Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Weimar Republic - Problems
facing it from 1918 - 1923
- Spartacist Uprising - January 1919
- Leaders = Rosa Luxemburg and Karl
Liebknecht - Killed after being
captured
- Wanted Germany to be ruled by workers'
councils or soviets
- 6/1/1919 - Spartacists stormed Berlin and
took over the Government's
telecommunication centre and the
government's newspaper offices.
Unfortunately for them, other left-wing
parties did not support them, leaving them
isolated.
- 10/1/1919 - Government called in the
'Freikorps' (non-governmental
right-wing group of ex-soliders)
- MUnich (or Beer Hall) Putsch - November 1923
- 8/11/1923 - Hitler hijacked a local government meeting in Munich and announced
he was taking government of Bavaria (was meant to be followed by a march
on Berlin) - was joined by the old war hero, Ludendorff
- Hitler was accompanied by the SA and
gave a speech to the crowd, talking
about how Stresemann's government
was unfit to lead after the failed
responses to the invasion and
occupation of the Ruhr. Got Kahr
(Bavarian PM) and others to pledge
their support under pressure by Hitler
but they soon went back on this
promise.
- 9/11/1919 - Hitler and thousands
of Nazis marched to the centre
of Munich. They were soon
surrounded by the army and
police. There was a tense
stand-off which was broken by
shots. 16 Nazis were killed
(Those that died were later
celebrated as Nazi Martyrs to
the cause later on).
- Hitler escaped, but was later
arrested and tried along with
oher Nazis involved with the
Putsch, tried for high treason.
Hitler used the trail to publlizcise
the Nazi cause. Judge and jury
were linetent to his right-wing
speech as many had worked
under the rule of the Kaiser.
- Treaty Of Versailles - June 1919
- Reperations
- Pay £6,600 million
as a result of
war damage.
- The Saar was to be run by the
French for 15 years. Free coal to
France, Belgium and Italy - caused
a shortage of goods in Germany
- League of
Nations
- War Guilt - Article 231 -
stated Germany and her
allies were responsible
for the war and damage
caused
- Disarmament
- Army reduced
to 100,00 men
- Navy reduced to only small
ships and no submarines.
- No military air
force
- No German forces where
allowed to the west of the
Rhine river (Rhineland) in
order to protect France,
whilst the area was
occupied 15 years
- League of
Nations
- Germany was not initially permitted to join. Was an
intergovernmental organisation set up between WW1
and WW2 to prevent war and settle international
disputes. Replaced by United Nations.
- Loss of
Territory
- Euepen and Malmedy to
BELGIUM. Alsace-Lorraine to
FRANCE. North Schleswig
to DENMARK. Upper Silesia
to POLAND. Also lost ALL
OVERSEAS territory.
- West Prussia to POLAND
- also detached East
Prussia from Germany.
- Danzig became a free
port under the League of
Nations control.
- Austria wanted to join
Germany but was not
allowed to and
became a separate
Austrian state.
- TOTAL LOSS = 13%
IRON PRODUCTION =
48% AGRICULTURAL
LAND = 15%
POPULATION = 6
MILLION
- Kapp Putsch - May 1920
- 13/3/1920 - The 5,000 Friekorps
marched on Berlin, seized power and
declared a new government
- The Allies began to put pressure on the
German Government to disband the
Freikorps, the Freikorps reacted by joining
other right wing groups. When the
government tried to disband them the
Freikorps revolted and marched on Berlin.
- The government fled to Dresden
and called on the people of Berlin
to strike, meaning that there was no
water, electricity, iron, food etc,. The
putsch also had no support from
senior officers, left-wing parties and
civil servants mostly refused to
acknowledged this new government.
After 4 days Kapp fled and the
putsch failed. No leaders were put
on trial.
- Leaders: Wolfgang
Kapp and General
Luttwitz
- Invasion and Occupation of the Ruhr/Hyperinflation - 1923
- Allies were becoming concerned that
Germany was struggling with its reparation
payments - key part of ToV and German
Gov. had already defaulted on some
payments
- Consequence = French + Belgian troops
marched on Germany's main industrial
area in January 1923. Argued that if
Germany couldn't pay in money, then must
pay in coal, steel and manufactured goods.
- Occupation was legal but many Germans were
angry with this outcome. German Gov. asked Ruhr
inhabitants to protest with a policy of PASSIVE
RESISTANCE. French + Belgians stayed and with
German gov. refusing to use military force =
stalemate.
- The occupation of the Ruhr caused the collapse of the
German economy and fall in value of currency (Mark).
Suffered HYPER INFLATION - made worse by German
Gov. printing money to pay striking workers from Ruhr
with. (printing money meant that they were circulating
money they didn't have