The Weimar republic

The Weimar republic

1. The origins of the republic

   • The setting up of the Weimar Republic
     • The Weimar Constitution
       • finalised in August 1919
       • first time Germany experienced democracy
     • meeting for the constituent assembly in Berlin was too dangerous, so they met in Weimar(hence the name of the republic)
       • no single party had a majority of votes
         • coalition government
       • chose Ebert(Social democratic party(SPD)) as new president
         • he asked Philipp Echeidemann of same party to be chancellor
         • formed coalition with the catholic centre party(ZP)
       • two key tasks before them:
         • 1. drawing up of a new constitution
         • 2. formulation of a peace treaty with the allies
   • The legacy of the first world war
     • The revolution of 1918 - 19
       • Max approached pres. Woodrow Wilson about ending the war(USA)
         • he would not go to peace with Germany as long as there was a Kaiser in charge
       • end of 1918 German navy mutinied
       • Nov 9 1918; Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated
       • Chancellor Friedrich Ebert of the German republic accepted the armistice of Wilson's Fourteen points
         • elections for a constituent assembly Jan 19 1919
     • WW1 started in 1914
     • Britain, France and Russia + USA from 1917(allies) vs Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey(central powers)
     • 1918 - new gov. in Germany lead by prince Max of Baden
       • Germany's first parliamentary cabinet
         • meaning they were accountable to Reichstag rather than the Kaiser

2. The early challenges to the republic

   • The early unpopularity of the republic
     • The treaty of Versailles
       • Germans signed armistice 11 November 1918
         • treaty ending WW1 signed 28 June 1919
       • Expected peace settlement to be based on Wilson's Fourteen Points
         • his idea of self-determination as a safeguard of Germany's sovereignty
       • severe terms on Germany
         • lost 13% of land
         • lost 48% of iron production
         • 6million+ citizens were absorbed into other countries
         • Article 231 - the War Guilt Clause
           • had to accept blame for starting the war
         • denial of entry to the League of Nations
     • The stab in the back theory
       • scapegoat
         • The November Criminals
       • 19 June 1919
         • Scheidemann resigned as chancellor (in disgust)
       • the Allies had informed the German leaders that refusal to accept the terms would lead to a renewal of hostilites and immediate invasion of G
       • the politicians had stabbed the army in the back
     • main reason = the Treaty of Versailles
   • Challenges to the republic from the left and right
     • Threat from the left
       • The Spartacist uprising
         • based on communist ideals
         • lead by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
           • killed
         • formed the German Communist Party (KPD)
         • 6 Jan 1919
           • egan their attempt to overthrow Ebert and the gov to create a communist state
         • o match for the freikorps and army
       • many Germans hoped German could become socialist
       • Soldiers, workers and sailors set up 'soviets' (Oct and Nov 1918)
       • Ebert made a deal with Groener because of the fear of revolution
       • Examples
         • Communist rising (Oct 1923)
         • communist rising in the Ruhr (March-April 1920)
     • The Kapp Putsch
       • right-wing
       • trade unionists and civil servants supported the Gov
         • Putsch collapsed because it had little support
       • 1920
       • Berlin
       • leaders were Erhart and Kapp
     • Further uprisings
       • left-wing and right-wing groups involved
         • iolence continued for the nect two years
       • 1919 -22: 376 murders (354 by the right)
       • Matthias Erzberger and Walther Rathenau were both assassinated (1921 and 1922)
     • political turmoil across the country
       • uprisings and threats
       • some Germans felt democracy had been imposed on them
     • radical changes in Germany (late October and early November 1918) came about because those in power in G saw there was no alternative
     • British naval blockage - shortages of food
     • inflation
     • Bolshevik Revolution (Russia) - October 1917
       • Provisional Gov was removed by Lenin and Trotsky
   • The challenges of 1923
     • The French occupation of the Ruhr, 1923
       • German resistance
         • passive
         • industrial sabbotage
           • factories were set on fire
           • mines were sabotaged and flooded
         • strike and protests
       • The result of the occupation
         • the strikers became heroes
         • German gov. backed the strikers and printed more money to pay them a wage
           • inflation
       • Hyperinflation
         • benefited certain ppl
           • businessmen who were in too great debts
           • farmers
           • foreigners
       • French and Belgium troops, January
         • Germany failed to pay reparations for both countries
     • French occupation of the Ruhr
     • Hyperinflation

3. The recovery of the republic

   • Reasons for economic recovery
     • Dawes plan
       • Persuasion of the French, British and American to change the payment terms
       • Agreed in August 1924
       • named after US vice president Charles Dawes
       • Main points
         • reparation payments would begin at 1million marks and over 4 years increase to 2.5million marks per year
         • the Ruhr area was to be evacuated by Allied occupation troops
           • 1925
         • Reichsbank would be recognised under Allied supervision
         • USA would give loans to help economic recovery
     • US loans
       • beginning: 800million marks
       • next six years: $3,000 million
     • The rentenmark
       • hyperinflation of 1923 - destroyed the value of the German mark
       • November 1923 - Stresemann introduced the temporary Rentenmark
         • 1924 - Rentenmark converted to Reichsmark, backed by gold reserves
       • based on property values
     • The young plan
       • 1929 - Owen Young came up with a new plan for payments
         • reduced from 6,600 million pounds to 1,850 million.
       • Payment length extended to 59 years
         • 2.05 billion marks per year
       • severely critisised by right-wing politicians
         • Alfred Hugenberg
         • Adolf Hitler
       • further payment of reparations extended to 1988
     • Political stability
       • 1924 - 1929
       • until 1930 - no single party won majority of seats in the Reichstag
       • Social Democrats always got most votes
       • Greater votes for the parties supporting the Weimar republic rather than extremist groups such as the Nazis
     • Extent of recovery
       • German economy flourished
       • large businesses were able to pay off many of their debts
       • Industrial growth
       • wages increased
       • work day remained at 8 hours
       • state arbitration
       • unemployment reached a peak in 1926
       • worldwide depression in agriculture
       • lower middle class - did not fully recover from the hyperinflation
   • Stresemann's policies abroad
     • The locarno pact
       • signed in 1925 between Germany with Britain, France, Belgium and Italy
       • reed to keep existing borders between G, France and Belgium.
       • 'Locarno honeymoon'
     • The League of Nations
       • est. 1920
       • 1926 - G was given a permanent seat on the council
       • regarded as the guardian of the hated TofV
       • used his position to bring about the young plan
     • The Kellogg-Briand pact
       • 1928 - G signed (along with 64 other nations)
       • kept armies for self-defence and solve all int. disputes 'by peaceful means'
       • G was once again one of the leading nations
     • The impact of domestic policies
       • improved relations meant the allies were open to renegotiating he representations payment schedule
         • reduced payment - G better off economically
         • opposition - Alfred Hugenberg and Fritz Thyssen
       • 1927 - Allied troops withdrew from the west bank of the Rhine
         • (5 years before scheduled in 1933)
         • showed relaxation of the TofV terms
         • boosted the popularity of Stresemann

4. Changes in society

   • The standard of living
     • Wages
       • by 1928 - over 10% increase in real wages
         • some of the best-paid workers in Europe
       • April 1928 - 184'000 sought employment, half of them didn't qualify
     • Housing
       • gov employed architects and planners to device ways of reducing shortage of houses
       • 1924 - 1931: 2'000'000+ houses built, and 200'000 renovated/expanded
       • 1929 - gov spent 33 times more on housing than in 1913
       • 1928 - homelessness reduced by 60 %
     • Unemployment insurance
       • 1880's - Otto von Bismarck introduced a series of reforms
       • 1927 - insurance law
     • ages, housing and unemployment insurance
   • The position of women
     • Politics
       • 1919 - women over 20 years were able to vote
       • equality in education, civil service appointments and equal pay
       • 1926 - 32 women deputies in the Reichstag
         • higher than Britain and USA
     • Employment
       • growth: civil service, teaching , social work, shops and assembly line
       • 1933 - 100'000 teachers and 3'000 doctors
     • Leisure
       • unescorted, drank, smoked (all in public)
   • Cultural changes
     • Art
       • Neue Sachlichkeit (new objectivity)
       • George Grosz and Otto Dix
     • Architecture
       • Bauhaus (School of building)
         • 'Art and technology - a new unity'
         • Walter Gropius (founder)
     • Cinema
       • dir. Fritz Lang - Metropolis
       • actress Marlene Dietrich
     • Literature
       • right: critical of German democracy + glorified experiences of WW1 (Arthur Moeller and Oswald Spengler)
       • left: anti-war (Erich Remarque and Ludwig Renn
     • Theatre
       • new operas and plays
         • Zeittheater and Zeitoper
         • greater realism
       • The Good Soldier Schweik
       • The Salesman of Berlin