Weimar Government Crisis of 1923

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The 1923 crisis began when Germany missed a reparations payment. This situation spiralled out of control and once again the German people were unhappy and in financial difficulty, so uprisings occurred throughout the country.

Summary In 1923 the Weimar Republic nearly

collapsed. Put the events in the correct order to see how the situation escalated out of control.

Germany missed a reparations paymentso

The French invaded the Ruhrso

German workers went on strikeso

The government printed off paper moneyso

There was hyperinflationso

There were Communist and nationalist rebellions

Hyperinflation The sudden flood of paper money into the

economy, on top of the general strike - which meant that no goods were manufactured, so there was more money, chasing fewer goods - combined with a weak economy ruined by the war, all resulted in hyperinflation.

Prices ran out of control - eg a loaf of bread, which cost 250 marks in January 1923 had risen to 200,000 million marks in November 1923. German's currency became worthless.

There are lots of almost amusing stories about people's wages and examples of just how fast inflation pushed prices up during the crisis:

People collected their wages in suitcases.

One person, who left their suitcase unattended, found that a thief had stolen the suitcase but not the money.

One boy, who was sent to buy two bread buns, stopped to play football and by the time he got to the shop, the price had gone up, so he could only afford to buy one.

One father set out for Berlin to buy a pair of shoes. When he got there, he could only afford a cup of coffee and the bus fare home.

But remember: Some people made

fortunes during the crisis. One man borrowed money to buy a herd of cattle, but soon after paid back his loan by selling one cow.

People on wages were safe, because they renegotiated their wages every day.

Pensioners on fixed incomes and people with savings were the most badly hit. One woman sold her house with the intention of using the money to live on. A few weeks later, the money wasn't even enough to buy a loaf of bread.

Rebellions Unsurprisingly, the hardships created by

hyperinflation led to many uprisings as groups struggled to take power from Weimar. A nationalist group called Black

Reichswehr rebelled in Berlin. A fascist group called the Nazis attempted a putsch in Munich.

Communists took over the governments of Saxony and Thuringia

Communists also took over the Rhineland and declared it independent.

Revision tip and answer preparationRevision tip Remember that a question about how the events of 1923

affected the German people will need a very different answer to a question about what happened in Germany in 1923.

Answer preparation As part of your revision, think about

the arguments and facts you would use to explain: Why there was a crisis in Germany in 1923. Why Germany suffer hyperinflation in 1923. How hyperinflation affected Germany in 192 How close the Weimar Republic came to collapse in 1923.

1. What started the crisis of 1923? A rebellion in Berlin by a nationalist group called

Black Reichswehr. A flood of paper money. Germany missed a reparations payment.2. Which part of Germany did the French invade? Ruhr Rhur Wehr3. Why did the French invade Germany in 1923? As a protest against the general strike. To take back Alsace-Lorraine. To take payment in kind.4. What is hyperinflation? Too much paper money. People getting their wages in suitcases. Prices running out of control.5. What was the price of a loaf of bread in November 1923? 200,000 million marks 200 million marks 200,000 marks

6. When did the German government call off the 1923 general strike? February 1923 September 1923 November 19237. Which of these groups was not a right-wing terrorist group? Black Reichswehr The Red Army National Socialists8. Which of these statements is not true? Communists took over the Ruhr and declared it independent. Communists took over Saxony and Thuringia in 1923. Communists took over the Rhineland and declared it

independent.9. Which of these statements is not true? People on wages were relatively safe during the

hyperinflation. Some people made huge amounts of money during the

hyperinflation. People on fixed incomes were safe during the hyperinflation.10. Which of these statements is not true? The crisis of 1923 was solved and the Weimar republic

prospered. The crisis of 1923 brought down the Weimar government. The crisis of 1923 made many German people long for a

"strong" government.

1. What started the crisis of 1923? A rebellion in Berlin by a nationalist group

called Black Reichswehr. A flood of paper money. Germany missed a reparations payment.2. Which part of Germany did the French invade? Ruhr Rhur Wehr3. Why did the French invade Germany in 1923? As a protest against the general strike. To take back Alsace-Lorraine. To take payment in kind.4. What is hyperinflation? Too much paper money. People getting their wages in suitcases. Prices running out of control.5. What was the price of a loaf of bread in November 1923? 200,000 million marks 200 million marks 200,000 marks

6. When did the German government call off the 1923 general strike? February 1923 September 1923 November 19237. Which of these groups was not a right-wing terrorist group? Black Reichswehr The Red Army National Socialists8. Which of these statements is not true? Communists took over the Ruhr and declared it

independent. Communists took over Saxony and Thuringia in 1923. Communists took over the Rhineland and declared it

independent.9. Which of these statements is not true? People on wages were relatively safe during the

hyperinflation. Some people made huge amounts of money during

the hyperinflation. People on fixed incomes were safe during the

hyperinflation.10. Which of these statements is not true? The crisis of 1923 was solved and the Weimar

republic prospered. The crisis of 1923 brought down the Weimar

government. The crisis of 1923 made many German people long

for a "strong" government.