Challenges of 1920's Flashcards
Who were the generals against the frikorps being disbanded? 🪖
Wolfgang Kapp
General Luttwitz
When were the friekorps disbanded?🪖
February 1920
How did the government respond to the Kapp Putsch? 1920 🪖
Fled to Dresden
Ordered the army to stop it
What was the army’s response to the Kapp Putsch? 🪖
Refused to cooperate with the government
‘Troops do not fire on troops’
What was support like for the Kapp Putsch? 🪖
Failed to gain wide spread support
What did the government do when the army refused to put down the Kapp Putsch 1920? 🪖
Called for a general strikeand passive resistance
What lessons were taught from the Kapp Putsch 1920? 🪖
• The army couldn’t be trusted
• Civil servants could be disloyal
• Workers groups could show their power
• Without the army’s support, the government was weak
What happened to Matthias Erzbwrger? 🔫
August 1921 assassinated
Former finance minister
Signed armistice and t of v
German representative on the reparations committee
What happened to Walther Rathenau?
June 1922 assassinated
Forgine Minister
Part of signing the armistice
How many political assassinations?
357 from right
22 from left
What did the government do to deal with assassinations? 1922
New laws, July 1922
‘For protection of the Republic’
Harsh penalties if caught conspiring
Banned extremists organisations
What was the assassination group called?
Organisation consul
Why was laws against assassinations ineffective?
Judges were right wing sympathisers
Bavaria didnt introduce it
What was the sparticus uprising 1919? 🟥
• Left wing
• Led by Rose Luxembourg and Karl Liebkencht
• Took control of government buildings and newspapers
When was the sparticus uprising? 🟥
5 - 13 January 1919
Why was the sparticus uprising unsuccessful? 🟥
• Poor planning and leadership
• Not enough support
• Freikorps sent to put it down
What was the cause of the sparticus uprising? 🟥
• Ebert ordered the removal of Emil Eichron
• They said they had removed the last representative of revolutionary Berlin
When was hyperinflation?
1921 - 1923
When did inflation begin? 💶
1914
When the kaisers government chose to increase the amount of money in circulation to keep up with war debts.
They planned to ask for reparations to pay it back when they won.
Who did people blame for hyperinflation?
Jews and government
Who did hyperinflation it impact? 💵
✅️ Extremist parties got more support
✅️ Exporters
✅️ Debt could easily be paid of
✅️ Weimar still recovered better then other countries
❌️ People lost all of their savings
❌️ Middle class badly effected
❌️ Phycological impact turned people against democracy
❌️
When did the French invade the Rhur?
1922
What was the response to the invasion of the Rhur 1922?
• Passive resistance
• Workers on strike
• Not cooperating with French
Why did France invade the Rhur?
Delayed reparations instalments
when were the Golden Years?
1924 - 1928
It was a period of relative economic and political stability for the Weimar Republic
Who was Gustav Stresemann?
Leader of the DVP
Made chancellor in August 1923
November 1923 - 29 Foriegn Minister
Political impacts of the end of passive resistance in the Rhur 1923
Oppersition from the right wing as they saw this as another surrender
German humiliation
International sucess and allowed for negotiations with the allies
Economic impacts of the end of passive resistance in the Rhur 1923
Stabilise the economy
What currency did Stresemann introduce?
The Rentenmark
1 rentenmark was worth 1 trillion marks
When was passive resistance called of?
September 1923
What caused the Dawes plan 1924?
the British were alarmed at the actions by the French so approached USA about establishing a commission of financial experts to regulate reperations
What was the Dawes plan 1924?
The USA gave £800 million in loans
Lowered the coast of reperations instalments but the overall price stayed the same
Gave them more time for the economy to recover
Reduced the financial burden
Economic growth during the golden years 1924 - 28
✅️ The economy grew rapidly in 1924, 25, 27 stimulated by the Dawes plan and new currency
❌️ In 1926, 28 there was no economic growth, world trade was lower then pre war levels, still behind the allies in growth
Golden Years Industrial Production 1924 - 28
✅️ Overall production doubled and managed to return to pre-war levels despite the losses in the T of V
❌️ Germany’s share in world trade was still low with a low export rate
What American method did the German industry introduce?
Fordism
Increased mass production and became more efficent
Golden Years and Foreign investment 1924 - 28
✅️ There was high investment from USA and other countries with continuing confidance in the economy.
❌️ However Germany’s reliance of foreign investment disgused the true economic picture
❌️ Their reperations payments were funded by foreign loans
Golden Years Industrial relations (strikes) 1924 - 28
Introduction of Binding Aribitration meaning any disputes must be settled by a third party (government)
This caused resentment from employers who argued they could not make a profit with such high wages
In 1928 workers were locked out of their factories in the rhur and said they would find people that would work for less.
Golden Years Welfare System 1924 - 28
There was a more comprehensive welfare system living standards improved and there was more public work schemes building houses, airports, swimming pools and opera houses.
They introduce social insurance covering 17 million people.
The economy was over streched with all being funded by forgein loans
Wages and working hours 1924 - 28
Wages increased
48 hour working week introduced
People could work less for more money
Agriculture ‘Golden Years’ 1924 - 28
Not all sectors of the economy recovered agriculture failed and was in recession long before 1929
Golden Years Cartels 1924 - 28
This was a buisness that is joined together.
If all the companies are controlled it creates a monopily.
efficientcy was enhanced due to more cooperation.
It was seen as unhealthy as fixed prices meant no compertition
What were the wilderness years?
The Golden Years 1924 - 28 when less people were listening to extremest parties
Political impact of the Golden Years
Less opersition from the left and right, less political assasinations, a fall in paramilitary organisations, no uprisings.
What was the Reichsbanner?
A republican defence force set up in 1924
It encouraged pro republican sentiment and attrackted 1 million people to swear honour to the flag
How many governments were there between May 1924 - May 1928?
6
People were still unhappy with their leaders
No one could keep a government for more then two years
Votes in 1928 and 1933
1928 - mostly pro Weimar
1933 - mostly anti Weimar
Why was there division over the flag?
Conservatives wanted the old imperial flag (black, white, red)
Others wanted (black, red, gold)
There were no historic achivements or icons to motivate peoples support.
What year did Ebert die?
1925
Who was presidant after Ebert?
Hindenburg
1925 - 34
Leader of the DNVP
Right wing conservative
He brought more right wing support
In his early years he didnt do anything unconstitutional even though he wasn’t committed to democracy
What were Stresemann’s foreign policy aims?
Restore German power and status
Reduce reperations
Remove occupation forces
What was Stresemann’s ‘Fulfilment’ policy?
To fulfil the T of V
Encourage relations with the west
End diplomatic isolation
Satisfy French demand for security
Encourage financial investment
Treaty of Rapallo 1922
Russia offered a new export market in exchange for German investment
They gave them an area to build weapons and train pilots out of allied supervision
Both wanted to limit Polish power
This did little for Germany but upset the French
Russia were of no help when the Ruhr was invaded
Treaty of Berlin 1926
Used to pressure America to improve relations and make consessions out of fear of a communist take over
They pledged nutrality if the other was attacked by a third party for 5 years
reaffirmed the Rapallo treaty
Locarno Pact 1925
Agreement with world powers
Agreed to western boarders (wanted to influence eastern boarders)
Disputes to be settled through the League of Nations
No troops in the Rhineland
League of Nations 1926
Increased their power and status
Can contribute to diplomatic negotiations
Supervision council withdrawn
Allied occupation ended
Kellog Briand pact proved they were against the use of war
What were the limitations of Stresemann’s foreign policy?
Failed to strengthen the Weimar republic
Nationalists were against it
To subtle for people to notice
What were the nationalist opinions of Stresesmann’s foreign policy
Locarno pact benifited the French
Fulfilment further admitted defeat
Germany still disarmed
Still paying reperations
German pride not restored
League of nations are the ones enforcing the T of V
Young Plan referendum
There were campaigns against the young plan
they called for a referendum
14% (5.8 million) voted against
Hitler was becoming better known as a politician
He was making friends with other influenceial right wing people
Traditional historian’s view of Stresemann
‘Good European Statesman’
He put his nationalist belifes aside to remain a true German patriot and knew he had to comprimise
Revisionlist historian’s view of Stresemann
‘Good German’
He did it for his own intersts and did not abandon his belifes
Aimed to exploit international relations
A letter to the Kaiser’s son suggesting he was manipulating the allies to regain German status
What was the Young Plan 1929
Replaced the Dawes plan
Reduced the total amount of payments by 20%
Payments instalments extended to 1988 (59 years)
USA loans continued
Which Chancellor replaced Muller?
Bruning
(Right wing, Centre Party, Z)
What was Bruning’s plan to deal with the Wall Street Crash?
He wanted to reduce government spending so he could balance the budget and reduce the risk of a return to inflation
What was the problem with Burning’s plan?
The budget was not approved by the Reichstag
He had to ask Hindenburg to use article 48 which annoyed the rest of parliament as they didn’t think it was legal
Why was Hindenburg’s re- election negative
He didn’t win by much
The only other options were Hitler or the KPD
What were Bruning’s economic aims?
To balance the budget
Prevent inflation
End reperations
What do historians think about Bruning’s economic policy?
That he made the economy worse so Germany didn’t have to pay reperations
What did Bruning’s economic policy do?
Increased unemployment
Made the economy worse
Decline in public welfare schemes
How many banks closed during the Wall Street Crash
5
What contributed to Bruning’s fall from power?
He wanted to turn unused land into allotments for unemployed workers, landowners saw this as a threat to their lands, it seemed like a left wing idea
