DS1: Was the Weimar Republic doomed from the start? Flashcards
Origins of Weimar
Wilhelm II abdicates 9 November 1918
Friederich Ebert declares himself new President of Germany, under the SDP (Social Democratic Party) and the Government signed the Armistice on November 11th.
- Elections were held for a new National Assembly, which met in Weimar, drawing up the new Weimar constitution
Effect of WW1 on Germany
Food shortages - people surviving on turnips and bread, flour mixed with sawdust
Proud Germany was defeated
Flu epidemic killed thousands.
War had left 600,000 widows and 2 million orphans (killed 2,000,000 soldiers)
1/3 of the state budget was on war pensions
Production was at 2/3 of 1913 levels
People thought the Weimar Government had betrayed them
How did Germany react to Weimar?
- Right-wingers wanted the return of the Kaiser
- Left-wingers wanted a Communist revolution similar to that in Russia.
- Myth developed that Ebert had “stabbed Germany in the back”
- Kaiser’s men remained in the army, judiciary and civil service, and attempted to restrict the Govt’s powers
- Free election were held in January 1919 and the SDP won, he was the first president
Weimar Constitution
- All Germans over 20 allowed to vote for members of the Reichstag
- Proportional Representation
- Chancellor was appointed by President, but needed support of 50% of the Reichstag
- Head of State was the President. Stayed out of politics unless crises arose, in which he could use article 48 to rule as a dictator and use emergency powers
- 17 local governments existed, for Prussia, Bavaria and other states, though their power was severely limited.
Weaknesses of the constitution?
- Germans weren’t used to Democracy
- Article 48 was open to Abuse
- Proportional Representation wouldn’t work in the fractured political landscape of 1918, and made weak coalitions likely
- PR also gave extremists a voice in the Reichstag
Threats to Weimar from the Left Wing:
Spartacists 1919:
- Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, they were similar to the Russian Bolsheviks
- Seized Berlin newspaper offices in Berlin 5th January 1919.
- President Ebert forced to use a paramilitary right-wing group called the Freikorps to put down the rebellion.
- Barricades were put in the street and armed street fighting took place.
- 10th January, Freikorps take the Communist headquarters
- Freikorps were victorious, on January 15th, both Luxemburg and Liebknecht were executed. Roughly 100 Spartacists were killed, compared to only 13 Freikorps
Bavarian Uprising 1919:
- Bavaria had declared itself an independent state in 1919. When it’s leader was killed, Communist revolutionaries tried to establish a new Soviet state, abolishing paper money and re-appropriating flats and industry to the homeless etc.
- Quickly crushed by the Freikorps, which Ebert again used in May 1919, killing roughly 600
Red Rising in the Ruhr, March 1920:
- Communists in the Ruhr attempted to create a Communist state, with an army of 50,000.
- Had to once again be put down by the Freikorps, who shot over 2000 workers
Ebert crushing socialists/Communists gained him popularity in general from Germans scared of Communism, but created lasting bitterness with left -wing factions throughout Germany towards the Weimar Government
Threats to Germany from the Right-Wing
Kapp Putsch, March 1920
- Dr. Wolfgang Kapp led 5,000 Freikorps into Berlin, trying to set up a right-wing govt
- The army refused to fire on the Freikorps, many of the Freikorps were ex-military generals and soldiers
- Ebert had to flee Berlin, and call a general strike to stop the Freikorps
- This brought the capital to a halt, without power, transport or water. After a few days, Kapp realised they couldn’t succeed, and fled the country
Right-Wing Murder Squads: 1919-22
- Assassinations were frequent
- Over 350 political murders took place over 3 years
- Most famous was Walter Rathenau, Germany’s Foreign Minister, closely associated with the signing of Versailles
- His killers received an average of 4 years’ prison time each, suggesting the Courts were against the Govt
Effect of Versailles on Germany
Germany lost 10% of its land, all overseas colonies, 12.5% of the population, 16% coal, 48% iron and steel industry, and its army was limited to 100,000 men
- Many were furious with Ebert and the Weimar Govt for signing it
- Reparations were set at £6.6 billion, 2% of Germany’s output
French Invasion of the Ruhr
Germany had used all of its National funds to pay the reparations in 1921, they could not afford to pay anything in 1922, and the French and Belgians needed money.
Therefore, they felt it was necessary to invade the Ruhr, Germany’s key industrialised area (that was also demilitarised) to take what was owed.
- Ebert was once again forced to call a general strike to stop the French stealing from Germany, in response, the French killed over 100 and German industry completely stopped, leading to the currency collapsing
- The French only left the Ruhr in 1925 after the implementation of the Dawes’ Plan, and Germany was only able to succeed backed by US money
Hyperinflation
Without goods to trade, the Government kept printing money to be able to pay its workers, leading to prices skyrocketing, and paper money becoming all but worthless.
Munich Beer Hall Putsch
8/9th November 1923
- Hitler, former German General Ludendorff and 600 SA men hijacked a local Government meeting in Munich, and declared himself leader of Bavaria.
- Police quickly rounded up the SA, and noone rose up to support Hitler, as he thought they would.
- He was arrested, but only served 9 months - where he wrote Mein Kampf - and he gained great publicity from the trial.
Stresemann
- German Chancellor for a few months in August-November 1923, but a major part of every subsequent Government until his death in 1929.
- Extremely successful right-wing politician, who managed to bring the country together and lead Weimar Government through its “Golden Age” 1926-29
- Using his position as foreign minister from 1923-29, he managed to get Germany accepted back into the international community, while also stabilising the economy after hyperinflation
- Also brought forth an era of great cultural progression in Germany, with Bauhaus architecture, German cinema and new art movements
- This greatly offended traditionalists, in villages and the countryside, which Nazis were able to play on in their propaganda
Stresemann’s Economic achievements:
- Ended hyperinflation, accepted the Dawe’s plan, introduced the new Rentenmark, and burned the old currency
- Called off the strike in the Ruhr, increasing production
- By 1928 production was back up to pre-war levels
BUT
- All of these fixes were propped up by US money, leading to complete collapse after the Wall St. Crash
Streseman’s Foreign Policy:
1925: Locarno Pact, approved German borders with France and Belgium
1926: Germany admitted to LoN
1928: Kellogg-Briand Pact, 64 nations denounce war as conflict resolution
1929: Young Plan, further lessen reparations after the Dawes Plan
Streseman was attacked for accepting Versailles by signing Locarno and accepting Versailles, but he was more accepted by the International Community
Stresemann and Political Stability
- No other Putsch’s
- Nazis only got 3% of the vote in 1928, extremism was unpopular
BUT
- 30% of the populous voted for parties against the Republic,
- 1926 Hindenburg was voted President, he opposed the
- Nazis and Communists were gradually building their organisations and support
