The Weimar Republic was NEVER Seriously Threatened in the years 1919-1923?
Introduction
Paragraph One: Ineffective Constitution
Paragraph Two: Left Wing Rebellions
Paragraph Three: Right Wing Terrorism
Conclusion
Paragraph Four: Hyperinflation
Paragraph Five: Munich Putsch
Article 48
Proportional Representation
Army
Not fully under governments control
Led by the right-wing General Hans von Seeckt
Failed to support the government during the Kapp Putch and the crisis of 1923
Weren't Reliable
Judges
Gave the president 'sole power' if needed
Many government officials (especially judges) were Right Wing and wanted to destroy the government
This is seen after both the Putsches as they tended to favour the extreme right and condemn the extreme left
Out of 354 right-wing assassins only 28 were found guilty and punished, no-one was executed
Out of 22 left-wing assassins ten were sentenced to death
After the Kapp Putsch, 700 rebels were tried for treason, only one went to prison
After the Munich Putsch, Hitler only went to prison for 9 months
Led to 28 parties
This made it virtually impossible to establish a majority in the Reichstag,and led to frequent changes in the government.
During 1919-33, there were twenty separate coalition governments and the longest government lasted only two years. This political chaos caused many to lose faith in the new democratic system.
Give an overview answer
Mention everything thing
Give an overview of the things the Weimar Republic had to face
In 5 Jan 1919, 50,000 Spartacists rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Leibknecht.
The Communist KPD hated the new government
In 1919, Communist Workers’ Councils seized power all over Germany, and a Communist ‘People’s Government’ took power in Bavaria.
In 1920, after the failure of the Kapp Putsch, a paramilitary group called the Red Army rebelled in the Ruhr.
Many right-wing groups hated the new government for signing the Versailles Treaty (June 1919)
The Kapp Putsch: in March 1920, a Freikorps brigade rebelled against the Treaty, led by Dr Wolfgang Kapp. It took over Berlin and tried to bring back the Kaiser.
Nationalist terrorist groups murdered 356 politicians. In August 1921 Matthias Erzberger, the man who signed the armistice (and therefore a 'November criminal'), was shot. In 1922, they assassinated Walter Rathenau, the SPD foreign minister, because he made a treaty with Russia.
The cause of the trouble was Reparations – the government paid them by printing more money, causing inflation. In January 1923, Germany failed to make a payment, and France invaded the Ruhr. This humiliated the government, which ordered a general strike, and paid the strikers by printing more money, causing hyperinflation
On 8–9 November 1923, Hitler’s Nazis tried to take control of Bavaria (the Munich Putsch)
Sum up that I 'disagree' with this statement
NO NEW INFORMATION
He secured the support of Lundendorff and set out to win the support of Ritter von Kahr and Otto von Lossow
8th November - Burst into Beer Hall
The two (he wanted to win the support of) were addressing a meeting of 2000
He surrounded the beer hall with his Stormtroppers
He announced the revolution had begun
At gunpoint in the side room, Kahr and Lossow agreed to Hitlers plan of marching into Berlin
Kahr and Lossows support evaporated overnight
9th November
Stormtroppers were unable to gain control of the Munich Barricks
It was clear the Putsch had failed
This means it was a success for the Weimar Republic as they could effectively shut it down
The incident had shown the importance of army to the political survival of the regime
General Seeckt sent in troops to deal with the aftermath of the abortive putsch and central control over Bavaria was re-imposed
Germany had chose to finance the first world war through increased borrowing and printing more money
In 1919, the Weimar Republic was faced with a debt of 1.44 billion marks.
Although national debt was high, unemployment had virtually disappeared by 1921 and there was a rapid recovery in economic activity.
In many ways the German economy coped with the transition from war to peace much more successfully than any other European economies
However, allowing inflation to continue unchecked was a policy fraught with danger
Prices which had doubled between 1918 and and 1919, had quadropled again between 1919 and 1920 (14x higher than 1913)
In 1921, unemployment in Germany was only 1.8% (compared to nearly 17% in GBR)
This lead to encouraged investment, especially from USA
How there was lots of uprisings but they were dealt with effectively.
Mention peoples opinions
However left unchecked, inflation eventually became uncontrollable and by 1923, Germany's high inflation became hyperinflation.
By early 1920 there was an unease within the ranks of the Freikorps at demands to reduce the German Army
12,000 troops marched in on Berlin and seized the main building
The army's decision to put its own interests before its obligation to defend the government - forced the government to flee the capital and move to Stuttgart.
At first sight the Putsch could be seen as a success to the Weimar Constitution
In the six days of crisis, it had retained the backing of the people in Berlin and had effectively withstood a major threat from the extreme right.
ON THE OTHER HAND, what is significant is that the Kapp Putsch had taken place at all
Highlights the weakness of the Weimar Government
The army's behaviour at the time of the putsch was typical of its right wing attitudes and its lack of sympathy for the republic.
Poorly Supported, not secured support of working class
Eberts government relied upon the army to put down the revolt but General Groener had few reliable military units at his command, he therefore had to use the freikorps (irregular forces)
By January 13th the Uprising had been crushed
Didn't last very long (strength of Weimar)
The workers (who had played a key role in overthrowing the Kaiser) were frustrated that the Weimar Republic was too ready to compromise with the Right