Weimar Republic
From Ibstudy
- German govmt. 1919 to 1933
- After WWI: abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and general turmoil
- Jan 1919 elections
- established under the new constitution after WWI
- Fundamental problems:
- Democratic govmt. had never existed in Germany (Bismarck and the Reichs were militaristic dictatorships) - it was now faced with the most democratic regime in the world
- Ideas of Social Darwinism and racism (antiseimitism) had been fostered by the Second Reich, and were incompatible with the ideas of equal representation and democracy.
- Unpopular: had signed the Versailles Treaty.
- Weak economy: hyperinflation 1923-4 due to money printed to pay workers on strike
- 4,200,000,000,000 marks to the dollar in 1923
- cheaper to burn money than to buy firewood
- Ineffective constitution:
- President given huge emergency powers
- proportional voting: lots of small, powerless parties - little gets done
- Faced pressure from extreme rightist and leftist groups
- Left wing rebellions in Bavaria and across Germany, and Red Army rebellion in the Ruhr 1920
- Right-wing rebellion in Berlin 1920, terrorist assasination of politicians 1922
- these were put down by the Freikorps and Army
- The quick introduction of this government was not well supported, stimulating public discontent for the democratic goverment from the start
- Political goals over public needs?
- The proverbial "stab in the back"
- Shock at defeat, sudden social changes:
- inflation
- distaste at Versailles
- Democratic govmt. had never existed in Germany (Bismarck and the Reichs were militaristic dictatorships) - it was now faced with the most democratic regime in the world
- The governmental system went from a monarchy to a democratic republic in six weeks, seen as "a revolution from above", being initiated by the ruling class, and the German supreme commander at the end of the first world war
- General Ludendorff, under threat of final defeat, persuaded the kaiser to transform the second reich into a democratic system.
- Also urged an immediate armistice
- He hoped to better the peace terms
- Blame this civilian government and not the generals who's decision it was
- General Ludendorff, under threat of final defeat, persuaded the kaiser to transform the second reich into a democratic system.
- France invades the Ruhr because of Weimar's inability to keep up with reparations
- humiliation of Germans
- greater contribution to inflation
- Stresemann: became Chancellor 1923 -> lots of improvements
- slowed inflation
- got the French to leave the Ruhr
- Germany enters the League of Nations 1926
- Locarno Pact 1925: non-agression pact between Germany, France, Belgium, Britain and Italy, in addition to arbitration conventions with France and Belgium
