1918-1929 WEIMAR REPUBLIC

• Weimar Republic


  New government set up in Germany after World War One
• Period of the Weimar Republic

  1918-1929
• World War One had a devastating effect on Germany
• In 1918 300,000 Germans died from malnutrition and the country's economy was in ruin
• One condition of the peace terms was that the ruler, Kaiser Wilhelm II, should abdicate which he did on 9 Nov 1918
• Friedrich Ebert became the new leader and signed an armistice on November 11
• Weimar Republic


  New government with a President, Chancellor and system of proportional representation
• Strengths of the Weimar Constitution

  • Democratic - most interests had representation, Reichstag had to approve laws, Article 48 as a last resort in case of crisis
• Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

  • Too many small parties, even parties opposed to democracy could gain seats, hard for one party to gain a majority, most governments were coalitions, many Germans doubted if democracy was right for Germany
• The Spartacist Rising 1919 was led by Communists Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, and put down by anti-Communist ex-soldiers called Freikorps
• The Kapp Putsch 1920 was led by Wolfgang Kapp, with 5000 Freikorps rebelling in Berlin to overthrow the Weimar Republic, but a general strike of 12 million workers forced them to back down
• Under The treaty of Versailles, Germany had to pay reparations of £6600 million, and in 1922 when Germany did not pay, French and Belgian troops marched into the Ruhr and took reparations in the form of raw materials and goods
• The German government ordered a strike in the Ruhr region in response, and the French killed 100 workers
• The German government lost income from tax so it started to print money, leading to hyperinflation and the middle class and pensioners losing out most
• Gustav Stresemann became Chancellor in October 1923 and introduced a new currency, the Rentenmark, which was eventually replaced with the Reichsmark
• Paul von Hindenburg was elected President when Ebert died, and was an aristocrat and war hero
• The Dawes Plan helped Germany with paying reparations, the French agreed to leave the Ruhr, reparations were reduced, and the USA agreed loans and encouraged investment
• The Young Plan 1929 further reduced total reparations from £6.6 billion to £1.85 billion and extended the payment period to 59 years
• The Locarno Pact 1925 saw Germany promise to accept the borders with France and Belgium, reassuring France
• Germany was invited to join the League of Nations in 1926
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 saw 60 countries agree not to use war to settle international disputes
• Changes in standard of living during the "Golden Years" of Weimar

  • Average wages rose by around 24 per cent, homelessness was reduced by 60 per cent, condition of houses was improved, unemployment insurance introduced