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Empire to Democracy 1914-1929: Government and opposition, Treaty of…
Empire to Democracy 1914-1929: Government and opposition
Opposition form the left
Sparcisist rebellion, 1919
: Led by Karl Liebnecht and Rosa Luxemburg the communist group attempted to overthrow the government. This was unsuccessful and put down by the right-wing Freikorps. Liebnecht and Luxemburg were captured and killed.
Strikes in Halle and the Ruhr, 1919:
There was a wave of strikes in Halle and the Ruhr, with workers demanding control over industry and shorter hours. The government called for the Freikorps and army to suppress this. Over 1,000 workers were killed.
Political assasinations:
There were 22 left wing political assassinations. This activity was suppressed easily and the government was never severely threatened. Yet, the fear of a 'red revolution' frightened the middle classes.
Strikes, 1923:
There was further strike action, at a time of economic collapse, with the main areas being in Saxony and Hamburg.
Opposition from the right
Munich Putsch, November 1923:
Hitler and SA members bursted into a metting in an attempt to get Lossow and Kahr's support for a national uprising. This was unsuccessful and used the police to crush his Munich rising. Hitler was imprisoned for 5 years but only served 9 months.
Political assassinations:
There was around 300 right-wing political assassinations between 1919 and 1923, such as Mathias Erzberger and the foreign minister Walther Rathenau.
The Kapp Putsch, March 1920:
Led by Wolfgang Kapp, the Freikorps marched to Berlin where Kapp proclaimed himself chancellor. Despite orders, the army refused to fire as 'troops do not fire on troops'. This was a short success as Ebert's government fled to Dresden, however the government was saved by a general strike by workers which caused industry to stop, forcing Kapp out of power.
Opposition to the Treaty of Versailles:
Those who signed the treaty were given the name 'November criminals and many referred to the treaty as a 'diktat'.Military collapse also led to the Dolchstoss theory that the Jews 'stabbed' Germany in the back.
Post-war political problems
The small extreme Sparcasist group felt the 'revolution' had failed them and chose to create the KPD and to boycott the election scheduled for January 1919.
Ebert's USPD colleagues disapproved of his actions and his cabinet broke up. The USPD's police chef in Berlin opposed Ebert's orders to put down the sailors pay demonstration by force.
In the immediate aftermath the October 1918 revolution, Ebert took a number of steps to establish political authority, such as a deal with the army that General Groener would suppress revolutionary activity in return that the government would maintain the authority of the army an its military officers.
Occupation of the Ruhr
As part of the Treaty of Versailles the allies agreed Germany would £6.6 billion in reparations. However, due to an economic crisis they stopped paying in 1922.
The government responded with 'passive resistance' wherreby Germans refused to work. By May 1923, the mines were producing only 1/3 of the average for 1922 and overall output in the Ruhr fell by 1/5.
Due to the missed payments French and Belgian troops advanced into the Ruhr in January 1923 to take coal, steel and manufacturing goods as reparations.
Treaty of Versailles
War guilt clause
Not allowed an air force
£6.6 billion in reparations
The Rhineland was demilitarised
The army was limited to 100,000 soldiers
Only allowed 6 battleships