Problems faced by Weimar Republic1919-1923

PROBLEM 1- THE STAB IN THE BACK MYTH
1. After the Kaiser left the Weimar government were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles .
  1. The people were bitter and looking for someone to blame
  2. A simple explanation for the defeat spread quickly. The new government had stabbed them in the back!
PROBLEM 2- THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES
1. The German people expected a fair treaty
  1. They had created a democratic government just as the allies had wanted. This government needed support.
  2. President Wilson of the USA said the treaty should not be harsh.
  3. Germany did not start the war. They believed everyone was to blame.
2. The terms of the Treaty
  1. AMRY
    1. Army reduced to 100,000. Navy cut to 15,000 sailors, 6 battleships, no subs, no tanks, no air force
    2. Meant Germany was defenceless and couldn't protect itself from invasion. People felt VULNERABLE
  2. LAND
    1. Lost 13% of land of land and about 6 million people. Colonies taken away. Rhineland was demilitarised
    2. Meant they lost important raw materials and businesses, so economy would be messed up
  3. MONEY
    1. Had to pay reparations of £6.6 million
    2. Meant economy was destroyed
  4. BLAME
    1. 100% of blame
    2. Meant people were furious!
PROBLEM 3- POLITICAL VIOLENCE
1. Violence broke out. People felt that the democracy had been imposed on them and they didn't want or trust it. Food shortages and high unemployment made it worse
  1. LEFT WING
    1. SPARTACISTS RISING 1919
      1. Rosa Luxemburg
      2. Karl Liebnicht
      3. Thought the government wouldn't improve the lives of the people. Wanted a Communist revolution. The Workers protested and took over a newspaper HQ. The government ordered the Freikorps to stop them. 100 workers were killed, including the leaders.
    2. RED RISING IN THE RUHR 1920
      1. Workers
      2. A group of workers who were angry about pay and working conditions began protesting. In 1920 a Communist 'red army' of 50,000 occupied the Ruhr region- one of Germany's main industrial areas. The Germany army easily crushed the revolt because it lacked leadership and a clear plan.
  2. RIGHT WING
    1. KAPP PUTSCH 1920
      1. Wolfgang Kapp
      2. Freikorps
      3. The Government ordered for the troops to be disbanded. It had little need for them now. They became unemployed. 12,000 Freikorps marched to Berlin and made Kapp the new leader of Germany. He failed to win support and the workers went on strike so he fled after 4 days.
    2. MUNICH PUTSCH 1923
      1. Hitler
      2. SA
      3. Nazis
      4. The Nazis planned to take over the government. They believed democracy was weak and wanted a party system with one leader. Hitler and 600 SA members burst into a Beer Hall and forced the leader of Bravaria to join them. Hitler was captured and imprisoned. He wrote 'Mein Kampf' whilst he wwas in prison and was released early because people were sympathetic towards him.
PROBLEM 4- INVASION OF THR RUHR
1. Germany struggled to keep up with the reparations payments. In 1922 Germany announced it would stop paying for 3 years because they couldn't afford them. France did not believe this so they Invaded the Ruhr
2. In 1923 French and Belgian troops marched into the Ruhr and took control.
3. The Government told its workers to strike and promised to still pay them. This cost a lot of money! The government ran out of money because they no longer had businesses in the Ruhr. This led to HYPERINFLATION!
PROBLEM 5- HYPERINFLATION
1. The Government beccame short of money so it printed more
  1. Prices rose at an incredible rate. The German mark became worthless by November 1923.
2. Meant that people lost their jobs, their homes and their savings. They couldn't even afford to buy food or clothe their families! Many had to rely on soup kitchens to survive.

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Problems faced by Weimar Republic1919-1923

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