How effective was opposition in Weimar/Nazi Germany?
Who? Types of opposition Impact/success
Weimar Germany Threat from the left Threat from the left- o Threat from left-
1918-1933 Threat from the right Spartacist uprising- declared Spartacist- unsuccessful as
National assembly would be dispelled quickly from
organ of counter-revolution and Freikorps + communist
called for gov by workers’ and activity supressed, by 15th
soldiers’ councils, 6th Jan Jan Spartacist revolt
revolutionary committee 53 crushed after savage street
communists set up + issued fighting-
proclamation Liebknecht/Luxemburg shot
KPD dead
Threat from the right- KPD- mostly exaggerated
Right wing political forces- threat + they were unable
rejected Weimar system + its to win mass support of
democratic principles + after working- communists
1918 numerous right wing- proved incapable of
Volkisch groups (rooted from mounting a unified attack
Kaiserreich) were very on Republic
nationalistic + wanted to smash Threat from the right-
the republic + Conservatives e.g. Right wing political forces-
DNVP wanted to restore had considerable success in
monarchy propagating notion that the
Kapp Putsch – Unease at need to German Army had ‘been
reduce army size because of TOV stabbed in the back’ by
caused Wolfgang Kapp (former
, Prussian civil servant) to plan to ‘November Criminals’ +
overthrow gov + had support of Conservatives managed to
Von Luttwitz commanded troops exert influence in
in Berlin father of Freikorps + institutions e.g. army, civil
marched into Berlin 1920- service, judges ect hostile to
Ebert’s cabinet moved + Kapp new republic
declaed Weimar gov overthrown Kapp Putsch- largely
+ army did not help, General unsuccessful despite army’s
Seekt ‘Troops do not fire on neutral stance, collapsed
troops’ quickly – mainly because
majority of gov bureaucrats
refused to acknowledge
legitimacy of Kapp’s gov or
obey his orders- collapse
major success for republic
but highlighted threat from
the right
Who? Types of opposition Impact/success
Nazi Germany The Military Military-Rejected Hitler socially + o Military-Out of all the
1933-1945 Communists General Beck (chief of the army opposition – was one of most
Who? Types of opposition Impact/success
Weimar Germany Threat from the left Threat from the left- o Threat from left-
1918-1933 Threat from the right Spartacist uprising- declared Spartacist- unsuccessful as
National assembly would be dispelled quickly from
organ of counter-revolution and Freikorps + communist
called for gov by workers’ and activity supressed, by 15th
soldiers’ councils, 6th Jan Jan Spartacist revolt
revolutionary committee 53 crushed after savage street
communists set up + issued fighting-
proclamation Liebknecht/Luxemburg shot
KPD dead
Threat from the right- KPD- mostly exaggerated
Right wing political forces- threat + they were unable
rejected Weimar system + its to win mass support of
democratic principles + after working- communists
1918 numerous right wing- proved incapable of
Volkisch groups (rooted from mounting a unified attack
Kaiserreich) were very on Republic
nationalistic + wanted to smash Threat from the right-
the republic + Conservatives e.g. Right wing political forces-
DNVP wanted to restore had considerable success in
monarchy propagating notion that the
Kapp Putsch – Unease at need to German Army had ‘been
reduce army size because of TOV stabbed in the back’ by
caused Wolfgang Kapp (former
, Prussian civil servant) to plan to ‘November Criminals’ +
overthrow gov + had support of Conservatives managed to
Von Luttwitz commanded troops exert influence in
in Berlin father of Freikorps + institutions e.g. army, civil
marched into Berlin 1920- service, judges ect hostile to
Ebert’s cabinet moved + Kapp new republic
declaed Weimar gov overthrown Kapp Putsch- largely
+ army did not help, General unsuccessful despite army’s
Seekt ‘Troops do not fire on neutral stance, collapsed
troops’ quickly – mainly because
majority of gov bureaucrats
refused to acknowledge
legitimacy of Kapp’s gov or
obey his orders- collapse
major success for republic
but highlighted threat from
the right
Who? Types of opposition Impact/success
Nazi Germany The Military Military-Rejected Hitler socially + o Military-Out of all the
1933-1945 Communists General Beck (chief of the army opposition – was one of most
