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Russian Communist Revolution
Made left wing parties in Germany want the same -
WW1
Allies blockaded all ports preventing all imports, resulting in a shortage of weapons for troops and basic supplied for the public
This created unrest:Workers at Diamler Plant went on strike
Jewish communist Kurst Eisner led an uprising in Munich -
Last Ditch attack on Paris
Failed
Army told Kaiser Wilhelm to abdicate
This would limit riots and avoid Germany descending into civil war
This would also appease the allies in the hope they would be less harsh on a new government -
Social Democratic Party took power
Germany declared Weimar Republic
Friedrich Ebert became first chancellor -
Communists undermined Kaiser with protests
Hated by the right wing -
Period: to
Germany people were unhappy which pushed many to supporting extremist groups
This is because:
WR decision to admit defeat
Treaty of Versailles
Hardships caused by employment and inflation -
Matthias Erzberger signed armistice
Agreement to stop fighting -
National Assembly create new constitution
Democratic - German people had more control than ever before
Checks and Balances - power shared out and cannot be abused
18 regions each had their own government -
Parliament split in 2
Reichstag:
Dominant house
Members elected every 4 years
Everyone over 20 could vote
Proportional representation
Reichsrat:
Members sent by each local region
Could delay new laws unless overruled by 2/3 majority in the Reichstag -
Hugo Hasse murdered
Member of Council of People's Representatives -
Spartacist League uprising
100,000 communists demonstrated in Berlin
Took control if key buildings such as newspaper offices
Ebert turned to 250,000 Freikorps who were anti-communist
Several thousand communist supporters arrested of killed
Leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were both killed -
Period: to
Government income was 1/4 of what was required
-
Period: to
376 political murders
Parties had own private armies
Often employed ex and unemployed soldiers who hated the WR
Only meant to provide protection
Left wing or moderate politicians most common victims of violence
No right wing murderers were convicted - shows legal system was filled with right wing supporters -
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty was diktat
Guilt Clause
136 billion marks in reparations
Army limited to 100,000
Airforce banned
Set up Rhineland as a demilitarize zone
All colonies lost
Lost 13% of European territory
Gave up 50% of iron and 15% of coal reserves -
Kapp Putsch
5000 right wing supporters of Dr Wolfgang Kapp marched to Berlin to overthrow the government and reinstate the Kaiser
Government fled to Dresden and urged people to strike and put down the revolt
Workers obliged as they were left wing and disliked the Kaiser
Strikes in all essential services - gas, electricity, water and transport
Kapp fled and was imprisoned -
Period: to
28 parties represented in the Reichstag
Due to proportional representation
Forced to make coalitions - led to instability
Balance of power meant strong, decisive action was limited
President often suspended the constitution under article 48 and ruled by decree -
Matthias Erzberger shot
-
Germany could no longer pay reparations
Government was bankrupt as all gold reserves had been spent on war
Worsened by the Treaty of Versailles -
Government had 300 paper mills and 2000 printing shops
Shortages led to the price of goods increasing - inflation
People had to pay more money for the goods they needed
Therefore, they printed more money
This meant they could pay reparations but it made inflation worse -
Loaf of bread costed 100 billion marks
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Hyperinflation
Due to vicious circle - the more prices rose, the more money was printed, the more prices rose.... -
£1 = 100 billion marks
Foreign suppliers refused to accept marks for goods
Imports dried out so shortages became even worse
People had to carry wheelbarrows of money to buy goods
Many workers were paid 2x a day so they could buy goods immediately before prices rose
Middle class were hardest hit due to - savings and pension became worthless -
Gustav Stresemann was appointed the new chancellor and foreign secretary
Created period of stability
Support for the Weimar republic was shaken
Supported by moderate parties on the right and left so able to pass measures
Set up Rentenmark
Established a new independent national bank which was given control of the Rentenmark -
Changed old mark to Rentenmark
-
Political unrest calms
Due to Stresemann becoming Chancellor
Inflation was brought under control
Suffering reduced
Politics became more moderate -
Period: to
Industrial output doubled
Due to Dawes Plan -
Period: to
Occupation of the Ruhr
France sent troops into the German industrial area of Ruhr as they could no longer pay the reparations
80% of German col and iron was based here
They confiscated raw materials, manufactured goods and industrial machinery
German govt. urged passive resistance like strikes and sabotage of machinery
Reduced army of 100,000 was no match for 750,000
Caused resentment from people towards the
Weimar govt:
Failed to resist the French
Increased employment and shortage of goods -
Dawes Plan
Addressed reparations and Germany's non-payment
Annual payments reduced to an affordable level
American banks agreed to invest in German industry
Effects:
Reassured allies that payments would be made
Called of strikes at Ruhr and the French withdrew
Improved German economy
Imports and exports increased
Employment rose
Govt. income from taxation rose
People felt reassued -
The Locarno (Rhineland) Pact
Treaty between Germany, GB, France, Italy and Belgium
Germany agreed to keep new 1919 border with France and Belgium
Allied troops left Rhineland
France promised peace with Germany
Opened talks about Germany's membership in the league of nations -
Germany accepted as member and given seat on League of Nations Council
Germany had been excluded at the end of World War 1 -
Stresemann won a Nobel Peace Prize
-
Kellog-Briand Pact
International agreement
Vowed not to use war the achieve foreign policy aims -
Wall Street Crash
Share prices began to fall on Wall Street stock exchange
Falling shares meant investments fell in value
People rushed to sell their shares before they could fall lower in value
Effects:
Main investors in the shares were the banks which suffered huge losses
So much was withdrawn that some German banks ran out of cash
US banks urgently needed the money lent to German businesses but businesses needed their loans to operate
Industrial output fell
Unemployment rose
Demand for goods fell -
The Young Plan
Addressed amount and length of reparations
Reduced debt from £6.6 billion to £2 billion
Germany given 59 years to pay
Hitler claimed extending the length of the payments was 'passing the penalty to the unborn'
Effects:
Reduced annual amount govt. had to pay
Made it possible for govt. to lower taxes which meant people had more disposable income - boosted Germany industry and economy -
Stresemann had gained German people's confidence in weimar Republic
Restored economic stability
Regained a place for Germany on the international stage
Won support of moderate parties on the right and left
Supported by Paul von Hindenburg - former field marshal of the Kaiser's army
BUT some extremists saw Stresemann's actions as reinforcement of the hated Treaty of Versailles -
Black Thurday
13 million shares sold
Sent panic pushing shared even lower
Shares worth $20,000 in the morning were only $1000 by the end of the days trading? -
Period: to
Heinrich Bruning became chancellor
Proposed two policies:
Raising tax to pay the cost of unemployment benefit
Reducing unemplpment benefit to make payments more affordable
Under pressures of the Wall Street crash, the Reichstag coalition collapsed and could only govern by decree -
Article 48 used 66 times
Undermined confidence in Weimar Republic even further -
Bruning resigned
Had lost control of economy, Reichstag and streets
Dangerous power vacuum had been created -
Unemployment was 6 million
Due to Wall Street Crash