Political instability and Extremism 1919-24
- Created by: Becca Newman
- Created on: 08-06-19 16:42
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- Political Instability and Extremism 1919-24
- The Problems of Coalition Government
- The electoral system was based on proportional representation - so no party could ever become a government alone
- Therefore there were a lot of coalitions
- Many parties were focused on the overthrowing of the republic
- This left the moderate middle parties (SDP + Centre Party + DDP) to form stable coalitions
- Society became more polarised and support for moderate parties lessened
- After June 1920 the SDP ceased taking a leading role in government due to internal divisions
- Between Feb 1919 + Nov 1923 there were 10 coalition governments
- It was the extreme anti-democratic parties which benefited from undermining the confidence in the democracy
- The electoral system was based on proportional representation - so no party could ever become a government alone
- Challenge from the Left
- On 5th Jan 1919 the Sparticists staged an armed uprising in Berlin.
- It was poorly supported and prepared
- General groener was forced to use the Freikorps (as there were few military unites under his command) to put down the revolt
- The defeat of the uprising deepened the division on the left further
- General groener was forced to use the Freikorps (as there were few military unites under his command) to put down the revolt
- It was poorly supported and prepared
- The KPD (Communists) had only minority support in Germany -and did not have the support or determination to lead a communist revolution.
- The workers' then turned to supporting the RIGHT
- The fear of a red (Communist) revolution led many to support the right
- On 5th Jan 1919 the Sparticists staged an armed uprising in Berlin.
- Challenge from the Right
- There were many competing right-wing groups with different objectives
- These divisions weakened the right's power to overthrown the government
- The Kapp Putsch 1920
- General Von Luttwitz refused to disband one of his Freikorps groups when the defence minister (Gustav Noske) demanded
- Luttwitz marched his troops on berlin to protest - supported by Wolfgang Kapp
- General Hans Von Seeckt and Ludendorff were non-committal
- The Unions called a general strike.
- The regular army was called on to bring the revolt down, but they would not fire on other troops.
- Within 4 days the Putsch collapsed - Kapp and Luttwitz were forced to flee
- Lessons from it: Army couldn't be trusted; civil servants could be disloyal; the workers as a group could show their power, without the army the government was weak
- Judges showed leniency to the right wing in the trials
- Lessons from it: Army couldn't be trusted; civil servants could be disloyal; the workers as a group could show their power, without the army the government was weak
- Within 4 days the Putsch collapsed - Kapp and Luttwitz were forced to flee
- The regular army was called on to bring the revolt down, but they would not fire on other troops.
- Luttwitz marched his troops on berlin to protest - supported by Wolfgang Kapp
- General Von Luttwitz refused to disband one of his Freikorps groups when the defence minister (Gustav Noske) demanded
- Political Assassinations
- In August 1921 the former finance minister was assassinated by 2 members of the terrorist league the Organisation Consul
- Erzberger had signed the Treaty of Versailles + was a representative on the Reparations Committee
- Hine 1922 the foreign minister Walter Rathenau was murdered for being a Jew + a minister in the Republican government
- Untitled
- In August 1921 the former finance minister was assassinated by 2 members of the terrorist league the Organisation Consul
- There were many competing right-wing groups with different objectives
- The Problems of Coalition Government
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