What was the stab-in-the-back legend?

Answer 1

It was a conspiracy theory that claimed that the German Army had been 'stabbed in the back' by subversive politicians on the home front, that anti-war activists had caused unrest and weakened the morale of the soldiers. This, according to the conspiracu theory, created the November revolution of 1918 and the devastating armistice. This new government (the Weimar Republic) then accepted the humiliating peace terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

This theory was extremely significant because it provided the Germans with a reason to hate the Weimar Republic, and in the longer term it provided Hitler with a chance for power. The stab in the back theory is closely directly linked to the rise right wing political extremism in Germany. Many Germans believed that Germany had been doing well in World War 1. As soon as Germany lost the war though, this stab in the back theory became known and accepted by many Germans and played a key role in stirring up antisemitism.