Source A
The
condition of Germany in September 1918
In
addition to other hardships, the German public is
threatened this winter with an almost complete lack of
lighting of every description: electric, gas, oil and
candles. Cleanliness is almost impossible
due to the lack of soap and washing
powder. Medicines are difficult to
obtain. In the industrial district of
Westphalia many of the women are poorly clothed.
from
a report sent by a British secret agent to the British
Foreign Office (September 1918)
|
Question
1a
Why
was there widespread discontent in Germany in the last
few months of WW1 in 1918? Explain your answer
using Source A and your own knowledge.
(6 marks)
|
Source A
The
condition of Germany in 1918
In
addition to other hardships, the German public is
threatened this winter with an almost complete lack of
lighting of every description: electric, gas, oil and
candles. Cleanliness is almost impossible
due to the lack of soap and washing
powder. Medicines are difficult to
obtain. In the industrial district of
Westphalia many of the women are poorly clothed.
from
a report sent by a British secret agent to the British
Foreign Office (September 1918)
|
Source
B
A
Spartacist poster, November 1918
MEN
AND WOMEN OF LABOUR!
COMRADES
The
Communist Revolution has come to Germany.
The soldiers, who for 4 years were driven to the
slaughterhouse of the trenches to fill rich men's
pockets, have revolted. The workers, who
for 4 years were exploited and starved, have
revolted. The Kaiser has fled.
Workers' and Soldiers' Councils have been formed
everywhere. We call to you, 'Arise for
action!'
from
the Spartacist Manifesto (November 1918) |
Question
1b
Is
Source B more useful than Source A to an
historian studying discontent in Germany in 1918?
Explain your answer using Sources A and B and your own
knowledge. (7 marks)
|
Source
C
A
cartoon with the title 'Clemenceau the Vampire'
from
the German Newspaper, Kladderadatsch (July 1919)
The
figure lying on the bed represents Germany.
Clemenceau
was Prime Minister of France in 1919.
He is shown as a vampire
sucking the blood out of Germany. |
Question
1c
Is
Source C reliable as evidence about the effects
of the treaty of Versailles on Germany in the years
1919-1921?
Explain
your answer using Source C and your own knowledge.
(6 marks)
|
Source
D
An
interpretation of the Treaty of Versailles
The
amount of reparations Germany was told to pay was not
very much. In the 6 years before the
outbreak of war in 1939, Hitler spent 7 times as much
money on rearming as the country would have paid in
reparations. In 1919 a strong Germany was
left surrounded by a string of small states who had to
rely for their security on other
countries. This was the worst part of the
peace treaty.
from
The Carthaginian Peace (1945) by Etienne
Mantoux,
a French historian.
Source
E
Another
interpretation of the Treaty of Versailles
As
the terms of the peace became known, it dawned on us
what it meant to lose a war against two dozen
nations. The terms were harsh and
humiliating. The bill for reparations, to
be paid by a Germany stripped of its economic power,
was shattering.
from
the memoirs of a German journalist, Egon
Larsen,
written in 1976.
|
Question
1d
Sources
D and E give different interpretations of the
Treaty of Versailles.
Why do you think these interpretations differ? Explain
your answer using Sources D and E and your own
knowledge. (7 marks)
|
Question
1e
"German
discontent during the period 1918-1921 was caused by
the defeat of Germany in November 1918."
Do
you agree or disagree with this interpretation?
Explain your answer using the Sources and your own
knowledge. (10 marks)
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