The Weimar Republic (1918-1929)

• The first four years if the Weimar Republic were dominated by political, social and economic unrest. This created hardship for Germans and lead to the criticism of the government.
• By 1919:

  • Thousands of Germans poor and starving
  • Germans denied the loss of the war and blamed it on the 'November Criminals'
  • Communists and Jews were blamed
  • The government was weak/ineffective, the Treaty of Versailles made conditions worse
• The Spartacist Revolt was set up in December 1918 with the main leaders being Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. They were a left-wing/communist group. On the 6th January 1919, they attempted to take over Berlin by controlling newspaper headquarters. This caused 50,000 workers to go on strike.
• Ebert asked the Freikorps (ex-German soldiers) to help stop the Spartacists rebellion. Due to the use of violence, the Freikorps had killed over 100 workers. This caused a split on the left between the Social Democratic Party and the Communists.
• The Kapp Putsch was led by Wolfgang Kapp who was also accompanied by some of the Freikorps. They wanted to create a right-wing government, so they marched into Berlin to overthrow Weimar regime. Workers opposed and staged a general strike which paralysed Berlin and forced Kapp to give up. In 1922, former Freikorp members assassinated Walter Rathenau (Jewish Foreign Minister), because of this antisemitism increased.
• By 1923, Germany could no longer pay the reparations set up by the Treaty of Versailles. France and Belgium decided to occupy the Ruhr (the richest industrial part of Germany), this gave them access to Germany's iron and coal.
• The occupation of the Ruhr led to fury and caused a huge strike. Germany's industry was devastated again, the government printed more money to try and solve Germany's debt problem but this caused hyperinflation. Germany's money lost it's value.
• Consequences of Hyperinflation:

  • Germany's money became worthless
  • Shortages of food and essentials got worse as no one wanted to trade with Germany
  • Bank savings became worthless (the middle class were effected most)
  • The Weimar government was blamed and seen as incompetent
• Gustav Stresemann was Chancellor of the Weimar Republic between August and November 1923. His domestic and international policies resulted in the 'Golden Years'.
• Stresemann ended the strike in the Ruhr in September 1923, this reduced tensions between Germany, France and Belgium. It also meant that the government could stop compensation payments to strikers.
• In November 1923, Stresemann replaced the German Mark with the Rentenmark to stabilise Germany's economy.
• Stresemann created the 'Great Coalition', a group of moderate, pro-democracy socialist parties in the Reichstag who agreed to work together. This allowed parliament to make decisions more quickly.
• In November 1923, Stresemann also became Foreign Minister and he tried to cooperate more with other countries to build better international relationships.
• The Dawes Plan (1924):

  • Secured France's and Belgium's withdrawal from the Ruhr
  • Agreed more realistic payments dates
  • The USA lent Germany £40 million so they could pay off their reparations
  • Helped the economy but was dependent on the American loans
• The Young Plan (1929):

  • Allies agreed to reduce the reparations to a quarter of the original amount
  • Germany was given 59 years to pay them
• The Locarno Pact (October 1925):

  • Germany, France and Belgium agreed to respect their joint borders (even those created due to the Treaty of Versailles)
• The League of Nations (1926):

  • Germany joined in 1926 and was re-established as an international power
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928):

  • Signed by Germany alongside 65 other countries
  • Promised not to use violence to settle disputes
• Stresemann died on the 3rd October 1929, just before the Wall Street Crash (a massive stock market crash in the USA which caused a global economic depression). The plans that Stresemann had agreed to only worked if the USA had enough money to lend Germany.
• Life did improve for some under the Weimar Republic despite from the political, social and economic unrest. During the 'Golden Years' living standards improved, this was a result of Germany's economic prosperity and also from the reforms which took place throughout the 1920s.
• 'Golden Years' Improvements (Unemployment):

  • Workers could pay into the scheme and receive cash benefits if they became unemployed
  • The unemployed were more protected
  • In 1927, unemployment insurance was introduced
• 'Golden Years' Improvements (Wages):

  • The working class became more prosperous (wealthy)
  • Wages for industrial workers rose quickly in the late 1920s
• 'Golden Years' Improvement (Housing):

  • Between 1924 and 1931, more than 2 million new homes were built, this improved employment
  • The government had launched massive housing projects
• Despite the changes caused by the 'Golden Years', problems still remained:

  • Germany was fragile and higher living standards could only happen with a strong economy
  • The changes didn't help the middle class but only the working class