39747613
| Question | Answer |
| Left or Right wing uprising ? | Right Wing - they were deeply nationalistic - a collective of ex-army officers, conservative politicians and Freikorps (all supporters of the Kaiser Reich) |
| Date + Place | 13-17, March 1920 - Berlin (5 days) |
| Context of the Putsch | President Ebert announced the Freikorps would be disbanded in order for Germany meet their military obligations under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. |
| The Freikorps….(who / what were they?) | Post war militias formed out of ex army officers + soldiers. Numbered c300.000 in 150 ‘brigades’ by 1920. Seen by some army leaders (like von Seekt) as a vital ‘reserve army’. Had been used to suppress the left wing Spartacist uprising 1919. |
| General Luttwitz (Role?) | Army (Reichswehr) general - opposed the demobilisation of the Freikorps Initiated the ‘putsch’ by enlisting support of the Erdhardt Brigade - a 6000 strong Freikorps unit. |
| Immediate actions | Erhardt brigade took control of Berlin - Government ministry forced to flee to Dresden and then Stuttgard. |
| Who was Kapp? | A minor public civil servant / ex political leader - ‘recruited’ by Luttwitz to become the ‘political’ leader of the putsch. Was to be named as the new ‘Chancellor’ |
| Response of the Army to the putsch? | Did nothing - refused to fire on fellow (ex-army) Freikorps. But did not join the putsch. |
| Government response? | Called on workers / trade unions to call a general strike |
| Impact of the Strike | Within 2 days Berlin was ‘paralysed’. Berlin had no trains, water, electricity, gas, communications etc. 5 days after the putsch - Kapp + Luttwitz forced to flee |
| Fate of Kapp | Took refuge in Sweden for 2 years. Returned to face trial - but died before trial took place |
| Fate of Luttwitz | Took refuge in Hungary. Returned in 1924 under an amnesty |
| What buildings did the Freikorps occupy? | Reich Chancellory (seat of Government), the Reichstag itself, the Police HQ, the Defence Ministry |
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