Crises

Domestic Policies

October 30^th, 1918

The German Revolution begins with the mutiny of sailors at Kiel,

November 9^th

Prince Max takes it on himself to announce the Kaiser’s abdication and resigns himself. Ebert becomes Chancellor. Wilhelm goes into exile on November 10^th.

November 9^th

Ebert and General Groener agreed to cooperate so as to ensure order.

November 11^th

The Armistice is signed

January 5^th, 1919

The Spartacist Uprising begins.

General Groener agrees to the formation of Freikorps units.

January 19^th

Elections were held for a Constituent Assembly.

April 7^th

A soviet republic is declared in Bavaria (it is crushed on May 1^st).

May 7^th

The terms of the peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, were handed to the Germans at Versailles.

Germans are shocked and angered. The headline in the German newspaper, Deutsche Zeitung, reads:

Vengeance! German Nation!

July 31^st

Germany’s new constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly and ratified by the newly elected President, Ebert, on August 11^th. It looked to be the most liberal and democratic constitution ever written.

March 12^th, 1920

The beginning of the Kapp Putsch

Mid-March to mid-April

Virtual civil war in the Ruhr region – as many as 2,000 are killed.

January, 1923

French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr when Germany fails to make its reparation payments.

The German government instigates a policy of passive resistance resulting in hyperinflation that lasts the entire year.

November 8^th – 9^th

The Munich Beer Hall putsch

November 15^th

Stresemann scraps the old mark and introduces the Rentenmark which soon became the Reichsmark.

February 26^th – April 1^st, 1924

Hitler’s trial

August, 1924

The Dawes Plan was announced which eased the terms of the payments including lengthening the time Germany had to pay its reparation bill. A massive American loan of 800 million marks was also agreed to help the German economy recover.

December 20^th

Hitler is released from prison.