THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES: MAIN GERMAN LOSSES

Did the Treaty of Versailles fundamentally weaken Weimar Germany?

• Territorial Arrangements

• War Guilt

• Reparations

• Disarmament

THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT BEFORE WEIMAR

THE WEIMAR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

"Weimar Coalition"

MAIN PARTIES IN THE REICHSTAG

UNTIL 1929

Friedrich Ebert (1st Weimar

President, 1919-1925)

THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTIONS OF 1918-19

THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTIONS OF 1918-19The Spartacist Uprising (January 1919)

• Occupied public buildings

• Called for general strike

• Formed revolutionary committees

• 3 days of street fighting – over 100 killed

• DEFEAT!

• Liebknecht and Luxembourg murdered while in custody, Eisner murdered shortly after

• Government backed by Freikorps and army

Rosa Luxemburg

Karl LiebknechtKurt Eisner

THE RIGHT-WING REACTION

1920: The Kapp Putsch

• Unease among the Freikorps due to reduction in forces

• Kapp exploited anger of troops

• 12,000 marched on Berlin and seized buildings of capital

• Relatively unopposed

• Installed new government

• Army did not become involved with either side

• Government called a general strike – paralysed capital

• Kapp and government fled the city

Wolfgang Kapp

The Ruhr Occupation

• Reparation Commission declares Germany in default on deliveries of timber and coal

• French and Belgians occupy the Ruhr (British oppose)

• Unites German nation behind government

• Reparation payments suspended

• Workers go on strike

• Short term – successful

• Long term – enormous strain on economy hyperinflation

1923: The Munich "Beer Hall Putsch"

• Hitler and Nazis took control of a rally

• Declared ‘national revolution’

• Nazis attempt to take Munich with little support

• Bavarian police crushes the putsch

• 14 Nazis killed, Hitler arrested on charges of treason (very lenient sentence, writes "Mein Kampf" while imprisoned)

• Raises issues over effectiveness of judiciary

1923: HYPERINFLATIONPoor health

Decline in law and order

Increase in crime

Decline in morality

Growth in suicides

Increase in prejudice – tendency to find scapegoats

Loss of some old values

Lack of confidence in ability of Weimar to maintain social stability

AUGUST-NOVEMBER 1923: STRESEMANN AS CHANCELLOR

How did the Weimar Republic survive the crisis of 1923?

• Led a coalition of DVP, DDP, ZP, and SPD

• Suspended passive resistance in the Ruhr

• Cut government expenditure and jobs

• Appointed Hjalmar Schacht

• Introduced Rentenmark – new currecy

• Convinced Allies to consider Germany’s economic plight

Why didn’t the Weimar Republic collapse before Stresemann took over?

• Popular anger directed toward French and Allies, not the Weimar Republic

• Despite inflation, workers didn’t suffer as much as they will later

• Employers show less hostility toward Republic

• Some businessmen do very well, so are tolerant

• Distress and disillusionment, but hostility not yet unbearable

• No obvious political alternative

• Extreme left – suffered from divisions and suppression; not enough support to overthrow Weimar

• Extreme right – divided with no clear plans; Kapp Putsch a warning of the dangers of taking hasty action

AUGUST 1923- OCTOBER 1929: STRESEMANN AS FOREIGN MINISTER

What were Stresemann’s foreign policy achievements?

• Dawes Plan:

• Rentenmark

• Reichsbank established

• International loan of 800 million gold marks (USA)

• Fixed scale over long period

• Locarno Pact:

• International security pact for western frontiers

• Renounce use of force

• Demilitarisation of Rhineland – permanent

• Arbitration treaties – G/P/C – settle dispute peacefully

1923-29: STRESEMANN AS FOREIGN MINISTER

• Young Plan:

• Revised reparations payments

• Agree to pay until 1988, total sum reduced to 25% of 1921 demands

What were Stresemann’s foreign policy achievements?

1923-29: STRESEMANN AS FOREIGN MINISTER

19331932

1928 1930

other 7 parties other 4 parties

ELECTORAL GROWTH OF THE NAZI PARTY

PERCENTAGE OF SEATS