ABSTRACT
In 1918 Germany was in a state of considerable upheaval. The war had been lost, and although the country was not occupied, as in 1945, peace terms were to be imposed by the Entente: territory would be lost, and reparations demanded. In addition, the strains of war had led to industrial unrest and, eventually, to a political revolution which would bring about the internal collapse of the German Empire. In July 1917 the increasing political polarisation within Germany was formalised when the left of centre parties tabled a resolution in the Reichstag demanding peace without annexations. These parties were to form the political nucleus of 'Weimar' or 'republican' parties after the end of the war. In April 1917 there were mass strikes across Germany, and the labour movement split when Hugo Haase left the SPD to form the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany(USPD). The SPD finally returned to power shortly before the depression, following gains in the elections.
