Friedrich Ebert: Germany by Harry Harmer

Friedrich Ebert: Germany by Harry Harmer

On 9 November 1918 Ebert became Imperial Chancellor as revolution broke out in Berlin. He opposed the radical left, declaring, 'Without democracy there is no freedom. Violence, no matter who is using it, is always reactionary', but he compromised Weimar democracy by his dependence on the army command and his use of the para-military Freikorps against the left. Ebert headed a joint SPD-USPD government until elections were held to a National Constituent Assembly in January 1919. Ebert became president of the new Weimar Republic (Germany's first democratically elected head of state) and retained office in a turbulent period in German politics. There were arguments among the Allies over how Germany should be treated, as France, Britain and the United States prioritised different objectives. In May 1919, the terms of the Treaty- on reparations, war guilt clause, loss of territories in Europe and colonies, limitations on armed forces- were presented to German representatives, precipitating opposition in government and the Armed Forces, and heated discussion in Cabinet. He continued as President until 1925, forced to confront the issues that arose from the Treaty and its political and economic consequences. After his death came the unravelling of the Treaty and the book examines how much of a part it played in creating the circumstances of the Second World War.

'Harry Harmer gives a long overdue introduction in English to the saddler's son who, though not present at Versailles, shakily presided over the establishment of Germany's Weimar Republic... a beautifully produced series' Nigel Jones, Literary Review, November 2008 -- Nigel Jones Literary Review 20081101

Harry Harmer's particular interest is modern British and European history. He has studied the history of the Weimer Republic and the rise of Hitler, and his PhD involved research into the Communist International and the European parties, of which the German was the most significant. He is the author of Rosa Luxemburg and Tom Paine. Professor Alan Sharp is Provost of the Coleraine Campus at the University of Ulster. He joined the History Department at Ulster in 1971 and has been successively Professor of International Studies, a post in which he helped to set up degrees in International Studies and, later, International Politics and Head of the School of History and International Affairs. His major publications include The Versailles Settlement: Peacemaking in Paris, 1919 (1991) amongst others.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781905791637
ISBN 10	1905791631
Title	Friedrich Ebert: Germany
Author	Harry Harmer
Series	Makers Of The Modern World
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Haus Publishing
Year published	2008-11-01
Number of pages	208
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.