HOW EFFECTIVELY DID OPPOSITION EXPRESS ITSELF IN THE YEARS 1918-89?
IMPACT OF THE TOV
= foundation of political extremism.
- German people were misinformed about how badly the war was going.
- Masses believed the Weimar government were cowards + traitors for signing the ToV + that they betrayed
their country = November Criminals.
- ‘Stab in the back’ myth = Germany could’ve won the war if they weren’t stabbed in the back by the Nov.
Criminals = shows how the government were destroying themselves from within.
- Having to pay 132 million marks of reparations = low morale in masses = financial instability.
- ToV = reduced German army to 100,000 troops = felt weaker + more vulnerable = low national pride.
- ToV = lost land = Alsace-Lorraine = collapsing economy
- Increase in support for anti-constitution parties:
1919 = 17.9%
Nov. 1932 = 58.3%
POLITICAL EXTREMISM: 1918-33
1) SPARTACIST REVOLT- JAN. 1919
- Wanted a revolution similar to that of the Russian Revolution = wanted to overthrow the Weimar
government with a Communist one.
- Led by Rosa Luxemburg + Karl Liebknecht.
- Led a 50,000 person workers strike into Berlin.
- Suppressed by Freikorps = didn’t gather enough support so revolt was easily suppressed.
- Trigger = opposition to the ToV = Weimar’s failure to produce a strong, decisive government with a strong
leader = failure to unite Germany with liberalism + democratic principles.
2) KAPP PUTSCH- 12TH MARCH 1920
- Attempt to overthrow the government.
- Led by Wolfgang Kapp + Herman Ehrhardt = had support from Ludendorff.
- Took over Berlin = proclaimed themselves a new gov. = caused the government to flee to Weimar for safety.
- They dissolved the National Assembly + stated the constitution was no longer in effect.
- Trade unions called general strike = demanded end of Putsch.
- Army remained neutral = neither helped nor suppressed it.
- Trigger = opposition to the ToV = Weimar’s failure to produce a strong, decisive government with a strong
leader = failure to unite Germany with liberalism + democratic principles.
3) MUNICH PUTSCH- 1923
- Led by Hitler + Ludendorff.
- Hitler wanted a Nazi takeover of Germany similar to Mussolini’s ‘March on Rome’.
- Hitler had SA surround a large beer cellar + spoke to important officials.
- Rebels were arrested = Hitler also imprisoned = spent 9 months = wrote Mein Kampf.
- Trigger = opposition to the ToV = Weimar’s failure to produce a strong, decisive government with a strong
leader = failure to unite Germany with liberalism + democratic principles.
OPPOSITION + DISSENT IN NAZI GERMANY: 1933-45
1) SABOTAGE- WORKERS
- 1936 = workers who built autobahns held lightning strikes.
- Gestapo arrested members if workers became too organised + successful.
- Sabotaged production = working slow + damaging machinery + reporting in sick.
- 1945 = war starts = opposed in more violent ways = blowing up bridges + railways to help Britain + the
Allies.
IMPACT OF THE TOV
= foundation of political extremism.
- German people were misinformed about how badly the war was going.
- Masses believed the Weimar government were cowards + traitors for signing the ToV + that they betrayed
their country = November Criminals.
- ‘Stab in the back’ myth = Germany could’ve won the war if they weren’t stabbed in the back by the Nov.
Criminals = shows how the government were destroying themselves from within.
- Having to pay 132 million marks of reparations = low morale in masses = financial instability.
- ToV = reduced German army to 100,000 troops = felt weaker + more vulnerable = low national pride.
- ToV = lost land = Alsace-Lorraine = collapsing economy
- Increase in support for anti-constitution parties:
1919 = 17.9%
Nov. 1932 = 58.3%
POLITICAL EXTREMISM: 1918-33
1) SPARTACIST REVOLT- JAN. 1919
- Wanted a revolution similar to that of the Russian Revolution = wanted to overthrow the Weimar
government with a Communist one.
- Led by Rosa Luxemburg + Karl Liebknecht.
- Led a 50,000 person workers strike into Berlin.
- Suppressed by Freikorps = didn’t gather enough support so revolt was easily suppressed.
- Trigger = opposition to the ToV = Weimar’s failure to produce a strong, decisive government with a strong
leader = failure to unite Germany with liberalism + democratic principles.
2) KAPP PUTSCH- 12TH MARCH 1920
- Attempt to overthrow the government.
- Led by Wolfgang Kapp + Herman Ehrhardt = had support from Ludendorff.
- Took over Berlin = proclaimed themselves a new gov. = caused the government to flee to Weimar for safety.
- They dissolved the National Assembly + stated the constitution was no longer in effect.
- Trade unions called general strike = demanded end of Putsch.
- Army remained neutral = neither helped nor suppressed it.
- Trigger = opposition to the ToV = Weimar’s failure to produce a strong, decisive government with a strong
leader = failure to unite Germany with liberalism + democratic principles.
3) MUNICH PUTSCH- 1923
- Led by Hitler + Ludendorff.
- Hitler wanted a Nazi takeover of Germany similar to Mussolini’s ‘March on Rome’.
- Hitler had SA surround a large beer cellar + spoke to important officials.
- Rebels were arrested = Hitler also imprisoned = spent 9 months = wrote Mein Kampf.
- Trigger = opposition to the ToV = Weimar’s failure to produce a strong, decisive government with a strong
leader = failure to unite Germany with liberalism + democratic principles.
OPPOSITION + DISSENT IN NAZI GERMANY: 1933-45
1) SABOTAGE- WORKERS
- 1936 = workers who built autobahns held lightning strikes.
- Gestapo arrested members if workers became too organised + successful.
- Sabotaged production = working slow + damaging machinery + reporting in sick.
- 1945 = war starts = opposed in more violent ways = blowing up bridges + railways to help Britain + the
Allies.
