Germany 1918-1939 Revision Guide The origins of the Republic The Legacy of WW1 Fighting had lasted 4 years (1914-1918) 11 million Germans fought in the war, 2 million died. Germany’s debts trebled (x3) between 1914 and 1918 750,000 Germans had died as a result of food shortages There were lots of strikes and protests in Bavaria, Berlin, Kiel (a naval mutiny) and Hamburg The German Revolution 1918-1919 Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on 9th November 1918. Final straw: lost support from the army. 9th November crowd gathered in Berlin. There were rumours of a communist takeover. Schiedemann, a leading member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) wanted to keep a moderate government. He ran to the windows of the Reichstag and pronounced the German Republic. 11th November the armistice was signed (a formal agreement to end the war). The Council of People’s Representation- ONLY TEMPORARY UNTIL WEIMAR CONSTITUTION DECIDED UPON Ebert (leader of the SPD) took over as Chancellor. 10th November Ebert agrees with army to prevent communist takeover. He also suspends the old Reichstag and named six politicians as the Council of People’s Representation. Setting up the Weimar Republic November 1918-July 1919 Civil servants (someone who works for the gov.) were kept on by Ebert. This ensured the country was still running. General Groener (the army) was reassured the country wouldn’t be reformed. Ebert won the support of the trade unions by promising an 8 hour working day and industries by promising not to nationalise them. The National Assembly Its job was to create the Weimar Constitution- elected group. Elections took place on 19th January 1919- 82% of people voted and the SPD and Centre party won most seats. Feb 1919 meet for first time in Weimar as it was more peaceful than Berlin. 31st July 1919, the National Assembly agreed a new constitution by 262 votes to 75- this became known as the Weimar Republic The Weimar Constitution In this the President had the most power. He appointed the Chancellor. Every seven years the President changed. He could dismiss the Reichstag and call new elections, and even take control of the army. The chancellor decided which laws should be passed. The Reichstag was the more powerful house in the German parliament. The Reichsrat could delay laws unless 2/3 of the Reichstag had voted for it. Strengths Weaknesses Germany was to be a As lots of small parties were able to get seats in the Reichstag it meant that it democracy. All men and was difficult to get a majority. This made coalition governments common e.g. women over the age of 21 where two parties have to group together and lead the country together. This could vote. made decision- making harder. The voting system Coalition governments were likely to fall apart if the two parties disagreed. ensured that small parties There was a lot of compromise which meant it was difficult for there to be a also got seats in the clear outcome. Reichstag (Proportional Article 48 gave the President the power to bypass government when making representation) laws. By 1930 the Chancellor often went straight to the President to make The constitution ensured laws and didn’t consult the Reichstag. that no one person had Several parties in the Reichstag didn’t support democracy. too much power. The Weimar Republic was created out of violence amd by leaving out communists. Early challenges to the Reichstag Unpopularity of the Republic The armistice- German people were humiliated by this. Dolschstoss- stab in the back the German people believed their army had never really been defeated and that the leaders were betraying them by signing the armistice. The Treaty of Versailles was unpopular because: 1. Diktat- the peace was forced upon them and they did not get to have a say at Versailles 2. War Guilt Clause- Germany had to take full responsibility for the war 3. Army reduced to 100,000 men. Germany lost all 11 of her colonies. Germany lost 10% of its population and 13% of its land in Europe. The Spartacist Revolt (left wing uprising) German Communist Party (KPD) 33 daily newspapers and 400,000 members. The Spartacists were extreme socialists who supported the KPD. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknect organised the revolt. 4th January 1919, Ebert sacked head of police who were popular with workers. 6th January general strike called and 100,000 workers took to the street. The Freikorps had to be called in to suppress this- numbered 250,000 men by March 1919. 13th January they had driven rebels off the streets. 16th January, Luxembourg and Liebknecht were arrested and killed. The Kapp Putsch (right wing uprising) The Freikorps were due to disband in Berlin in 1920. Fearing unemployment 5000 of them marched on Berlin. The army Reichswehr refused to fire against them. Wolfgang Kapp was put forward as their figurehead. They declared a new government and invited the Kaiser to return. The members of the real government fled to Weimar. They urged people to go on strike against the Putsch. The rebellion eventually collapsed. Challenge of ongoing political violence Hugo Haasse- one of Ebert’s council of People’s Representatives murdered in 1919. Erzberger- signed the armistice, murdered in August 1921. Between 1919 and 1922 there were 376 political murders. Political parties were even recruiting private armies. E.g. the KPD had the Red Front Fighters. The Challenges of 1923: French Occupation of the Ruhr December 1922, Germany failed to send coal to France from the Ruhr coalfields, as part of the reparation repayment. French went into the Ruhr and confiscated raw materials, manufactured goods and industrial machinery. Germans followed passive resistance- they went on strike. French arrested Germans. Germans saw the Weimar Republic as weak for not standing up to the French but Germany’s army of 100,000 couldn’t match the French army of 750,000. The challenges of 1923: hyperinflation The government needed money to pay the debts so in 1923 the government printed more money. This was designed to pay off debts but as more money was printed, the money became worth less and less. In 1919 the price of bread had been 1 mark, by 1923 the price of bread was 200,000 billion marks. Prices were so out of control that wages had to rise at a similar rate. Many workers had to be paid twice in the same day to keep up with inflation. German trade suffered because people didn’t trust the value of the currency. People with savings were hit hard as the money they had saved became worthless. Those in debt did benefit though. The damage done The Weimar Republic was shown to be weak. Rescued by Freikorps. Forces had killed thousands of Germans to maintain order. Extremist parties were gaining more popularity. 1.3 Stresemann’s recovery Stresemann introduces a new national bank (the Retenbank) and currency (Retenmark). The value of notes was tied to the price of gold. The Dawes Plan (1924) Signed with USA- reparations temporarily reduced to £50 million per year US banks agreed to give loans to German industry. They loaned $25 billion between 1924 and 1930. Stresemann had called off German workers’ strike of passive resistance in the Ruhr- the French leave. As a result of this industrial output doubled between 1923-28. Employment and trade increased. Extreme political parties hated it because Germany was still respecting the Treaty of Versailles. The Young Plan (1929) Annual payments kept at £50 million per year and stretched until 1988. The total reparations debt was reduced from £6.6 billion to £2 billion. Germany given 59 years to pay. Lower payments allowed the government to lower taxed and increase public spending. 85% of Germans voted in favour Lacarno Pact Treaty with Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium. NOT IMPOSED/FORCED on Germany. Germany accepted 1919 border with France, Rhineland would be permanently demilitarised and Germany was given membership of the League of Nations. It was allowed to sit on the council which made the most imp. Decisions. Stresemann won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926. Kellogg-Briand Pact August 1928 with 61 other countries Germany signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact. USA and France was in this too. An agreement to not use war to achieve foreign policy aims. 1.4 Social and Cultural Changes Economic changes Unemployment reduced to 1.3 million in 1928 Unemployment Insurance Act of 1927 charged workers 3% of their wages and in return they would be given money if they ever lost their job. Hours in a working week reduced from 50 in 1925 to 46 in 1927. Real wages increased by 25% between 1925-1928. Access to universities improved, increasing from 70,000 to 110,000 in 1928. Access to Housing improved with over 101,000 homes being built between 1925-1929 Changes to Women’s lives Women were given equal rights under the Weimar Consitution and given the right to vote and stand in elections- 90% voted in 1919 and in 1932 10% of members of the Reichstag were female. WWI led to many women having to work for the first time with 75% of women being in work in 1918. During the peace of Weimar Germany, things reversed back, and by 1925 only 36% of women were in work. Women were on average paid 33% less than men. Women found it hard to get the top jobs- by 1933 there were only 36 female judges Women made more progress in medicine- the number of female doctors rose from 2,500 to 5,000 between 1925 and 1932.