Weimar republic 1918-29

• The First World War ended in 1918 and left Germany in an awful state after losing.
• In 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated due to the public's anger at him for Germany's problems. Friedrich Ebert, leader of the SDP, became the first German president and declared Germany a republic.
• After WW1 2 million German troops died and over 4 million were wounded, The Government had 150 billion marks debt, and over 750000 died due to food shortages.
• In late 1918, a revolutionary feeling spread across Germany (leading to the abdication):

  • German sailors at Wilhelmshaven refuse to follow orders and fight.
  • 40,000 sailors set up a council to rule themselves
  • Kaiser flees to Holland
• The armistice - peace agreement between Germany and the allies - was signed on 11 Nov 1918
• The Weimar Republic was set up on 31 July 1919 in the town of Weimar.
• The Weimar Constitution:

  A) 48

  B) president

  C) Reichstag

  D) Reichsrat

  
• Weimar strengths:

  • Women able to vote
  • No 1 group could have lots of power.
  • Smaller parties had seats
  • Laws passed through many groups of people
• Weimar weaknesses:

  • Article 48
  • Unpopular
  • Due to variety of parties hard to agree on things
• People in Germany did not like the WR as they blamed them for surrendering in the war and signing the Treaty of Versailles. Called them 'November Criminals'.
• German people believed they had been stabbed in the back 'dolchstoss' by politicians
• Article 231 of the TofV blamed Germany for the war - this made Germans feel resentment.
• Because of the Treaty of Versailles Germany lost:

  • Land 11 colonies
  • Military reduced to 100,000 & no airforce
  • Materials 50% iron 15% coal
  • Money £6.6 bil in reparations
• The 'diktat' were terms of the TofV that were imposed on Germany (not agreed to)
• KPD was founded in 1918:

  • 400,000 members
  • Supported by Spartacist League & Soviet Union
• Spartacist League: extreme left-wing similar to communism

  Led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
• In Jan 1919, Ebert sacks Eichhorn, a police chief. Thousands of workers protest and Spartacists call for general strike. 100,000 workers protest.

  Ebert organises 250,000 ex-soldiers into 'Freikorps' as they had weapons and uses them against Spartacists. Red Rosa & Liebknecht shot.
• 🧢 Kapp Putsch - right wing uprising:

  1920 - Freikorps hard to control, Ebert plans to disband them so Freikorps rebels control Berlin and attempt to set up new government led by Wolfgang Kapp.

  Weimar urges people to strike and shuts off essential services.

  Kapp is defeated, arrested and later dies.
• Between 1919 and 1922 there were 376 political assassinations.
• In 1923 there was extreme hyperinflation

  In 1919 a loaf of bread cost 1 mark, in 1923 it cost 200,000 billion marks.
• There was hyperinflation because...

  After WW1 Germany was bankrupt and couldn't pay reparations.

  The French occupied the Ruhr to take resources as reparations.

  German workers strike.

  Germany printed lots of money.
• Because of Hyperinflation...

  • People couldn't afford essentials
  • Businesses went bankrupt
  • Savings became worthless
  • The WR were blamed
• Because of Hyperinflation...

  • Farmers were paid more for food
  • People could pay mortgages and loans
  • Fixed rents became cheap
• Gustav Stresemann was appointed chancellor in 1923.

  He set up the Rentenbank and issued the Rentenmark, of which supply was controlled.

  In Aug 1924 the Reichsbank gained control of this and renamed it Reichsmark. Hyperinflation was over.
• 🚪Dawes Plan 1924

  Instalments temporarily reduced to £50mil a year.

  US made loans to German industry.
• 👶Young Plan 1929

  Reduced total reparations from £6.6bil to £2bil

  Payments to be made in longer time period (by 1988)

  This meant lower taxes.
• Extreme parties such as the the Nazis were against paying reparations at all and believed it was extending the burden for younger generations.
• 🦸Stresemann's success:

  • Foreign secretary until 1929.
  • got public confident in WR
  • reduced support for extreme parties
  • increased support for moderate parties
  • STOPPED HYPERINFLATION
• Locarno Pact 1925

  • Agreement with Germany, Britain, France, Belgium & Italy
  • Peace with France.
  • Demilitarisation of Rhineland
  • Germany joining League of Nations up for discussion.
• 🐔Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928

  • Agreement between 62 nations to avoid using war to achieve foreign policy aims.
• The Locarno and Kellogg-Briand Pact were successful as they established Germany's international status as a major power and increased public support in WR.
• Despite Stresemann's success some were still angry that the terms of the Treaty of Versailles still stood
• Changes in standard of living 1924-29

  • Working hours reduced
  • Wages rose 25%
  • 750,000 veterans and 400,000 war widows got pensions
  • 101,000 homes built
• Unemployment Insurance Act 1927 - provided unemployment benefits.

  Unemployment rates fell from 2mil (1926) to 1.3mil (1928)
• Political changes for women 1924-29:

  • Right to vote (90% did)
  • 10% of Reichstag were women (compared to 0 before)
• Work changes for women 1924-29:

  • Paid 1/3 of men's wages
  • Only 36% women worked
  • No. female doctors doubled 1925-1932
• Leisure changes for women 1924-29:

  • 'New women' were younger wealthier women who lived in cities and weren't as interested in marriage/family.
  • Some believed traditional values were falling apart.
• Cultural Changes 1924-29:

  • Government funded art.
  • Lots of expressionism art about problems in society & war
  • Films very popular, less traditional
  • Modernism in Architechture.
  • Bauhaus movement - art from a college that focuses on simplicity and good craftsmanship