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Germany - Weimer Government (Treaty of Versailles (Complaints/Reaction…
Germany - Weimer Government
Legacy of WW1
Social
Extreme starvation, shortages
7 million dead or wounded, low morale
Disorder, stealing
Economic
Lack of recourses
Industry failings
War costs $38 billion
Political
Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates
Soviets (local councils) are set up
Forming a new democracy
Proportional Representation
Weak coalition government (little stability)
Article 48
Gave all powers to the President (dictatorship)
The Reichstag
Small parties with little voters still won a voice
Power to remove chancellors and cabinet ministers
Treaty of Versailles
Military
Army reduced to 100000 men
No tanks, aircrafts and only 6 ships
No conscription
Rhineland demilitarised
Economic
Reparations of £6.6 billion
All colonies to League of Nations
75% of iron ore taken, industry plummeted
Territory
Alsace-Lorraine to France
Germany split - The Polish Corridor
Other
The War Guilt Cause
Union with Austria forbidden
Complaints/Reaction
Threatened and unprotected
Starvation
Unable to pay
Humiliation
Not alone in causing war
A dictated peace (a diktat)
Weimar (always associated with Versailles) signed it known as 'The November Criminals"
Hyper-Inflation 1923
Government printed more banknotes to pay off debts
France and Belgium invade Ruhr, taking over mines and factories
Government told workers to strike (paid)
Results
Middle Class
Badly hit, savings became worthless
Monthly salary didn't keep up with rising prices
Had to barter goods in exchange for food
Workers
Not as bad, paid twice a day and spent straight away
Elderly and Fixed incomes
Suffered terribly, as income stays the same as prices rose
They couldn't afford to eat, heat their homes and buy clothing
Upper Class
Benefitted, took out loans that a few months later would be worth nothing
With no wealth being created, prices soared and the 'mark' became worthless
Extremist Parties
The Spartacist Revolt 1919
Left Wing Communists
Taken part in Kiel Sailors Munity, responsible for 'Soviets'
Events
Spartacists called for a mass rally, some armed
Government sent in the Freikorps (Ex-army, communist hating volunteers) to crush revolt
They took back control killing the leaders and many supporters
The Socialists and Communists didn't work together after this
The Munich Putsch 1923
Right Wing Nationalists
Adolf Hitler
Austrian, temporarily blinded at end of WW1
Felt stabbed in the back, felt Jews and communists had lost them the war
Got job as spy infiltrating the Bavarian Workers Party
Gained influence within party
Became leader and changed name to National Socialist German Workers Party (nicknames Nazi's)
Events
Hitler heard that local police and army leaders were having a meeting without him (von Kahr, von Lossow, von Seisser)
Hitler and his followers stormed into the Beer Hall, he fired a shot in the air, "The national revolution has begun!"
Ordered the leaders into private room, they refused to support until General von Ludendorff arrived, then went on stage giving the impression they supported Nazi's
Failure
News reached Hitler army was fighting back at barracks
Hitler left the leaders unattended
The leaders asked to leave and reassure their families
They then ordered the army and police to deal with Nazi's
Hitler marched through streets to try and get public support
Morning Nov 9th, got caught in a narrow street, shots fired between them and police, 14-16 Nazi killed, 3 police killed
Hitler escaped but then caught along with von Ludendorff
Results
Hitler put on trial for Treason (normally death sentence)
Hitler used trial to become National Figure
In prison Hitler wrote 'Mein Kampf' outlining clear Nazi ideology
Sentenced for 5 years - Parole in 9 months
Prison = appartement, treated heroically, receive visitors
Main Arguments
Weimar wrong for signing Versailles
Germany stabbed in the back ending war on edge of victory
Communism must be stopped
German pride must be restored
The Golden Age 1924-1929
Nazi Party at the time
People just lost interest
People were happy as longs Weimar kept delivering
Nazi representatives fell to 12 in 1928
Only 3% voted for Nazi's
Dawes Plan
Gustav Stresemann (The Chancellor) and American Charles Dawes
USA
Loan money to Germany, so it can rebuild
Germany
Growing economy means pay reparations
New currency - meant people save money, then banks could invest in new business
France
Troops leave Ruhr
Pays back US loans and but US goods to help rebuild
Germany joins 'League of Nations' 1926
The Locarno Treaty 1925
Germany accept Versailles if France and Belgium never invade again
Big move towards peace, wanted to be more friendly
Economists across Europe and US saw that if Germany's economy was in ruins then everything would be unstable