Problems faced by the Weimar Republic in the 1920s

Problems faced by the Weimar Republic in the 1920s

1. Treaty of Versailles

   • Land
     • All Germany's colonies were taken away
     • 13% of land was given away or formed new countries.
       • This land had important raw materials
       • 6m people lived here
       • Poland now had access to the sea
     • German troops were not allowed in the Rhineland
   • Army
     • Was reduced to 100,000
     • Navy was 15,000 sailors and 6 battleships
     • No submarines, tanks or airforce
   • Money
     • Germany had to pay reparations of £6600m
   • Blame
     • Germany had to sign a document, accepting all blame for WW1
     • War guilt 'clause'

2. Defeat in WW1

   • defeat
     • stab in the back
       • people felt that the new government had betrayed them
     • no one was told of the truth throughout the war so the surrender came as a shock

3. Hyper-Inflation

   • Germany had been struggling to pay back reparations - they however were not believed.
   • In 1923 the French invaded the Ruhr, Germany's main industrial area. They took control of everything.
     • The government told workers not to cooperate, they went on strike (passive resistance)
       • even so 140 Germans were killed
     • The government lost a lot of money through paying German workers whilst they were on strike and not gaining income from the Ruhrgebiet
       • To repay their debts they printed more money causing hyperinflation
         • thus the german mark lost value
           • In 19191 $1 was 9 marks, in 1923 $1 was 200 billion marks
   • This meant peoples savings and pensions were worthless.
   • Wages did not keep up with rising prices.
     • Only people with debts gained anything

4. Political Violence

   • left wing
     • Spartacus rising
       • Spartacist League - Rosa Luxemburg & Karl Liebknecht
         • Did not trust government - wanted communism
       • tried to turn Jan 1919's workers protest into revolution. Took over government newspaper and telegraph headquarters.
         • army and freikorps stopped this
           • 100 workers and leaders killed
     • Red rising in the Ruhr
       • workers lead by communist party members
         • angry about bad pay and conditions
         • 50,000 occupied Ruhr area and took control
           • 1000+ killed
             • bad planning and weak leadership
   • right wing
     • The Kapp Putsch
       • Freikorps unit, lead by Wolfgang kapp
         • angry when in 1920 they were ordered to be disbanded
         • 12,000 marched to Berlin, took over government
       • Kapp was Germany's new leader however the Freikorps gained little support. After four days he fled Berlin.
     • The Munich Putsch
       • Nazi party - Hitler & General Ludendorff
         • 55,000 and their own army - SA
         • believed democracy was for the weak
           • Started in Munich in meeting where lead of Bavaria (Kahr) was speaking. Forced him to support.
             • it was not properly planned. German government responded quickly. Army stopped them.
               • 14 killed and Hitler imprisoned for 5 years
                 • released after 9 months though
   • Weimar Republic was democratic however extremist parties wanted to tear itapart