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The challenge from the left
5 Jan 1919 - Sparticist Revolt led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg in Berlin
However revolt was poorly supported and poorly prepared - Sparticists were crushed by Jan 13 by Groener’s Freikorps
Rosa and Karl were executed
Workers who helped overthrow the Kaiser became frustrated that the Republic was more wiling to compromise with the right
Newly established KPD attempted to start a communist revolution - but didn’t have the support
There were 5 proper left-wing risings from March 1919-1923
Extent of a threat from the left
Left had bad co-ordination - all their attacks on Weimar weren’t largely unified
Poor leadership - extreme left suffered at the hands of the Freikorps
Concessions - Kapp Putsch repression - authorities repressed rebels brutally
‘White Terror’ Kurt Eisner took political lead of Red Bavaria, but was assassinated on 21 Feb 1919 - Freikorps crushed the republic with 1,000 deaths in May 1919
‘Red threat’ used to describe anyone sympathetic to the left
The challenge from the right
Posed a more major threat to the Weimar Government
Right had been hostile to the Republic from the start since they didn’t believe in democracy and accused the politicians now leading Germany of betraying the Fatherland
However since each right-wing group had differing objectives this weakened the ability of right-wing groups overthrowing the Republic
The Kapp Putsch, 1920
Terms of Versailles meant that some of the Freikorps units had to be disbanded
Defence Minister Noske ordered 2 units to disband, but General von Luttwitz, the commanding general refused the disbanding of one of the units, resulting in his arrest being ordered
Luttwitz then marched his troops on Berlin in protest, supported by Wolfgang Kapp who wanted to organise a putsch
Kapp and Luttwitz were forced to flee Berlin after Ebert’s government called a workers strike on Berlin - meaning they couldn’t take over Berlin without water, gas or electricity
The putsch showed not to trust the army, civil servants can be disloyal, and the Weimar Government was weak without the army’s support, suggesting the government was not truly in control
Political assassinations
Assassination groups were formed out of the old Freikorps units
Some were actively supported by members of the regular German army
One of their first victims was Hugo Haase, a USPD member
Assassination of Erzberger
Former finance minister
Assassinated in August 1921
Assassinated by members of terrorist league Organisation Consul (formed from ex-Freikorps after their units disbanded after the failed Kapp Putsch)
Erzberger signed the Treaty of Versailles
Assassination of Rathenanu
24 June 1922
Foreign minister
His ‘crimes’ were being a Jew and a leading minister in the republican government
Assassinated by the Organisation Consul
His assassination however resulted in over 700,000 protesters in Berlin
Had participated in the signing of the armistice
The political impact of the Ruhr Invasion
Germans of all classes and political stances were outraged
Trauma of hyperinflation - Germany swept with an anti-French feeling and was more united than at any time since the end of the war
However many blamed the government for the Ruhr invasion and middle-class support for the republic was damaged
On the left, the Communists tried to use the crisis to stage uprisings
On the right, they accused the government of betrayal
The Ruhr occupation, and the hyperinflation crisis were what drove the newly / small NSDAP party to attempted to overthrow the Republic in 1923