Germany in WWI

Impact of the First World War

The Kaiser's Fault?

In 1914-18, all Wilhelm’s chickens – which you have read about in the last few webpages – came home to roost:

His cancelling of the Treaty with Russia meant that Russia mobilised against Germany in July 1914.
His Weltpolitik had gathered against him a much-more-powerful Entente of enemies; his allies Austria-Hungary and Turkey turned out to be broken reeds.
The ill-thought-out Schlieffen plan brought Belgium and Britain into the War against Germany, and then failed to defeat France … leading to a long ‘war of attrition’ that Germany was always going to lose.
Although he believed his army would fight honourably, they in fact committed atrocities, and his speech of July 1900 led to them being called ‘the Hun’.
His personal appointment of Falkenhayn as Army Chief led to the disastrous Battle of Verdun (1916).
Until Falkenhayn was replaced in 1916, Wilhelm was still being told only good news about the War!
His High Seas Fleet failed to break the British Blockade (Battle of Jutland, 1916), and the sailors in Kiel mutinied when they were told in November 1918 to go out to fight again.
Plus his U-boats not only failed to blockade Britain, the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare helped provoke America into joining the war.

On the Western Front, millions of German soldiers had been killed. After a failed last offensive in autumn 1918, the German Army was exhausted, and surrendering in trainloads.

Going Deeper

The following links will help you widen your knowledge:

Basic account from BBC Bitesize

The November Revolution

YouTube

Why did the Kaiser HAVE to Abdicate? - clear narrative explanation from Look Back History

Pete Jackson video - really good

Problems in Germany [MP HIDE]

Military rule: since 1916, the military had been in control of Germany's government, with propaganda & censorship, the moral policing of women, and military control over civilian workers (Patriotic Auxiliary Service Law, December 1916). When there was a General Strike in Berlin in January 1918, martial law was declared and 50,000 strikers were sent to the front.
Politics: Initially, the Reichstag had united in support of the war (the Burgfrieden - 'ceasefire'). This had collapsed by 1918 and the country was divided between conservatives (who wanted to continue the war), moderate Democratic Sociaists (who wanted peace), and Independent Socialists (who wanted revolution).
Hunger: in 1916, Germans suffered the ‘Turnip Winter’, and by 1918, Germans were living on K-Brot, potatoes and berries; there were Hunger Riots in Germany in autumn 1915, summer 1916, and September 1918.
Inflation: although prices had more than doubled, wages were
Disease: the German Board of Public Health claimed that three-quarters of a million Germans died from hunger and disease associated with the British Blockade, and scurvy, tuberculosis and dysentery were widespread.
Economy: war had ruined trade, the economy declind by 25%, and the government was bankrupt. Sending soldiers to the war caused worker-shorages in Industry and – especially – in Agriculture. restricted.

November Revolution:

There was a peaceful revolution. On 7 November, a pro-peace demonstration of 60,000 people marched in Munich to commemorate the Russian Revolution of 1917 – by which time, the Naval Mutiny had taken control of Kiel, and revolutions in towns all over Germany had chased out the Imperial politicians and military, freed political prisoners, and set up Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Councils. No one tried to stop them.

On 9 November the Kaiser abdicated, and a Republic was declared.

Source A

In addition to other hardships, the German public is threatened this winter with an almost complete lack of lighting of every description: electric, gas, oil and candles. Cleanliness is almost impossible due to the lack of soap and washing powder. Medicines are difficult to obtain. In the industrial district of Westphalia many of the women are poorly clothed.

from a report sent by a British secret agent to the British Foreign Office (September 1918)

Consider:

1. Rank the problems in Germany:

a. from the standpoint of a German mother;

b. from the standpoint of a government official;

c. from your own stanpoint as an historian trying to understand why Willhelm II had to abdicate.

2. Which standpoint mattered most in 1918?

Accounts of the Abdication

Source B

With Germany actively seeking an armistice and revolution threatening, calls for Kaiser Wilhelm II to abdicate grew in intensity. Wilhelm was himself deeply reluctant to make such a sacrifice, instead expressing a preference to lead his armies back into Germany from the Western Front. Upon being informed by his military advisers that the army could not be relied upon not to harm him Wilhelm abandoned the notion.

Wilhelm's abdication was announced by Chancellor Prince Max von Baden in a 9 November 1918 proclamation - before Wilhelm had in fact consented to abdicate. Faced with a fait accompli Wilhelm formally abdicated and went into exile in Holland.

Factual account on a modern internet website.

Source C

The day of the revolution has come. We have enforced peace. The old has gone. The rule of the Hohenzollern is over… Never again will a Hohenzollern enter this place.

Party comrades, I proclaim the Free Socialist Republic of Germany, which shall include all tribes, where there are no more servants, where every honest worker will receive his honest pay. The rule of capitalism, which has turned Europe into a cemetery, is broken.

Speech of Socialist agitator Karl Liebknecht proclaiming the Free Socialist Republic of Germany, 9 November 1918.

Source D

Meanwhile, despite the tumultuous crowds that filled Berlin's streets, Prince Max was still unable to induce the Kaiser to abdicate.

On November 7 the chancellor, at his wit's end, decided to confront the Kaiser face to face. Before leaving, however, he sought the support of the Social Democrats in forming a new government. As he notes in his memoirs, he personally asked Ebert: "If I succeed in convincing the Kaiser [to abdicate], can I count on your support in fighting the Social Revolution?"

Ebert's answer was unhesitating: "Unless the Kaiser abdicates, the Social Revolution is inevitable."

Satisfied with Ebert's reply, Max concluded: "I believed I had concluded not only a Treaty to tide me over a few days but an Alliance backed by a common determination to save the country from revolution.".

A modern historian's account of a conversation between the Chancellor Max von Baden, and the leader ot the Social Democrats Friedrich Ebert, as recorded in von Baden's Memoirs (1927)

Source E

Now the efforts of the Government and the Imperial Chancellor to induce me to abdicate began….

General Gröner, who had gone to Berlin to study the situation, reported that the authority of the Government was equal to zero, the agitation against the Emperor in full swing, my abdication hardly to be avoided longer.

On the morning of the 9th of November, the Imperial Chancellor, Prince Max of Baden, caused me to be informed that the Social Democrats demanded my abdication … He requested me to abdicate immediately, since, otherwise, extensive street fighting attended by bloodshed would take place in Berlin; it had already started on a small scale.

The Imperial Chancellor, on his own initiative, [then] summarily announced my abdication – which had not occurred yet at all!

I went, or – to put it much more correctly – I was overthrown by my own Government.

Wilhelm describes events leading to his abdication in his Memoirs (1922).

A British cartoon from 1919.

Did You Know

Wilhelm's biographer, Emil Ludwig wrote that, on 9th November, Wilhelm and some of his loyal soliders considered a battle-charge "to the field of slaugter with his sword in hs right hand".

But Wilhelm declined: "What would be the good of playing the stage-hero?"

Consider:

1. Read Sources C, D and E Which account most closely relates to the modern factual account in Source B?

2. What different reasons do Sources C, D and E suggest led to the abdication.

3. Re-write Source B taking into account the different perspectives evidenced in Sources C, D and E.