The Weimar Republic

An overview of the threats to the Republic during it's early life and and how streseman helped germany recover temporarily

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  • Created on: 06-06-10 13:59
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Threats to the Weimar Republic
Frei Korps
Wolfgang Kapp lead them
They formed as the army had to be reduced by the T of V so when the Allies
put pressure on the government to disband them they fought back.
They joined with the army and police force and attacked Berlin forcing the
Weimar republic to flee to Bresden.
The government did little apart from fleeing it was the people who prevented
this from happening through strikes meaning the Frei Korps had no supplies.
There was an ongoing threat as there was no longer support from the army or
police force to the government.
The Spartacus League (Communists)
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are the leaders
They wanted to take over the democratic government and believed
everyone was equal
5th January 1919-staged a revolt but Ebert did a deal with the army allowing
them to squash the Spartacists
November 1918-they declared Bavaria a soviet republic; they took land from
the wealthy and shared it out.
Against both revolts the government sent the army to squash the revolution
however the army ended up slaughtering them.
This meant the social democrats and communists could never work against a
serious threat.
Germany had to pay £6 600 000 000 reparations
When they failed to pay in 1922 France sent 60 000 troops into the Ruhr on the 9th January 1923. The
workers took up passive resistance meaning the government had to pay strike pay.
Industrial Production ground to a halt
The government tried to resolve this by printing money, however this further worsened the economy.
Money became worthless
Those on fixed wages or pensions could no longer afford the basic staples of live such as bread.
Those with debts could pay them off easily
Adolf Hitler led them
8th November 1923 - The Munich Putsch as the Nazis tried to overtake Germany due to the current
economic crisis.
He believed he would be supported by Gustav Von Kahr the leader of the Bavarian government
Hitler arrived at a meeting Kahr was addressing and brought the SS with him. He stopped the meeting
and tried to persuade Kahr to join the Putsch, when Kahr refused he asked him again at gunpoint. They
eventually won him over.
The next day they seized key positions in Munich however Kahr betrayed Hitler and alerted the army
and police.
The Nazis route to the city centre was plocked by armed police. 16 Nazis and 3 policemen were killed.
Hitler had overestimated his support
Hitler used his trial to promote the Nazis and many people believed he could not be a traitor as those
who he was betraying were traitors to Germany themselves. He was sentenced merely 5 years and
served less than 9 months.
He wrote Mein Kampf whilst in prison

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This made Hitler realise the best way to gain power was by playing by the rules
How far did Germany recover under
Gustav Streseman
Born on 10th May 1878
Nobel Peace Prize 1926
Died of a stoke in October 1929
Experience politician-Chancellor and foreign Minister
Gifted Orator
Popular Leader
Made a deal with the French tog et them out off the ruhr meaning he lost his job as Chancellor
Economic Recovery
Introduced the Rentenmark ­ had to scrap the Reichmark due to hyperinflation
1924…read more

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Political Stability
Stable Coalition Government
Decline in support for extremists
Foreign Policy
1925 Locarno Treaty ­ The end of the bitterness of the war
Everyone accepted the exisiting frontiers
Mutual defence pacts between France, Poland and Czechoslovakia
Nationalists saw this as an admittance of guilt
1926 Germany joined the League of Nations
1928 Kellogg Briand Pact ­ `solution of all disputes shall only be sought by peaceful means'
American Loans-All short term
Depression in agriculture
1925 Hindenburg elected president (opponent of the Weimar…read more


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