Hello, welcome to History here at Oak National Academy.

My name's Mr. Newton, and I will be your teacher today guiding you through the entire lesson.

Right, Let's get started.

In this topic, we will uncover the story of Germany, which went through a dramatic transformation.

In the wake of defeat, in the First World War, Germany shifted from a proud empire to a fragile democracy, known as the Weimar Republic.

Germany faced challenges from all sides, including political uprisings, economic crises, and the humiliation of foreign occupation, conditions which paved the way for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party to rise to power.

How did this remarkable change happen? Why did some Germans support the Nazi regime while others risk everything to oppose it? In order to answer these questions, we need to understand the fragile beginnings of the Weimar Republic.

Over the next few lessons, we will be thinking about our big inquiry question.

How did war impact Germany? This is the question we will use to investigate what the conditions were like in Germany after the war.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to describe the situation in Germany at the end of the First World War.

Before we begin, there are a few key words that we need to understand.

A constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which the monarch's power is shared with politicians in their parliament.

The Kaiser was the German emperor, and to abdicate means when a monarch gives up their throne, and a republic is a country without a monarch, usually governed by elected representatives under presidents.

So today's lesson is split up into three parts.

We'll first look at the huge impacts that the First World War had on Germany.

Then we'll look at the conditions in Germany, which involved the German Revolution and the abdication of the Kaiser, before finally looking at the Weimar Republic and the Armistice.

Okay, let's begin with Germany and the impact of the First World War.

Let's use this simple timeline to plot the significant periods in Germany at this time.

So in 1914, Germany was a modern, industrialised, and powerful nation.

However, after her defeat in the First World War in 1918, Germany faced significant political and economic hardship.

The ensuing periods saw Germany transform into a democracy known as the Weimar Republic, and it's within Weimar Germany that we see the emergence of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.

Hitler then takes power and transforms Germany into a dictatorship.

This period will eventually lead into the outbreak of the Second World War.

Therefore, historians are interested in studying the conditions between 1918 and 1939 to understand the transformation of Germany into a one-party dictatorship.

Historians want to know what's happened in Germany to find out how someone like Hitler and the Nazi party rose to power.

In 1914, Germany was a constitutional monarchy led by Kaiser Wilhelm II, German emperor.

And we can see a photo of Wilhelm on the left with his magnificent moustache.

Essentially, Kaiser is a royal title which signified that he had authority over all the territories within Germany and her empire.

We can think of the Kaiser as the ultimate king of Germany and her empire.

The Kaiser was supposed to work with the Reichstag, the German parliament.

However, the emperor was ambitious and impulsive.

He disliked democracy and often ignored parliament as he set about building Germany into a world power.

This led to criticism from some in the Reichstag, in particular the social Democratic Party, or SPD.

The Kaiser instead delegated power to his military generals, Paul Von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorf, and other elite advisors such as big businessmen and landowners.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What type of government did Germany have in 1914? Was it A, an absolute monarchy, B, a constitutional monarchy, C, a republic? Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew the correct answer was B, a constitutional monarchy.

The First World War caused significant casualties and food shortages for Germans.

The German Army had faced years of brutal trench warfare.

in the First World War.

Germany mobilised 11 million troops, half of whom were killed or wounded on the battlefield.

At home, the German people were facing severe hardship.

The British Navy had blockaded German ports preventing food and supplies from reaching Germany.

There was widespread shortages and hunger.

The photo on the left shows a bread queue in Berlin in 1918 with goods in limited supply, shops could not guarantee availability for everyone.

Those who arrived earlier had a better chance of obtaining food before it ran out, leading to the long lines outside shops.

Some circumstances, hungry women and children were forced to take extreme measures such as cutting up dead horses for meat or making coffee with dried turnip husks.

Germany's once booming industries had deteriorated, and the economy faced crippling debts.

The Germans had a proud military history.

And due to press censorship, many Germans believed that the war effort was going well.

However, by the autumn of 1918, whilst the German Army had not been formally defeated, it became clear that they could not win the war.

In this dark moment, the allies, Britain, France, and the United States, offered Germany peace, but it came with a heavy condition that the Kaiser should step down and Germany should embrace democracy.

The Kaiser refused.

Okay, let's have another check for understanding.

What caused food shortages and economic hardship in Germany during the First World War? Was it A, a British naval blockade, B, corruption among military leaders, C, the Great Depression? Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answer was A, a British naval blockade.

Okay, let's have another check.

What I want you to do here is complete the sentence below with the correct missing word, and you can see below the sentence I've provided you with some answer choices.

Pause the video, choose the correct word, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done for having a go at that one, but let's see how the sentence should have read.

By Autumn 1918, Germany could no longer continue the war primarily due to severe economic strain and hardship.

Okay, great, let's move on to task A.

What I want you to do here is describe two consequences of the First World War on Germany by 1918.

And once you've got your two consequences, I want you to provide additional detail, really describe those consequences, Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

There's many consequences that you could have come up with, but your answer may have included the following.

So the first one, you might have put severe economic hardship.

And for the additional detail, really describe what we mean by severe economic hardship, so we can fully describe the consequence.

You may put something like the war caused significant debts, industrial decline, and food shortages due to the British naval blockade.

Many Germans were starving and essential supplies were scarce.

So that just gives a very brief description of the consequence.

You may have also put war casualties.

Half of Germany's 11 million mobilised soldiers were killed or wounded, causing grief and loss for families and reducing the workforce needed for the economy.

Okay, excellent.

Let's move on to the second part of the lesson.

German revolution and the abdication of the Kaiser.

By early November 1918, the German people were exhausted by war and suffering and began to take matters into their own hands.

Sailors in the northern port of Kiel mutinied.

they refused to follow orders.

From Hamburg to Munich, similar revolts spread across Germany.

Workers and soldiers, led by socialists and communists, set up their own councils in defiance of their local authorities.

In Berlin, the tension escalated as armed communists began organising to take control of the capitol.

The photo on the left shows revolutionary sailors after storming a prison and demanding the establishment of a socialist council republic.

So we concede then that local leaders across Germany seem to have lost control of the situation.

And it's led to many German leaders believing that a violent communist revolution was imminent, similar to the one that had swept through Russia In 1917.

Alarmed, the Kaisers advisors urged Wilhelm to abdicate.

Finally, on the 9th of November 1918, people woke up to the shocking news that their once powerful monarch had abdicated his throne, and a new republic had been declared a republic without the Kaiser led not by generals or aristocrats, but by elected representatives.

With anarchy on the streets, it was clear that the Kaiser had lost control, and he fled Germany, ending nearly half a century of imperial rule, transforming Germany from a constitutional monarchy to a democracy known as the Weimar Republic.

The photo on the left shows the Kaiser walking with various aristocrats.

And perhaps this is how many Germans saw their rulers, the Kaiser, a few generals, and wealthy aristocrats.

However, with the republic declared, the new ruling order would look very different.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following events contributed to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II? A, the abdication of other European monarchs during World War I.

B, the German Army's total defeat in France in World War I.

C, the mutiny of sailors in Kiel and rebellions across Germany.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answer was C, the mutiny of sailors in Kiel and the rebellions across Germany On the 10th of November 1918, in a stark ward at Pasewalk military hospital, a young corporal laid temporarily blinded, his eyes bandaged from a gas attack.

He was a soldier admired by his comrades, known for his bravery in the trenches and had been awarded the Iron Cross for Valour, a rare honour for someone of his rank.

For him, the war had been more than a duty.

It was a calling, a mission to secure Germany's greatness.

Rumours of impending defeat had circulated through the hospital, but the corporal refused to believe them.

Germany he thought would never surrender.

It was unthinkable.

Then one morning, the ward fell silent, as a pastor entered, sombre and grave.

He gathered the soldiers and began to speak.

Pastor trembled as he informed the troops that the imperial crown had fallen, that Germany had become a republic, that they should pray to God in the days to come.

Many of the troops, including the young corporal, broke down in tears.

As he continued to inform the troops that it was time to end the long war because they were now at the mercy of the allies, look of darkness and despair descended upon the young corporal's face.

He staggered back to his ward and buried his head under his blankets.

The name of that young corporal was Adolf Hitler.

And if you have a look at the photo on the left, it shows that young corporal Adolf Hitler with his fellow soldiers.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding Which young corporal was devastated by the news of the Kaiser's abdication and Germany becoming a republic? A, Adolf Hitler.

B, Erich Ludendorff.

C, Paul von Hindenburg.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answer was A, Adolf Hitler.

Okay, great, let's move on to task B.

Izzy and Alex have different views about the reason the Kaiser abdicated.

Who do you agree with most? Explain your choice.

Let's first read Izzy's argument.

"The Kaiser abdicated because the German people had had enough and were demanding change." Okay, now let's read Alex's argument.

"The Kaiser abdicated because there was a fear of a communist revolution and many leaders urged him to abdicate." So we've got two slightly different arguments there.

I want you to choose which one you agree with most, Izzy or Alex.

And explain your choice using knowledge from today's lesson to back up your reason.

Pause the video.

Have go at the task, then come right back.

Okay, great, and well done having a go at that task.

There's many ways you could have answered that question.

And if you agreed with Izzy, you might have written something like this.

"I agree with Izzy because there were uprisings from workers across Germany and sailors in Kiel had mutinied.

In Berlin, the tension escalated as armed communists began organising to take control of the capitol.

Therefore, the Kaiser abdicated because he had lost support from the people." Alternatively, if you agreed with Alex, your answer may include the following.

"I agree with Alex because the Kaiser relied on military leaders and other leads to govern Germany.

And once he lost their support, it was clear that he had lost control.

Furthermore, many German leaders believed that a violent communist revolution was imminent due to the uprisings taking place across Germany led by socialists and communists.

Therefore, the Kaiser abdicated because he had lost both elite and popular support." Okay, great.

Let's move on to the final part of the lesson, the Weimar Republic and the Armistice.

In the wake of the Kaiser's departure, Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, became the chancellor, the head of Germany's new republic.

You can see a photo of Ebert on the left.

Ebert understood that he held a fragile power and would have to tread carefully to prevent the country from descending into chaos.

To stabilise the situation, Ebert appointed a council of people's representatives, tasked of overseeing the government until a new constitution, the rules which govern a country, could be written and elections held.

Then Ebert struck a pivotal agreement with General Groener who commanded the German Army.

Groener promised that the military would remain loyal to Ebert's new government, but with one key condition.

Communists would not be allowed into the government, and the military's privileged position in German society would remain untouched.

Ebert agreed as this would assure those who feared a violent communist takeover.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What type of government did Germany adopt in 1918 after the Kaiser abdicated? A, an absolute monarchy.

B, a military dictatorship.

C, a republic.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answer was C, a republic.

On the 11th of November 1918, just two days after Ebert took power, Weimar Republic signed an armistice with the Allies officially ending the First World War.

The painting on the left captures this moment.

We can see the British and French military leadership sitting behind the table with the German leaders standing in front, officially accepting surrender.

This moment marked a turning point for Germany as its impact would reverberate through time.

Across Germany, was told as people realised the nightmare of war was over, but with peace came a profound sense of loss and uncertainty.

Many Germans, particularly those who fought in the war, were not celebrating.

Instead, they felt as though they had been betrayed.

For four years, the government had assured them of eventual victory, and now defeats was laid bare.

And we can see on the front page of "The New York Times" newspaper on the left, the headline reads, "Armistice signed, end of the war! Berlin seized by revolutionists.

New chancellor begs for order.

Ousted Kaiser flees to Holland." This headline really captures the mood, the turmoil in Germany after the Kaiser had abdicated and the Armistice was signed.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What decision did Germany's new government make with regards to the First World War? A, to continue fighting until a formal victory was achieved.

B, to seek support from other central powers to prolong war.

B, to sign an armistice to officially end the war.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew the correct answer was C, to sign an armistice to officially end the war.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to task C.

What I want you to do here is explain how the Weimar Republic attempted to stabilise Germany in 1918, and I want you to consider using the following words in your answer.

Ebert, revolution, Armistice, and Groener.

So use all the knowledge you've gained from today's lesson to provide a fully detailed paragraph which explains how the Weimar Republic attempted to stabilise Germany in 1918.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and then come right back.

Okay, great, welcome back, and well done for having a go at that task.

So there's many ways that you could have answered that question, but check your answer with the model answer I have here.

The Weimar Republic's chancellor, Friedrich Ebert, formed the German Council of People's Representatives to act as a temporary government until elections could be held, giving a sense of order and direction.

He also made an agreement with General Groener, ensuring the loyalty of the military in exchange for preserving their privileges and excluding communists from government.

This deal helped prevent a potential communist revolution.

Ebert signed the Armistice on 11th of November 1918, ending the war and lifting the immediate burden of conflict.

Although controversial, this move was vital to bring relief to the German people and begin rebuilding the economy.

Together, these actions aim to restore stability during a period of intense turmoil.

Okay, great.

Let's summarise today's lesson, the First World War and the German Revolution.

Germany faced severe economic hardship due to the British naval blockade, leaving many German starving and essential supplies scarce.

Germany was a constitutional monarchy led by Kaiser Wilhelm II, but heavily influenced by military generals and aristocrats, limiting the power of the Reichstag.

By late 1918, it was clear that Germany was losing the First World War, and there was a fear that a violent communist revolution was imminent.

After losing control of Germany and the support of his ministers, the Kaiser abdicated.

The Weimar Republic was declared who quickly negotiated an armistice and attempted to stabilise Germany.

Well done on a brilliant lesson.

Thank you for joining me, and I hope we've established the initial context in Germany after the First World War, and this puts you in a great position to understand the profound upheaval which occurred.

I'll see you next time when we continue our inquiry.

See you in the next lesson.