The Weimar Republic 1924- 1933

The Weimar Republic 1924- 1933

The Stresemann Period 1923 - 1929
1. The golden years of the Weimar Republic
2. Stresemann German Chancellor (Prime Minister) in 1923 – then appointed Foreign Minister 1923-1929.
3. Wanted to portray himself as a ‘good’ German.
4. He wanted to fulfil the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
5. From this he hoped Britain and France would revise the Treaty.

Economic Recovery
1. Stresemann urged workers in the Ruhr to return to work.
2. The new German currency (the Rentenmark) established by Stresemann and regulated by the central bank solved the problem of hyperinflation.
3. Confidence returned to the German economy.
4. Worldwide economic recovery meant that there were new markets for German goods abroad.
5. The economy prospered and unemployment was low.
6. As prosperity increased support for the extremists like Communists and Nazis declined.
7. Moderate pro-Weimar parties tended to win elections.
8. Dawes Plan 1924 which made the reparations payments easier (French troops left the Ruhr as a consequence).

International Developments
1. Worldwide economic recovery meant that there were new markets for German goods abroad.
2. American Banks loan money to Germany to re- build economy.
3. In 1925 Germany signs the Locarno Pact to settle border disputes resulting from World War One. 4. In 1926 Germany joined the League of Nations.
4. In 1929 the Young Plan replaced the Dawes Plan reparations reduced by one quarter, Germany given 58 years to pay.

Collapse of German Economy
1. Stresemann died in October 1929
2. Three weeks later the Wall Street Crash causes worldwide economic crisis.
3. American banks recall their loans to Germany.
4. German economy plunged back into crisis.

Germany in Crisis
1. The Great Depression ruined Germany’s economic revival.
2. Demand for Germany exports slumped.
3. Unemployment rose from 1.3 million in 1929 to 6 million by 1932.
4. Chancellor Muller resigns.
5. Three party Alliance (Catholic Centre Party, Social Democratic Party and People’s Party) collapses after new Chancellor, Bruning, introduces severe cutbacks on public spending.
6. Bruning uses ‘emergency powers’ under Article 48 of the Constitution to push through cutbacks.
7. Widespread public opposition to cutbacks leading to increased support for Communist Party and Nazis.

Collapse of Democracy
1. Hitler promises to stop the ‘Red Tide’ (Communists) and receives support from industrialists like Fritz Thyssen.
2. Hitler receives 13 million votes in 1932 Presidential election but is defeated by sitting President Hindenberg.
3. Bruning forced to resign as Chancellor and is replaced by Von Papin.
4. General Election in  July 1932 sees the Nazis win 230 seats (37% vote).
5. Widespread political unrest, rioting and political murders.
6. General Election in November 1932 sees the Nazis lose 34 seats while the Communists make gains.
7. January 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor.

Extra Resources: Weimar Republic

Revision tip: Remember the different parts of this period by remembering the mnemonic: In Germany Rose (the) Nazis

1918-24	Instability
1924-29	Golden years
1929-33	Rise of Hitler
1933-45	Nazi rule

1. Aryan
   A person of European descent - not Jewish - often with blond hair and blue eyes. The Nazis viewed Aryans as the superior human race.
2. autarky
   A closed economy. Hitler's ideology that wanted Germany to cease trade with the outside world and rely entirely on its own resources.
3. Concordat
   An agreement with the Vatican.
4. democratic
   A system of government that allows people to have a vote.
5. dissent
   Disagreement.
6. euthanasia
   The deliberate ending of someone’s life for compassionate reasons.
7. Führer
   Leader.
8. hyperinflation
   Very rapid and high increase in the level of prices, combined with a fall in the value of money.
9. Kaiser
   Germany's king; Kaiser Wilhelm II.
10. League of Nations
    An international organisation where the leaders of countries could settle problems in the hope that they could thus avoid wars.
11. Munich Putsch
    A failed attempt in November 1923 by Hitler to overthrow the government of the Weimar Republic.
12. presidential decree
    An order given by the President with the force of the law.
13. proportional representation
    An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
14. rearmament
    Manufacturing arms and increasing the army.
15. Reichstag
    The name of Germany's parliament.
16. reparation
    Monetary compensation from an individual, group or state to compensate victims.
17. SA
    Also known as Storm Troopers or Brown shirts. A military style organisation of the Nazi party formed in 1921 under Hitler.
18. Treaty of Versailles
    The peace treaty signed by the Allies and Germany at the end of the First World War, on 28 June 1919.
19. Wall Street Crash
    In October 1929 share prices on the Wall Street stock market in New York crashed, helping to cause the Great Depression.

Six Terms of the Treaty of Versailles [Memory word: GARGLE]

Guilt for the War By clause 231 of the  treaty, Germany had to accept the blame ‘for causing all the loss and damage’ of the war.

Armed forces The Treaty restricted German armed forces to: only 100,000 men in the army conscription was banned – soldiers had to be volunteers no submarines or aeroplanes only six battleships the Rhineland had to be de-militarised

Reparations Germany had to pay for all the damage of the war – a sum was eventually set at £6,600 million – in installments, until 1984.

Germany lost territory Alsace-Lorraine was given back to France The Saar coalfields were given to France for 15 years Malmedy was given to Belgium North Schleswig was given to Denmark (after a plebiscite) West Prussia (including the ‘Polish corridor’) and Upper Silesia were given to Poland. Danzig was made a ‘free city’. Memel was given to Lithuania. German colonies were made ‘mandates’ of the League of Nations, to be looked after by France (Cameroons), Britain (Tanganyika), Japan (islands in the Pacific), Australia (New Guinea) and New Zealand (Samoa)

League of Nations was set up as an international forum to settle disputes by discussion, not war.

Extra points In addition, the Treaty: forbade Anschluss (union) between Germany and Austria. made Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania independent states.

In all, Germany lost: 10% of its land all its colonies 12% of its population 16% of its coalfields half its iron and steel industry most of its army and navy all its airforce.