History -

Apuntes

•Introduction The fall of Old Germany after WWI Before WWI, Germany was a strong, proud, and prosperous nation with a powerful army and thriving businesses. By 1918, however, the country was devastated. The German army had been defeated, food was scarce, and people survived on very little. The country was in a terrible state. The Kaiser was asked to abdicate, and although he resigned, riots broke out—sailors rebelled against him. By October 1918, he was hopeless and abdicated, leaving Germany without a leader. •Leadership Change To select a new leader, the most popular political party leader became Chancellor—Friedrich Ebert of the Social Democrats. He aimed to improve people's lives by advocating better working conditions and freedom of speech. Ebert and his government signed the armistice, withdrawing Germany from WWI on November 11, 1918. This ceasefire led opponents on the right to call them ‘November criminals’. •Impact of WWI on Germany by 1918 Economic: Germany was nearly bankrupt, with a significant decrease in national income and industrial production. Food shortages caused many deaths from starvation and hypothermia, leaving many widows. A large portion of g...