...The Weimar Republic and Democracy World War 1 had an immense effect on the world. One result of the war was the Versailles Peace Treaty, which took a great toll on Germany. This treaty, and the war itself, served many negative consequences and deeply affected the political climate of the new found Weimar Republic. With the conclusion of WWI, Germany needed to form a peace treaty with the Allies and therefore were obligated sign the Treaty of Versailles. When the Allies announced the conditions of this treaty, the Germans were shocked – it was even worse than what the most cynical expected; there was all around opposition. However, as a losing nation they knew their hands were tied and they did not have much, if any, arguing power. Although Germany was not included in the treaty negotiations, the delegation was allowed to state its opinion. One demand of the treaty was for Germany to acknowledge that they alone were guilty of causing the war. “Such a confession in my mouth would be a lie” (Brockdorf-Rantzau 9). Germany was willing to admit that they contributed to tragedy in the war, but refused to take full blame for this would simply lead to more destruction in Germany’s future. The German delegation’s goal was to not upset the Allies further, but to instead try to gain some support from them and lessen the severity that they felt the conditions included. “I believe we should proceed to restore those parts of Belgium and Northern France... we cannot accomplish it without...
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...1. Analyse the problems of the Weimar republic After the First World War, Kaiser resigned due to November Revolution and later on, in 1919, a federal republic met in Weimar, Germany to replace the imperial form of government, which is known as Weimar Republic. This Republic lasted until 1933, and was destroyed by Hitler. It went to three stages. In the first stage, which was from 1919-23, there was instability when the republic was struggling to survive. In the second stage, from 1923-29, there was stability when Gustav Streseman was the leading politician. This stability was due to the Dawes plan of 1924 in which USA provided huge loans. In the third or last stage, from 1929-33 there was instability again which led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. The short term cause was the world economic crisis, which has disastrous effects on Germany, resulting in 6.5 million unemployed. This sudden situation made the government unable to cope with the situation and by the end of 1923 the Weimar republic seemed on the verge of collapse. There were several long term causes for that. Some of them were: 1. It had a number of disadvantages from the beginning the Republic was formed. a. It had accepted the humiliation and unpopular treaty of Versailles Treaty: The republic was not strong enough to reject the defeat and dishonour. b. There was a traditional lack of respect for democratic government: The Germans always favoured the army, and thought that the Democrats...
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...In 1918 when the Weimar republic was created, germans hoped they would pay off reparations and thrive once again as one of the world’s powers. Even though the Weimar republic might seem like the perfect democracy the Weimar republic had many weak points that could possibly make it collapse. Weaknesses were ample in the government as it was not structured nor was supported by the german people such as Proportional representation, Article 48, Unemployment, Weimar constitution, Hyperinflation. The importance is that the government was rushed as the germans were desperate to get out of a horrible time and, therefore, did not have enough time to set up the government in the right form nor have the structure that a long-term government should have...
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...To what extent was the Weimar Republic doomed to fail? To answer, one must recognize the demands of the question. Doomed, meaning ill-fated, is subjective and can be argued by analyzing historical evidence and historiographical interpretations. To fail means that it did not succeed in what it intended to do, which in this case, would be to transform Germany’s government into a peaceful democracy. Through two distinct historiographical lenses, one can determine whether the collapse of the Weimar Republic (1919 to 1933) was genuinely inevitable. Historical View #1 proposes that Hitler was a product of Germany’s authoritarian culture, and the Germans failed to develop a democratic tradition because they preferred a stronger state led by a powerful individual. Historical View #5 suggests that German support of Nazism was an emotional response to the crisis-state; Germans were disoriented with the economic crisis, and similar to View #1, sought firmer leadership. The Treaty of Versailles doomed the Weimar Republic because the German administration was unable to fulfill the treaty’s unrealistic demands for reparations, which ruined their domestic economy and fostered a strong authoritative leadership that would defend Germany against the terms and impoverishing effects of the ill-advised treaty. The Treaty of Versailles was intended to guarantee the Allies (and neighboring countries) peace and safety; however, the Allies neglected to recognize that the harsh demands of reparations...
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...How far did the Weimar Republic Recover 1923-1929? In 1923, Gustav Stresemann was appointed chancellor in Germany. At the time, world war one had just finished and the Weimar republic was facing a lot of problems. I think Stresemann did bring a recovery however some may say he just papered over the crack which in some cases is very true. However, I think overall he did rescue Germany. I think this because he saved the economy from the hyperinflation; he signed the Dawes plan and sorted out the problems with the treaty of Versailles. However, some people may say he didn’t help Germany because the culture was changed completely and the country basically ran riot. Also, at the time that Stresemann was in charge, politicians were being killed and there were many revolts. In my essay I will argue both sides but finally come to my own conclusion. In 1922, the German government announced that they couldn’t pay anymore reparations to France due to the state of the economy. The country was in far too much debt. Of course the French were not happy and therefore sent 60,000 French and Belgian soldiers to the Ruhr. The government was hated already because a lot of people blamed them for signing the treaty in the first place which meant they had to pay reparations to France they couldn’t afford. The government told the workers at the Ruhr to refuse to collaborate with the French, consequently, the industrial production stopped. This caused a rise in unemployment and a rise in Poverty. The...
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...Kingdom as a payment for the allies’ loss in the war. However, the huge sum of 132000 million marks was practically impossible for Germany to pay, especially after the devastation of the First World War, when a lot of the country’s money had been spent on industry, making war materials. France and Belgium saw this as a refusal to keep to the terms of the treaty; they therefore invaded the Ruhr (the part of Germany where its industries were) to take the money by force. The Germans could not resist this invasion physically as their arms had been dramatically reduced by the treaty of Versailles. Instead, they fought back by passive resistance and refused to work for their occupiers. But, as they weren’t working, they didn’t get paid – so the Weimar government began to print millions of marks to keep up their payment. Consequently, the German economy spiralled into massive hyperinflation – in November 1928, one egg cost 80000 million German marks. Workers’ wages simply could not keep up with the rate of inflation. One of the ways Streismann helped Germany to recover from this economic crisis was to introduce a new currency called the rentenmark. The old German marks were recalled and burnt. This brought inflation under control and the new currency was quickly accepted by the German people and made the economy more stable. People could once again receive wages and be able to pay for their sustenance...
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...Why was the Weimar Republic so unpopular with many Germans between 1919 and 1923? Why was the Weimar Republic so unpopular with many Germans between 1919 and 1923? After The War a new type of government was set up in Germany. This was the Weimar Republic. Between 1919 and 1923 it had to deal with many problems. 1919 saw the Spartacist Rebellion and the new government was forced to agree to the unpopular Treaty of Versailles. In 1920 the Kapp Putsch succeeded in taking over the government for a while. In 1921 Germany began to pay reparations and inflation began to get out of control. Two years later France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr and the hyperinflation was now out of control. The NSDAP, led by Adolf Hitler and General Ludendorff, tried to take over the government at this time. This bad start had three main causes. The First reason why the Weimar Republic started badly was that there were political problems. Some people were very upset that the Kaiser had been forced to leave. This was a politically a bad start because it showed that some people would have preferred to have had the previous political system. The communists disliked the new republic because not much would change. The workers would still be poor and the rich would still be rich. ...read more. Middle The President of the Weimar Republic had potential to become a military dictator. This was a political problem for the Weimar Republic because the President could ignore the Chancellor and the Reichstag. Another...
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...important problem faced by the Weimar Republic in the years 1919-1923? Explain your answer. The most important problem that the Weimar Republic faced was the Kapp Putsch. This was because in this uprising the Freikorps units managed to get the Weimar government to flee showing that they had a lot of power and were undermining the Weimar Republic. However, even though this was the most important reason there were other factors that caused problems for the Weimar Republic from the years 1919-1923 including the Spartacist uprising, the French occupation of the Ruhr and the weaknesses of the Constitution. To determine which factor is the most important I will look at how successful each factor and how many problems each of them caused the Weimar Republic in regards to money and power. Although, all these factors caused problems for the Weimar Republic it was the Kapp Putsch that put pressure on the Weimar Republic and was important problem they had to face. The Kapp Putsch was the most significant problem that the Weimar Republic faced from 1919-1923. This was due to them having a strong army subsequently putting a lot of pressure on the Weimar Republic. This was the biggest threat to the Weimar Republic as Dr. Wolfgang who was in charge of the rebellion managed to get the Weimar Republic to flee therefore putting him in power and making this rebellion a success. One of the reasons why this was such an important problem that the Weimar Republic faced was that the army supported...
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...“Stresemann controlling inflation was the main reason behind the success of the Weimar Republic in 1923-1928” Do you agree? The period 1925-1929 if often considered to be the ‘Golden Years’ of Weimar Germany’s political history. Gustav Stresemann was in power or in positions of influence between 1906 and 1923. During this period Germany gained political power and the economic difficulties started to be overcome. Stresemann helped rebuild Germany after a year of crisis in 1923. There were many different factors Stresemann controlled behind the main reason of success for the Weimar Republic. These included economic problems such as inflation, Dawes Plan and Young Plan, international affairs and Social Reforms. I agree that biggest success of Stresemann was controlling inflation because he was able to stabilise the money in the country and by this happening it created a domino effect for his other successes. Firstly, Germany faced economic problems. Hyperinflation was a major part of this which is when prices are rising and the value of money is falling. Germany began to suffer inflation during the war but things got further worse after the war when there was a demand of £6,600,000 reparation payments. In 1923 French troops occupied the Ruhr in Germany due to Germany failing to pay an instalment of reparations on time. Workers were told to go on strike and so all workers on strike had to be given financial support. The government responded in printing more and more banknotes...
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...beings have had to learn to work in isolation and in groups in order to survive. Fascinatingly, research has shown that working in groups and interactions with others has a significant impact on an individual’s behavior. However, not all examples of humans working in groups are positive. Perhaps the most shameful and horrifying example of the power of human behavior in groups, would be from the influence of Nazism. Pre-Nazi Germany was called the Weimar Republic prior to Hitler’s rule, discrimination, and totalitarianism. It was created after World War I when the Kaiser at the time was removed from power and a semi-presidential...
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...Germans thrived on the relaxed social attitudes of Weimar. The influx of American money and the economic revival of the mid to late 1920s encouraged celebration, spending and decadence. Many Germans spent big and partied hard, aware that both the economy and the government were destined to fail. The late Weimar era was one of liberal ideas, new forms of expression and hedonism (pleasure-seeking). Weimar music, dance and entertainment were criticized by radicals on both sides of politics. The movie “Cabaret” with Liza Minelli set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing Nazi Party portrays the significance of cabaret in 1920’s Berlin. The late Weimar era was become known for its cabarets: restaurants or nightclubs where patrons sat at tables and were entertained by a procession of singers, dancers and comedians atop a small stage. Cabaret was actually a French invention, dating back to the 1880s. The most famous French cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, was notorious for employing prostitutes and allowing lewd dancing. The German form, Cabaret, was more conservative and low-key. Berlin’s first cabaret nightclub dated back to 1901, though during the kaiser’s reign German cabarets were not permitted to allow bawdy humor, provocative dancing or political satire. After World War I cabarets became enormously popular across Europe – and nowhere were they more popular than Germany. The Weimar government’s lifting of censorship saw German...
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...secondary source. Some may argue that due to it being a secondary source it is less reliable as it wasn’t written primarily at the time and could differ from the actual events that happened during the Depression. It also maybe exaggerated. Despite this however Gruding doesn’t use statistical evidence which means even though this source could be exaggerated it is not numerically exaggerated. This source on the other hand from historical knowledge is fairly accurate and so is useful because what happened in Germany during the time is represented accurately. It’s true the Weimar Republic was devastated by the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. The Crash had a devastating impact on the American economy but because America had propped up the Weimar Republic with huge loans in 1924 (the Dawes Plan) and in 1929 (the Young Plan), what happened to the American economy impacted the Weimar Republic’s economy and society due to them being so dependent on American loans (the USA was also Germany’s biggest trading partner which affected Germany massively). America now needed those loans back to assist her faltering economy. America gave Germany 90 days to start to re-pay money loaned to her. Companies throughout Germany primarily in the industrial zones such as the Ruhr went bankrupt and workers were laid off in their millions. Unemployment affected nearly every German family...
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...fall of the Weimar Republic After the First World War, Germany became a democracy with government officials voted in by the people. However, because of the different parties voted into different offices at the same time, the government could not run smoothly. Everyone had an idea of how Germany should be ran, from avoiding war and following the rules of the treaty of Versailles, to building a military to get back what was taken from them. The difference of opinions of what the government should be led to many coups and strikes. The main problem of the republic was the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the opposition saw it as a cowardly move, and it made a strong Germany look weak. This is the reason that the former soldiers such as those in the Free Corps unit were against the republic, because it seemed like the sacrifices they and their comrades’ made was for nothing. The Weiner Republic accepted defeat while the opposition held on to the position of victory and the treaty cheated them out of the victory. The conditions of the Treaty had a grim effect on Germany and especially its economy, and the fact that people in the government were wealthy “bourgeoisie” while the rest of the nation was suffering led to dissatisfaction of the republic. The Communist party and the Nazi party were against the hierarchy of society with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. With these two parties pointing out to the public the flaws of the Weimar Republic, it fueled...
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...must if you’re going to succeed in the exam - it’s just as important as knowing your stuff! CONTENTS....There are 4 sections to this booklet. 3 Hitler overcomes his opposition 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918 1929 1933 1934 2 The rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis 1939 4 The Nazi dictatorship 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918-33 Introduction If, just for fun, we were to make a graph showing the fortunes of the Weimar Republic, it would probably look like this…. B A Phase A 1918-23: The WR suffers from a few major teething problems, and struggles to survive. C Phase B 1924-28: ‘The Golden Twenties’. Things are on the up for the WR, as it recovers from its earlier problems. But beneath the surface, there are still weaknesses. Phase C 1929-1933: With the Wall St. Crash and the Great Depression, the WR comes ‘crashing’ down! Of course, during each phase, the Nazis were experiencing their own political rollercoaster ride. Broadly speaking, whenever the WR was enjoying success, the Nazis were not, and vice versa. More about that later. What was the Weimar Republic and why was it set up? A lot of students struggle to get to grips with this, but it’s really very simple! The Weimar Republic is the name of a new government that was set up in 1918 to rule Germany. Before 1918, Germany had been a monarchy. The ruling monarch was the Kaiser - Kaiser Wilhelm II. In 1918, there was a revolution in Germany...
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...German political systems. When Germany at the end of WW2 was conquered and occupied by the allies between the years 1945-1949 (point zero), the subsequent rift between the capitalist allies (Britain, France and America) and the communist allies (Russia) formed two opposing democratic Germany’s; The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). This is significant, due to foreign powers controlling Germany’s political system, as well as the departure from Sonderweg, meaning Germany no longer followed a unique path of development and that nationalism and militarism were on the decline. The significance of the previous German eras, Kaiser Reich (Semi-Autocratic Empire), Weimar Republic (Federal Democracy) and the Third Reich (Dictatorship) are also significant, however in political terms they are not as significant as post 45. The significances of post 1945 can be seen by its success of creating a working democracy in Germany after 1945, the FRG. One reason why the FRG was successful revolves around the sudden decline in German militarism and nationalism. This is evident in the fact that the FRG’s constitution was based on the Weimar Republics concept of ‘Grundgesetz’, which means basic law. The implications of this is evident in that German nationalism after WW2 no longer believing in Sonderweg after the defeat of the Third Reich. This caused the abhorrence towards western democracy (being seen as weak and disorderly) to fade and in turn allowed...
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