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Weimar Republic

Weimar Republic. Allies offered peace to Germany, but Germany had to become democratic. Kaiser refused, but there was a sailors’ revolt, so on Nov 9 th 1918 he abdicated. Friedrich Ebert became the new leader. There was to be a new constitution and new laws and right for the people.

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Weimar Republic

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  1. Weimar Republic • Allies offered peace to Germany, but Germany had to become democratic. • Kaiser refused, but there was a sailors’ revolt, so on Nov 9th 1918 he abdicated. • Friedrich Ebert became the new leader. • There was to be a new constitution and new laws and right for the people.

  2. 1st act was to sign the Versailles Treaty • Named for the city in which the constitution was developed

  3. Problems • Thethreatfromtheleft • TheTreaty of Versailles • Thethreatfromtheright • Economicproblems

  4. Threatfromtheleft • Spartacists (communistparty) underLiebknecht and Luxemburg • TheyfollowedRussianmodel • TheyincitedtheCommunistrevolution • A secondrevolution in Bavaria.

  5. Ebert workedtogetherwiththeFreikorpstocrushtherevolts. • Thiscausedtensionbetween Ebert and hisparty (SPD) • MostGermanswereagreedhowever, theyfeared a bloody civil war, like in Russia.

  6. Freikorps

  7. Treaty of Versailles • ManyGermansfelttheyhadbeenbtrayed (“stabbed in the back”) by Ebert and hisgovernment. • Thisdividedthepoliticians and causedpoliticalunrest • Until Hitler rose topower in 1933, theTreaty was still a muchhatedtopic.

  8. Thethreatfromtheright • Strongnationalism, manypeoplewhosupportedthekaiserwerestill in place. • 1920: Kapp-putsch. 5000 FreikorpssoldiersintoBerlin. Situationsavedby a general strike. • Kapp was prosecuted, buttherest of theleadersnot.

  9. Kappputsch

  10. Manypoliticalmurders • 1923: Munichputsch (Beer Hall Putsch). Hitler triedtotakeoverBavaria. Weimar troops responded. • Hitler was heldresponsible and puton trial. • He received a very light sentence.

  11. Leaders of theBeer Hall Putsch

  12. Economicproblems • Reparations: 6600 millionpounds, annually. • In 1922 Germanydidn’tpay.

  13. Occupation of the Rhineland • 1923, Germany fails to pay reparations to France and Belgium too. • France and Belgium occupy the Rhineland to force payments • Germans launch a general strike of non-cooperation with the occupiers • Govt. pays strikers to strike

  14. Hyperinflation • Payments to strikers forces Weimar government to print money to fund it. • Far too much is printed compared to what it is worth. • In 1914 there were four marks to every dollar. • In 1924 there were 4,000,000,000,000,00 marks per dollar.

  15. Stresemann Miracle • Gustav Stresemann served as the prime minister and stabilized the mark by following the advice of Hjalmar Schacht • Germany stabilizes and begins to grow again without inflation • Finally, Stresemann settles the western border with France with the Locarno Treaty.

  16. 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

  17. Treaty of Locarno • Perhaps the high point of the Weimar Republic • Germany agrees to respect its western border with France and Belgium. • This allows Germany to enter the League of Nations and removes Germany from diplomatic isolation

  18. Golden Era 1924-1929 • Economy grows quite well • Culture become famous for its plays, art, etc., though decadent. • “Americanization” as some parts of culture look to America for guidance. • Movie industry become world famous, esp., the “Mountain films” like a US Western.

  19. Crisis years 1930-1933 • Great Depression hits as unemployment goes to record levels. • Governments fall as no one can solve the problem of the Depression • Private armies of political parties battle in the streets as public loses faith in the Republic to solve problems.

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