THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

Almudena Corrales

Social Sciences

Introduction:

• The WW1 had destroyed much of old Germany.

• The proud German Army was defeated.

• Also a flue epidemy was sweaping the country, killing thousands of people already weakened by rations.

THE BIRTH OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

It was named after Weimar, the city where the constitutional assembly took place.

• Germany was in state of chaos.

• The Allies offered Germany peace, but under strict condition: GERMANY SHOULD BECOME DEMOCRATIC

• November 1918, the Kaiser abdicated his throne and left Germany for the Netherlands.

• Ebert became the new leader of the Republic of Germany.

• A new Constitution was drawn up. (Students Book, page 139).

• The reaction of the politicians in Germany was unenthusiastic. He had opposition from both right and left.

THE BIRTH OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC

• Despite this opposition, in January 1919 free elections took place for the first time in Germany’s history.

• Ebert’s party won majority and he became the President of the Weimar Republic.

THE REPUBLIC IN DANGER (1919-1924) POLITICAL OPPONENTS:

LEFTCommunists

RIGHTFreikorps, Nazi

• Communist revolucionaries lacked support

• They never gained more than 15% in elections

• Leaders:

RosaLuxemburg

• Most working people supported Ebert’s SPD

• Lacked support of people

• Had no outstanding leaders

• Army suspicious of extreme groups such as the Nazis in 1923.

THE REPUBLIC IN DANGER (1919-1924)ECONOMIC DESASTER

• The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to pay reparations to the Allies.

• The reparations bill was announced in April 1921.

Here is a summary. Germany lost:10 per cent of its land

All of its overseas colonies

12.5 per cent of its population

16 per cent of its coal and 48 per cent of its

iron industry• In adition:

Its army was reduced to 100,000; it was not allowed to

have an air force; its navy was reduced.

Germany had to accept blame for starting the war and

was forced to pay reparations.

THE REPUBLIC IN DANGER (1919-1924)ECONOMIC DESASTER

The Ruhr:

• Ebert try to did his best to negotiate concessions from the Allies.

• They had war debts to pay to the USA

• January 1923, French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr and began to take what was owned to them in form of goods and raw materials.

• The results of the occupation were disastrous for Germany: this was the most important economic region.

• The government ordered the workers to carry out passive resistace strike.

• French reacted harshly, killing over 100 workers.

THE REPUBLIC IN DANGER (1919-1924)

ECONOMIC DESASTER

Hyperinflaction:

• Because it had no goods to trade the government printed money

• Prices rose dramatically

• Money was worthless

• Poor people suffered, also middle class and pensioners

THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC UNDER GUSTAV STRESEMANN

THE FACTS

• Stresemann was Chancellor in 1923 only.

• His main role was as Foreign Minister from

1924

• He was a right-winger and more able than

Ebert

• He built up Germany’s prosperity again

although all of Europe was recovering

• He signed Germany up to the Dawes Plan in

1924

• Germany’s reparations paid over a longer period

• America lent money to German industry and also to the Government to pay reparations

• German currency reorganised

The Dawes Plan (as proposed by the Dawes Committee, chaired by Charles G. Dawes) was an attempt in 1924 to solve the reparations problem, which had bedeviled international politics, in the wake of the Ruhr occupation and the hyperinflation crisis. It provided for the Allies to collect war reparations

debt from Germany. Intended as an interim measure, the Young Plan was adopted in 1929 to replace it.

Foreign Policy

Stresemann showed real skill in foreign policy –

1925

1. Locarno Treaties – 1925

2. 1926 – Germany joined the League of Nations

3. Young plan - 1929

After a number of years in the wilderness

Germany was accepted back into the

international community

Locarno TreatiesGermany, France, Italy, Belgium,

Czechoslovakia, Poland met at Locarno in Switzerland.

Signed a number of treaties to settle disputes between themselves

1. France, Belgium and Germany agreed to accept borders as drawn up by Treaty of Versailles

2. Rhineland stayed demilitarised

3. France would protect Poland and Czechoslovakia if attacked by Germany

4. Germany would not use force to settle disputes with neighbours

Other features of the Stresemann Years

• Golden age of German cinema

• Night life, cabaret

• Removal of censorship

• Unemployment and poverty still high

• Growing prosperity based on USA loans –

what would happen if USA wanted the money back ?

POSITIVESnegatives

Assignment

Draw a table summarizing the next aspects of the Weimar Republic under Stresemann:

ECONOMY CULTURE POLITICS FOREIGN POLICY

ECONOMY CULTURE POLITICS FOREIGN POLICY

ACHIEVEMENTS PROBLEMS