The establishment of the Weimar Republic and its early problems & The recovery of Germany 1924-29

Question 1

At the beginning of World War One, the political parties of Germany joined together in support of the war. However, in 1917 tears had begun to show and parties were calling for reform and an end to the war. The SPD was invited to join the government and, before long, the military were happy to hand over power to a civilian government. Why, though?

Answer 1

general ludendorff had two motives for persuading the kaiser to hand over power to a civilian government that had the support of the reichstag:

• hoped the civilian government would get better peace terms
• cynically hoped the new government would be blamed for germany’s defeat, because it was responsible for ending the war. would mask the generals’ responsibility for germany’s defeat. would preserve their reputation and help them maintain their post-war positions

Question 2

What were the key events of the German Revolution, events, etc.
• Revolution from Above
• Revolution from Below

Answer 2

29 Sept - Generals recommend a new civilian government and an armistice.

3 Oct - A new civilian government led by Prince Max of Baden, based on Reichstag support and including Liberals and Socialists, is formed.

31 Oct - Kiel sailors mutiny. Unrest spreads.

9 Nov - A republic is declared. The Kaiser abdicates and flees to Holland.

10 Nov - The new socialist government makes an agreement with General Groener to gain the support of the army.

11 Nov - The new government signs the Armistice

1919 Feb - A new elected National Assembly meets at Weimar to draw up a new constitution. This is completed by August 1919.

Question 3

Who were the Spartakustbund and what were their aims?

Answer 3

The Spartacist League, or Spartakusbund, had been founded on the left of the Social Democratic Party in 1916 to oppose the war and was led by two key figures, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. Both had been imprisoned for anti-war activities, but were released at war’s end.

They sought a socialist Germany, with soviets in towns and cities, taking over the multiple roles of the central government.

Question 4

Why did the Freikorps fight the revolution?

Answer 4

The Ebert-Groener agreement. General Groener offered his troops and the Freikorps, a volunteer force, to help maintain the new government. In return, the Government promised to keep the army under the old officer class.

Question 5

Why was the Spartacist Uprising important?

Answer 5

The Spartacist revolution was important for several reasons:

• It showed how unstable the new republic was when a mainly socialist government was attacked by an even more left-wing group.
• It forced the new republic to seek the support of the army in defeating the communists. In return Ebert promised not to touch the army.
• The army remained as it had been under the Kaiser and thereafter gave little support to the new republic.

Question 6

Why did the Spartacist revolution fail?

Answer 6

The Spartacists lacked a clear strategy for a successful revolution and there was limited organisation. Furthermore, they did not have a majority of support amongst the workers, who were already frustrated by their lack of planning.

The leaders, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, did not really believe that Germany was ready for communism but believed they had to support the workers.

Question 7

Why was there a revolution in Germany in November 1918?

Answer 7

• war weariness and the effects of the British blockade
• German retreat on the Western Front
• the mutiny of the sailors at Kiel and the newly founded, and unrecognised, Bavarian Soviet Republic
• the effects of starvation and a flu epidemic.

Question 8

Who were the Freikorps?

Answer 8

They were loosely organised groups of frontline veterans, soldiers, school students and cadets who hadn’t fought at all. These men were not unified by a cohesive ideology, but they hated the revolution that had turned Germany into a Republic and resented the humiliation of a defeat they could not accept. They burned for revenge, and many Freikorps eagerly adopted the myth that Germany had lost the war due to Jews and Leftists stabbing them in the back on the home front.

Question 9

Describe the events that led to the Kaiser’s abdication.

Answer 9

• by september 1918, it was obvious to military high command that the war was lost
• prince max was appointed chancellor on 3rd october and, the next day, sent a request for an armistace in the hope that the us would accept it (woodrow wilson, 14 points. good) though, it became clear they would not negotiate unless the kaiser abdicated
• years of hardship reduced morale and when the navy command ordered what was essentially a suicidal attack on the british navy in october, sailors mutinied at kiel.
• revolt spread, prince max had no choice but to ask the kaiser to abdicate, thinking it would stop the revolt. the kaiser was in spa, belgium.
• prince max couldnt make the journey, as he had to deal with revolution
• on the 9th of november, prince max of baden said the kaiser had abdicated. the kaiser had been informed by his military generals that they would not fight to keep him on the throne. he had little choice but to consent, and left the next day to the netherlands where he died in 1941.

Question 10

Explain the Spartacist Revolution.

Answer 10

Ebert’s moderate line aroused left-wing opposition. In December 1918 the USPD left the government. In January 1919 mass protests at the dismissal of Emil Eichhorn turned into a spontaneous rising which communist members of the Spartakusbund tried to take over in the hope that it would turn into a communist revolution. The government, led by Defence Minister Gustav Noske, ordered the army to suppress the rising. The army was supported by the Freikorps, and the Spartacist leaders, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, were shot.

Question 11

What were the strengths of the new Constitution?

Answer 11

• All Germans had equal rights, including the right to vote. Women could vote, which made the Constitution more forward-looking than that of Britain where voting for women was restricted to those over the age of 28.
• Proportional representation meant that political parties were given seats in proportion to the number of votes they got: if a party received 5 per cent of the votes, it got 5 per cent of the seats in the Reichstag.
• A strong President was necessary to keep control over the government.
• Each state had its own traditions so it was right that they should keep some control over their own affairs. The Reichsrat was filled with delegates from their respective Landes. Second chamber of Parliament.

Question 12

What were the weaknesses of the new Constitution?

Answer 12

• In 1919 the republic had many enemies. Was it sensible to give equal rights to those who wished to destroy it?
• Proportional representation encouraged lots of small parties. No one party could get a majority so governments had to form coalitions where two or more parties joined together. This led to weak governments.
• The President had too much power. Article 48 of the Constitution said that in an emergency the President could abandon democracy and rule by decree. This proved disastrous in the period 1929-33.
• The generals in charge of the army were the same men who had fought the war for the Kaiser. Many of them opposed the republic and wanted the Kaiser to return.
• The judges in the new Germany were also the same men who served under the Kaiser. They had sympathy with those who were against the republic.

Question 13

What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 13

• The army was limited to only 100,000 men. There was to be no conscription. All soldiers had to be volunteers.
• Germany was not allowed tanks, U-boats or military aircraft.
• The navy could only have six battleships.
• The German territory west of the Rhine river (the Rhineland) was evacuated by German forces and was demilitarised. The Allies kept an army of occupation in this area, because it was next to the French border and it guaranteed the payment of reparations.
• Germany was not allowed to unify with Austria.
• Germany had to pay 132 billion marks over a period of 42 years.

Question 14

What were the German reactions to the treaty?

Answer 14

The German citizens were horrified.

• They complained that the loss of 7 million citizens and 13.5 percent of their territory was too harsh - in particular, they resented the losses to Poland in the east as Germany was now split into two by the Polish corridor.
• They claimed that the Allies were trying to bankrupt Germany with their high reparation claims.
• They felt that the terms were worked out in secret and forced upon them.
• They were unhappy that all of Germany’s colonies were taken away from her but the Allies kept theirs.
• They hated having to accept the full blame for the war.
• Above all, they hated having to disarm as this left the country against neighbouring states.

Question 15

How did the Treaty of Versailles negatively impact the Weimar Republic?

Answer 15

• The new Weimar Republic got off to a bad start and was immediately associated with the humiliating treaty.
• Opponents of the republic, especially the army, blamed the government for signing the armistice that led to the Treaty. They referred to the government as the ‘November criminals’, a reference to the signing of the armistice in November, The government was accused of having stabbed the German army in the back. In other words, the German army would have won the war if the armistice had not been signed. This was, of course, not true.
• Germany could not afford to pay the reparations. The country had been run down by the war and had lost areas of land which could make money, such as the Saarland.

Question 16

Explain why French and Belgium troops marched into the Ruhr.

Answer 16

In January 1923 France and Belgium ran out of patience with the German government over reparations payments.

By January 1923, Germany had fallen behind with reparation payments to Belgium and France. The French were angry because they needed the money to help pay their war debts to the USA. French and Belgian troops marched into the Ruhr, the industrial centre of Germany, to take the goods they needed, rather than wait for the Germans to send them.

Question 17

Who was effected positively by hyperinflation?

Answer 17

• Mortgage holders were able to pay off their debts.
• Foreigners in Germany suddenly found that they could exchange dollars or pounds for millions of marks and could afford things which ordinary Germans could not.
• People who rented property with long-term rents gained as the real value of their payments fell.
• Exporters gained from the mark’s falling exchange rate.
• Entrepreneurs with access to cheap credit used loans to extend their holdings. They then easily repaid these loans when their income had increased in money terms.

For example. a man named Hugo Stinnes, a DVP member and business owner, became known as ‘the King of the Ruhr.’ He used his ties to the Reichsbank to gain cheap credit to buy up struggling competitors. He converted foreign currency, gained from selling his products abroad into millions of marks to expand and re-equip his plant. He paid off loans in near valueless marks. By 1924, the ‘King of the Ruhr’ owned 1,535 companies.

Question 18

Who was effected negatively by hyperinflation?

Answer 18

• Pensioners found that their pensions had become worthless.
• People with savings found that they had lost all value.
• Wages could not keep up with the rate of inflation and many people could not afford necessities such as bread. For example, in 1918 a loaf of bread cost 0.63 marks, but in November of 1923 a loaf cost 200 billion marks.

Question 19

Describe the Kapp Putsch.

Answer 19

After some order had been restored by the end of 1919, the Socialist-led government had less need for the Freikorps.

• It was also trying to reduce the size of the army to conform to the disarmament requirements of Versailles.
• in February 1920 the Defence Minister ordered two Freikorps brigades (about 12k men) to disband. One of their leaders, General von Luettwitz, refused. Along with other disgruntled army officers and Wolfgang Kapp, leader of the Fatherland Party, he planned to overthrow the government. he contacted other generals, including Seeckt and Ludendorff, but they were non=committed.
• On 12 March, 12,000 Freikorps entered Berlin, where the army refused to support the government. General Hans von Seeckt told Ebert: ‘Troops do not fire on troops, when Reichswehr fire on Reichswehr all comradeship within the officer corps has vanished.’ The government was forced to flee and the Freikorps controlled Berlin.
• A new government was proclaimed. However, it failed to gain support. In a few places, the army supported the putsch; in most areas, it was neutral.
• The Left organised a general strike in Berlin and elsewhere in protest at the putsch. Berlin was paralysed. Even civil servants and bankers refused to recognise Kapp’s government. It was occupying government buildings, but wasn’t able to govern. After four days the Kapp government fled and Ebert’s government returned to Berlin.
• In the aftermath, there were several clashes between workers and the army, especially in industrial areas such as the Ruhr, as some workers tried to extend the successful strike to impose more radical changes on the restored government.
• The government took no action against the army leaders and von Seeckt for their lack of support. It realised it might still need them to fight Communists.

Question 20

Who was Gustav Stresemann?

Answer 20

Stresemann became the new Chancellor in August 1923. He introduced a new currency, the Rentenmark, to replace the worthless mark. He ordered the striking workers in the Ruhr back to work and agreed to start paying reparations. This, at first, made him unpopular.
Stresemann became Foreign Secretary in 1924 and was mainly responsible for the Dawes Plan and German success abroad. He died in October 1929.

Question 21

In August 1923, Gustav Stresemann became Chancellor & Foreign Secretary. In November 1923, he resigns as Chancellor but remains as Foreign Secretary. Explain how this man led Germany to economic recovery.

Answer 21

1. An end to hyperinflation:

In November 1923, he sets up a new state owned bank called the Rentenbank. The bank supplies Rentenmark, which was strictly limited, and its value was tied to the price of gold. Furthermore, the Rentenmark is backed by industrial plants and agricultural land. In August 1924, control of the Rentenmark is given to the Reichsbank, the currency is renamed the Reichsmark and is backed by Germany’s gold reserves.

In April 1924, Stresemann agrees to the Dawes plan. The plan, invented by American banker Charles Dawes, involves temporarily lowering reparations to only £50 million/per year.

American banks give huge loans to German industry; Between 1924-30, the US gives Germany a staggering 25 billion dollars.

Stresemann also calls off passive resistance in the Ruhr, and the French leave in August of 1925. The economy begins to recover, and between 1923 and 1928 industrial output doubles. Employment, trade and income from taxes also increased. The extremists were furious that Germany was paying reparations again, and also that their economy was strongly reliant on foreign loans.

In 1929, the Young plan, made by Owen Young reduces reparations to only £2 billion, and increases the amount of time Germany has to pay to pay these reparations in, giving them until 1988, however, annual payments of war reparations stay the same at £50 million/per year, Low reparations mean lower tax, thus more money for the German people to spend, which gave a boost to the economy and consequently employment. A referendum in 1929 showed that 85% of the voters supported the Young plan. Furthermore, France leaves the Rhineland in 1930.

Question 22

How did Germany improve in foreign relations?

Answer 22

1 December 1925 the Locarno Treaty is signed. It’s a treaty between France, Britain, Italy, Germany and Belgium. In the treaty, Germany accepts its new 1919 border with France and France promises peace with Germany. Moreover, the Rhineland becomes a demilitarized zone permanently. Five powers promise to open talks with Germany to possibly join the League of Nations, this means war in Europe is less likely. In 1926 Stresemann receives the Nobel Peace prize. Germany being treated as an equal, instead of a defeated nation, sees a boost in popularity for moderate parties within Germany, and the Weimar government.

German entry into the league of nations:

The League of Nations was established after WW1. They were a body that discussed how to solve the world’s problems without war. In September 1926, Germany is allowed to join and they are given a place on the League of Nations council, who make the most important decisions of the league

The Kellogg-Briand Pact. In August 1928, the pact is signed by Germany and 61 other countries. Every nation that signed the pact promised not to use warfare to achieve foreign policy aims and was the work of a French and American foreign ministers. This showed that Germany was now a part of the main powers, not dictated to by them. This further increases support for the government at home. Through improving Germany’s foreign image and making life easier for the German people, they saw no reason to support extremist parties. In May 1924, extremist parties held 40% of the seats within the government, with moderate parties holding 50%. By May 1928, extremists held only 28% and moderates 58%. In 1925, Preisdent Ebert died and was replaced by Hindenburg. His appointment had given the Weimar Republic a strong figurehead, respected by many for being a Field Marshal in Imperial Army.

Question 23

How did the occupation of the Ruhr cause hyperinflation?

Answer 23

Much of Germany’s natural resources were located in the Ruhr, which came under French occupation. This caused a rise in prices as raw materials became more scarce. A lack of goods and raw materials meant the prices rose. Between 1919-23 their revenue is only a quarter of what they need to pay their debts, this is due to unemployment and failing factories which caused less tax income. In order to combat this, they printed more money. By 1923 the government had 300 papermills and 2000 printing shops, dedicated to printing money.

At the start, it seemed to work. But it was actually making things worse. When prices rose, the government printed money and, when money was printed, prices rose.