4- Political Instability and Extremism, 1919-24

Question 1

What were the problems of the coalition govs?

Answer 1

With electoral system based on proportional representation, coalitions were needed

In times of social, economic and political crisis, society supported more extreme parties on left and right

Question 2

Was there a growth in political extremism?

Answer 2

Yes

Question 3

What were the challenges from the left?

Answer 3

5-6 January 1919- Spartacists led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg started an armed rising in Berlin to set up a revolutionary communist gov.

Question 4

Who did Ebert rely upon to suppress the Spartacist uprising?

Answer 4

The army, but Groener had few reliable units, so he used the Freikorps.

Way in which rising was suppressed and Ebert’s reliance on the army deepened the divisions on the left

Question 5

What other left-wing uprisings took place after the Spartacist armed uprising?

Answer 5

March 1919- Spartacus rising in Berlin
April 1919- Strikes in industrial areas
1920- After workers defeated Kapp Putsch with a communist strike in Berlin, communists formed a red army of 50,000 workers.
March 1921- KPD tried forcing a rev starting by forcing a revolution in Saxony- strike spread to Hamburg and the Ruhr- suppressed by the police (many killed)
1923- Strike in Saxony and Hamburg

Question 6

Was the gov seriously threatened by left wing revolts?

Answer 6

No, but fear of a red revolution led middle classes to support right wing parties

Question 7

What were the Freikorps?

Answer 7

After desintegration of regular army in 1918 paramilitary groups were created. Under command of General Walter Luttwitz, they were supplied with uniforms and weapons.

Question 8

What is the Comitern?

Answer 8

Communist International, set up in 1919 to oversee the actions of Marxist parties across the world.

Leaders were the Russian Communist Party.

Question 9

What were the intentions of the KPD?

Answer 9

Heavily influenced by the Comitern, it wanted to lead a communist rev in Germany, but it lacked the support to do so.

Question 10

Why did the right pose a threat to the republic?

Answer 10

Didn’t believe in democracy and thouught politicians leading republic had betrayed the country.

Some wanted the restoration of the monarchy, dictatorship, separation from Germany (Bavaria) or a united Germany

Division weakened ability of right-wing groups to overthrow the republic

Question 11

What were the origins of the Kapp Putsch 1920?

Answer 11

TofV forced some Freikorps units to disband.

In Feb 1920 Gustav Noske defence minister ordered two Freikorps units to disband

General Luttwitz refused to disband one of them and gov ordered his arrest

Question 12

What did Luttwitz decide?

Answer 12

To march his troops into Berlin in protest- supported by right wing civil servant and politician Wolfgang Kapp, who was organising a putsch

Question 13

What were the effects of the putsch?

Answer 13

Ebert’s gov had to move to Dresden, and regular army refused to crush the rising, stating that troops don’t fire on troops

Question 14

How was the Kapp Putsch crushed?

Answer 14

By trade unions, who called for a general strike- within 4 days the putsch collapsed

Question 15

What happened to Kapp and Luttwitz after the collapse of the putsch?

Answer 15

They were forced to leave the country

Question 16

What did the putsch teach?

Answer 16

1. Army was not to be trusted
2. Civil servants could be disloyal
3. Workers as a group proved to be much stronger
4. Without army support, Weimar gov was weak
5. Attitude of judges towards right-wing contrasted with those towards left- gov wasn’t really in control

Question 17

What lack of support had been crucial in the Kapp Putsch?

Answer 17

From General von Seeckt and Ludendorff

Question 18

What were right-wing nationalists committed to?

Answer 18

Eliminating politicians associated with the betrayal of Germany- Patriotic Leagues often formed out of Freikorps units

Question 19

Who was one of the early victims of violent nationalist groups?

Answer 19

Hugo Haase (USPD leader) shot in front of Reichstag in Oct 1919

Question 20

What 2 assassinations illustrate the right wing political violence that took place during the 1920s?

Answer 20

1. Assassination of Erzberger in Aug 1921
   - former finance minister
   - killed by members of Organisation Consul
   - He had lead the signing of the TofV and was a representative at the reparations committee
2. Assassination of Rathenau in June 1922
   - foreign minister
   - Shot by Organisation Consul
   - Participated in the signing of the treaty and he had an impact abroad (inflation)

Question 21

How many political assassinations took place between 1919 and 1923?

Answer 21

376- 22 left wing and 354 right wing

Question 22

What did the Reichstag do as a response to the political assassinations?

Answer 22

Passed a law for the protection of the republic and Organisation Consul were forced to disband.

Law wasn’t effective bc judges were right wing sympathisers- while right wing murders were not punished, 10 left wing murderers were sentenced to death

Question 23

Who were Organisation Consul?

Answer 23

Nationalist paramilitary group formed by ex-Freikorps

Question 24

What did Stresemann do that angered the right wing in September 1923?

Answer 24

He called off the passive resistance without any concessions from the French- seen as another act of betrayal

Question 25

When did Hitler become the leader of the NSDAP?

Answer 25

1920. The party also renamed itself NSDAP instead of the previous German Workers’ Party

Question 26

What happened in Nov 1923?

Answer 26

Hitler attempted a putsch

Question 27

Whose support did Hitler secure for his putsch?

Answer 27

Ludendorff’s, but he also needed the support of von Kahr (state commissioner of Bavaria- right wing conservative politician) and Otto von Lossow, local army commander.

Question 28

When was the Beer Hall Putsch and where?

Answer 28

8-9 November 1923 in Munich

Question 29

What happened on 8 Nov 1923?

Answer 29

Hitler burst into Beer Hall Putsch in Munich and surrounded it by Stormtroopers (SA) and announced that a rev had begun.

At gunpoint in a side room Kahr and Lossow were persuaded to agree to his plan to march on Berlin and install Ludendorff as new Commander-in Chief.

Question 30

What went wrong with the Beer Hall Putsch?

Answer 30

Support of Kahr and Lossow evaporated overnight and so did Hitler’s chances of persuading others.

On 9 Nov Hitler went ahead nevertheless and marched through Munich. There was a gun battle with the police, Ludendorff walked straight to the police and Hitler was captured and arrested the next day

Question 31

What effect did the Beer Hall Putsch have?

Answer 31

Nazis banned and Hitler imprisoned although he just serve 9 months out of his 5 year sentence.

Question 32

Summary chapter 4

Answer 32

• Instability and political conflict
• partly due to weaknesses of constitution
• challenges from the left, who though republic had betrayed them after Nov rev of 1918 and challenges from the right, who accused democratic politicians from betraying the country
• conflicts of early years would leave a legacy of bitterness and distrust that would leave the republic vulnerable to further challenges in 1929

Question 33

Summary dates chapter 4

Answer 33

• 5/6 January 1919
• March 1919
• April 1919
• Oct 1919
• Feb 1920
• 1920
• March 1921
• Aug 1921
• June 1922
• 1923
• Sept 1923
• 8/9 Nov 1923

Question 34

What is the Reichswehr?

Answer 34

German army

Question 35

What is a putsch?

Answer 35

Violent attempt to overthrow the gov