Political challenges

Treaty Versailles, weak government, poltical violence

What is the Treaty of Versailles?

Peace agreement that ofically ended World War 1

What were the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles

• Germany accepted responsibility for the war under Article 231

• Reperationals werre eventually fixed at 132 billion gold marks

• The german army was limited to 100,000 soldiers

• Germany lost approximately 13% of its territory and 10% of its population

What was article 231 and why was it significant?

Article 231, known as the War Guilt Clause, made Germany accept responsibility for the war and the damage suffered by the Allies. It provided the legal justification for reparations and caused enormous anger and humiliation among Germans.

What reparations was Germany required to pay?

in 1912, the Allies fixed Germanys reparations at 132 billion gold marks. These payments placed pressure on Germanys economy and became a powerful symbol of the treatys unfairness to many germans.

How did the Treaty of Versailles weaken the Weimar Republic?

Many germans blamed the Weimar politicians who signed the treaty and called them the November Criminals. This strengthened the Stab in the Back myth, which falsey claimed that Germanys army had not truly been defeated but had been betrayed by politicans and other groups at home. This weakened trust in democracy and increased support for extremist parties.

When and how were Germanys reparations decided?

The Treaty of Versailles required Germany to pay reparations in 1919, but the final amount of 132 billion gold marks was set by the allies in 1921

Why was the Weimar government politically weak?

• Proportional representation - Made it difficult for one aprty to gain a majority, governemnts ahd to rely on unstable coalitions

• There were 20 different coalition governments between 1919 and 1933

• Frequent changes in government weaked public confidence in parliamentary democracy

What was the Spartacist Uprising of 1919?

A failed communist uprising led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknechtm who wanted Germany to follow the example of the Russian Revolution. Eberts government used the right-wing Freikorps to crush it, Rosa and Karl were killed.

What was the Kapp Putsch of 1920?

A failed right wing attempt led by Wolfgang Kapp to overthrow the Weimar Republic. The army refusd to defend the government, but the putsch collapsed after workers organised a general strike.

What was the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923?

Hitler and the Nazi Party attempted to overthrow the Bavarian government and eventually take control of Germany. The putsch failed, police opened fire on the Nazis, killing 16 Nazis and 4 police officers. Hitler was arrested, sentenced to five years. He only served 9 months due to having connections and sympathisers among the guards, during these 9 months he wrote Mein Kampf.

What did political violence reveal about the Weimar Republic?

Uprisings from both the political left and right showed that many Germans rejected parliamentary democracy. The repeated violence made the republic appear weak and politically unstable.