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The Revolution from Below

Kolb: a “rebellion which spread like a forest fire”. The Revolution from Below. Key Dates. 31st October Kiel mutiny 9th November Baden hands power to Ebert Republic declared as Kaiser flees to Holland. Revolution from Below – Why?. Weaknesses in existing govt Collapse of law and order

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The Revolution from Below

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  1. Kolb: a “rebellion which spread like a forest fire” The Revolution from Below

  2. Key Dates • 31st October • Kiel mutiny • 9th November • Baden hands power to Ebert • Republic declared as Kaiser flees to Holland

  3. Revolution from Below – Why? • Weaknesses in existing govt • Collapse of law and order • Mass discontent • Organised revolutionary groups • leaders with a clear vision

  4. OHL • Virtual dictatorship of Ludendorff and Hindenburg • They actually blocked opportunities for a compromise peace Discontent with the existing order • Cost of War • 2 million killed • 6.3 million wounded • £8.4 billion expenditure • Real earnings fell 20 – 30% • bread had been rationed since January 1915 • In 1917 the grain harvest was only half of that in 1913 • 1917: ‘Turnip winter’ • Deaths from starvation and hypothermia, 1918 alone, stood at 293,000

  5. January 1918 – 400,000 Berliners went on strike → spread until the # involved in industrial action exceeded 1 million. Significance?? Continuing war weariness – had been promised great victory, esp after German High Command aided the smuggling of Lenin into Russia, clearly not going to happen. Revolutionary activity encouraged by Bolsheviks, especially after it became known Germany had approached USA re: an armistice Also During the War…

  6. After Revn from above, W. Wilson argued that old power structure was still intact and he would only deal with democracy. • Kolb: Popular opinion not primarily anti-monarchy. Generally wanted Kaiser gone so as to be treated leniently

  7. Events Turn into a flow diagram (in chronological order) • At what point did events become uncontrollable for the existing regime? • What are the aims of the revolutionaries?

  8. Response to RFA… • Events of Oct/Nov unexpected • Right looked on helplessly. Middle classes paralysed by fear and uncertainty • DNVP came into existence

  9. The DNVP (from http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERdnvp.htm • The German National People's Party (DNVP) was formed in 1919. Mainly funded by the wealthy industrialist, Hugo Stinnes, this right-wing party opposed the Versailles Treaty, supported the restoration of the monarchy and was critical of the power of the trade unions. Led by the wealthy newspaper magnate, Alfred Hugenberg, the DNVP won 66 seats in the Reichstag in the 1920 General Election. This grew to 103 in December, 1924. The DNVP campaigned against the Locarno Treaty and the Young Plan. However, by 1930 the more extreme Nazi Party became the country's leading right-wing party and by 1933 they only has 52 seats.

  10. Historiography Bank • Peukert’s 3 revolutions: Constitutional, peace and socialist (“Which became significant only as the revolution gained momentum”) • Kolb: Revolution from Below was not centrally planned by revolutionary elements • Kolb: The mutineers blamed the admirals for standing in the way of peace, not rebelling against the Second Reich machinery. Primary motivation was PEACE

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