Almudena Corrales

Social Sciences

It was named after Weimar, the city where the constitutional assembly took place.

Germany was in state of chaos.

The Allies offered Germany peace, but under strict condition:

GERMANY SHOULD BECOME DEMOCRATIC

November 1918, the Kaiser abdicated his throne and left Germany for the Netherlands.

Ebert became the new leader of the Republic of Germany.

A new Constitution was drawn up. (Students Book, page 139).

The reaction of the politicians in Germany was unenthusiastic. He had opposition from both right and left.

Despite this opposition, in January 1919 free elections took place for the first time in Germanys history.

Eberts party won majority and he became the President of the Weimar Republic.

POLITICAL OPPONENTS:

LEFTCommunistsRIGHTFreikorps, NaziCommunist revolucionaries lacked support

They never gained more than 15% in elections

Leaders:

RosaLuxemburg

Most working people supported Eberts SPDLacked support of people

Had no outstanding leaders

Army suspicious of extreme groups such as the Nazis in 1923.

ECONOMIC DESASTER

The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to pay reparations to the Allies.

The reparations bill was announced in April 1921.

Here is a summary. Germany lost:

In adition:

10 per cent of its landAll of its overseas colonies12.5 per cent of its population16 per cent of its coal and 48 per cent of its iron industry

Its army was reduced to 100,000; it was not allowed to have an air force; its navy was reduced.Germany had to accept blame for starting the war and was forced to pay reparations.

ECONOMIC DESASTER

The Ruhr:

Ebert try to did his best to negotiate concessions from the Allies.

They had war debts to pay to the USA

January 1923, French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr and began to take what was owned to them in form of goods and raw materials.

The results of the occupation were disastrous for Germany: this was the most important economic region.

The government ordered the workers to carry out passive resistace strike.

French reacted harshly, killing over 100 workers.

ECONOMIC DESASTER

Hyperinflaction:

Because it had no goods to trade the government printed money

Prices rose dramatically

Money was worthless

Poor people suffered, also middle class and pensioners

Stresemann was Chancellor in 1923 only. His main role was as Foreign Minister from 1924 He was a right-winger and more able than Ebert He built up Germanys prosperity again although all of Europe was recovering He signed Germany up to the Dawes Plan in 1924

Germanys reparations paid over a longer period America lent money to German industry and also to the Government to pay reparations German currency reorganised

The Dawes Plan (as proposed by the Dawes Committee, chaired by Charles G. Dawes) was an attempt in 1924 to solve the reparations problem, which had bedeviled international politics, in the wake of the Ruhr occupation and the hyperinflation crisis. It provided for the Allies to collect war reparations debt from Germany. Intended as an interim measure, the Young Plan was adopted in 1929 to replace it.

Stresemann showed real skill in foreign policy 1925Locarno Treaties 19251926 Germany joined the League of NationsYoung plan - 1929After a number of years in the wilderness Germany was accepted back into the international community

Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Poland met at Locarno in Switzerland.Signed a number of treaties to settle disputes between themselvesFrance, Belgium and Germany agreed to accept borders as drawn up by Treaty of VersaillesRhineland stayed demilitarisedFrance would protect Poland and Czechoslovakia if attacked by GermanyGermany would not use force to settle disputes with neighbours

Golden age of German cinema Night life, cabaret Removal of censorship Unemployment and poverty still high Growing prosperity based on USA loans

what would happen if USA wanted the money back ?

POSITIVES

negatives

Draw a table summarizing the next aspects of the Weimar Republic under Stresemann:

ACHIEVEMENTSPROBLEMS

ECONOMYCULTUREPOLITICSFOREIGN POLICYECONOMYCULTUREPOLITICSFOREIGN POLICY