Uploaded April 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
It’s November 1918 and German officials have just signed the armistice, bringing an end to the First World War. With the Kaiser having abdicated they now face the challenge of trying to sort out a new way of governing Germany. The next few months aren’t going to be easy.
#GCSEHistory #GCSERevision #WeimarGermany
PATREON: patreon.com/alonglongtimeago
***---Useful resources---***
Revision Notes:
Setting up the Weimar Republic:
- The 9 months from November 1918 - July 1919 were uneasy for the new Republic whilst a new government was being put in place
- Ebert took steps to increase people’s confidence in the new republic
- Ebert kept civil servants who had served under the Kaiser to stay in office
- They were instructed to work alongside soldiers and workers’ councils where local people had set these up
- This kept Germany running - e.g. collecting taxes and keeping public services, such as schools running
- Ebert reassured the army would not be reformed & officers kept their ranks
- This gained him support of the German army
- Ebert reassured leaders of industry that no land or factories would be seized by the new Republic
- Moreover, there was to be no nationalisation of private industries
- This helped businesses and the economy continue to operate
- Ebert won the support of the trade unions - he told their leader (Carl Legien) the new Republic would try to achieve an 8hr working day
- Some extreme political parties were still dissatisfied - demonstrations & riots remained common in major cities
- Germany was still on the edge of anarchy
- Ebert’s fragile control lasted long enough to agree a new constitution
The National Assembly:
- 19th Jan 1919, elections for a new National assembly took place
- 82% of the electorate voted and moderate parties won most of the seats (SPD 40% and the Centre Party won 20%)
- Moderate parties, combined, had around 80% of the seats in the Assembly
- Feb 1919, the National Assembly met for the first time
- The large amounts of violence & unrest in Berlin meant the assembly had to meet in the peaceful town of Weimar (250 km away)
- 31 Jul 1919, the National Assembly agreed a new constitution by 262 votes to 75
- This constitution became known as the Weimar republic
IMAGE ATTRIBUTIONS
First appears at 0:02
"Black Country Living Museum - The Workers' Institute - desk with old style telephone" by Elliott Brown, licensed under CC-BY 2.0
Source: flickr.com/photos/39415781@N06/6061837821
Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Author's Page: flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown
First appears at 1:17
"Blick vom Casino Hohensyburg" by qwesy qwesy, licensed under CC-BY 3.0
Source: web.archive.org/web/20161020110929/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/57186081
Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/?ref=ccsearch&atype=rich
Author's Page: web.archive.org/web/20161020110931/http://www.panoramio.com/user/596286?with_photo_id=57186081
First appears at 1:58
"German prisoners captured in the new drive between Alsdorf and Mariadorf, Germany, march under guard in German street, 16 November, 1944." by Signal Corps Archive, licensed under CC PDM 1.0
Source: flickr.com/photos/186360156@N02/49537387633/in/photostream
Licence: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
Author's Page: flickr.com/photos/186360156@N02
First appears at 2:58 (also appears in thumbnail)
"005-07-01 07-04 Oberfranken, Thüringen 060 Weimar, Deutsches Nationaltheater" by Allie_Caulfield, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Source: flickr.com/photos/28577026@N02/5399261978
Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Author's Page: flickr.com/photos/wm_archiv
HOW I MODERATE COMMENTS
docs.google.com/document/d/1rZlHq9GKg7B8Vsv3k-2P74BfrmS5pFbhHRwoGjSCyzs/edit
SOURCES:
John Child, 'Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939 (EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY (9-1))' (Pearson, 2016) [ISBN: 9781292127347]
It's a GCSE textbook, please don't use it for any serious academic writing!
***---Social Media---***
Twitter: twitter.com/alongtimeago_YT || @alongtimeago_YT
Patreon: patreon.com/alonglongtimeago
Insta: instagram.com/alonglongtimeago || @alonglongtimeago
facebook.com/alongtimeagoYT
It’s November 1918 and German officials have just signed the armistice, bringing an end to the First World War. With the Kaiser having abdicated they now face the challenge of trying to sort out a new way of governing Germany. The next few months aren’t going to be easy.
#GCSEHistory #GCSERevision #WeimarGermany
PATREON: patreon.com/alonglongtimeago
***---Useful resources---***
Revision Notes:
Setting up the Weimar Republic:
- The 9 months from November 1918 - July 1919 were uneasy for the new Republic whilst a new government was being put in place
- Ebert took steps to increase people’s confidence in the new republic
- Ebert kept civil servants who had served under the Kaiser to stay in office
- They were instructed to work alongside soldiers and workers’ councils where local people had set these up
- This kept Germany running - e.g. collecting taxes and keeping public services, such as schools running
- Ebert reassured the army would not be reformed & officers kept their ranks
- This gained him support of the German army
- Ebert reassured leaders of industry that no land or factories would be seized by the new Republic
- Moreover, there was to be no nationalisation of private industries
- This helped businesses and the economy continue to operate
- Ebert won the support of the trade unions - he told their leader (Carl Legien) the new Republic would try to achieve an 8hr working day
- Some extreme political parties were still dissatisfied - demonstrations & riots remained common in major cities
- Germany was still on the edge of anarchy
- Ebert’s fragile control lasted long enough to agree a new constitution
The National Assembly:
- 19th Jan 1919, elections for a new National assembly took place
- 82% of the electorate voted and moderate parties won most of the seats (SPD 40% and the Centre Party won 20%)
- Moderate parties, combined, had around 80% of the seats in the Assembly
- Feb 1919, the National Assembly met for the first time
- The large amounts of violence & unrest in Berlin meant the assembly had to meet in the peaceful town of Weimar (250 km away)
- 31 Jul 1919, the National Assembly agreed a new constitution by 262 votes to 75
- This constitution became known as the Weimar republic
IMAGE ATTRIBUTIONS
First appears at 0:02
"Black Country Living Museum - The Workers' Institute - desk with old style telephone" by Elliott Brown, licensed under CC-BY 2.0
Source: flickr.com/photos/39415781@N06/6061837821
Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Author's Page: flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown
First appears at 1:17
"Blick vom Casino Hohensyburg" by qwesy qwesy, licensed under CC-BY 3.0
Source: web.archive.org/web/20161020110929/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/57186081
Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/?ref=ccsearch&atype=rich
Author's Page: web.archive.org/web/20161020110931/http://www.panoramio.com/user/596286?with_photo_id=57186081
First appears at 1:58
"German prisoners captured in the new drive between Alsdorf and Mariadorf, Germany, march under guard in German street, 16 November, 1944." by Signal Corps Archive, licensed under CC PDM 1.0
Source: flickr.com/photos/186360156@N02/49537387633/in/photostream
Licence: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
Author's Page: flickr.com/photos/186360156@N02
First appears at 2:58 (also appears in thumbnail)
"005-07-01 07-04 Oberfranken, Thüringen 060 Weimar, Deutsches Nationaltheater" by Allie_Caulfield, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Source: flickr.com/photos/28577026@N02/5399261978
Licence: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Author's Page: flickr.com/photos/wm_archiv
HOW I MODERATE COMMENTS
docs.google.com/document/d/1rZlHq9GKg7B8Vsv3k-2P74BfrmS5pFbhHRwoGjSCyzs/edit
SOURCES:
John Child, 'Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939 (EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY (9-1))' (Pearson, 2016) [ISBN: 9781292127347]
It's a GCSE textbook, please don't use it for any serious academic writing!
***---Social Media---***
Twitter: twitter.com/alongtimeago_YT || @alongtimeago_YT
Patreon: patreon.com/alonglongtimeago
Insta: instagram.com/alonglongtimeago || @alonglongtimeago
facebook.com/alongtimeagoYT
