People disliked the politicians- they were seen as November Criminals (signed armistice 1918), and agreed to Treaty of Versailles. Bother of these treaties were deeply unpopular with the German public who found them a) unfair and b) surprising as many ahd though Germany was winning the war (Stabbed in the back theory)
It was a new system- Germany had never been a republic before, so people were unsure of the idea, and how exactly to run the new Government
The system was weak- the Weimar Gov. was often a coalition givernment as no single party ever gained a large majority. This weakened it considerably.
The situation was terrible- reparations crippled Germany, the people were unhappy and there was lots of opposition to the new Gov in the form of the various uprisings eg Kapp Putsch...
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Spartacist Revolt
January 1919
Spartacist Revolt led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
Members of the Sparticist League = supporters of communism
Unsuccessful- Freikorps helped to break up the revolt
Both leaders were captured and executed
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Kapp Putsch
1920
Freikorps= ex-army militia, right wing
Ebert tried to break up the Freikorps according to the requirements of the Treaty of Versailles
Wolfgang Kapp led the Freikorps in a take over bid, and they proclaimed him the new leader of Germany
Government called for a general strike
Eventual Kapp had to flee as the strike continued
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Munich / Beerhall Putsch
1923
Nazi Party take over bid led by Hitler
Hitler tried to pressurise Munich politicians into supporting him by interrupting a meeting in the Munich Beerhall
However, when he marched on Munich he was not supported by the army and the people as he had expected
A few Nazis were killed and Hitler was arrested along with his collaborators
Hitler put on trial - made lots of speeches- great for publicity
Sentenced to 5 years in jail- stayed only 8 months
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Invasion of the Ruhr
1923
French and Belgian troops marched into the Ruhr- (industrial area of Germany, producing coal, iron and steel)
Why? - Germany had not been paying their reparations, so they decided to take the money in the form of industrial products
Government called for a strike in the Ruhr- workers were paid to stop work
Government printed more money to pay strikers- led to hyperinflation
Hitler took advantage of the weak state of Germany by staging the Munich Putsch
Troops withdrew in 1925 after Stresseman called off "passive resistance" and started paying reparations again
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Stresemann
Seen as one of Germany's most able politicians
Came to power as chancellor in 1923 and introduced the Rentenmark, helping to solve the problem of hyperinflation
Led Germany into the "Golden Age" of the Weimar Republic
Worked as Foreign Minister
1924- Negotiated DAWES PLAN = reduced amount of reparations Germany had to pay
1929- Negotiated YOUNG PLAN = further reductions in reparations and a longer time in which to pay them
Stresemann died in 1929, before the Wall Street Crash
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