Impact of WWI on Germany

Make a list of the challenges facing Friedrich Ebert when he became the leader of Germany following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II on Nov. 9, 1918.

Organize the challenges as follows:

Political Challenges
-Germany had a revolution and became an unstable democratic-republic.
-Stresses of war caused the revolution in October-November and kicked the Kaiser in 1918.
-Many ex-soldiers and civilians despised the new democratic leaders and came to believe that the heroic leader Field Marshall Hindenburg had been betrayed by weak politicians.  




Social Challenges
-War left millions of widows and children fatherless.
-Women had to replace the soldiers that died in the war that used to work in the factories which was controversial because it threatened traditional housewife perspective of women.
-The war had deepened divisions in society.
-The gap between the rich and poor widened because the factory workers had restrictions on the amount of pay they received, while factory owners made vast fortunes from the war.






Economic Challenges
1. Germany was basically bankrupt
-National income was about at 1/3 of what it had been in 1913.
-By 1925 the state was spending 1/3 of its budget on war pensions.
-Industrial production was 2/3 of what it was in 1913.