The German Revolution

1. Using the documents in Chapter 1 as evidence, list the ways in which conditions in Germany worsened during the war.

• war and suffering
• demonstrations increased (which were against the law)
• lack of food
• Germans were sick of war
• men were dying out at war and the women weren't happy about it
• trench warfare meant living in muddy dugouts for weeks
• 
  

2. Give two reasons why the war caused such bad conditions for German civilians.

The war caused such bad conditions because it was starving the German civilians because the British ships were blockading Germany's ports, preventing the food ships, and the war caused nothing but protests from Germans because all they wanted was peace.

3. After reading Chapter 2, give two reasons why Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on November 10, 1918.

Kaiser Wilhelm was abdicated because he refused to make any changes to their government to stop the war for peace and the army generals refused to support him and he couldn't control his country anymore.

4. Using the information you have read in this chapter, give evidence to support the statement that there was "revolution all over Germany."

The revolution first started off with the sailors and when 600 of them were arrested for starting a mutiny, the other sailors decided to have a meeting to protest against the arrests. The mutiny began to spread to the workers, soldiers, and ports and from the ports, mutiny spread inland into the cities and literally was all over Germany.

5. Study the information about the German Socialists in Chapter 2, page 5. What did the three Socialist groups have in common?

They all had the same aims which was to improve the workers' conditions and give democratic rights to all Germans, such as the right to vote.

6. In what ways were the Socialist groups different.

Their methods were different. The Socialist Democratic Party wanted to support the government and try to make reforms by acts of parliament. The Independent Socialists wanted to oppose the government and force it to make reforms by organizing strikes. And The Spartacists wanted to overthrow the government in a revolution.

7. After reading Chapter 3 make a time chart of the events of the German Revolution from Nov. 10, 1918 to Jan. 15, 1919. You should be able to find six events.

• Nov 1o, 1918: Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated
• Socialists were split into groups, the Spartacists and the Social Democrats
• Both groups clashed and in December the Spartacists held a demonstration and 16 people were killed
• Dec. 23, 1918: a thousand sailors broke into the government headquarters and held Ebert prisoner at gunpoint, demanding more pay (many of his troops joined in)
  
• New Years Eve the Spartacists renamed themselves to the German Communist Party and worked for a communist revolution
• Jan. 6,1919: Spartacists began their revolution
• Jan. 10, 1919: 2,000 Free Corps (ex-soldiers who had recently come home from war) attacked the Spartacists in Berlin
• Jan. 15, 1919: Rosa Luxemburg (leader of the german communist party) and her leader Karl Liebknecht, were arrested and later murdered by the Free Corps. Dumped Rosa in the canal

8. At what time would you say the Communists had their best chance of seizing power? Explain your answer.

The Communists had their best chance of seizing power right when the sailors held Ebert prisoner because there was nothing he could do since there was so many of them and his troops were on the sailor's side as well.