Let us analyse the birth of Weimar Republic. Germany, a powerful empire in the early years of the twentieth century, fought the First World War (1914-1918) alongside the Austrian empire and against the Allies (England, France, and Russia.)

The war drained Europe of all its resources. Germany made initial gains by occupying France and Belgium. However, the Allies, strengthened by the US entry in 1917, won, defeating Germany and the Central Powers in November 1918.

The defeat of Imperial Germany and the abdication of the emperor gave an opportunity to parliamentary parties to recast German polity. A National Assembly met at Weimar and established a democratic constitution with a federal structure. Read more to analyse the birth of Weimar Republic.

This republic, however, was not received well by its own people largely because of the terms it was forced to accept after Germany�s defeat at the end of the First World War. The peace treaty at Versailles with the Allies was a harsh and humiliating peace.

Germany lost its overseas colonies, a tenth of its population, 13 percent of its territories, 75 percent of its iron, and 26 percent of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark, and Lithuania.

The Allied Powers demilitarised Germany to weaken its power. The War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war and damages the Allied countries suffered. Germany was forced to pay compensation amounting to �6 billion. The Allied armies also occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for much of the 1920s.

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