Challenges to the Weimar

• The Spartacist Uprising:

  • Took place from the 5th to 12th of January 1919
  • It wasn't seen as a serious threat as the Spartacist League didn't have enough support from other socialists and they didn't have a military force
  • The military and Friekorps put an end to it
  • Rosa Luxemberg and Karl Liebknacht murdered
• Red Bavaria:

  • 1920
  • Bavaria was a socialist council led by Kurt Ginser
  • He was assassinated
• Ruhr March 1920:

  • Known as red rising
  • Germans wished to arm themselves
  • Friekorps went and killed 1000 workers
• Why did the communists revolt?

  Wished for a USSR style government, this angered them when it didn't occur. Wished for industry to be nationalised. Socialists left Council of People's Representatives
• Rosa Luxemburg:

  • Red Rosa
  • From a Polish Jewish Family
  • Called herself Junius like the founder of the Roman Empire
  • Killed in Spartacist uprising
  • Founder of the Spartacist League
• Karl Liebknecht:

  • Left Wing Lawyer
  • Only person in vote against Germany going to war in 1914
  • Sent to Eastern Front, he refused to fight which was treason
  • Founded league
• Kapp Putsch:

  • 13th March 1920
  • Friekorps was forced to disband by Friedrich Ebert due to his fear of them gaining more control
  • They didn't like this, so marched into Berlin claiming that Wolfgang was the chancellor
  • Military refused to fight them as they were fellow comrades
  • Only the workers strike ended the Putsch
• Wolfgang Kapp:

  • Father was apart of the failed 1848 German Revolution
  • Born in New York
  • Emigrated back to Germany
  • Opposed slavery in the USA
  • His wife (Margarete Rosenow) was from a conservative family, this caused him to leave his left leaning views behind
  • Head of the Friekorps
• The Freikorp:

  • Translated to Free Corps
  • Armed ex-soldiers
  • Right wing beliefs
  • Records indicate over 1.5 million men were apart of them
  • Ebert–Groener pact was signed during the Spartacist uprising
• Munich Putsch:

  • After Red Bavaria, a Catholic conservative regime was set up to take over -> allowed the NSDAP to thrive
  • In 1921, Hitler became the NSDAP leader
  • September 1923 => began to plan the Putsch
  • Wished for Military Dictatorship under Ludendorff
  • 8th November marched on Beer Hall
  • Forced police chief to agree
  • Left him, which allowed him to stop the Putsch
  • March stopped with 16 Nazis killed and Hitler arrested
  • Only prisoned for 9 months
• Invasion of the Ruhr:

  • January 1923 - France and Belgium went and took over the Ruhr - due to Germany falling behind with reparations
  • tried to make the German workers work form them however the government encouraged passive resistance
  • France brought in French Workers - 750 000 French Army
  • Germans rioted
  • caused Hyperinflation
  • riots occurred at a French soldiers funeral that turned violent
  • left due to Stresemann
• Hyperinflation:

  • inflation was already occurring due to the war expenses - 1917 money circulation 5x that in 1913
  • French invasion of Ruhr caused/influenced hyperinflation - lack of trade
  • Government printed more money
  • fixed incomes were most effected
  • lost key industrial powers
  • bartering and gambling
  • 1923 - $1 US = 4 200 000 000 000 RM
  • Rentenmark