The Weimar Republic 1918-1929

• The First World War played a crucial part in creating the circumstances that led to the creation of the Weimar Republic
• Germany fought alongside Austria-Hungary against the allied powers which included Britain, the United States, France, Italy, and Russia
• Germany ultimately lost the war, leading to financial and population exhaustion
• Germany lost 2 million soldiers with more than double that injured
• Unrest spread across Germany with strikes and rebellions during the war
• Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on November 9th, 1918, leading to the need for a new government
• The Social Democratic Party (SPD) formed a government with Friedrich Ebert as leader
• Ebert suspended the Reichstag and created a Council of People’s Representatives to maintain order
• The Armistice with the Allied Powers was signed to end the fighting of the First World War
• The National Assembly replaced the Council of People’s Representatives to draft and agree on the new Constitution for the German Republic
• Elections for the Assembly were held in January 1919 with moderate parties winning the majority of seats
• The National Assembly met in Weimar in February 1919 to draft the new constitution
• The Constitution established a democratic system of government with the President, Chancellor, Reichstag, and Reichsrat as key components
• Strengths of the Weimar Constitution included universal suffrage, proportional representation, and a system of checks and balances
• The President had limited political power and was elected directly by the people every seven years
• The Chancellor was the head of government and needed the support of the Reichstag to carry out policies
• The Reichstag was the most powerful part of the government and represented the people directly
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution included frequent coalition governments due to proportional representation and the use of emergency powers under Article 48
• Emergency powers allowed the President to rule by decree without consulting the Reichstag
• Revolts and rebellions against the government were suppressed by the armed forces and militias
• Political parties in the Weimar Republic included the Communist Party (KPD), Social Democrats (SPD), Centre Party (ZP), and the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP)
• The Communist Party detested the Weimar Republic and aimed for a communist revolution
• The Social Democrats supported the Weimar Republic and drew support from workers and the middle classes
• The Centre Party was moderate and supported the Weimar Republic, arising from the Catholic Church
• The NSDAP was on the extreme right, despised the Weimar Republic, and aimed to avenge Germany's defeat in WWI
• The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 ended WWI and imposed military restrictions and territorial changes on Germany
• Germany was limited to 100,000 soldiers, prohibited from conscription, and restricted in naval and air forces
• Territorial changes included Alsace-Lorraine becoming part of France and the demilitarization of the Rhineland
• The Treaty was a compromise among the victorious powers, known as the Big Three, to weaken German military strength and adjust its borders
• Changes to the borders of Germany in Europe as a result of the Treaty of Versailles:

  • Alsace-Lorraine became part of France
  • The Rhineland was demilitarised
  • North Schleswig was given to Denmark
  • Saarland would be run by the League of Nations
  • West Prussia was given to Poland to create a Polish corridor to the sea
  • The city of Danzig was made a free city to be run by the League of Nations
• Germany, Britain, and France had empires in Africa and the Pacific

  • The Treaty stripped Germany of her colonial possessions and gave them to the League of Nations as mandates
  • Britain and France were asked to run these mandates
• Germany was required to pay £6.6 billion in reparations for war damage

  • This was a significant amount of money that would take Germany a long time to repay
• Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles required Germany to take the blame for starting the First World War

  • This was deeply unpopular in Germany as many did not believe Germany was responsible for starting the war
• Challenges to the Weimar Republic from the Left:

  • The Communist Party (KPD) wanted to establish a communist state and get rid of capitalism
  • Extreme left parties obtained around 20% of the seats in the Reichstag
  • The extremist parties could cause significant problems for the governing moderate parties
• Challenges to the Weimar Republic from the Right:

  • Right-wing groups, including the Nazis and the National Party, wanted to bring back the Kaiser
  • Extreme right parties achieved around 20% of the seats in the Reichstag
  • Significant challenges from the extreme right included the Kapp Putsch in 1920 and the Munich Putsch in 1923
• The Spartacist Revolt (1919):

  • Led by the Spartacist League to establish a communist state in Germany and overthrow the Weimar Republic
  • Ebert sacked the head of police Emil Eichhorn, leading to protests and rebellion
  • The Freikorps were called in to suppress the revolt, resulting in the arrest and killing of leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
• The Freikorps:

  • Former soldiers who fought in WWI and were unemployed due to Treaty of Versailles restrictions
  • Organised by Ebert to suppress uprisings like the Spartacist Revolt
  • After the revolt, there were about 250,000 Freikorps members
• The Kapp Putsch (1920):

  • Involved a rebellion by members of the Freikorps against the Weimar Government
  • Led by Wolfgang Kapp, who declared a new government and invited the Kaiser to return
  • The putsch collapsed after four days due to a general strike and the restoration of the Weimar Government
• French occupation of the Ruhr (1923):

  • Occurred when Germany failed to make reparations payments
  • French army seized goods and factories in the Ruhr
  • German government ordered passive resistance, leading to inflation and economic problems
• Political Violence in Germany between 1919-1923:

  • Private armies were created by political parties to defend their interests
  • Significant political assassinations of Weimar politicians occurred
  • 376 assassinations and murders took place, with judicial bias favoring right-wing perpetrators