Friedrich Ebert was a polarizing figure in German history. As a major party leader in the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and future president of the first German Republic, Ebert was a major influence in shaping politics in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As president of the Weimar Republic, Ebert presided over the incredibly difficult years following World War I. Many of his opponents, and opponents of the Weimar Republic and Constitution, decried the government and its leaders for acquiescing to the harsh and unfair demands of the Versailles Treaty. Although convicted of being a traitor to Germany, the opposite is actually true. Friedrich Ebert was an incredible influence on the course of German history, and the ideas that he was a traitor to his country and weak political figure are simply not true. Through his leadership in the SPD, his role in forming the new government and as president, and through the challenges he faced in the early years of the Weimar Republic it is obvious how important Ebert is to German history.
Friedrich Ebert’s rise to President began with his involvement in the Socialist Workers’ Party of Germany (SAPD) in 1889. Established in 1875, The Socialist Workers’ Party was the first significant working-class party in Germany. It was born out of the industrialization of Germany and the growth of trade unions that represented the over-worked and under-paid working class. At 18 years old Friedrich Ebert joined the SAPD at the behest of his uncle, though the party was technically forbidden to exist by legislature passed by Bismarck 1878. Between 1881 and 1890, the party became more radical, forced to resort to illegal means to pursue their goals. During this period, the socialists were still allowed to run ...
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"Account for the changing political fortunes of the Nazi Party from November, 1923 until January, 1933."
The Weimer Republic, is the democratic government established in Germany in 1918 that ruled for fifteen years after the collapse of the German empire after the First World War.The republic consisted of moderates from the Social Democratic Party as well as their liberal allies, which included the German Democratic Party, and the Catholic Center Party. The Weimer Republic sought political democracy, which they believed was attainable by the elimination of war, revolutionary terror, and capitalism. Despite their clear goal, the Weimer Republic faced backlash by the radicals of society, which included communists, National Socialists, and the Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler. THESIS: The Weimer Republic’s instability in the period of 1918-1933 is
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The Fear of Socialism and the Rise to Power of the Nazis in Germany between 1919 and 1933
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The Songerweg emphasizes the particular model of history that Germany, unlike other Western countries, has gone through. Specifically, ‘proponents of this concept emphasize the peculiarities of German history, such as political institutions, social structures, or mentalities and experience, usually in comparison with other Western countries, to demonstrate the unique course of German history’ (Buse & Doerr, 1998, p. 934). Although initially the theory of Sonderweg viewed the characteristics of German historical development as positive, the situation has changed after the World War II. Specifically, in the 19th and early 20th centuries historians applied the Sonderweg model to stress a focus on the role of strong central state and military as the driving force of the development of the country (Buse & Doerr, 1998). In addition to this, historians regarded social reforms in Germany that were made from ‘above’ rather than being the outcomes of revolution to be a positive feature that depicted German state in a favorable way. Finally, the historical school viewed the course of German industrialization and culture as superior to similar processed in the rest of Western European
German legend, and is certainly intended for historians not unlike the author himself. Palmer does not exclude any part of the man’s life even dwelling into his childhood and adolescence. His attention to details is very apparent, even to his own admission, using public and private letters written by Bismarck himself. This book is not intended for a student looking for a little more information on the subject, nor the minimal information needed to satisfy the general public. The book was obviously written by someone who greatly admired Bismarck, and spared no expense in writing as much as he could about him.
The National Socialist German Workers' Party, commonly known as the Nazi party, originated during the 1920s. Formerly, the Nazi Party’s main purpose was to abolish communism. However, ...
The Social Democrats were the leading party during and after the fight to remove the Kaiser from his powerful position. They were greatly influenced by the Elite, the rich Germans they thought essential to the prosperity of Germany. They recruited armed forces, the Freikorps, to aid them in controlling those opposing their ideas and policies. The Social Democrats often associated themselves with the Bolsheviks, one half of the Social Democrats that leaded the Russian Revolution the year before. But when it came down to it, the Social Democrats weren’t in favour of a change in government, and they believed “getting rid of the Kaiser was the end of the revolution” (Lacey and Shephard, 2002, p.13). The fact that there was a revolution wasn’t true, because no groups had actually wielded great power over the rest of Germany, and they hadn’t established any kind of government system. The Kaiser’s abdication, initiated by the Social Democrats, should have started a change, but instead it just made way for their party to gain control.
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MODERN HISTORY – RESEARCH ESSAY “To what extent was Nazi Germany a Totalitarian state in the period from 1934 to 1939?” The extent to which Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state can be classed as a substantial amount. With Hitler as Fuhrer and his ministers in control of most aspects of German social, political, legal, economical, and cultural life during the years 1934 to 1939, they mastered complete control and dictation upon Germany. In modern history, there have been some governments, which have successfully, and others unsuccessfully carried out a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is one in which a single ideology is existent and addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal, government is run by a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support.
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