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History Paper 1: Wiemar Germany Pt 1 (Munich Putsch (right-wing), November…
History Paper 1: Wiemar Germany Pt 1
Democracy established:
The Weimar Constitution laid out how Germany would now be run
The main features of the Constitution included: a President elected every 7 years who had the power to use Article 48 and appointed the Chancellor, a Chancellor responsible for the day-to-day running of the country, a Reichstag (Parliament) elected every 4 years using proportional representation as a voting system (e.g. 10% of the vote = 10% of the seats for that party in the Reichstag) and guaranteed rights for the people e.g. men and women over 20 could vote and the freedom of speech
The Spartacist Uprising (left-wing), January 1919:
Led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Leibknecht
Ebert used the Freikorps (ex-soldiers that didn't support democracy, but hated Communism more) to put down the uprising
A revolt in Berlin with the aim of making Germany a Communist country
The leaders of the uprising were executed
The Communists now hated the SPD (Ebert's party) because they had put down this revolt with force
There was another Communist uprising in 1920 in the Ruhr and this was also crushed by the Freikorps
The Kapp Putsch (right-wing), March 1920:
Ebert asked the army to fire on the Freikorps, but they refused because the Freikorps were ex-soldiers
The people of Berlin did not support Kapp, so they helped the Weimar government and went on strike
The uprising, which took place in Berlin, was led by Dr Wolfgang Kapp and supported by the Freikorps
The general strike led to gas, water and electricity in Berlin being cut off and the uprising failed
Supporters of this uprising were against democracy and believed that the only way to prevent the spread of Communism was through strong leadership and a strong army
Kapp was arrested, but died whilst awaiting trial. The others involved went unpunished
Munich Putsch (right-wing), November 1923
Hitler believed that the Weimar Republic was on the verge of collapse and tried to seize power
Hitler (and Ludendorff) led 3000 Nazis in an uprising and believed police and army would join his revolution
The police didn't support Hitler and they opened fire on those taking part in the uprising - 16 Nazis were killed
Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested
Hitler used his trial to make long speeches criticising the government and setting out his plans for the future
Hitler was sentenced to 5 years in prison (he only served 9 months) and Ludendorff was found not guilty
Hitler now realised he would have to use legal methods (win elections) if he wanted to gain power
1923 (remember 3 things happened)
Invasion
Ebert ordered the workers to go on strike in the Ruhr (remember he would still have to pay them!)
The French ad the Belgian troops killed 100 German workers
Germany failed to pay reparations in 1922, so the following year French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr (an industrial region in Germany) and tried to take what their were owed in the form of coal
Hyperinflation
In December 1921 a loaf of bread cost just under 4 marks. By September 1923 it cost one and a half million marks!
Money became worthless. People used it as wallpaper, gave it to children to pay with and burnt it as fuel
Ebert paid the workers who were on strike by printing more money
Those hardest hit had savings or were on fixed incomes. People found that their savings wouldn't even buy them a week's groceries!
Many people could not afford to eat properly and hunger was common
Some people did well out of the hyperinflation crisis e.g. those who had previously borrowed large sums of money and could now pay off their debts with worthless marks