1919-1923

1. 1919-1923

2. Germany 1919-1945 Revision

3. Political Party beliefs Left Wing Right Wing Communists German Workers Party Social Democrats Spartacists Freikorps

4. How was Germany effected during WW1? • Many turned to turnips, and 1916-1917 became known as the turnip year. A lack of food. • High levels of malnutrition • Queuing was a daily occurrence. • ¾ of a million people died of starvation and disease. • MANY SUFFERED DURING THE WAR.

5. End of the War... • Fighting ended with the armistice on November 11th 1918. Germany had lost. • Million were dead or injured. Many Germans were angry and bitter, that they had lost the war. • Many were looking for someone to blame. • Armed demobilised soldiers returned home and joined in demonstrations against the Kaiser .(King)

6. Who was leader of Germany? • At the end of the war in November 1918, Kasier Wilhelm was forced to leave Germany. • ARepublic was declared. • The Social Democrat party leader Freidrich Ebert, became Chancellor.

7. Weimar Germany Problem 1=Violence by left wing and right wing groups.

8. Did everyone like the new government? • The German communists reject the new republic. What is Communism? Everybody is equal. No private ownership All production is controlled by the government.

10. What did the Spartacists try and do in January 1919? • The Spartacists(Communist) group tried to take over government buildings in January 1919. • The Spartacists wanted a revolution, not just a change of government.

12. How were they stopped? • The Chancellor Ebert sent the Freikorps out to deal with them. • Over 100 Spartacists were shot. • The leaders of the Spartacists Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were killed with no trial by the Freikorps. Who were the Freikorps? Ex-Soldiers Groups Right wing Hated the Communists

13. What happened to Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebnecht ? • Both were arrested, interrogated by the Freikorps, then taken away. • Liebknecht was forced out of a car in the Tiergarten (Berlin) and shot while ‘trying to escape’ • Luxemburg was shot and her body thrown in a canal where it remained until discovered in May 1919 • Ebert was shocked by the murders and ordered an investigation – punishments did not fit the crimes

14. Consequences of this.... • Government were now tied to using anti-democratic forces- army/Freikorps to restore law and order. • The government was not in total control, and was seen to be weak.

15. Did anyone else dislike the government? • In March 1920, the government ordered the Freikorps units be disbanded. • The Freikorpswere furious, they had been used by the government, and were now being dismissed.

16. Freikorps= groups of ex-soldiers who remained armed.

19. What did the Freikorps do? • Around 12,000 Freikorps marched to Berlin on the 21st of March. The government was forced to flee. • The Freikorps put forward Wolfgang Kapp as the new leader of Germany. The army would not stop him.

20. How were they stopped? • The Berlin workers went on strike. • Wolfgang Kappwas forced to flee after 4 days, and Ebert’s government returned.

21. Weimar Germany Problem 2=The constitution

22. Constitution • President could sack the Chancellor • Proportional representation is where the number of seats a party wins is worked out by the number of votes they receive. • This led to lots of parties in the Reichstag, and so it was difficult to make decisions. • The President could use an emergency decree to pass laws.

23. Weimar Germany Problem 3= Versailles Treaty

24. What were Germany’s hopes of the Treaty of Versailles? • Germany hoped for a fair peace treaty. • As the Kaiser had abdicated, and there was now a democratic government.

25. What happened? • Yet....Germany were not invited into the treaty discussions. • Many wanted Germany punished. • The fact that Germany could not fight on, so would have to agree to a treaty.

26. What did America and France want from the Treaty of Versailles? President Woodrow Wilson (America) • wanted to create a league of nations. So that countries could discuss their problems in future. • He did not want the treaty to be too harsh. President Clemenceau (France) • was concerned about security, he wanted to ensure that Germany never again attacked France. • Wanted to punish Germany and a harsh treaty.

27. What did Britain want? Prime Minister David Lloyd- • Wanted Germany to agree that they started the war. • Germany to pay reparations (money). • Did not want the treaty to be too mean, as he was afraid that it might lead to a new war.

28. What were the territorial losses? • 20% of coal production and 15% of agricultural resources. • West Prussia given to Poland • Alsace-Lorraine to France • No self determination for the Germans.

29. Territorial losses continued • Rhineland to be demilitarised zone, and to occupied by allies for 15 years. • Saar placed under the control of the League of Nations, and its rich coalfields controlled by France. • Anschluss(Union with Austria) forbidden. • All Germanys colonies to be handed over to the allies

30. What were the military terms? • Army-100,000 men • Navy- 6 battleships, 6 cruisers and 12 destroyers , no submarines. • No military aircrafts

31. Who was going to pay for the war? • £6,600 million to be paid in annual instalments. • There was great doubt as to whether Germany could afford this.

32. Were the Germans happy? • NO!!! Germany hated the treaty but they had to sign it in June 1919. • Many people were angry with the Weimar government for signing it. Stab in the back theory- blamed the government, for the stab in the back of the armed forces, that led to military collapse in 1918.

33. Problems 1918-1919 1)Violence by left and right wing groups. 2) Constitution 3) Versailles Treaty

34. Chancellor-1923 Stresemann

35. Weimar Germany Problem 4= Occupation of the Ruhr

36. Occupation of the Ruhr • In 1923 Germany could not pay the reparations, so France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr. • This led to fury in Germany while workers in the Ruhr refused to work. • This resulted in no coal being dug for the government to sell, so led to hyperinflation.

37. Weimar Germany Problem 5= Hyperinflation

38. Hyperinflation • Money became worthless, as the government printed lots of money to pay their debts. • Middle classes savings in the banks became worthless. • Many businesses collapse, and people lost their jobs.

39. Weimar Germany Problem 6= Munich Putsch

40. Munich Putsch • Hitler planned to overthrow the government, by taking control of an area called Bavaria. • Hitler’s soldiers took over a Beer hall in Munich where local government leaders were meeting. He announced a revolution. • The next day Hitler marched into Munich supported by storm troopers, but the revolt collapsed when the police fired on the rebels. • Hitler was arrested and put in prison for 8 months.. He gained lots of propaganda from the trial, and wrote his book Mein Kampf.

41. Stresemann- what changes did he bring? • Gustav Stresemann in August 1923- Chancellor • The problems he faced were great. • For the next 5 years, one as Chancellor, and then four as Foreign Minister he tried to find answers to the problems. • Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926. • He died in 1929. • Success- When he died Germany had a strong economy, it was well respected by other countries. He had good solutions. Less political violence, from 1924-29, this was called the ‘Golden Twenties’. • Failure-short term solutions, covered up Germany’s problems. Underneath still weak and unstable.

42. Weimar Germany 1923-1929 Stresemann’s solutions

43. Weimar Germany Solution 1= Hyperinflation- New Currency

44. Solution 1- Introduce a new currency • Replaced the old money with the Retenmark. • It brought inflation under control. • However German people never forgot hyperinflation. People who had lost their savings were not compensated. They felt cheated and blamed the Weimar republic.

45. Weimar Germany Solution 2= Occupation of the Ruhr- start working again

46. Solution 2= Persuade the French to leave the Ruhr • Called off passive resistance, because it has not forced the French to withdraw from the Ruhr. It had only created economic problems. He promised to keep up reparations. • This led to the French leaving the Ruhr. • This was a very unpopular policy in Germany, especially among right wing extremists • Claimed it showed weakness that Stresemann had given in to the French.

47. Weimar Germany Solution 3= Better relations with other countries

48. Solution 3= Improve Germany’s relationship with other countries. • He decided to cooperate with other countries in Europe. • In 1925 signed the Locarno Pact-with Britain/France/Italy/Belgium- promised not to invade each other. • In 1926 signed the League of Nations-gave Germany great power status so Germany had a say in major decisions that were made. • Some Germans thought that Stresemann was weak, as he should try and regain the land that was lost in the Versailles Treaty, and should be building up the army.

49. Weimar Germany Solution 4=Reorganise reparations and loans

50. Solution 4= Reorganise reparations and loans. • Promised to pay reparations, hopes the allies would lower payments in the future. • The 1924 Dawes Plan gave Germany longer to pay reparations, and was also a loan from America. • In 1929 the Young Plan lowered reparations from 132,000 million marks to 37,000 million. • However the Dawes plan and Young Plan, were hated by many Germans who thought Germany should not have to pay reparations at all.