Weimar 'Golden years' 1924-29

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  • Created by: Adam96
  • Created on: 27-02-14 13:13

Weimar 'Golden years' 1924-29

Advantages

  • No putsch attempts
  • No political assassinations
  • 1928 Muller's (SPD) Grand Coalition, incorporated left, centre and right wing parties to give more stability. 60% majority in Reichstag. = Increased political stability
  • Increased acceptance of democracy - 1928 76% of people voted pro Weimar parties.
  • New President Hindenburg gave support for the constitution
  • Economic growth and development - 1928 production = that of 1913
  • 1928 incomes were 12% higher than 1913
  • German industry were leaders in their sectors. e.g. chemicals - IG Farben
  • Exports up by 40% between 1925 and 1929
  • Massive loans from countries such as the USA help to develop German infrastructure - borrowed 25.5 billion marks between 1924- 30
  • inflation and unemployment stayed low
  • improved living standards - rising wages
  • Greater social policies - generous pensions, sickness benefits and unemployment insurance.
  • massive public projects parks, schools, sports facilities and council housing.

Disadvantages

  • political parties did not co-operate well, divisions lead to weak governments and poor policy making.
  • 7 governments between 1923-1929
  • support for extremist parties reduced but stayed high- KPD (German communist party) obtained 10.6% of the vote 1928
  • Hindenburg was a right wing president supported the DNVP and insisted that they be include in coalitions.
  • Agriculture was in recession and decline since 1927
  • The German economy was heavily reliant on loans and investment from the USA = leaving Germany venerable to US economic problems (wall street crash 1929) Historian Karl Borchardt ' a sick economy'
  • The government could never get unemployment lower than 1.3 million and was on the rise before the 1929 crash.
  • Although a strong economy they did not out perform that of the French and British economies.
  • social tensions remained high between industrial workers and business owners - strikes and union disputes were common.
  • The Government massive spending on welfare and public projects could not be meet by government income so had to be funded by loans = increased the German deficit and debt.
  • Wage increase and welfare payments meant higher costs for employers making jobs very competitive and upsetting the business leaders.
  • Trade imbalance = imports out striped exports

Evaluation

The key debate on the question of whether or not the years 1924-29 were the golden years, is was these golden years built upon a 'sick economy'. In affect was the golden years a front to a stagnant, uneven economy and a ineffective weak government. Karl Borchardt would be a historian who agrees with this theory.

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Very good regarding economic and political advantages and disadvantages, but lacks international and social information.

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