Q. In the context of the defeat of Germany in the WWI, the term ‘November Criminals’ refers to which of the following?
Answer: Supporters of Weimar
Notes: The infant Weimar Republic was being made to pay for the sins of the old empire. In the Treaty of Versailles, Weimar Republic was compelled to accept the ‘war guilt’ clause, meaning that it unwillingly accepted that the Germany alone was to be blamed for the WWI. The republic carried the burden of national humiliation and was financially crippled by being forced to pay compensation. Those who supported the Weimar Republic, mainly Socialists, Catholics and Democrats, became easy targets of attack in the conservative nationalist circles. They were mockingly called the ‘November criminals’. This mindset had a major impact on the political developments of the early 1930s, as we will soon see. So, option ‘a’ is the correct answer.