Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919-23: 'Early Weimar'

Question 1

‘The far right posed the greatest threat to the stability of Weimar Germany from 1919 to 1923.’
Evaluate this statement using the following two factors: [10]
-Kapp Putch 1920
-Spartacist Uprising 1919

Answer 1

1) Kapp Putsch was most successful in its aims and had the backing of not only the Freikorps but also the German army, who refused to fire upon fellow soldiers. Though Kapp’s 12,000-strong army was eventually forced out of Berlin after a general strike orchestrated by the government, the aftermath of the uprising did not involve the massacre of right-wing supporters as institutions within the government and judicial system supported the far right, therefore the army did not pursue Kapp’s men in the same way as they did Communists. this meant the far right had higher chances of success in overthrown Weimar, so posed a greater threat
2) The Spartacist Uprising did not command the same level of support within government institutions, meaning the Army and Freikorps was able to quickly deal with and eliminate the threat of a Communist revolution through force. the brutal murder of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg by police shows efforts made by the Spartacist League did not pose the same real threat as the far right because of the differing levels of success both groups had in disrupting and replacing the Weimar government. Therefore the far left did not pose as significant a threat as the far right due to lack of support
Con: the far right posed a greater threat to the stability of Weimar germany

Question 2

Which of the following posed a greater threat to the security of the Weimar Republic:

i) The Treaty of Versailles
ii) The Freikorps

Answer 2

Plan:
i) The Treaty of Versailles posed a significant threat to the republic’s security because it imposed heavy economic reparations which put pressure on the war-damaged economy and created internal pressures which culminated in violence in the industrial area of the Ruhr where most reparations were being extracted from in 1920. the 50,000-strong Ruhr Army was a short-lived uprising but was among many others which showed how this treaty made it almost impossible for the new German government to function in safety
ii) The 400,000 soldiers of the Freikorps posed a major threat to the security of the Weimar Republic. The temporary occupation of Berlin under the leadership of Wolfgang Kapp nearly resulted in the toppling of the Weimar government. Moreover, the actions of the Freikorps against numerous socialist uprisings denied the Weimar state effective control, deployment and use of the army to keep control, giving military power and dominance to the Freikorps who were not democratically elected and did not represent the Weimar government.
Conclusion:Therefore, the Freikorps posed a greater threat to the security of the Weimar Republic as this armed, trained and experienced body of ex-soldiers repeatedly used force to act on its own behalf with little or no regard for the Weimar government. Though the Treaty of Versailles did pose a threat to Weimar economically and laid the basis for discontent among many Germans, the Freikorps actually acted on this and their level of experience and skill made them a far greater threat to Weimar security than the Versailles Treaty.

Question 3

‘The impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the new Weimar Republic between 1919 and 1924 was more damaging economically than politically.’

Assess the validity of this view. [20 marks]

Answer 3

Plan:
Intro:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Conclusion: