strike was declared on January 6, 1919. More than 100,000 workers were involved in the rebellion. During the strike, Spartacists seized key government buildings, including telegraph offices. The Weimar government found the revolt difficult to manage and had to call on the Free Corps. The Free Corps suppressed the rebellion, with most of the workers and rebels eliminated by January 13, 1919. Luxemburg and Liebknecht were arrested and killed by the Free Corps. The Kapp PutschIn March 1920, the Weimar government announced plans to reduce the size of the army and disband the Freikorps. This caused a great uproar in Berlin. The members of the Free Corps did not want to find themselves unemployed again like after the First World War and therefore turned against the government. 5,000 armed men march on Berlin. The head of the Reichswehr refuses to shoot the rebels. The Freikorps succeeded in seizing Berlin and declaring a new government, with Wolfgang Kapp as its figurehead, who then invited the Kaiser to return from exile. The Weimar government fled Berlin and, for.