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HIST2128 Germany, 1871-1933: From Empire to Republic

HIST2128 Germany, 1871-1933: From Empire to Republic. War 1917-18 Lecture 16 5 April 2012. War at Sea 1914-7. Battle of Jutland (Skagerrak), May-Jun 1916 (draw between GB ≠ G) Battle of the Falkland Islands, Dec 1914 (sinking of German cruisers by GB)

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HIST2128 Germany, 1871-1933: From Empire to Republic

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  1. HIST2128Germany, 1871-1933: From Empire to Republic War 1917-18 Lecture 16 5 April 2012

  2. War at Sea 1914-7 • Battle of Jutland (Skagerrak), May-Jun 1916 (draw between GB ≠ G) • Battle of the Falkland Islands, Dec 1914 (sinking of German cruisers by GB) • Submarine warfare of G, s. Sep 1914 + sinking of US liners by G U-boats, 1915 • G declaration of unlimited submarine warfare, Feb 1917 → US declaration of war on G, Apr 1917

  3. Unlimited submarine warfare (1) • USW targeted enemy AND neutral merchant vessels alike • Strong protest by neutrals esp. USA after sinking of passenger ship Lusitania (7 May 1915) • USW regarded as support for Verdun battle (1916) + decisive for ending war → Launching of propaganda campaign

  4. Unlimited submarine warfare (2) • Bethmann’s opposition thwarted by OHL → Re- launching of USW after power struggle (1 Feb 1917) → US cancel diplomatic relations & declares war on G (6 Apr 1917) = Extra US power potential for Allies to compensate initial successes of USW ↓ Severe blow for Central Powers: Realistically little chance of winning war

  5. July Crisis 1917 (1) • Caused by: 1) Reichstag parties MSPD, Left & Right Liberals, Centre Party demanding domestic reforms & peace by negotiations: Threatening with end of support for war credits 2) Army Supreme Command (OHL) rejecting domestic reforms + striving for peace by victory: Threatening with stepping-back

  6. July Crisis 1917 (2) Bethmann’ s continuous attempt to find ‘middle line’ ► After pressure from both sides dismissed by Kaiser (13 Jul) = Success only for OHL: New chancellor Michaelis more a ‘conservative hardliner’ = Blow for parties: Unwise & short-sighted politics to abandon moderate Bethmann

  7. Military situation 1917 • Increasing calls for peace in GB • Successes of G troops defending Hindenburg- and Siegfried lines on Western front • Allied offensives at Aisne & Champagne failed > Many mutinies in F & R troops • Breakthrough of G & A-H troops ≠ I at Izonzo (Oct): 300,000 I prisoners-of war • Bolshevist revolution in R (7 Nov) + peace calls of new government → Peace talks with G & A-H

  8. Peace talks (Dec 1917-Mar 1918 ) • R with G & A-H in Russian-Polish town of B-L • OHL: For vast annexations after Siegfrieden (Peace through victory) • Chancellor von Hertling: For moderate goals due to strong critic of leftist parties → Thwarted by OHL = Shocking peace terms first refused by R = Invasion of R resumed by G troops

  9. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (3 Mar 1918) Accepted by Lenin ‘to secure Bolshevist revolution’: • R lost Poland, Lithuania, the Ukraine, Finland with 60 million people (1/3 of R people) ¼ of coal mines + 1/3 of railways + 1/3 of agricultural lands Almost 100% of oil and cotton production = Over 50% of all economic resources • R paid 6 billion gold roubles indemnity • R agreed to cease all Bolshevist propaganda = Harsh Diktatfrieden (Dictated peace)

  10. Russian territorial losses through the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Mar 1918

  11. Consequences • G hegemony in Central & Eastern Europe (September Program of 1915) almost achieved • Strong boost to morale + strong support in G • Fears & stiffening of war efforts in F + GB • End of war in East allowed to transfer ca. 1,5 million G troops & weapons to West ► Ludendorff’s attempts to achieve decisive military breakthrough on Western front in spring 1918

  12. Ludendorff Offensive (Mar-Jul 1918) • G attempts to beat F + GB with strong attacks before arrival of US troops • Both sides almost equal: 200 divisions with 3,5 million troops • Several highly-concentrated attacks on front sections, 21 Mar-mid Jul 1918 • Initial successes > 60 km territory but problems with supplying weapons & provisions

  13. Results • Strong Allied defensives: ½ million G † • Growing psychological fatigue of G troops • Increasing frustration & exhaustion • Desertions & alleged sicknesses & self- inflicted injuries • Voluntary capitulations of single + groups of soldiers = Troops more and more disloyal > Hidden military strikes’

  14. The End (1) • Major Allied offensives (Jul-Sep 1918) → F: Breakthrough at Villers-Cotterets → GB: Successes with airplanes + 400 tanks at Amiens > 8 Aug: Black Day of G army ► G troops in ‘strategic defensive’ (OHL slang)

  15. The End (2) • Ludendorff’s nervous breakdown after Bulgaria’s military collapse (29 Sep) • Demanded ‘immediate ceasefire’ + new parliamentary government of majority parties incl. SPD ↓ ► To impress US president Wilson to get better peace conditions ► To push burden of defeat on majority parties who were made responsible for lacking war efforts

  16. Stab-in-the-back legend (Dolchstoßlegende) Widely believed notion in right-wing circles, after 1918: • German Army did not lose WW I • Army betrayed by civilians on the home front, esp. republicans who overthrew monarchy • Advocates denounced German government leaders who signed Armistice on 11 Nov 1918, as "November Criminals"

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