Depth Study B: Germany, 1918 – 45
1.Was the Weimer Republic doomed from the
start?
How did Germany emerge from defeat at the end of the First
World War?
Kaiser Was a dictator. 1914, he was celebrating for his
achievements. Germany’s army was probably the fnest and the
strongest in the world. However, there was a great optimism about
the power and strength of Germany.
With all this happiness, 4 years later in 1918 with the result of the
war, the Treaty of Versailles destroyed Germany.
There was lack of food which later on worsened due to
Hyperinflation which was a result of the TOV.
The epidemic flu that killed thousands
Challenges Germany faced
Due to this, Ebert faced many problems:
Social The war had caused lack of food, diferences between rich
and poor, resentment towards the TOV and the Germans didn’t like
the fact that the Government had accepted and signed it
November Criminals
Economic Germany was bankrupted. Hyperinflation and the Rurh
German economy had collapsed.
Political Political opposition many revolutions attempt and
assassinations took place due to the fact Germany was weak and
vulnerable.
The Weimer republic was an absolute attempt to create a perfect
democratic country. In 1918, Kaiser was forced to abdicate from his
throne and left Germany for the Netherlands. Jan 1919 elections were
held and in February 1919 a new government was agreed. Friedrich Ebert
was elected as the President of the new Republic.
The Weimer Republic faced danger 1919-24
Anger of people towards the TOV and even more angry at the
government at signing the treaty which is known as the November
Criminals.
Hyperinflation due to the TOV War guilt reparations
Threat from the Left-Wing Threat from the right-wing
Left Wing Spartacists Ebert faced violent opposition
Communists were led by Karl and Opposition came from successful
Rosa Luxemburg people. They liked Kaisers
Dictatorship
,Against Ebert democratic republic Opposition wanted German
territory to expand
1919 Bid for power, joined rebel Deeply resented the Treaty of
soldiers and sailors Versailles
Freikorps Vigilante groups, anti- March 1920 Dr. Wolfgang Kapp
communists and ex-soldiers led 5, 000 freikorps into Berlin in a
rebellion known as the Kapp
Putsch
Ebert made an agreement with Looked like Ebert government was
Freikorps to put the rebellion down doomed
May 1919 600 communists were Saved by German people;
killed Industrial workers of Berlin
Ebert was terrifed, Germany was Declared a strike, brought the
heading the same way as Russia Capital to a halt with no transport,
power or water
Communists, remained a powerful Kapp realised he couldn’t succeed
anti-government force in Germany and left. The rest of the rebels
though out 1920s went unpunished by the courts and
judges
The government struggled to deal
with the violence in Germany.
Political assassins were frequent.
Nov 1933 Hitler attempted a
rebellion in Munich knows and the
Munich Putsch. Both Hitler and
Rathenau received short prison
sentences.
Weimer’s Right wind opponents
had friends in high society.
What was the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the Republic?
The biggest crisis of the New republic came in May 1919 when the terms
of the Treaty of Versailles were announced. Most German people were
devastated but the right-wing opponents of Ebert’s government were
particularly angry. They blamed Ebert’s government for betraying
Germany.
Germany lost:
10% of its land
All of its overseas colonies
12.5% of its population
16% of its coal and 45% of its iron industry
Its army was reduced to 100,000 – it was not allowed to have an air
force; its navy was reduced.
Germans were appalled. Supporters of the Weimer Republic felt
betrayed by the allies.
, The Kaiser was gone – opponents of the regime turned their fury on
Ebert
Ebert himself was very reluctant to sign the Treaty but he had no
choice. Germany could not go back to war. However, in the minds of
many Germans, Ebert as his Weimer Republic were forever to blame
for the Treaty. The injustice of the Treaty of Versailles became
rallying point for all Ebert’s opponents. They believed that the
German army had been “stabbed in the back” by the socialists and
Liberal politicians who agreed an armistice in November 1918. They
believed that Germany had not been beaten on the battlefeld but
that it had been betrayed by its civilian’s politicians who didn’t dare
continue the war.
Economic Disaster
The Treaty of Versailles destabilised Germany politically but
Germans also blamed it for creating an economic problem.
The TOV forced Germany to pay reparations to the Allies. The
reparations bill was announced in April 1921. It was set at $6.600
million to be paid in annual instalments of 2% of Germany’s annual
output. The Germans protested that this was an intolerable strain on
the economy which they were struggling to rebuild after the war,
but their protests were ignored.
The Ruhr
First instalment of $50 million was paid in 1921, 1922 nothing was
paid.
Ebert did his best to pay for time and to negotiate concessions from
the allies. But the French in particular ran out of patience.
1923 – French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr (legal under
TOV) and began to take what was owed to them in the for of raw
materials and goods.
Results of the occupation were disastrous for Germany. The
government ordered the workers to carry out passive resistance,
which meant to go on strike. Like this the French could do nothing.
The French reacted harshly, killing over 100 workers and expelling
over 100,00 protestors from region. More importantly, Industrial
production in German which is the most important region caused
the collapse of German currency.
Hyperinfation
Period of rapidly accelerating infation where price of goods
rose continually.
The Government solved problem of not having enough money by
printing extra money. Money became worthless- prices shot up.
Prices could rise as you were waiting in queue in a shop. Wages paid
daily. People having debts benefted from this as they could pay
them of very quickly in worthless marks.
1.Was the Weimer Republic doomed from the
start?
How did Germany emerge from defeat at the end of the First
World War?
Kaiser Was a dictator. 1914, he was celebrating for his
achievements. Germany’s army was probably the fnest and the
strongest in the world. However, there was a great optimism about
the power and strength of Germany.
With all this happiness, 4 years later in 1918 with the result of the
war, the Treaty of Versailles destroyed Germany.
There was lack of food which later on worsened due to
Hyperinflation which was a result of the TOV.
The epidemic flu that killed thousands
Challenges Germany faced
Due to this, Ebert faced many problems:
Social The war had caused lack of food, diferences between rich
and poor, resentment towards the TOV and the Germans didn’t like
the fact that the Government had accepted and signed it
November Criminals
Economic Germany was bankrupted. Hyperinflation and the Rurh
German economy had collapsed.
Political Political opposition many revolutions attempt and
assassinations took place due to the fact Germany was weak and
vulnerable.
The Weimer republic was an absolute attempt to create a perfect
democratic country. In 1918, Kaiser was forced to abdicate from his
throne and left Germany for the Netherlands. Jan 1919 elections were
held and in February 1919 a new government was agreed. Friedrich Ebert
was elected as the President of the new Republic.
The Weimer Republic faced danger 1919-24
Anger of people towards the TOV and even more angry at the
government at signing the treaty which is known as the November
Criminals.
Hyperinflation due to the TOV War guilt reparations
Threat from the Left-Wing Threat from the right-wing
Left Wing Spartacists Ebert faced violent opposition
Communists were led by Karl and Opposition came from successful
Rosa Luxemburg people. They liked Kaisers
Dictatorship
,Against Ebert democratic republic Opposition wanted German
territory to expand
1919 Bid for power, joined rebel Deeply resented the Treaty of
soldiers and sailors Versailles
Freikorps Vigilante groups, anti- March 1920 Dr. Wolfgang Kapp
communists and ex-soldiers led 5, 000 freikorps into Berlin in a
rebellion known as the Kapp
Putsch
Ebert made an agreement with Looked like Ebert government was
Freikorps to put the rebellion down doomed
May 1919 600 communists were Saved by German people;
killed Industrial workers of Berlin
Ebert was terrifed, Germany was Declared a strike, brought the
heading the same way as Russia Capital to a halt with no transport,
power or water
Communists, remained a powerful Kapp realised he couldn’t succeed
anti-government force in Germany and left. The rest of the rebels
though out 1920s went unpunished by the courts and
judges
The government struggled to deal
with the violence in Germany.
Political assassins were frequent.
Nov 1933 Hitler attempted a
rebellion in Munich knows and the
Munich Putsch. Both Hitler and
Rathenau received short prison
sentences.
Weimer’s Right wind opponents
had friends in high society.
What was the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the Republic?
The biggest crisis of the New republic came in May 1919 when the terms
of the Treaty of Versailles were announced. Most German people were
devastated but the right-wing opponents of Ebert’s government were
particularly angry. They blamed Ebert’s government for betraying
Germany.
Germany lost:
10% of its land
All of its overseas colonies
12.5% of its population
16% of its coal and 45% of its iron industry
Its army was reduced to 100,000 – it was not allowed to have an air
force; its navy was reduced.
Germans were appalled. Supporters of the Weimer Republic felt
betrayed by the allies.
, The Kaiser was gone – opponents of the regime turned their fury on
Ebert
Ebert himself was very reluctant to sign the Treaty but he had no
choice. Germany could not go back to war. However, in the minds of
many Germans, Ebert as his Weimer Republic were forever to blame
for the Treaty. The injustice of the Treaty of Versailles became
rallying point for all Ebert’s opponents. They believed that the
German army had been “stabbed in the back” by the socialists and
Liberal politicians who agreed an armistice in November 1918. They
believed that Germany had not been beaten on the battlefeld but
that it had been betrayed by its civilian’s politicians who didn’t dare
continue the war.
Economic Disaster
The Treaty of Versailles destabilised Germany politically but
Germans also blamed it for creating an economic problem.
The TOV forced Germany to pay reparations to the Allies. The
reparations bill was announced in April 1921. It was set at $6.600
million to be paid in annual instalments of 2% of Germany’s annual
output. The Germans protested that this was an intolerable strain on
the economy which they were struggling to rebuild after the war,
but their protests were ignored.
The Ruhr
First instalment of $50 million was paid in 1921, 1922 nothing was
paid.
Ebert did his best to pay for time and to negotiate concessions from
the allies. But the French in particular ran out of patience.
1923 – French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr (legal under
TOV) and began to take what was owed to them in the for of raw
materials and goods.
Results of the occupation were disastrous for Germany. The
government ordered the workers to carry out passive resistance,
which meant to go on strike. Like this the French could do nothing.
The French reacted harshly, killing over 100 workers and expelling
over 100,00 protestors from region. More importantly, Industrial
production in German which is the most important region caused
the collapse of German currency.
Hyperinfation
Period of rapidly accelerating infation where price of goods
rose continually.
The Government solved problem of not having enough money by
printing extra money. Money became worthless- prices shot up.
Prices could rise as you were waiting in queue in a shop. Wages paid
daily. People having debts benefted from this as they could pay
them of very quickly in worthless marks.
