Weimar Republic 1918-29*

Created by: honeycrumpet
Created on: 17-03-23 10:49

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Weimar Republic 1918-1929
- Legacy of WW1
  - Impact on Germany
    - 2 million German troops died, over 4 million wounded (11 million fought in war)
    - Government debts increased from 50 billion to 150 billion marks
    - More than 750k Germans died due to food shortage
    - People left with no other option other than to revolt or strike
  - Revolution and declaration of republic
    - Once Kaiser abdicated, German Republic declared 9/11/1918
    - On 10/11, Friedrich Ebert suspended the old Reichstag.
      - Formed the Council of Peoples Representatives (temporary measure)
    - Berlin streets crowded, some armed - hoping to take over parts of the city
    - Phillp Scheidmann of Social Democratic Party (SDP) declared new Republic to crowds.
      - Fearful that armed rioters were perparing for communist government in Berlin - aimed to prevent with a peacful transition.
  - The armistice
    - Signed 11/11.
    - First major decision of Ebert's new Republic.
    - Treaty of Versailles became a very big burden on country (in terms of peace)
  - Abdication of the Kaiser Wilhelm II
    - 9/11/1918 - Kaiser visited army HQ in Spa, ministers tried to persuade him to abdicate, he refused
      - But Army officers refused to support him - no other option but to abdicate
        10/11/1918 - Kaiser fled to Holland
- Strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Constitution
  - Strengths
    - Proportional representation made sure small parties had fair share of seats.
    - Women able to vote too.
    - Voting age reduced from 25 to 21.
    - No one group or person could have too much power.
    - Election for president every 7 years.
    - Central government more powerful, but local government still retained power in regions.
    - Reichsrat could regulate power of Reichstag by delaying new laws.
  - Weaknesses
    - Proportional representation let to coalition governments that were unstable or found it difficult to have strong policies and fell apart.
    - Lack of strong government led to weakness in a crisis that ended up with the president passing laws without prior consent of Reichstag
      - Article 48 allowed president to do this.
    - Not choice of the people = unpopular
  - Democratic government established 31/07/1919 in Weimar(Berlin still had unrest)
  - Constitution
    - Electorate - consisted of men and women 21 and over.
    - Head of Sate
      - President of Weimar Republic.
      - Elected by people every 7 years.
      - Important political powers (e.g. choosing chancellor)
      - Could suspend the constitution and pass laws by decree.
    - The Government
      - Chancellor - head of government+ chose all ministers.
      - Cabinet - main decision making body of the government.
    - Parliament
      - Made up of two houses - Reichstag and Reichsrat.
        Reichstag
        More powerful of the two houses
        
        Controlled taxation
        
        Directly elected by the people every 4 years.
        
        Reichsrat
        Directly elected by the people every 4 years
        
        Represented regions of Germany.
        
        Each region sent a certain number of representatives depending on size
      - Normally, all laws had to pas through both houses.
      - Proportional Representation
- Why the Republic was unpopular (the treaty)
  - The treaty and reparations
    - Germany accept the blame for the war= the Allies entitled to reparations.
    - £6600 million paid in yearly installments to the Allies to repair damage
  - The treaty and land losses
    - Germany lost 13% of its European Territory
    - Germany lost 11 of its colonies.
    - Lost land to Lithuania, Poland, Denmark and France.
  - The 'stab in the back' theory
    - Many German people never believed their army had been defeated in the war.
    - People believed army had been betrayed by the politicians
      - 'Stabbed in the back' - forced to surrender when they could've won
  - The treaty and military forces
    - Army limited to 100k.
    - Navy limited to 6 battleships,6 cruiers,12 destroyers 12 torpedo boats.
    - All planes destroyed, no air force allowed.
    - No military was allowed in the land bordering France(the Rhineland)
  - Article 213
    - Claimed Germany was guilty of starting the war
    - Germans hated it, believed war was fought in self-defense, other countries were to blame
- Challenges from left and right
  - Left - Spartacists
    - Came from independent socialist party
    - Had bakcing from the Soviet Union.
    - Led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
    - Based in Berlin
    - The revolt
      - January 1919, Spartacists took over governments newspaper bureau + organized general strike
      - The Weimar governments sent Freikorps units to put down the revolt.
      - There was street fighting in Berlin for several days before revolt ended - leaders were shot
  - Right - Freikorps/the Kapp Putsch
    - Made up of ex-soldiers who had kept their weapons
    - 250k men in March 1919
    - Organized by regular army
    - The revolt
      - March 1920, Freikorps troops marched to Berlin. Ebert asked head of army to resist but he refused.
        Nationalist, Dr Wolfgang Kapp put in charge - Weimar government fled.
      - Government organised trading unions to go on strike
        National strike caused such chaos that Kapp could not rule, forced to flee
        Weimar ministers returned
  - Political attacks on the Weimar Republic
    - Right/Left wing parties in the Reichstag
    - The Kapp-Putsch
    - Right-wing bias in the courts
    - The Spartacist Revolt.
    - Political assassination
    - Left/Right wing political armies
  - Political assassination
    - In the early years, 376 political assassinations took place.
    - Conservative judges were sympathetic to the conservative cause = light punishments
    - Some right wings extremists used the murders to weaken the new republic.
- Challenges of 1923
  - Hyperinflation
    - When the price of goods increase spectacularly
  - Why there was hyperinflation
    - 1914-18: Government printed more money for reparations (but no gold/bankrupt)
      - 1918-22: Printed more for post-war shortages +asked for longer to pay for first instalment
        January 1923:French invaded Ruhr, workers went on strike=print more for strike production (Ruhr 80% of coal, iron, steel reserves)
        November 1923:German mark worthless
  - The effects of hyperinflation
    - Positive
      - Farmers benefited ,as they were paid more for food
      - Loans and mortgages paid off
      - Fixed rents for rooms/shops became cheap
      - Foreign visitors could buy more
    - Negative
      - People could not afford essentials like bread
      - Wages did not rise as quickly as prices
      - Businesses went bankrupt
      - People with fixed money/ incomes suffered most
      - Savings became worthless - affected middleclass most
      - People blamed Weimar government = more unpopular
- Reasons for recovery 1923-29
  - Rentenmark
    - 11/1923, Stresemann set up Rentenbank and issued new currency
      - Supply of notes tightly controlled, value tied to price of gold + backed by industrial plants/ agricultural land
        08/1924,Reichsbank given control of new currency, renamed Reichsmark, hyperinflation over.
    - Strong basis for recovery of jobs/ businesses, but did not bring back losses.
  - Dawes Plan 1924
    - Instalments temporarily reduced to £50 millon a year.
    - US banks made loans to German industry - allies felt confident they would get payments
  - Young Plan 1929
    - Reduced total reparations debt from £6.6 billion to £2 billion
    - Reparations made over onger time _ till 1988
    - Lower reparations = lower taxes for German people
    - Opposition from extreme parties (Nazis) who felt it was extending burden for future generations
  - Improvments in the economy
    - Industrial output doubled by 1928,finally passed pre-WW1 levels
    - Employment and trade increased.
    - Problems
      - Extreme parties against Germany paying reparations at all
      - Economic recovery dependent on American loans = remained fragile
- Stresemanns success
  - Work in foreign affairs
    - Resigned chancellorship in 11/1923, stayed foreign secretary until 1929
      - Strengthened confidence of German people in the Republic
      - Reduced support of extremist political parties like Nazis/ Communists
      - Increased support for moderate parties
      - Reduced economic hardships of German people
  - Locarno Pact 1925
    - Agreement between Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium
      - Germany agreed to its new border with France, improving relations with the French
      - Allies and Germany agreed to the permanent demilitarization of the Rhineland
      - German membership of the League of Nations was up for discussion
    - Why it was a success for Germany
      - Improved relations with France(border agreement)
      - Not imposed on Germany -unlike Treaty of Versailles
      - Increased status and popularity of Weimar Repbublic
      - Helped boost confidence in more moderate political parties
  - League of Nations
    - Why it was a success for Germany
      - Showed Germany's views counted
      - Boosted confidence in Weimar government
    - New international body that hoped to discuss world problems to avoid war
    - Set up 1920 - Germany initially excluded
      - 1926 invited to join, became member of council
  - Kellog-Briand Pact 1928
    - Why it was a success for Germany
      - Showed Germany was once again in major power
      - Showed moderate political parties could build Germanys strength internationally
      - Increased public confidence of leadership
    - Agreement between 62 nations
    - Committed countries to avoid use of war to achieve foreign policy objectives
  - Not all successful
    - Some hated terms of treaty were still in place
    - League of nations seen as a symbol of the treaty
    - Some didnt like confirmation of new border with France
    - Still extremist parties around
- Changes for workers and women
  - Changes in living standards
    - Unemployment insurance
      - 3% of workers earnings were deducted - put towards insurance for sick benefits etc
    - Housing
      - 15% rent tax introduced to fund building associations
      - 1925-29: 101k homes built, still housing shortages
    - Wages and work
      - Working hours reduced, wages rose, working conditions improved
      - Hyperinflation made employment insecure, some Germans hated seeing workers benefit
  - Women at work
    - Gains in equality brought by war were lost
    - Most women gave up work after marrying
      - Drop in women working from 75% in 1918 to 36% in 1925
    - Few women secured high status jobs
    - Professions like teaching and medicine offerednew opportunities
    - Women encouraged to go to university
  - Women at leisure
    - Greater earning power led to more independence for younger single women
    - Women more interested in 'good time' than marriage
    - 'New' women not liked by people who believed in traditional values
  - Women in politics
    - Women earned vote in 1918+stand in elections
      - 90% turned out at elections
    - Marriage was an equal partnership
    - Article 109: women had equal rights with men/equal basis
- Cultural changes 1924-29
  - Art
    - Expressionism, concerned with every day life and disaster of WW1
    - Reflect problems in German scoiety
  - Cinema
    - Expressionism flourished in film-making
      - Germany had less restrictions -challenged traditional cinema
  - Architecture
    - Bauhaus school 1919 by Gropius
    - Challenged traditional styles popular before the war

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Weimar Republic 1918-29*

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