history (german politics after ww1)

• They were out a lot of money from paying for uniforms and weapons
• After the war they had to give pensions to the widows and people who were badly injured
• Trade has gone down because people were not working in the factories
• They had to pay a fine of 6600 million pounds
• They did not find out about the 6600 million pound fine until

  1921
• Food like bread was worth a lot of money and they could not afford it
• They were all becoming very poor and they would have to reduce the amount of food they eat
• The teachers went on strike, but as a result of that they were not getting paid
• No work means they would not buy anything
• People get fired because the business owners don't have enough money to pay their employees
• Printing more money just made their currency worthless. If they were to carry around all their money in a wheelbarrow, the wheelbarrow would be worth more then all of their money, and that would be what's taken
• Short Term Impact: People can pay off their loans instantly because their wages went up massively
• Long Term Impact: All people's savings became worthless. They can't afford anything and they run out of money quickly. The amount of money that it costs for a loaf of bread is equivalent to a house. People can not afford to retire. They are in a worse position now then they were before
• The loss of people through their lost territories and from the Polish land. They lost 12% of their people
• They lost some of their industries (less money coming in)
• What were they (give examples)?

   

  • Every country rules for themselves (unless they are willing to be a part of an empire)
  • No secret treaties
  • Everyone is given access to the sea

   

   

  How realistic are they?

   

  Not very, countries where not willing to break up their empires, banning secret treaties means that once they are known, they are allowed because they are no longer secret. If you give people access to the sea, you have to give them land from another country, meaning they would no longer be self ruling.
• Military

  The German army was cut to 100,000 men, and conscription was not allowed. They could only have six battleships, and they where not allowed to build any submarines, planes or tanks. Allied troops would be stationed in Rhineland for 15 years to ensure that the Germans don't have any troops there.
• Alliance

  The League of Nations excluded Germany. It is the father of the United Nations. Almost every country in the world was a part of it. ANSCHLUSS was banned.
• Imperialism

  All of Germany's colonies where taken away and given to the Allies. Alsace-Lorraine is given to France. Germany is split into two, and gives Poland access to the sea.
• Nationalism

  Germany takes the blame for the Great War.
• Reparations

  Germany owes 6600 million in gold and goods.
• March 1920 Putsch

  1. Leader of the freikrops (Wolfgang Kapp) rise up

  2. They take over the newspaper buildings and government buildings by force

  3. The actual army refused to do anything about it, and did not want to shoot fellow Germans, leaving no one to stop the freikorps

  4. Ebert flees

  5. The people in Germany refuse to engage

  6. Everyone goes on strike, they refuse to work

  7. The government can only govern with the will of the people they where governing

  8. Wolfgang Kapp dies before his trial

  9. People are still choosing violence

  10. Walter Rathenau is killed for being a "November criminal"
• Munich Putsch

  • Hitler tried to persuade senior politicians, police and army officers to help him take over the state government
  • He interrupted Kahr, the leader of the Bavarian state government, with a shot into the ceiling then announced that his revolution had begun and no one could leave
  • He took Kahr and his companions into a private room while his troopers watched
  • Once alone, Hitler tried to win them over with his idea of setting up a second government in Bavaria and then marching on Berlin to overthrow the national Weimar Government
• Hitler gets arrested

  • The judge was sympathetic on Hitler because he agreed with his right-winger viewpoint
  • He also was good at speaking and negotiating his way out of a longer and harsher sentence
• While in jail he wrote a book, where people learned about who he is, and he learns that he needs to spend time improving the Nazi government, which he does for the next ten years
• January, 1919, communism rises up. The Spartans are trying to take over Germany. There are the same amount of people for and against communism. They are run by worker counsels or soviets. The freikorps hate communists, and kills Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. It does not come close to success, but it shows you how weak the German government is. The future chancellor had to rely on the right wing freikorps. The revolt happens before there is an official leader.