1. The Weimar Republic, 1919- 1933

2. Leading Up to Democracy 1.Revolts of 1918 – “The stab in the back” 2.Abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II 3. Military leadership and armistice, November 1918 Kaiser Bill

3. The Birth of the Republic 1.National Assembly meets in Weimar 2.Weimar Constitution - liberal - bicameral

4. Troubled Beginnings for Democracy 1.Treaty of Versailles - “Versailles Diktat” - territorial losses - military restrictions - Rhineland - Article 231, “War Guilt”

5. 2. Economic problems in Weimar - severe inflation - resistance to reparations

6. The Weimar Republic Starts to Recover, 1924-26 1.Economic reforms, new currency, 1925 2.Dawes Plan implemented 3.Treaty of Locarno, 1925 4.Von Hindenburg becomes President 5. Allies from occupation in 1925

7. Golden Years of the Weimar Republic, 1924-25 1.Relative economic/political stability 2.Liberal, artistic, literary society - Bauhaus: state sponsored school of art, architecture, and design

8. On the Road to Collapse, 1929-33 1.New York stock market crash, 1929 - onset of the Great Depression 2. Weimar Government deadlocked over how to respond - Article 48: democracy dies in Germany

9. Enter der Fuhrer 1.Early National Socialism (Nazis) 2.Adolf Hitler appointed Chancellor Jan. 1933 3. March 1933: Enabling Act

10. Things to Recall About the Weimar Republic 1.Weimar Republic was an experiment in democracy that failed - economic failure / anger over WWI left many Germans distrustful of liberal govt. 2. Dissatisfaction with democracy left the door open for radicals 3. Hitler took over a system that was already broken Reichstag Fire