Stab-in-the-back myth

Quick Facts: Who was Stab-in-the-back myth?

Subject:

Stab-in-the-back myth

Known for:

An antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming Germany was betrayed by its own citizens after WWI.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The stab-in-the-back myth (German: Dolchstoßlegende, pronounced [ˈdɔlçʃtoːsleˌɡɛndə] , lit. 'dagger-stab legend') is an antisemitic and anti-communist conspiracy theory that was widely believed and promulgated in Germany after 1918. It maintained that the Imperial German Army did not lose World War I on the battlefield, but was instead betrayed by certain citizens on the home front – especially Jews, revolutionary socialists who fomented strikes and labour unrest, and republican politicians who had overthrown the House of Hohenzollern in the German Revolution of 1918–1919. Advocates of the myth denounced the German government leaders who had signed the Armistice of 11 November 1918 as the "November criminals" (November­verbrecher). When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in 1933, they made the conspiracy theory an integral part of their official history of the 1920s, portraying the Weimar Republic as the work of the "November criminals" who had "stabbed the nation in the back" in order to seize power.

Career & Major Achievements

Nazi propaganda depicted Weimar Germany as "a morass of corruption, degeneracy, national humiliation, ruthless persecution of the honest 'national opposition'—fourteen years of rule by Jews, Marxists, and 'cultural Bolsheviks', who had at last been swept away by the National Socialist movement under Hitler and the victory of the 'national revolution' of 1933". Historians inside and outside Germany, whilst recognising that economic and morale collapse on the home front was a factor in German defeat, unanimously reject the myth. Historians and military theorists point to lack of further Imperial German Army reserves, the danger of invasion from the south, and the overwhelming of German forces on the western front by more numerous Allied forces, particularly after the entrance of the United States into the war, as evidence that Germany had already lost the war militarily by late 1918. In the later part of World War I, the Supreme High Command (Oberste Heeresleitung, OHL) controlled not only the military but also a large part of the economy through the Auxiliary Services Act of December 1916, which under the Hindenburg Programme aimed at a total mobilisation of the economy for war production. In order to implement the Act, however, Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg and his Chief-of-Staff First Quartermaster General Erich Ludendorff had to make significant concessions to labour unions and the Reichstag.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Hindenburg and Ludendorff threatened to resign in July 1917 if the Emperor did not remove Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg. He had lost his usefulness to them when he lost the confidence of the Reichstag after it passed the Reichstag Peace Resolution calling for a negotiated peace without annexations. Bethmann Hollweg resigned and was replaced by Georg Michaelis, whose appointment was supported by the OHL. After only 100 days in office, however, he became the first chancellor to be ousted by the Reichstag. After years of fighting and having incurred millions of casualties, the United Kingdom and France were wary about an invasion of Germany with its unknown consequences.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1916: 1916 Milestone — In the later part of World War I, the Supreme High Command (Oberste Heeresleitung, OHL) controlled not only the military but also a large part of the economy through the Auxiliary Services Act of December 1916, which under the Hindenburg Programme aimed at a total mobilisation of the economy for war production.
2. 1917: 1917 Milestone — Hindenburg and Ludendorff threatened to resign in July 1917 if the Emperor did not remove Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg.
3. 1918: 1918 Milestone — 'dagger-stab legend') is an antisemitic and anti-communist conspiracy theory that was widely believed and promulgated in Germany after 1918.
4. 1933: 1933 Milestone — When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in 1933, they made the conspiracy theory an integral part of their official history of the 1920s, portraying the Weimar Republic as the work of the "November criminals" who had "stabbed the nation in the back" in order to seize power.

Notable Quotes by Stab-in-the-back myth

“Let them be the ones to sign the peace treaty that must now be negotiated. Let them eat the soup that they have cooked for us!”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Stab-in-the-back myth

True or False: “The myth claimed Germany lost World War I due to military failure on the battlefield.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Historians point to overwhelming Allied forces and lack of reserves as evidence that Germany was militarily defeated by late 1918.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdul Hamid II — Historical peer (Died in 1918) (1918): Last effective Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, navigating decline and constitutional upheaval.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Born in 1918) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Adelina Patti — Historical peer (Died in 1919) (1919): Legendary Spanish-Italian soprano renowned for her bel canto technique and lyrical voice.
• Ahmed Abdallah — Historical peer (Born in 1919) (1919): Comorian politician who served as President of the Comoros from 1978 to 1989.
• 13th Dalai Lama — Historical peer (Died in 1933) (1933): Spiritual leader of Tibet who championed national independence and modernization.
• Abolhassan Banisadr — Historical peer (Born in 1933) (1933): Iranian politician who served as the first president following the Islamic Revolution.
• Adriana Caselotti — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): American actress and singer, famed for voicing Snow White in the first Disney feature.
• Ahmed Ben Bella — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): Algerian revolutionary and politician who served as the first President of Algeria.
• Abdullah al-Sallal — Historical peer (Born in 1917) (1917): Yemeni military officer and revolutionary who led the North Yemeni Revolution of 1962.
• Adolf von Baeyer — Historical peer (Died in 1917) (1917): Pioneering German chemist known for indigo synthesis and IUPAC nomenclature.

Frequently Asked Questions about Stab-in-the-back myth