weakness of the Weimar Republic 1919-23

• Spartacist Rebellion


  Attempt by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg to create a communist government in Berlin in January 1919
• Spartacist Rebellion


  1. Street fighting ensued

  2. Republican government forced to move to Weimar

  3. Government put down the rebellion using the Freikorps (a group of de-mobilized soldiers)

  4. Liebknecht and Luxemburg found dead, murdered without recourse to a trial
• The government was ostensibly the most democratic in the world but to keep the peace on the streets they used the violent Freikorps and rule of law was abandoned
• The government was shown to be seriously weak
• The rebellion was ultimately a failure
• The government was able to publish a constitution after the rebellion was suppressed
• Weimar constitution in Germany

  1919
• Weimar constitution


  • Most democratic political system in the world at the time
  • All men and women over 21 were allowed to vote
  • Proportional representation meant that every vote was represented
• Proportional representation


  Resulted in many parties being represented and not one single party had a majority
• Coalition governments


  Unstable and found it difficult to pass legislation
• Despite the challenges, the Weimar government would remain in power until Hitler's appointment as Chancellor
• Versailles treaty reparations

  • Germany agreed to pay repatriations in the treaty
  • 1921 told the full amount 6.6 billion payable in installments and manufactured goods.
  • In 1922 Germany did not make all the payments
  • This was improtsnt because the income of the goverment was 1/4 of what was needed so they increased the printing of money.
  • However it was less important because the goverment could have made a different decsion and raised taxes instead of govement money suggesting the goverment mistakes were an important cause of the crisis
• Kapp Putsch 


  January 1920 a group of ex-soilders under the leadership of Nationslit Wolfgang Kapp seized power in Berlin as a result of their object to the treaty of Versailes. The goverment was unable to respond. In the end key public workers in transport, communication and ulties went on strike and the Putsch was defeated. Hiwever it was less important because the Weimar goverment did survive the putsch demonstrating that the workers did have a significant commitment to the Weimar democracy
• France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr


  January 1923
• Ruhr Crisis


  • Important industrial area
  • French confiscated raw materials, manufactured goods, and industrial machinery
  • German government encouraged workers to strike (passive resistance)
  • French brought their own workers in
• German government printing money to pay workers


  Caused hyperinflation
• By 1923 there were 300 paper mills and 200 printing shops whose only job was to print money
• In 1919 a loaf of bread cost 1 mark, in January 1923 it cost 250 marks, and in October 1923 it cost 1.7 billion marks
• Hyperinflation was less important because inflation already existed before the French invasion
• Even during World War One the German government was printing money