Wiemar Germany

Page 1

Kaiser Wilhelm II

-He had an unusable left arm - making him weak and insecure

-His grandmother was Queen Victoria and his mother rejected his due to his disability

-He wanted to retain the power and not hand it over to the Reichstag

-The Kaiser was threatened by the rise of socialism

The Revolution From Below:

-28th October 1918 - Naval admiralty refused to accept the armistice, command their troops to attack the British troops -suicide mission

-30th October 1918 - Sailors refused to obey orders, return their bases to kiel Wilhelmshaven where they set up soviets along the Russian model

-Mutiny spread - 20,000 sailors and workers met, calling for German republic and this spread

-9th November - much of Germany including including large cities such as Berlin and Hamburg saw vast amount of areas taken over by Soviets

-The SPD called on workers in Berlin to strike and threatened to remove support from Prince Max's Government if Kaiser didn't abdicate

-Announced by Philip Scheidemann (SPD) who declared Germany a republic - same day also handed power to Friedrich Ebert - leader of SPD

-Armistice signed - 11/11/1918

-Although Ebert was a left wing socialist he didn't want a Russian style revolution

-Needed to legitimise Government and bring stability to the Government

-Street demonstrations, strikes and armed clashes were regularly occurring across Germany.

-Ebert needs to take control of law and order in Germany

-Wanted to organise elections for a constitutional assembly to create the constitution

Ebert Groener Pact:

-Ebert was socialists and Groener Right - wing

-Groener offered the loyalty of the army to combat the Left-wing uprisings; allow Ebert to have a multi-party national assembly if he would leave command of military with Army high command.

-This created divisions within the moderate socialists some began to call for a communist revolution

Stinnes - Legien Agreement:

-Stinnes was an industrial tycoon - Right Wing

-Legien, SPD Trade Unionist - left wing

-Guaranteed orderly production, end to strike if reduced power of councils and prevent nationalisation of companies

-8 hour working day agreed upon

Spartacist Uprising:

-6th January 1919: Spartacist (KPD) started to revolt in Berlin

-Support from Russia and hope to overthrow the Government

-Freikorps used to squash the rebellion - unpopular move

-After a week of heavy fighting the revolt was crushed

-Leaders - Luxembourg and Leichnecht were brutally murdered

January Elections:

-Jan 1919 elections - 80% voted - moderate parties (SPD, Centre and DDP)

-10% DNVP - Right Wing support for the Junkers

-Jan - May number of left - wing uprisings, all put down by the Freikorps

-Caused further splits between moderate and extreme socialists

Revolution From Above:

-Kaiser forced to abdicate November 1918

-Prince Max announced the Kaisers abdication

-They needed Germany to appear more democratic

-September 1918 Ludendorff and Hindenburg tell Kaiser that the war was lost

-They persuaded him to lose some of his powers - he can't appoint/dismiss ministers

-Still is ceremonial Head of State

-Prince Max of Baden is German Chancellor

-Ministers now from political parties in the Reichstag

-Heads don't want this but they had to appear more democratic

-democratic Germany meant they had better peace terms

-Hoping to deflect blame on the new Gov for losing the war

The Weimar Constitution:

-More democratic than other systems in different countries.It marked a clear break from autocratic countries

-Provided a wider right to vote - Women were able to vote and allowed to become deputies in the Reichstag and state Parliament

-The constitution used proportional representation enabling even the smaller parties to win seats

-WROTE UP ON A MIND MAP

Treaty of Versailles:

German Expectations - what they wanted:

-Expected that it would be based upon Wilson's 14 points

-The Public were shocked as they had been told they were going to win the war - Propaganda they hadn't been told the truth

-They wanted to be able to rebuild their economy

-Expected to be in the League of Nations

-They thought they would only need to pay a small amount of reparations

-Return of Alsace and Lorraine to France and probably loose some territory to Poland

-They wanted to be able to unite with other German speaking units.

-Armistice signed - 11th November 1918

-27 nations attended the peace talks - Germany not invited

-3 most important delegates:

-USA: President Wilson

-France: George Clemency

-Britain: Lloyd George

What did the countries want from the Peace talks:

France:

-Revenge, they didn't want a similar war again

-Reperations for what they had suffered. They wanted Germany stripped of their wealth and armed forces

-Extend their boarders

-Harsh Terms wanted

USA:

-Wanted lasting peace, not punishment

-14 points were morally right, Germany shouldn't get off easily

-US public was disintrested

Britian:

-Fought for German rights

-Wanted Germany to remain stable and become a trading ground in the future

-Less harsh than France more harsh than USA

The Main Terms of the Treaty:

-Land:

-13% - 70,000km lost to other countries

-West: North and East had been stripped - Alsace and Lorraine back to France

-East: To Poland (Polish Corridor) East Prussia separate

-France could mine in the Saar

-75% iron lost

-26% coal lost

-68% Zinc lost

-15% Arable lost

-Forbidden to station troops in the Rhineland - occupied by Allied troops until 1935

-Forbidden to unite with German speaking Austria

-Army limited to 100,000 men, no air force and no submarines

-They had to accept the War Guilt Clause

-Needed to pay £6.6 billion reparations

-Scapa Flow - Destroyed the Naval German fleet

Reactions from the Left:

-German politicians presented with the the terms in May 1919

-14 days to accept them

-They tried to negotiate a better deal but they were completely rejected

-Schliemann refuse to accept the terms and resigned

-Bauer led new coalition Government

-Policy of Fulfillment - agree to the terms whilst trying to negotiate better terms

Reactions From the Right

-They could not accept military defeat, treaty or the new republic

-Politicians involved had betrayed the Father land - November Criminals

-'Stab in the Back' myth created by Ludendorff and Hindenburg (they advised the kaiser that the war was already lost)

Overall Reactions:

-Terms of the treaty and decision to sign it - greeted with horror and disbelief by the Germans

-Germans were sheltered from the truth of the war

-Abdication and Armistice came as a huge shock

-Universal resentment at the Harsh terms

-Few Germans would accept the responsibility for the war

German objections:

-4 points signified importance of self-determination

-War Guilt Clause - national humiliation - they believed that they were forced into war

-Reparations - cause of anger - too high and cripple the economy

-Allied occupations in West Germany caused widespread resentment

-Disarming of Germany and exclusion of the League of Nations - unjustified discrimination against the proud and powerful nation.

Wilson's 14 Points:

-Right to self-determination

-No Secret dealings

-Return of Alsace Lorraine

-Independent Poland

-Creation of the League of Nations

-Reduction of Armaments

International Reactions to TOV:

Britain:

-Lloyd George was praised by the public as they were satisfied

-Wanted Germany to be a trading link

France:

-Wanted to extend the boarder - not a threat again

-Reparations lower then what French had demanded

-Wanted to seek revenge with Versailles

-Believed that the Treaty was too lenient on Germany

-Didn't see it as peace but instead an agreement

-Recovered Alsace - Lorraine and were happy with that

America:

-Wilson's 14 points

-The public believed that the treaty was too harsh on the Germans

-Britain and France used the treaty to enrich themselves

-Republicans in Congress opposed the treaty - made their own with Germany in 1921

-USA refused to join the League of Nations and retreated involvement with British affairs

-By Summer 1919 the terms of the treaty were agreed and Germany forced to accept them

-By the end of 1922 Germany had fallen behind with the payments

-In early 1923 French and Belgium entered the Ruhr to force the payments

-The Germans couldn't immediately respond to this due to the fact they had no army - Begin of Passive Resistance

-This had a disastrous effect on the German currency. Inflation began to increase meaning the value of the mark began to decrease

Economic and Social Problems:

-Mark became worthless, people would burn it to keep warm - HYPERINFLATION

-Money lost value so quickly that the price could change within minutes

Financial Problems at the end of the War:

-War cost a great deal

-Germany had increased borrowing and printed more money

-Germans strategy was high risk - only work is they won the war, if they had have won they would have taken land form other countries and used this to pay the reparations

-1919 - 1.4 billion marks in debt

-They needed to either raise the taxes or cut Government spending

*People already against the republic so either option people will be against it

*High risk approach

-Wiemar was unstable and risk loosing support if they increased taxes

-They didn't want to reduce Civil servants or cut welfare benefits

-1918-1919 prices doubled, 1919-1920 x4

-Frhereeenbach coalition dominated by the center party - supported industrialists

-inflation led to hyperinflation

-Berlin 1923 - all faith was lost in the currency

-November 1923 eggs cost 80 million marks

Political Impact:

Page 2

Weimar 1924-1928 Golden Age

Economic Developments - Gustav Stresemann

-August 1923 Cuno's Government failed due to Hyperinflation ad replace by the Gustav Stresemann

-Ends Passive Resistance

-Pay Reparations

-Policy of Fulfillment

-DVP Monarchist who voted against the Constitution but was a pragmatist (willing to compromise and work with the republic)

-Chancellor for 103 days - 1923 - Grand Coalition

-Ended passive resistance - September 1923

-Introduced the Rentenmark - November 1923 (backed by mortgage on industrial and agricultural land (didn't have the Gold reserves to do so)

-Government kept tight control to stop inflation

-August 1924 - became Reichsmark and backed by Gold Reserves

-Schacht - Reich Currency commissioner and head of the Reichsbank

-Balanced the budget - cut expenditure and raised taxes

-Salaries of Government employees were cut

-300,000 civil servants lost their jobs

-Confidence grew in Government as debt fell

-Well run businesses flourished but many others went bankrupt - 6000 in 1924

Dawes Plan:

-Stresemann asked the allies reparation committee to set up a group of financial experts to address Germany's reparations concerns

-USA vested interests in getting Germany back to a position where reparation could be made to France as much money was passed on to USA to repay loans

-Charles Dawes acted as the Committee chairman

-By times Dawes PLan was finalised in April 1924, Stresemann government had fallen but he remained as foreign secretary and took credit

-£6.6 billion still kept but payments were suggested to paid in different ways:

-Amount paid each year should be reduced until 1929 when the situation should be reassesed

-Germany should restore the reparation payments by paying 1000 million marks and the some be raised by annual amounts over 5 years by 2500 million marks per year

-After this sum had been paid then the sum should be related to Germany's industry preformance

-Germany should receive a large loan of 500 million marks from USA to help gets planned started and allow heavy investment in Germany infrastructure

-Heated debate in the Reichstag, Stresemann didn't believe in the plan referring to it as a way of securing foreign loans 'An Economic Armistice'

-'National Opposition' - Many DNVP and NSDAP, bitterly attacked policy of compromise as they believed Germany should defy unjust TOV and refuse to repay reparations.

-However Dawes Plan was agreed and accepted by both Germany and Allies in July 1924

Benefits to Germany:

-Allies accepted that Germany problems with paying the reparations were real

-Loans were granted, new machinery, factories, houses and jobs could be provided Germany economy a rebuild

-France left the Ruhr during 1924-1925 as they finally believed that Germany would pay reparation and led to German optimism that their country was once again it's own master.

Industry:

-By 1925, Germany was more stable - new currency, Dawes Plane and Schacts work as Reichbank

-Industiral output grew after 1924 but did not reach 1913 levels untill 1929 - Growth was unsteady

-The years 1924-1925 and 1927 were good years but economy shranks in 1928-1929 Investement in new machinary and factories were falling

-Reperations helped to radically chanfe Germnay's industry as it handed over new materials, big industris brought in - made coperative agreements with smaller firms to from cartles. 1925 - 90% of coal and steel productions

-Germnay introduced Tarffis to protect industries many firms recieved state subsidies to enable them to survive

-Advances in chemical industries -artificial feteralisers, cars and planes developed

-Inflation rate close to zero and living standards rose as wages did

-Population growth led to inability to house all population - conseequently affrodable houses provided

-1928 iron and steel wages slightly increased due to despute in the Ruhr, Employers refused to pay increase and locked out workers for 4 weeks. Governemnt backed the workers an paid by the stae

Limits to Economic Recovary:

-Unemployment continuing problem

-End of 1925 1 million unemployed, 1926 - 3 million

-Due to spending cuts and also companies reducing their workforces in order to make efficency saving

-Mining companies reduced workforces by:

-1922-1925 - 136,000

-1925-1929 - 456,000

-Middle class gained very little. White collar workers didn't enjoy wage rises

Agriculture:

-Worldwide agricultural depression kept food prices low and few farmers could profit

-After 1923 Government made it easier for the farmers to borrow money - made matters worse. Farmers became saddled with dealt at a time when prices has fallen and couldn't keep up payments - problems worsened

-Government intoduced high import tariffs on food products , import control and subsides to farmers but measures didn't go far enough

-1928 - Farmers started a series of small scale riots know as 'farmers revenge' in protest against foreclosures and low market produces

-By 1929 , German agricultural production was at less 3/4 of pre-war levels

Young Plan:

-Dawes plan was intended to be temperory

-French and Belgium troops left the Ruhr 1925, Allied troops remained within Rhineland

-Shcacht represented Germany at the Paris meeting in 1929

-Germany had to keep on paying reperations but it was reduced to £1.8 billion

-Annual Payments increased

-German Government soley response for paying the reperatons

-Britian and France- withdrew troops from Rhineland by June 1930

Right Wing Reaction:

-Against the Planas it still complied with the TOV

-Alfred Hugenburg, leader DNVP, led campaign against plan

-Worked with the Hitlers & the Nazis

-Drafted the 'Freedom law' -this rejected the War Guilt Clause

-Demanded immediate evacuation of occupied territory

-Any minister who signed the War guilt clause should be tried for treason

-Petition - 4,135,000

-Had to be debated in the Reichstag and put to refernedum

-Defeated in Debate and Vote - 13.8% voted in favour

Hitlers Role:

-Leading role and a national role

-Unlikely alliance between Hitler and Hugenburg

-Hitler would be classed as a drummer

-Hitler's gained respectably, coverage in national press, met wealthy people.

Social and Cultural Developments:

Young People:

-Concern over young people, turning away form education, school, family life at the centre

-Class divide between

Social Welfare Reform:

1919:

-Law limiting the working days for 8 hours

-Stable health insurance system for workers extended to include wifes, daughters and disabled

-Aid for war vetrans incaplable of workers due to injury, widows and orphans

1922:

-National Youth Welfare Act - local youth offices set up to look after child protection, provided right to education

1924:

-Public Assistance systmem, provided jelp to the poor and destitute was modernised

1925:

-Accidenct Insurance system, which porvides benefits when injured at work extended to include occupational diseases

1927:

-National unemploymwnt insurance system was introduced to pay benefits to unemployed, employers and workers made contributions towards the system

-System promised more than it delivered

-1926 supported 800,000 war vetrans, 360,000 war widows and 900,000 war orphans

-Also had to pay pensions and unemployment benefits

-1924 increased taxes, but limits to how people could pay it

-Snoopers used to check up on clients - claiments felt humiliated.

Living Standards:

1924-1928 Living Standards increased

-Employed with backing of Trade Unions

-Benefits less well off but still prevented from falling into poverty

Jewish:

-Half a million Jews (1% population)

-80% 400,000 lived in cities, well educated

-Successful - buisness, banking, politics, press, universities, Publishing, Film and musicians

Politics and press:

-Jews publishinf firms had powerful influence in the media

-Walter Ratheanu foreign minister 1922

-Jewish firms dominated coal-mining steelworks and the chemical industry

-Jews made up 18% of banking sector

Extent of Aissimilaition and Anti-semitism

-Vast majority of the Jewish wanted to mingle

-Limitation brought on by relluctant Germans - Jewish considered allien

-Hostility to Jewish finances in Hyperinflation

The New Women

Employment

Myth:

-Constitution gave women employment rights

-1925 - 36% of German workforce women

-1933 - 100,000 women teachers, 3000 doctors

Reality:

-Demobilisation Act - women required to leave jobs after the war

-Women had to give up jobs when they are married

-Women paid much less than men

-Double-earners attacked by Press and Conservative and BDF- 900,000

Sexual Freedom:

-Birth Control widely avaliable

-Divorce rates increased

-Rise in abortion estimated 1,000,000 a year

Reality:

-Unprofessional abortions 1930 - 10,12,000 deaths

-Decline in births attacked by the right wing

-Catholic and Protestent went against the ideas

Politics and Public Life:

-Women gained equal voting rights and the right to be a riechstag deputy

-1919 41 elected

-Women active in local gov and state city level

Reality:

-No female representatives in the Riehstrat

-No women cabinet memebrs

-No party leaders were females

-KPD only made equality a big problem

-No support to femenist iddues

Political Women:

-Clara Zerkin - KPD, Leading campaigener in International Womens Day

-Marie Webber - Intellectual Acedemic, Joined DDP

-Marie Jucharz - SPD elected to national Assembly, 1st women to make speach in legislative body

Paula Miller - cofounder of Protestant Womens League

Page 3

New York Stock Exchange - Wall Street Crash:

-"If America sneezes, the world catches a cold"

-People buy stocks/shares, Each year they earn a small amount of untrest

-Way to make money- wait untill stocks/shares go up in value and sell them

Wall Street Crash:

-24th October - Balck Thursday - 13 million stocks sold in panic

-29th October - Wall Street Crash - 16 million shares sold, fell be $10 bilion

-Millionaires lost their fortunes, companies bankrupt and banks collapsed

-Lack of Government Intervention

-Triggered lack of confidence in the currency which then cause World Wide Depression

-USA recalled their loans from Germany

How did the Wall Street Crash Affect Germany?

-Beginning of a Prolonged depression

-Germany's economy stagnating since 1928 as investment decreased

-Germnay's economic recovary in years 24-28 largely finaced by American loans - dried up

-Short term loans, America demanded that they should repay them immedaitly - 90 days

-Germanys export declined rapidly as America was its biggest Export consumer

-1929-1932 ecport trade declined by 61% and industial production 58% of 1928 levels

-As the foreign trade collapsed and prices fell, many companies had to declare themselves bankrupts and make workers redundant

-Banks began to go int difficulties as people started to withdraw their money

-May 1931 - Austria bank collapsed - cause turmoil in German banks

-July 1931 Government closed banks and stock exchange for 2 days - a restbite

-Unemployment increased - 1932 1/3 of people unemployed - not reliable

-Jan 1933 - 10 million unemployed

-Main industial areas, Ruhr main citites, ectremly badly hit

-Civil Servants - severe cuts in workforce and reduction in salaries to those who remained

-Farming hit extremly badly hit by the depression

-Many farmers forced to give up their farms as banks demanded the repayment of loans

-Wall Street Crash - Germany suspended reperations payment

Affect different groups of people?

Bankers:

-Banks heavily relliany on American loans

-Crash made shares worthless

-With less money in Germany banks go out of business

Pensioners:

-Buring working life many invested into banls but ast they collapsed many people lost their money

-Government struggles to support pensions

Workers:

-Unemployment many people lost their job

Shopkeepers:

-A lot of people out of work - litle money to spend

-People couldn't afford the neccesities

Buisnessmen:

-Many invested in stocks and shares may also take out loans

-American stocks fell and they sked for their money back in 90 days

-Business falling and profits at an all time low

Increasing Poverty:

-Unemployment costs very quickly over-whlemed the welfare state budget and from 1930s onwards there were limits to the amount of benefits being paid

-Single Industry towns hit a lot harder then others e.g. Brand- Erbisdorff, centre of glass work - 1/2 population reciving wlefare payments

-Poverty rising as the result of the depression:

-Poor nutrition and living conditions - rickets and TB

-Suicide rates increased

-unemployed tennants unable to pay their rents, shanty towns formed on the edge of cities

Impact on Young people

-High rates of unemployment among the Young

-Hamburg in June 1933 - 39% unemployment

-Gangs of young men congregated on Germany

-Fears of youth invlovement in crime

-Juvenile conbisctions did not increase but amount acussed did

-increase in amount charges with assult

Political Extremisim:

-Invlovement of young men inpolitical ectremism increased

-KPD has a lot of success in recruiting working class youths

-The HItler Youth and SA offered unemployed boys and young men food and uniforms

-Youth membership of the organisation was not stable and majority of the youth unemployed

-Jan 1933 - 6,100,000 unemployed - 288 seats

Government Intervention:

-Emergancy Labour Schemes

-Unemployed youths were required to undertake unskilled mannual labour below the minimum wage

-Schemes were unpopular with the youth, resulting in two waves of strikes for higher wages in June and October 1930

-Voluntary Labour Schemes - young unemployed people being sent away from cities to residential work camps for periods of 6 months

-Government wanted to keep the Youths employed

Women:

-Woems employment and their right to work were being questioned. No discussion of equsl rights

-Women workers weathered effects of the depression

-Dismissal of millions of workers reignited debate 'double-earners'

-May 1932 - married women civil servants dismissed - central Government

-Equal Rights suffered a serious setback during depression

Politcal Consequences of the depression:

-End of Parliamentry democracy and increased use of presidentail decree

-Bruning wanted ot pass hos nudget through the Riechstag but rejected 265 to 193 so he went to Hindenburg

-Growth in support for the extremtiees

-intessification on Political violence

-SA wanted to fight left-wing communistes and reichstag was weak so had little effect