GCSE History (OCR B)

Weimar and Nazi Germany Topic Summaries

Origins of the Weimar Republic (1918–1919)

Public sentiment and morale at the end of WWI

  • In 1915, 500 women gathered in front of the German parliament buildings and said that they wanted their men back from the trenches. A year later, 10,000 workers assembled in Berlin to shout “Down with war, down with the government!” The police quickly moved in to make arrests.
  • In September 1918, General Ludendorff told the Kaiser that Germany could not win the war. He suggested that becoming more democratic by sharing power with the parliament might lead to fairer treatment by the Allies. The Kaiser reluctantly agreed, transferring some powers to the Reichstag and allowing a new government, but these changes came too late, leading to increased protests and calls for his abdication.
  • On 28 October 1918, the German navy was ordered out to sea to attack British ships. The sailors refused as they no longer wanted to fight.

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