1924-1929 - the 'Golden Age'

Question 0

Impact of the SPD:

Answer 0

Remained the largest party until 1932.
Party was divided between it’s desire to uphold interests of the working class and the commitment to democracy.
SPD did not join any fragile government coalitions as some members feared it would weaken their principles.
Was not prepared to take control of government until 1928.

Question 1

Was there a political golden age?

Answer 1

6 governments in 4 years – not a golden age because democracy clearly is not working.
By not inviting the SPD to a coalition mean’t no majority could be reached.
There cannot be political stability if the economy is not stable, basing the economy of a huge loan is risky.
They haven’t outlawed the Nazi Party.

Question 2

Hindenburg as president

Answer 2

As president he proved totally loyal to the constitution.
It has been argued that his presidency acted as a substitute for the Kaiser.
The status of Hindenburg being the president gave the conservative rights some respect for the Weimar Republic.
However it is hard to ignore the pitfalls of Hindenburg as president.

Question 3

What issues were there with having Hindenburg as president?

Answer 3

He had no real sympathies for the Republic and its values, those around his tended to be anti-republican. He thought the government should move to the right.

Question 4

The DNVP:

Answer 4

Since 1919, the DNVP had been totally opposed to the Republic and it had refused to take part on government.
It had enjoyed success in electoral terms.
December 1924 – gained 104 seats.

Question 5

Hugenburg:

Answer 5

The DNVP elected him as their leader, he was an extreme nationalist and Germany’s biggest media mogul, he owned 150 newspapers.
He utterly rejected the idea of government based on parliamentary democracy.

Question 6

The Dawes Plan:

Answer 6

Calls off passive resistance and resume paying the reparations. The result was the Dawes Plan.
It was US backed. It was accepted in 1924, although it was opposed by the right wing and provided ample propaganda for the right.
The amount owed remained the same but the monthly instalments were more realistic and they received loans from the US.

Question 7

How was the Dawes plan a success (in the short term)?

Answer 7

In the short term it was a success – there was more investment coming into German economy than was leaving.
It improved relationships with the US and more importantly France. However Germany’s economy was now hugely dependent on foreign fortunes.

Question 8

The Young Plan:

Answer 8

It further revised the payments of the reparations – they now only had to pay a quarter of what was agreed in 1921, it was still a huge amount: 1850 million pounds.
However it unified the right under Hugenburg and brought Nazism into the mainstream. Although the anti-Young Plan movement (national opposition) failed, it focused opposition against democracy at a critical movement.

Question 9

The Locarno Pact:

Answer 9

A series of treaties were signed which recognised Germany’s western borders and the demilitarised Rhineland.
It was important because it ended German isolation and unlike at Versailles, Germany was encouraged to take an active role in the talks.
It also stopped any potential French annexation of the Rhine and the Ruhr.

Question 10

The Kellogg-Briand pact and the league of nations:

Answer 10

Germany was given a permanent position within the league of nations, an important step for Germany as they were now recognised as an important nation again.
Also, it outlawed war as an instrument of national policy. No real practical outcome, only that Germany was now working with 68 other nations.

Question 11

The Treaty of Berlin:

Answer 11

It was aimed to keep relationships positive with the Russians.
It showed that Germany was prepared to work with other nations and that Germany was beginning to break free from it’s position as the poor man of Europe by ignoring requests from the West to break off ties with the east
It also enabled them to open up commercial expansion to the east which ehlped the economy.

Question 12

Did Gustav Streseman succeed?

Answer 12

• He achieves a lot through democracy when the idea of diplomacy, especially when it concerned Germany was unheard of.
• However he did not tackle the biggest problem in securing Weimar’s future and making sure it was supported by and he never silenced the ever vocal extreme right. Also he presented them with a rallying point in the form of the Young Plan.
• He was “dancing on a volcano”. On the surface everything seems fine, but underneath there were deep long term issues – “deceptive stability”.

Question 13

What were the strengths of the German economy?

Answer 13

Heavy industry recovered quite quickly, by 1928, levels were that of 1913.
Between 1925 and 1929, German exports rose by 40%. Such progress brought social benefits as well. Average wages rose every year from 1924 to 1930.

Question 14

Benefits of social welfare

Answer 14

In 1927, a compulsory unemployment insurance covering 17 million workers was created. State subsidies were provided for the construction of local amenities. This, along with an increase in cars and the growth of the cinema industry showed that Weimar was enjoying an economic boom…

Question 15

Weaknesses in the German economy:

Answer 15

There was growth, but it was uneven and 1926, production actually declined.
In agriculture, grain production was still only three-quarters of its 1913 figure and farmers were in debt. By the late 1920s income per head in farming was 44% below the national average.

Question 16

Political stability

Answer 16

Both extreme left and right parties lost votes, combined they polled less than 30%. The parties sympathetic to the republic maintained their share of the votes, SPD made substantial gains winning 153 seats. As a result, Muller’s grand coalition of the SPD, D and DVP and CP was formed and enjoyed the support of over 60% of the Reichstag.

Question 17

Why did the political parties find it so hard to co-operate?

Answer 17

1) Broad coalition meant that there would be different views on domestic policies.
2) Communists remained totally isolated.
3) No possibility of a coalition with the SPD and DNVP.
Of the 7 governments between 1923 and 1930 only 2 had majorities and the longest lasted only 21 months.

Question 18

How were the SPD divided?

Answer 18

Divided in its interests of the working class and its commitment to democracy. Some feared that joining coalitions would weaken their principles. Also they were divided by those who wanted a more extreme programme and those who wanted a gradual reform.

Question 19

What were the limitations of the centre party?

Answer 19

Their support did not increase because its appeal was restricted to traditional Catholic areas. Further, its social and economic policies which aimed at bridging the gap between classes led to internal quarrels. Under the leftwing leadership of Erzberger this was put to one side.

Question 20

What were the weaknesses of the liberal parties?

Answer 20

Their share of the vote during the mid 1920s had essentially halved since 1919-20. This decline was largely a result of the divisions within both parties (DDP, DVP). DDP lacked clear leadership. DVP was also divided. German liberalism failed to gain popular support and after 1929 they declined dramatically.

Question 21

How did the DNVP change over time?

Answer 21

As the republic began to recover after 1923, the DNVP’s hopes of restoring a right-wing government were diminishing, they realised they may have to participate in government. In 1925 and 27, the DNVP joined coalitions. But when their vote fell by a quarter in 1928, the more right wing side asserted influence, this led to the election of Alfred Hugenberg. The DNVP reverted to a programme of total opposition.