1. The Establishment of the Weimar Republic and Its Early Problems

What led to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II

November 9 1918

• Allies demanded that he gets abdicated

• Kiel Naval Mutiny and a fortnight of strikes and protests for the Kaiser’s abdication

• Other army mutinies set up (eg. Worker’s Council set up)

• Germany declared as a Republic

Weimar Republic

• set up on 10th November

• Ebert is the first chancellor

Armistice

• signed November 11

• Army leaders claim that Germany was on the verge of victory and that surrender/armistice was unnecessary

• Calling the Weimar Republic “November criminals” - stab in the back myth

  • Unpopularity of the Weimar Republic, weakening it. 

Jan 1919 elections

• January 1919, National elections are held, which were promised by Ebert

  • 82% of Germans vote == highly successful 

  • Moderate parties gain the most votes (40% go to the SDP Socialist party)

• Lack of support from: 

  • Army leaders

  • communists 

  • judges + elites (people with influence)

  • supporters of the Kaiser 

Evidence of instability of WR

• Between 1919-23, there were 7 chancellors

• shortest serves 86 days, no one makes it to 2 years

Treaty of Versailles

• Germany treated as a defeated nation so has no say in what is on the treaty

• ‘Didcat’ 

• The German people hopes for a fair and lenient treaty because:

  • All nations were supposed to be responsible

  • the kaiser was to be blamed 

  • Wilson’s (USA president) 14 points: all about forgiving, free trade, international cooperation etc. 

• French president (Clemenceau)

  • wants revenge and crush Germany 

• English prime minister (David Lloyd George) 

  • British people want harsh punishments 

  • British government want to resume trade with Germany and wants to keep Germany stable enough so that it doesn't fall to communism

• America’s president (Wilson) 

  • 14 points

  • wants to be lenient but had less say becomes it had less contribution in WW1

Treaty of Versailles terms

• 1919

• Territory

  • Saarlands

  • Colonies

    • Lost all 11 colonies

  • Rhinelands

  • Alsace-Lorraine

  • Polish corridor

  • Germany loses 13% of European territory: 

    • 15% coal reserves and 50% iron reserves 

    • Losing industry: harder to pay reparations

• Reparations

  • 6.6 billion pounds

• Armaments 

  • Restricted to 100,000 men

  • no tanks, to submarines, no air forces 

• War guilt clause

  • Article 231

  • Forced to accept all the terms 

  • causes deep anger and resentment in Germany 

• League of Nations

  • No defeated nation allowed to join

  • Isolation which led to vulnerability

Weimar Republic response to ToV

• Weimar republic response

  • They were shocked and refused to sign

  • Allies threatened to invade and restart the War

  • Germany forced to sign because they were not ready for another War

  • Germany believes the treaty is deliberately harsh

• The German people blame the Weimar Republic for their misfortunes 

• Leading to political assassinations

  • Foreign minister: Rathenau

Weimar Constitution

Strengths:

• Democratic system: Reichstag is looked over by the Chancellor, who is appointed by the President, who is voted by the people

• 18 Federal States in Germany

• Bill of Rights (free speech, equality and voting for over 20s)

• Proportional representation: percentage of parties voted equal to the number of seats in Reichstag

Weaknesses:

• Coalition governments had to be formed because no parties had the majority, leading to slow progress

• Article 48 (President could bypass Reichstag in emergencies) meaning ruling without democracy

• Public disliked the Republic for signing the Treaty of Versailles

Spartacist Uprising

• Left Wing 

  • 5th January 1919 Spartacist Uprising in Berlin 

  • led by Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Libknect 

    • Aimed to create a communist government 

  • Weimar Republic helped by the Freikorps not because they like the Weimar Republic, but because they hate communism

    • Shows weakness in Weimar Republic

    • Weimar Republic’s army is very weak

  • Communist party remains popular in the 1920s with 10% of votes

Kapp Putsch

• Right Wing

  • March 1920 (2 months after the terms of Treaty of Versailles is announced)

    • As part of the terms of Treaty of Versailles, Ebert tries to disband the Freikorps 

    • leading to revolt

    • The Freikorps march to Berlin, led by Wolfgang Kapp (leader), who is an extreme right wing nationalist 

      • Wolfgang Kapp is not popular

  • Weimar Republic army refuses to attack, showing its weak and that Kapp Putsch is more serious than Spartacist Uprising

  • Kapp is unpopular so Ebert appeals to the people of Berlin to go on a general strike to revolt against the Freikorps 

    • Thankfully, the people of Germany go on a general strike

    • Berlin goes on a standstill 

  • Kapp realizes he doesn't have the support of the people and flees 

Economic problems in Germany ~1922

• World War I

  • Germany 1918 is almost bankrupt

  • There is already inflation

• Treaty of Versailles 

  • Worsens inflation situation because of huge reparation payments, while allies took away income generating areas

  • Germany ask for the reparations to be reduced, allies refuses

    • Not just to be harsh, but because some were in debt and needed to pay back to other countries like USA

  • By 1922, Germany misses a payment and misses another one in December 1922

French occupation of Ruhr (1923)

• By 1922, Germany misses a payment and misses another one in December 1922

  • Leading to French and Belgian invasion of the Ruhr

  • French and Belgian are after the iron, coal, steel and goods from the factories

  • This was legal under the Treaty of Versailles

• Poor Government decisions

  • Government tells the people to go on Passive Resistance 

    • Stopping production but also paying the workers

    • French responds by bringing in own workers

    • Leading to fights between workers 

      • Around 100 Germans are killed 

• French and Belgians occupy Ruhr until 2025

Hyperinflation (1923) causes

• Post World War I inflation already exists

• 1919-23 Government only has ¼ of income needed (before the occupation of Ruhr)

  • Already printing more money

  • 1923 - 300 paper mills, 200 printing shops that were just printing banknotes 

  • German currency is linked to the amount of gold. 

    • There are banknotes than gold so the value drops

• After they lost the War, it continues to print more money to pay reparations

  • $1 = 4 marks (1919)

  • $1 =4.23 million marks (November 1923)

• After occupation of Ruhr, it continues to print even more money to pay workers that were on passive resistance/strike

Negative effects of Hyperinflation

• Rapid rise in prices = immense suffering and poverty of German people

  • People with fixed incomes (pensioners, middle class workers) suffer the most

  • people with savings also suffer

    • People starting to barter and trade instead of paying for things

• The German people blame the government for the hyperinflation crisis 

  • Rapid increase in resentment and hate for the Weimar Republic

  • Vulnerability shown in November 1923, Munich Putsch

Positive effects of Hyperinflation

• Farmers benefit because their food was worth much more than before

• Landowners/property owners: their things don't get devalued

• Debt and loans are easier to be paid (good for small businesses)