Political and Economic Crises, 1919-1923.

Question 1

Spring 1919, LW threat?

Answer 1

Strikes (Mainly in Ruhr)
Angry over lack of change after Spartacists’ revolt
Put down easily by Freikorps

Question 2

Ruhr Uprising- Date & Cause?

Answer 2

March 1920
Retaliation to RW Kapp Putsch
Originally a strike organised by Otto Wels, head of the SPD.

Question 3

Events of Ruhr Uprising

Answer 3

Executive councils set up and took political power
Red Ruhr Army formed- 50,000 workers
17th- Captured 600 FK

Question 4

‘Official’ end of Ruhr Uprising- Date and Conditions?

Answer 4

22nd March 1920
Chancellor Bauer agreed to the dismissal of Noske & General Reinhardt, and some policy changes.
NO agreement on a socialist worker’s government
CA- 23rd still saw over 300,000 mines still on strike

Question 5

Suppression and Aftermath of Ruhr Uprising

Answer 5

Reichswehr- 208 dead
FK- 273 dead
RRA- around 1000 dead
“To suppress the rebellions […] the government used the very troops who displayed, at best, a highly ambiguous loyalty to the government.”- kolb.

Question 6

LW- March 1921 strikes and Escalation- Location and stats?

Answer 6

Mansfeld-Eisleben Mines
KAPD, Max Hoelz, escalated strikes w/ weaponry
KPD lost leadership but set off string of similar strikes/riots.
6,000 arrests, 145 dead workers, 35 dead police.

Question 7

Revolts in Saxony and Thuringia, Date and beginnings?

Answer 7

Summer - October 1923
SPD/KPD majority in Landtage so formed ‘Proletarian defence units’ at request of Comintern.
Revolt soon branded a German ‘October revolution.’

Question 8

Suppression of Revolts in Saxony and Thuringia

Answer 8

Ebert uses article 48
Thuringia disbands defence units, Saxony refuses and so is occupied by Reichswehr.
Saxon PM dismissed, replaced by DVP member
CA- little support and saxon landtage was almost immediately all SPD.

Question 9

Kapp Putsch- Date & Causes

Answer 9

March 1920 (13th)
Erhardt Marine brigade ordered to disband (due to TofV).
^Mainly FK.
Luttwitz, the Brigade’s leader, refused to disband and was arrested.

Question 10

Kapp Putsch- Events

Answer 10

Luttwitz and Kapp march on Berlin (13th)
Support at Brandenbrug gate (includes Ludendorff)
Set up ‘Kapp Government’ w/ Kapp as Chancellor
Ebert forced to flee, but Putsch had little support in the city

Question 11

Kapp Putsch- Suppression

Answer 11

Bauer Gov. ordered strike in retaliation (Ruhr Uprising)
Worked! So Putsch collapsed
CA- of 705 prosecuted, only 1 punished.

Question 12

Organisation Consul- Origin and Victims

Answer 12

Created in 1921 by Cpt. Hermann Erhardt
August ‘21- Matthias Erzeberger killed (Finance Minister)
‘22- Scheidemann acid attacked
Jun 24th ‘22- Walther Rathenau killed

700,000 demonstrated against Rathenau’s assassination and OC forced to disband.

Question 13

Munich Putsch- Date and Beginnings

Answer 13

8th November 1923
Von Lossow and Von Kahr hold RW meeting of 2,000 in Burgerbrau Cellar in Munich.
Hitler and SA storm meeting, declare revolution.

Aimed to set up new government with Ludendorff as commander in chief.

Question 14

Munich Putsch- sequence of events

Answer 14

8th Nov- Von Kahr and Von Lossow supposedly submit to the Nazis and, after swearing loyalty, Ludendorff lets them leave.
Meanwhile, SA seizes areas of the Bavarian Government but fails to capture army barracks.

9th Nov- Ebert declares a state of emergency.
Von Kahr and Von Lossow rescind their statement of loyalty to the coup.
Ludendorff persuades Hitler to continue.
March on Munich Military base begins at 12pm.

Question 15

Suppression of Munich Putsch

Answer 15

Of the 2000 Nazis who marched on the base, 14 were killed.
Ludendorff arrested, but not shot.
Hitler flees but is arrested on the 11th of November.
Sentenced to 5 years, serves 9 months (Landsberg)

Question 16

Events that caused Hyperinflation

Answer 16

Sept. ‘22- Germany fails to pay second instalment of reparations, but French do not believe this.

Jan. ‘23- French & Belgian troops occupy Ruhr.

         - Gov. encourages passive resistance. 
         - French respond violently (132 dead, 150000 expelled from Ruhr.)
         - Government then prints money to keep up with lack of resources.

Question 17

Economic effects of Hyperinflation

Answer 17

1914- 4.2 Marks to the dollar
Jan ‘23- 17,792
Nov ‘23- 200,000,000,000

3000 paper mills, 2000 printing presses (24hr shifts)
Food shortages as farmers refuse to sell
^development of barter economy
Workers’ wages originally increased, but soon inflation grew too much.

Question 18

Social impact of Hyperinflation

Answer 18

Increase in unemployment

Extreme poverty and food shortages leads to ill health, especially in pensioners.

Also fuelled racial conspiracies

Question 19

Political Impact of Hyperinflation

Answer 19

People wanted someone to blame- fuelled racial conspiracies, anti-democracy/Weimar, and TofV hatred.

Public turned to more radical parties (from 1920 to May 1924 KPD gained 58 seats.

Question 20

End of Hyperinflation

Answer 20

Aug ‘23- Stresemann appointed Chancellor
Sept ‘23- end to Ruhr occupation resistance
Nov ‘23- Schacht appointed to Reichsbank.
-Mark replaced by Rentenmark (= 1bn Marks)
-cuts on gov. expenditure
-civil servants dismissed
Aug ‘24- New permanent currency, Reichsmark (=1
RentenMark)
-Both used until ‘48.