Introduction to the course

1. Tuesday 31 st October Introduction : Germany 1919-45 A study in depth Objectives: Outline of the course Background to Germany pre-1WW Effects of war on Germany

4. Structure of the Course UNIT 4 : Life in Nazi Germany: Did the Nazis change the lives of everyone in Germany? UNIT 3 : The Nazi State: How effectively did the Nazis control Germany 1933-1945? UNIT 2 : The Rise of the Nazis: How was Hitler able to dominate Germany by 1934? UNIT 1 : The German Republic ‘Was the WR doomed from the start?’

9. Events in 1918 In late 1918, the Allies were prepared to discuss an end to hostilities, but only on the understanding that Kaiser Wilhelm made his country more democratic. When the Kaiser refused, his people rose up in revolution. The Kaiser was forced to abdicate and a German republic was established. In November 1918, the new rulers signed the Armistice which brought hostilities to an end. The following year, they signed the Treaty of Versailles , which laid out detailed peace terms. For detailed events in 1918, see the next slide.

10. Events in 1918 – timeline

11. Should Germany sign the Armistice?

12. What were the results of the Armistice? Friedrich Ebert , the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) became the first elected president of the Weimar Republic . The government was called this because it established itself in the small town of Weimar, rather than the unstable Berlin. Signing the Armistice in November 1918 gave the new republic some breathing space. The country’s first free elections were held in January 1919.