The German Revolution or November Revolution was a civil conflict in the German Empire at the end of the First World War that resulted in the replacement of the German federal constitutional monarchy with a democratic parliamentary republic that later became known as the Weimar Republic. The revolutionary period lasted from November 1918 until the adoption of the Weimar Constitution in August 1919. Among the factors leading to the revolution were the extreme burdens suffered by the German population during the four years of war, the economic and psychological impacts of the German Empire's defeat by the Allies, and growing social tensions between the general population and the aristocratic and bourgeois elite.

1. DEPTH STUDY
WEIMAR REPUBLIC
THE REVOLUTION OF
NOVEMBER 1918
02

2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
INTRODUCTION
• During the early years of the Weimar Republic, the German
Government experienced problems which threatened its
existence.
• After the end of World War One, it struggled from crisis to
crisis.
• Many Germans blamed the new German Government for
Germany’s defeat in World War One, as did Hitler.

3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
GERMANY UNIFIED AND STRONG
• After Germany had been unified in 1871, its industries and
businesses grew rapidly.
• The 65 million Germans were proud of their army and the
country’s strength.
• Germans suffered many hardships and during the winters
of 1916-1917 and 1917-1918, they were big food shortages.
• The Social Democrat Party, representing the workers, was
the biggest political party in Germany, but they could not
govern because Germany was not a democracy.
• Under the constitution, the Kaiser ruled Germany and chose
his own ministers.

4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY

5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY

6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE END OF THE WAR
• The Government needed to end the war and make peace for
several reasons:
• Germany’s allies had surrendered.
• The USA had entered the war in 1917 against Germany.
• Many German civilians were starving and there were
severe food shortages.
• Germany was running out of raw materials.
• Revolts had broken out across Germany amongst sailors,
soldiers and workers.
• German officials agreed a truce on 11 November 1918.
• This was the Armistice.

7. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
TIMELINE
• Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on 9 November 1918, 2 days
before signing of the Armistice.
• His autocratic system was replaced with a democracy, later
known as the Weimar Republic.
• This Republic will last for 14 years, being destroyed by
Hitler’s dictatorship.
• The Third Reich intended to last for 1000 years, collapsed in
1945, following the suicide of its creator, Adolf Hitler and
the military defeat of Germany.
• The Third Reich was the term used to describe the Nazi
Germany from 1933-1945.

8. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
GERMAN KAISERS
Wilhelm I – The Great Frederick III Wilhelm II

9. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
REVOLUTION – STAGE 1: GETTING RID OF THE
KAISER
• It was a condition
for peace that the
Germans got rid
of the Kaiser, but
he refused to
abdicate.
• 25 October 1918.
Naval
commanders at
Kiel decided to
send their ships
out to fight the
British fleet in one
las bid for glory.
Text supplied
by the German
Federal
Archive:
"With the
rebellion of the
sailors and
workers on 3
November 1918
in Kiel the
November
revolution
starts. On 6
November the
revolutionary
movement
reaches
Wilhelmshaven
. Our picture
shows the
soldiers'
council of the
Prinzregent
Luitpold."

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11. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
REVOLUTION – STAGE 1: GETTING RID OF THE
KAISER (2)
• 26 October-5 November 1918. The Kaiser and his government
did not try to send the army to crush the mutiny, and that was
followed by strikes and demonstrations against the war and
the Kaiser all over Germany.
• 6 November 1918. By now soldiers’ and workers’ councils had
taken control in many cities. Their main aim was to end the
war, but to the politicians looking on there seemed a real
danger of a total revolution, like the one which had taken place
in Russia the previous year. The Social Democrats were the
leading party in the Reichstag. They were the party that the
workers traditionally voted for. In theory they were socialists,
committed to social change. Ebert even wanted to save the
Kaiser, but his colleagues knew that if they did then more
extreme left-wing revolutionaries would take over.

12. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
REVOLUTION – STAGE 1: GETTING RID OF THE
KAISER (3)
• 7 November 1918. Social Democrat leaders sent an ultimatum
to the Kaiser that unless he abdicated they would join the
revolution.
• 9 November 1918. There was a general strike in Berlin. Armed
workers and soldiers roamed the streets. The Social Democrats
were afraid that the extremists would gain control of the
revolution, so one of Ebert’s colleagues announced the
abdication of the Kaiser and the setting up of a German
Republic which they should run in coalition with other socialist
parties. Ebert took over as a Chancellor.
• 10 November 1918. Kaiser Wilhelm fled into exile in Holland.
• 11 November 1918. An armistice was agreed between Germany
and the Allies.

13. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
ACTIVITY
• Look at the photo
and imagine one of
the people in this
picture has asked
you, “Why has this
happened?” Write
out your answer,
explaining the events
that led to the
abdication of the
Kaiser and the
setting up of the
German Republic in
November 1918.

14. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
REVOLUTION, STAGE 2: WHO WOULD CONTROL
GERMANY?
• With the Kaiser gone, the Social Democrats were in charge, but
they were not in control.
• Germany was very unstable.
• Armed demobilised soldiers returned home from the front.
• They joined the protests and demonstrations, creating violence
and chaos on the streets.
• Also, the left-wing revolutions were looming around.

15. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE LEFT-WING REVOLUTIONARIES
• Getting rid of the Kaiser was just the beginning.
• A big Red Revolution was needed and requested by the
members.
• Ebert was not to be trusted.
• These left-wing revolutionaries were known as the Spartacus
League, named after the famous Roman gladiator leading a
revolt in Rome.
• The leader was Rosa Luxemburg, who thought that the
Spartacists should wait until the workers would be
disillusioned with Ebert’s government.

16. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
ROSA LUXEMBURG
Rosa Luxemburg speaking at a Socialist meeting in 1907: “The
Revolution will be great and strong as long as the Social Democrats
don’t smash it up”.
Rosa was a Polish/German revolutionary socialist, Marxist philosopher and anti-
war activist.
After the SPD supported German involvement in World War I in 1915, Luxemburg
and Karl Liebknecht co-founded the anti-war Spartacus League which eventually
became KPD.
During the November Revolution, she co-founded
the newspaper Die Rote Fahne (The Red Flag), the
central organ of the Spartacist movement.
Luxemburg considered the Spartacist uprising of
January 1919 a blunder, but supported the
attempted overthrow of the SPD-ruled Weimar
Republic and rejected any attempt at a negotiated
solution.
Friedrich Ebert's SPD Cabinet crushed the revolt
and the Spartakusbund by sending in the Freikorp.
Freikorps troops captured and executed
Luxemburg and Liebknecht during the rebellion.

17. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
• For the Social Democrats, getting rid of the Kaiser was the end
of the revolution.
• In a telephone call, General Groener, promised Ebert the
support of the army in maintaining order inside Germany, and
in suppressing left-wing revolutionaries.
• Ebert accepted the offer.
• He also organised ex-soldiers into Freikorps (volunteer corps)
to help keep control.
• Many left-wing Independents who had supported the Social
Democrats left them in protest at this.

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ACTIVITIES 1

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READING 1

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READING 2

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READING 3

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THE SPARTACIST RISING: JANUARY 1919
• During December 1918 there were regular clashes between the
government and the revolutionaries.
• In January 1919 some Spartacist members staged an attempted
revolution in Berlin against Ebert’s government.
• On the night of 5th of January the Spartacists captured the
headquarters of the government’s newspaper and the
telegraph bureau, but they did not capture any other buildings.
• The uprising was badly prepared and had no chances for
success.
• The rise was easily crushed by the Freikorps.
• On 10th of January they took over the Spartacist headquarters.
• By 15th of January the Spartacists were crushed.

24. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE SPARTACIST RISING: JANUARY 1919
• 100 Spartacists were killed compared to 13 Freikorps.
• Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were murdered.
• These murders robbed the Communists of their leaders and the
movement did not recover.
• Over the next four months the Freikorps crushed left-wing
uprising in many cities.
• They killed thousands more Communist supporters.
• Ebert had succeeded in dealing with the threat to the Republic
from left-wing revolutionaries, but at a high price. He put his
government into the hands of Freikorps, undermining the
position of Social Democrats as the representatives of the
working classes.

25. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
ACTIVITIES 2

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READING 2

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READING 2

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READING 2

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READING 2

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READING 2

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READING 2

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READING 2

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READING 2