Introduction I: The Weimar Republic

1918-1919: From the November Revolution to the Republic

On the military defeat of Imperial Germany in November 1918, revolution broke out. The Kaiser fled and the republic was proclaimed. In the summer of 1919, the new German government was forced to sign the Versailles Peace Treaty. Few Germans accepted the new "German Republic", despite a constitution which promised all citizens equal rights and social welfare.

Uprisings, coup attempts, and dissension among the parties marked the early years of the Weimar Republic. The governments of this period had to contend with domestic challenges as well as the consequences of the war. The rapidly worsening inflation intensified the fear of further social decline, particularly in the middle class. The antipathy toward political and social compromise prevented the development of a common sense of responsibility for the new state and its constitution among all citizens.

Treaties with the Soviet Union at Rapallo in 1922 and with France and other former enemies in Locarno in 1925 created a new basis for Germany's foreign policy. In 1926, Germany became a full-fledged member of the League of Nations. The Weimar political leaders succeeded in initiating the revision of the Treaty of Versailles desired by all parties. The duration of reparation payments was reduced and finally the obligations themselves were diminished.

Germany's capital city, Berlin, became one of the cultural and scientific centers of Europe. Technological progress and artistic love of experimentation heightened the city's vitality. German scientists, authors, and politicians enjoyed international esteem. The intellectual atmosphere was characterized by critical awareness and a commitment to reform.