Germany after World War I - Year 7 PDF Download

Introduction

• After the conclusion of World War One, Germany faced severe repercussions as outlined in the Treaty of Versailles.
• The newly established Weimar Republic encountered significant challenges from various political fractions, including both right- and left-wing groups.
• Between the years 1918 to 1933, the German populace endured the burden of reparations payments, hyperinflation, and the catastrophic impact of the Great Depression, a global economic crisis originating in the United States in 1929, leading to widespread unemployment and financial turmoil.

How the Treaty of Versailles Penalized Germany

World War One concluded at 11 am on November 11, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, served as the peace accord marking the war's end and aimed to hold Germany accountable for its role in the conflict through punitive measures.
The punishments from the Treaty of Versailles can be remembered with the acronym ‘BRAT’: Blame, Reparations, Armed forces and Territory.

• Blame: The War Guilt Clause, also known as Article 231, placed full blame on Germany and its allies for initiating World War I. This unilateral attribution of responsibility sparked resentment in Germany, as they believed it was unjust to hold them singularly accountable for the conflict.
• Reparations: Under the terms of the Treaty, Germany was obligated to pay reparations for all damages resulting from the war. Initially set at £6.6 billion in 1921, this debt was only fully settled in 2010. The enormous financial burden significantly strained Germany's economy.
• Armed forces: Germany was severely restricted in terms of military capabilities, leading to a sense of vulnerability. While President Woodrow Wilson proposed global disarmament, the Treaty disproportionately disarmed Germany, leaving France and the UK with intact military forces.
  • Germany was allowed a maximum of 100,000 troops in the army
  • Conscription was banned
  • No tanks were allowed
  • Its navy was reduced to 15,000
  • Germany was allowed only 6 battleships, and no submarines
• Territory: Germany suffered territorial losses, including the controversial cession of territories like Alsace-Lorraine. These territorial adjustments altered the geographical landscape of Germany, further fueling discontent among the German populace.

What was the Weimar Republic?

• The Weimar Republic served as Germany's government from 1919 to 1933, spanning the period from the end of World War One to the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany. It was a fledgling government confronted with intricate economic issues following the First World War.
• The Weimar Republic functioned as a genuinely democratic government in Germany, governed by a constitution that outlined the country's operations. Elections were held every four years, and all adults over 20 years old possessed voting rights.
• Established as a representative democracy, the Weimar Republic aimed to empower all German adults by allowing their voices to be represented through elected parliament members. However, this approach faced challenges due to deep divisions within the German public.

Weimar Republic Weaknesses

Historians have identified two primary weaknesses of the Weimar Republic:

• Proportional Representation: Under this system, each political party was allocated seats in parliament based on the percentage of votes they received in an election. While this ensured fair representation of minorities, it also led to the presence of numerous small parties in parliament. This multiplicity made it arduous to pass laws, fostering weak and short-lived governments. Some argue that this scenario significantly contributed to political instability in Germany.
• Article 48 Powers: This provision granted the president the authority to take action in emergencies without requiring parliament's consent. However, the lack of a clear definition for what constituted an 'emergency' resulted in the frequent misuse of this power. Consequently, the overuse of Article 48 powers undermined the confidence of Germans in the democratic system.

Uprisings

• After World War One and The Treaty of Versailles, Germany witnessed a series of uprisings and revolutions challenging established authority from both the left and the right.
• The Weimar Republic faced significant challenges from groups such as the Spartacists on the left and the Kapp Putsch on the right.

The Spartacist Uprising

• In January 1919, a faction of left-wing communists led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht orchestrated an uprising in Berlin, seizing control of critical installations such as newspaper offices and police headquarters.
• The Weimar Government, which had recently come into power, was compelled to flee the city due to the intensity of the uprising.
• The government called upon the Freikorps, a group of disaffected ex-army soldiers, to suppress the rebellion. This decision highlighted the government's vulnerability as it had to rely on external forces to maintain control.

The Kapp Putsch

• In 1920, there was an attempted uprising led by Wolfgang Kapp, associated with the Freikorps, in response to the terms outlined in the Treaty of Versailles. These terms mandated the reduction of the German army and the disbandment of the Freikorps.
• Wolfgang Kapp, a right-wing nationalist, orchestrated a Freikorps-led revolt in Berlin with the aim of toppling the newly established Weimar Government and installing his own regime. The Weimar Government, led by Freidrich Ebert, fled the city, prompting Ebert to call for a general strike, which garnered widespread support.
• The general strike quickly led to power shortages and shortages of goods in shops, severely hindering the functioning of the new government. Kapp soon realized he lacked sufficient popular backing for his coup. Consequently, the Kapp Putsch lasted only a few days before the Weimar Government was able to regain control and restore order.

The Ruhr and hyperinflation

• In 1923, Germany failed to make reparations payments to cover war damages, leading to France and Belgium invading the Ruhr region, a key industrial area known for coal and steel production.
• The occupation of the Ruhr aggravated Germany's economic crisis as they lost a vital economic region, impacting their financial stability.
• In response, the German government urged workers in the Ruhr to engage in a general strike and practice passive resistance, a non-violent form of opposition.
• To support the striking workers, the government resorted to printing extra money, resulting in hyperinflation, a situation where currency loses value rapidly.
• Hyperinflation caused prices to soar uncontrollably, rendering people's savings worthless and creating hardships for those on fixed incomes.
• To combat hyperinflation, a new currency, the Rentenmark, was introduced to replace the devalued Papiermark, which helped stabilize the economy.
• Additionally, the government ceased the passive resistance strategy, leading to gradual economic recovery in Germany.

The Munich Putsch

• In 1919, Adolf Hitler became involved with a new political party known as the National Socialist German Workers Party, or the Nazis. This group, positioned on the far-right of the political spectrum, vehemently opposed the Treaty of Versailles. Within two years, Hitler rose to become its leader.
• In 1923, amidst the hyperinflation crisis confronting the Weimar Government, Hitler endeavored to capitalize on the situation by initiating a revolution. He was convinced that the Nazis possessed adequate public backing for the uprising to triumph.
• Commencing from a beer hall in Munich, he garnered the support of local authorities and led a march towards the city center. However, the authorities had been forewarned, and the police obstructed their path. Subsequently, Hitler was apprehended and handed a five-year prison sentence. Despite this, he was granted early release, serving only nine months of his term.
• During his incarceration, Hitler came to the realization that the most effective means to seize power would be through electoral victory. He penned a book titled Mein Kampf, in which he detailed his ideological principles - a set of convictions regarding the functioning of a nation or system.

Gustav Stresemann's recovery

From 1923, Germany started to show signs of recovery. This was largely under the leadership of Gustav Stresemann.

• In 1923, Stresemann introduced a new currency, the Rentenmark, to stabilize the value of German money.
• In 1924, the Dawes Plan was agreed. This was an agreement that Germany would pay their reparations over a longer period of time and would receive some loans from America.
• In 1926, Germany joined the League of Nations, showing they were being accepted by other countries again and that they were committed to the league's aim of collective security.
• In 1930, the Young Plan was agreed. Germany continued to receive loans from America and reparations payments were reduced by 20%. Germany seemed to be on the brink of economic recovery.

Gustav Stresemann, who led Germany in different roles after 1923

The Great Depression

• The economic downturn began after the Wall Street Crash of October 1929, where share prices in America plummeted, leading to a global economic depression.
• Germany, heavily reliant on American loans from the Dawes Plan and the Young Plan, suffered significantly as America demanded repayment, severely impacting the German economy.
• By 1933, around 6 million Germans were unemployed, halting any signs of recovery that had previously emerged.