The social and economic strains of total war-finance and economic mobilisation.

Growing opposition: peace resolutions and strikes.

Germany and her army in 1918.

Connector-Brainstorm the effects of war

political economic

social

The Effects of war

Outcomes

• All students to make notes on the economic effects of World War 1 on Germany

• Most students to research key points of opposition to the war by 1918

• Some students to see how this would affect future governments

Effect of world war 1

• Mainly economic and social that would lead to political effects years later

• By 1918 Germany was a shattered nation (as were many others)

• Not just in terms of money but also men

Physical damage

• Roughly 2 million solders killed• 2.7 million permanantly disabled

servicemen• 500 000 war widows• 1.2 million orphans• Physiological implications of those that

fought in World War 1

Land

• Luckily for Germany most of the fighting was done in France

• Little of Germanys land was destroyed by trench warfare

The Economy• Between 1913-18 the mark lost 75% of its value• Industry made vast profits- iron, coal, steel,

which was resented by ordinary workers• Agricultural production fell (why?)• Dec 1916 Auxiliary Law gave government harsh

powers over labour force• War financed by printing and borrowing money-

what would this lead to?• Little booty from victory!• Only 16% of war cost met by tax

More bad news

• National debt rose from 5,000 million marksto 154 000 million

• It would have taken 100% of Germanys budget just to repay the interest on the loans let alone pay the loans off!

Living conditions (social)• Real earnings fell by 20-30%• Meat consumption fell by 12% per war level• 1917- the turnip winter- only food avaliable• Major food and fuel shortages due to British

blockade• Disease- major flu epidemic killed 15 million

world wide• Deaths from starvation and hypothermia went

from 121 000 to 293 00 in two years• The number of working women increased by

50%

Overall

• Cost of war– 2 million killed– 6.3 million injured– £ 8, 394 million cost of war

• What did they achieve

Protests within Germany• By 1917 the Bergfrid was breaking down• German people were now divided by war• The British naval blockade was slowly starving

Germany• Many socialists questioned why Germany was

involved in the war• In April 1917 the Radicals opposed to the war

formed the Independent Socialist Party • In July 1917 the Reichstag voted 212 to 126 for

a peace resolution

Why did nothing happen?• The German government had become

incresingly dominated by Generals• From 1916 von Hindenberg and von Ludendorff

ran a virtual military dictatorship• They dominated not just military but also

economic and political decisions and blocked several approaches to peace

• German nationalists demanded a SIEGFRIEDE (peace through victory) by Germany making major land gains in the east such as the FATHERLAND party

• Read chapter 3 of your red book• Take notes from chapter 3• Blue book p88-100

As a result of thid