Challenges From The Right

Question 1

Challenges from the Right
Background Fact 1 - Who were the right-wing?

Answer 1

The right-wing were a part of the German population who supported the German monarchy and did not support major change within Weimar.

Question 2

Challenges from the Right
The Kapp Putsch - Army Reduced

Answer 2

• In February of 1920 the government reduced the size of the army to 100,000 soldiers to reinforce the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, which led to two brigades of Freikorps being told to disband.

✓ This was a threat to the governments because a reduced army led to less protection of the government, making them vulnerable to attacks

x However, the Freikorps refused to disband, going against orders.

Question 3

Challenges from the right
The Kapp Putsch - Kapp Government

Answer 3

• Leader of Friekorps and Kapp led the Kapp Putsch in hopes of overthrowing the government. During the Kapp Putsch, 12,000 Freikorps members marched into Berlin which resulted in the declaration of a Kapp government.

✓ This was a threat because the Kapp Putsch showed that the government could be overthrown with enough will, showing its weaknesses.

x However, The Kapp government received little support from the Left, causing it to collapse. Ebert Friedrich returned to power and did not fire the army leaders after their act of disloyalty, as they were his only source of protection.

Question 4

Challenges from the Right
The Munich Putsch - Beer Hall

Answer 4

• On the 8th of November 1923, Adolf Hitler stormed a meeting performed a speech in a Beer Hall, in which he hoped to spread his aims of a revolution in Germany to the public.

✓ This was a threat because Hitler was a very persuasive speaker, and easily swayed the public to his political opinions, convincing many to support him and his extremist views.

Question 5

Challenges from the Right
The Munich Putsch - Centre of Munich

Answer 5

• Hitler then marched 600 men to the centre of Munich to try to win public support. The Bavarian Army and police force were sent to stop the revolt, leading to a shoot out between the Nazis and forces.

✓ This was a threat because the revolt showed the increase of support for Hitler and his extremist group, making the government in danger of being overthrown.

x However, the revolt led to Hitler’s arrest and was given a minimal sentence in jail, minimising his ability to overthrow the government.

Question 6

Challenges from the Right
Political Assassinations - Organisation Consul (OC)

Answer 6

• In 1921, a secret right wing group called Organisation Consul was set up by members of disbanded Freikorps brigades which aimed to overthrow the Weimar government by assassinating people.

✓ This made people of Weimar worry that the government was unstable an unable to defend the public from assassinations.

x However, the group mainly targeted political leaders.

Question 7

Challenges from the Right
Political Assassinations - Killed

Answer 7

• Between 19-1921, the secret group killed 354 people.

✓ This was a threat because the assassinations of poewerful political leaders made the government vulnerable to being overthrown, which was the aim of the OC

x However, the lack of support and general outrage from the Weimar public made it difficult to overthrow the government successfully

Question 8

Challenges from the Right
Historians - The Kapp Putsch

Answer 8

Colin Storer: “The abortive putsch failed to produce a reaction against the Right.”

Question 9

Challenges from the Right
Historians - Political Assassinations

Answer 9

Detlev Peukert: “The Republic survived all challenges because both Left and Right were disorganised and divided.”