Weimar Germany

Individuals
1. Ebert
  1. Weimar republic because berlin was too dangerous.
2. Hindenburg
The Treaty Of Versailles June 1919
1. Reparations
  1. Compensation for all damages done.
  2. 66000000 billion to be paid by around the late 1980s.
2. Territorial Losses
  1. Alsace - Lorraine returned to France.
  2. Polish corridor
  3. Rhineland used by France and demilitarised to prevent invasions through there.
3. war guilt
  1. Article 231 war guilt clause
4. Demilitarised
  1. 100,000 soldiers and 6 battleships
  2. Conscription was abolished
  3. 15000 men in naval forces.
5. French priminister georges Clemenceau, American Woodrow Wilson, English Lloyd George.
1923 crisis year
1. Munich Putsch Nov 8-9
  1. Hitler and Ludendorff march into a beer hall in Bavaria and made Von Kaar stand down who escaped and told authorities who crushed the putsch the next day.
2. Hyperinflation
  1. Because of the passive resistance the government had to print more money form the occupation of the Ruhr and money lost its value rapidly.
  2. By November a loaf of bread cost 200 billion marks.
  3. People on wages or in debt benefitted as they could either renegotiate their wages or pay off their debt really quickly.
3. Occupation of the Ruhr
  1. France suffered heaviest losses during ww1 so they were adamant about the reparation payments which is why the French troupes occupied the Ruhr when the Weimar failed to keep up with the payments.
  2. People responded passively which resulted in Hyperinflation.
Culture
1. Film...
  1. Futurism, Fritz Lang and Metropolis.
2. Music
  1. The Threepenny orchestra by Kurt Weill
3. Art
  1. Satirical Imagery
  2. George Grosz and the Pillars of Society.
4. Architecture
  1. Bauhaus, Modernism by Walter Gropius.
5. Anita Berber wore men's clothes or hardly anything.
Constitution 1919
1. President
  1. Elected every 7 years. Kept away from day to day running of the country. In charge of the Navy and the air force, and army. 7 years is a long time however. Could use article 48 (special emergency powers) to make undemocratic decisions and pass laws without the Reichstag.
2. Chancellor
  1. Chosen by the president and was in charge of day to day running of the country e.g. welfare, education and employment. Needed a majority of votes in order to pass new laws. Gustav Stressemann, Von Papen and Hitler are examples. Could be appointed without support of civilians.
3. Reichstag
  1. The German Parliament. Seats gained by proportional representation so it was a fair voting system. introduced new laws. Members elected every 4 years. Extremism because of the parties and free speech. Hard to reach a majority because there were so many smaller parties.
4. Civilians
  1. Anyone over the age of 20 both men and women could vote, people though this new policy or set of rules was too liberal.
5. A bill of rights guaranteed people basic human rights.
Gustav Stresseman
1. Dawes Plan 1924
  1. solved the reparations problem and helped out with hyperinflation by destroying old currency and introducing the new rentenmark and then the next year the reichmark.
2. Locarno Treaties 1925
  1. Secured territory in case of a war and promised not to invade eachother
3. League of nations 1926
  1. Germany is accepted into the league of the nations and are allowed to attend peace discussions etc.
4. Kellog-briand pact 1928
  1. all future disputes to be solved on peaceful terms and not to go into war.
5. Young plan 1929
  1. further reduces the reparations
Opposition
1. Spartacist Uprising 1919 January
  1. Led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. Both leaders were murdered by Otto Runge who was sentenced to 2 years for attempted murder.
2. Kapp Putsch 1920
  1. Lead By Wolfgang Kapp journalist right wing.
  2. Hated the treaty of versailles
  3. assisted by general Luttwitz
  4. Government relocated to Dresden and called for a general strike. Had support of Ludendorff however not the rest of the army.
3. Red Rising in the Ruhr 1920
  1. Left wing workers revolt in the Ruhr also led by communists.

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