IGCSE Germany- Weimar Republic

Kaiser’s abdication and the Revolution

Kaiser’s abdication and the Revolution

1) An armistice & peace treaty were created

•Following the Kiel Mutiny, revolutions broke out amongst soldiers and citizens across Germany & Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on 9^th November 1918

•The US agreed to negotiate an Armistice & on 11^th November 1918, the First World War ended

•They discussed a permanent peace treaty: the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28^th June 1919

2) A democratic republic was established

•The Weimar Republic & Coalition were set up: freedom of speech/religion secured etc.

•Introduced proportional representation and even women could vote; Ebert was elected President

•But it was weakened by the Treaty of Versailles (accused of stabbing Germany in the back) for land loss & humiliation

Weimar Republic + Constitution

1) Democracy was introduced

•People (even women) now voted for Reichstag members every 4 years & President every 7 years

•Proportional representation meant no party got a majority in the Reichstag (never got 50+%)

•This led to short-lived, unstable coalitions & many Chancellors (11 governments from 1919-23)

2) Led to a rise of extremism

•Lots of frustration at the system: Article 48 meant the President could make laws, undermining democracy (it was used 66 times in 1932)

•Middle-class voters disliked the liberal culture (e.g. gay bars) & many wanted the Kaiser back

•This led to the Kapp Putsch in March 1920 where Kapp tried to overthrow Weimar

Treaty of Versailles

1) Germany was weakened & humiliated

•They were fined 132 000 million marks in reparations on 28^th June 1919 (an economic burden)

•The Army was limited to 100 000 troops – vulnerable; land like West Prussia was lost to Poland and Alsace-Lorraine to France (losing 50% of Germany’s iron reserves)

•Article 231 meant that Germany took blame for starting the war, justifying the reparations

2) Weimar Government lost popularity

•Members were called the November Criminals (they’d stabbed Germany in the back)

•The SPD lost 60+ seats in the June 1920 elections, people were attracted to extreme options

•They felt betrayed; Hitler later campaigned against the Treaty, saying it was there to harm Germany so she could never fight back – he claimed the Government had betrayed Germany

Spartacist Uprising

1) Government’s authority was weakened

•In January 1919, 100 000 Spartacist League communists took over Berlin, wanting a revolution

•Ebert asked the Freikorps (military veterans) to fight; the Government was weak, had to ask the right wing for help – as a result, they lost 60+ seats in the June 1920 elections

•This was a betrayal of the left wing: Ebert had turned against his own side & the SPD lost trust

2) Inspired extremist parties

•Parties grew their own armies and political violence increased (376 political deaths (1919-23))

•This inspired other takeover attempts: the Kapp Putsch happened in March 1920

•The KPD  decided to stand in elections and win power that way

French Occupation of the Ruhr

1) Weimar Government paid striking workers

•France/Belgium invaded the Ruhr in January 1923 (Germany fell behind on 132 000 million marks) reparations but the Government did not back down – not a betrayal like Versailles

•They encouraged & paid workers to strike so the French couldn’t benefit financially

•Workers even damaged factories with arson; the Government arguably became more popular

2) Hyperinflation

•The economy was struggling due to war costs, reparations, and the Ruhr Crisis

•The Ruhr contained 80% of German coal/iron resources so less goods manufactured

•The Government began printing more money so it became less valuable and prices increased, leading to hyperinflation (bread rose from 1 mark in 1919 to 100 000 marks in 1923)

Hyperinflation- causes

•Large cost from fighting in the War (weapons etc.) & they’d spent their gold reserves

•The Versailles 132 000 million mark reparations bill was an economic burden

•Germany had lost land (e.g. Alsace-Lorraine to France & 50% of their ion reserves)

•They had to pay wages for striking workers in the Ruhr

Hyperinflation - effects

1) Increases in prices and more shortages

•The German mark became worthless so there was less foreign trade/imports (so food shortages)

•Prices sky-rocketed (bread rose from 1 mark in 1919 to 100 000 in 1923) – many in poverty

•People carried money in wheelbarrows or traded with goods; many struggled to eat

2) Weimar Government’s popularity decreased

•Middle-class Germans’ savings became worthless so many became poorer and lost trust

•People were dissatisfied with the Government for printing more money, blaming them for it

•The new Chancellor Stresemann introduced the Rentenmark in September 1923, stabilising the economy. However, the dissatisfaction resulted in the Munich Putsch in November 1921)