Weimar Germany
● 1923 Gustav Stresseman was appointed chancellor and took measures to end the
inflation
○ Called of passive resistance in the Ruhr and promised to pay reparations
○ Brought in the Rentenmark to replace the Reichsmark
○ Appointed Hjalmar Schacht to the Reichsbank
○ Government expenditure was slashed to save money
○ Negotiated with the allies to reschedule the payments through the dawes plan
1924 which reduced the amount of reparations that germany had to pay each
month and got a loan from the USA
● After the munich putsch 1923, Stresseman was criticized for not having dealth more
harshly with the Nazis
○ Socialists withdrew from Stresemann's government and he was forced to
resign as chancellor
● New government led by Wilhelm Marx in 1924 got Stresseman appointed as foreign
minister
○ Stresseman knew that in this new more nationalist government, in order to,
undo the restraints of the TOV, the best way was to comply with the terms of
the treaty so it could improve relations with Britain and France
● Stressemans foreign policy had several successes
○ Locarno pact 1925
■ Guaranteed Germany's western borders which reassured France and
brought a degree of rapprochement between Germany and France
■ Allowed some withdrawal of allied forces from Germany
○ League of nations 1926
■ Germany accepted into league and given power status in league
council with veto power
○ Treaty of Berlin 1926
■ Renewed the Treaty of Rapallo which had been signed in 1922 with
Russia and thus continuing good relations with the USSR
○ The Young plan 1929
■ USA agreed to give further lands to Germany and a reduced scheme
of reparations
● Despite Stressemans achievements in removing allies from German soil and solving
the reparation payments issue, he was attacked by nationalist politicians who
claimed that his actions amounted to the acceptance of the TOV
Weimar politics 1923-1928
● After stresemann was resigned from Chancellorship Wilhlem Marx (leader of the
center party and Hans Luther (non party politician) shared the chancellorship 6 times
● Without support of the SPD Marx took over Stressemans minority government using
a state of emergency in oct. 1923
● Under the coalitions of Marx and Luther extremist parties made major gains
○ DNVP made of nationalist groups
○ KPD Communists emerged out of nowhere and became a major party backed
by mass support
● Marx’s survival depended on the support of members of non-government parties
(SPD and DNVP)
○ Marx tried to strengthen his coalition by inviting the SPD back into
government
● Marx was forced to call a second reichstag election to better the political situation
, ○ SPD gained 31 seats which bettered their situation because the political
stability and improving economic situation meant that extremist parties had
lost their appeal
■ Communists faired badly but the nazis and their nationalist parties lost
the most
● Hans Luther became new chancellor in 1925
○ He was an experienced politician who had already served as finance minister
under several chancellors including Stresseman
○ Formed a center-right coalition which excluded the SPD and brought in for the
first time members of the DNVP into the government
○ Because of Stresemann Locarno part the DNVP withdrew from the
government and forced the resignation of Luther's cabinet which lasted a few
weeks until Hindenburg intervened
■ Luther believed that if a right center-coalition was possible, a minority
government was preferable to one which included the socialists so
Luther formed a new minority government in 1926
○ Luther's second coalition (center, DDP, DVP) lasted four months which was
shut due to, disagreement over the republics flag
● Over Marxs numerous governments which lasted only couple of months, there was a
lot of political instability between parties and numerous forming of new coalitions
Period of economic recovery
● Acceptance of the Dawes plan triggered a period of economic recovery
● Germany entering a period of greater stability and prosperity lowered resentment
against the republic and people became less interested in extremist politics
● Between 1924-1930 Germany got 25.5 billion marks in american loans as well as
substantial amounts in foreign investment
● Inflow of foreign capital allowed the government to indulge in public building to see
the construction of new hospitals and schools
● Coal and iron industries flourished
● Strikes and working days lost fell drastically
● Unemployment still stood at nearly two million and the economy was heavily
dependent on loans, foreign indebtedness had risen to half the national income
Weimar society and Culture
● In germany and europe the 1920s saw long established social and cultural norms
present in traditional authoritarian societies being challenged
● Influence of aristocracy had been replaced by the dominance of the commercial and
industrial influence
● Left-wing and trade unions gave working classes a platform from which to fight for
improved conditions and
● greater political representation
● Women became increasingly employed and gained economic emancipation
● Women were rejecting former constrains
● Religious teachings and traditional values were questioned
● Explosion of popular entertainment
○ Music halls and theater began to be replaced by the cinema
● The weimar years produced a diversity of new creative talent and were a time of
considerable cultural achievement in Germany
● Bauhaus movement was a school of architecture and design
Essay Plans
,Thesis: although credit can be given for a degree of economic, political and social
stabilization in this era, it is clear that there were too many underlying structural weaknesses
in the economy, that the Constitution remained problematic and that most Germans were
deeply conservative and resistant to change. All this made the Golden Years a superficial
construction whose prospects for survival were undermined by these vulnerabilities.
1. To what extend did 1924-29 represent a period of political stability for the weimar?
a. Yes: stabilization was evident through the gain of pro-democracy parties
gaining support and the reduction of political violence
i. Between 1924-1929 no political figures assassinated
ii. Pro-weimar parties gained ground in 1928 election
b. No: underlying constitutional weaknesses undermined the weimar governing
and the presence of extremist parties was still evident
i. Political violence remained (SA, KPD fighting league)
ii. Liberal parties swayed to the right and Centre Z party drifted towards
authoritarianism under Brunning
iii. 6 short lived coalition governments between 1924-29 showing political
instability
iv. Weaknesses in weimar constitution (proportional representation,
article 48)
v. Radical parties (KPD, NSDAP, DNVP) never went away
vi. 1925 right wing Hindenburg elected as president and tended towards
authoritarianism and happy to rule by article 48
2. To what extent did 1924-1929 represent a period of economic recovery for the
Weimar?
a. Yes: period of economic recovery and growth
i. Dawes plan 1924 saw reparation payments being dealt with better and
big inflow of foreign investment
ii. Workers wages increased 1924-29
b. No: economic vulnerability showed that in 1927 and onward the economy was
beginning to fault
i. Growing trade deficit (germany importing more than exporting)
ii. Low productivity in the economy (high wages, lack of investment in
capital)
iii. Agricultural sector price crash 1927 onwards
iv. Unemployment stayed above 1 million
v. Increased costs of welfare schemes (unemployment insurance,
housing, health, education)
vi. Higher taxes and not shifting budget deficit
3. To what extent did 1924-1929 represent a period of foreign policy success for the
Weimar?
a. Yes: Stresseman dealt successfully with foreign policy and reduced tensions
surrounding Germany and made economic settlements
i. Stresemann foreign minister 1923-29 determined to improve germany
international position
ii. Dawes plan 1924
iii. Locarno pact 1925
iv. LON 1926
v. Berlin treaty 1926
vi. Young plan
b. No: Stressemans appeasement to terms made the more nationalist parties
angry because they saw it as him agreeing to the terms of the TOV
, Paris Peace Treaties
Treaty of Versailles
Aim
● Dealt with Germany. Covenant of the League of Nations, war guilt clause,
reparations, territorial adjustments, disarmament
● USA wanted- wanted a moderate, fixed amount which should be levied against
Germany (president Wilson believed that a huge reparation payment for Germany
would leave them resentment and lay the seeds for another war) 22 billion
● Britain wanted- Germany pay war pensions, imperial war cabinet (argued that the
reparations for the cost of war should be included in soldiers pensions), wanted the
USA to cancel debt (but this meant france had to pay britain its debt, and France
could only pay with reparations from germany), Lloyd George said high reparations
would prevent Germany from rebuilding its army 120 billion
● France wanted- repertion to pay for rebuilding the northern areas of france and most
of belgium, expected reparations to pay for the entire war and french military
pensions as well, reparations be a punishment for germany starting the war and to
damage the german economy, 220 billion
Major clauses
● Covenant league of nations
● War guilt clause: Germany was guilty of starting WW1
● Reparation payments: Germany should pay for some damage, but the price was
argued a lot
● Territorial adjustments: germany would not keep any of its territories
● German disarmament:
● Germany would reduce its army to a maximum of 10,000, no artillery, no air force, no
poison as or tanks, if germany wanted to develop a weapon it would have to be
approved by allied governments, navy was limited too
Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1919
Aim
● Main clauses dealt with; war guilt, reparations, territorial adjustments and
disarmament.
● Britain and France wanted to restrain Bulgaria territorially, and disarm it.
● The USA and Italy did not want to treat Bulgaria as harshly.
major clauses
● War guilt
○ Bulgaria was forced to admit that it had caused much loss of life and damage
to the allies
● Reparations
○ Bulgaria was required to pay the Allies 2.25 billion gold francs (£100 million)
● Territorial adjustments
○ Bulgaria lost the province of Western Thrace, which bordered the Aegean
Sea, to the Allied powers (later given to Greece).
○ Over 2500 sq km of Western Bulgaria was ceded to Yugoslavia without a
plebiscite.
● Disarmament
○ The army was reduced to 20,000 men and conscription forbidden.
○ Only 33,000 rifles were allowed in the country for any purposes.
○ Only one factory was allowed for the making of weapons and munitions.
○ Most military schools were abolished.
○ The navy was reduced to four torpedo boats and six motorboats, with no
torpedoes.
○ Both submarines and an air force were completely forbidden.
Mussolini
Mussolini’s Rise
Political weaknesses of the new italian state
● 1923 Gustav Stresseman was appointed chancellor and took measures to end the
inflation
○ Called of passive resistance in the Ruhr and promised to pay reparations
○ Brought in the Rentenmark to replace the Reichsmark
○ Appointed Hjalmar Schacht to the Reichsbank
○ Government expenditure was slashed to save money
○ Negotiated with the allies to reschedule the payments through the dawes plan
1924 which reduced the amount of reparations that germany had to pay each
month and got a loan from the USA
● After the munich putsch 1923, Stresseman was criticized for not having dealth more
harshly with the Nazis
○ Socialists withdrew from Stresemann's government and he was forced to
resign as chancellor
● New government led by Wilhelm Marx in 1924 got Stresseman appointed as foreign
minister
○ Stresseman knew that in this new more nationalist government, in order to,
undo the restraints of the TOV, the best way was to comply with the terms of
the treaty so it could improve relations with Britain and France
● Stressemans foreign policy had several successes
○ Locarno pact 1925
■ Guaranteed Germany's western borders which reassured France and
brought a degree of rapprochement between Germany and France
■ Allowed some withdrawal of allied forces from Germany
○ League of nations 1926
■ Germany accepted into league and given power status in league
council with veto power
○ Treaty of Berlin 1926
■ Renewed the Treaty of Rapallo which had been signed in 1922 with
Russia and thus continuing good relations with the USSR
○ The Young plan 1929
■ USA agreed to give further lands to Germany and a reduced scheme
of reparations
● Despite Stressemans achievements in removing allies from German soil and solving
the reparation payments issue, he was attacked by nationalist politicians who
claimed that his actions amounted to the acceptance of the TOV
Weimar politics 1923-1928
● After stresemann was resigned from Chancellorship Wilhlem Marx (leader of the
center party and Hans Luther (non party politician) shared the chancellorship 6 times
● Without support of the SPD Marx took over Stressemans minority government using
a state of emergency in oct. 1923
● Under the coalitions of Marx and Luther extremist parties made major gains
○ DNVP made of nationalist groups
○ KPD Communists emerged out of nowhere and became a major party backed
by mass support
● Marx’s survival depended on the support of members of non-government parties
(SPD and DNVP)
○ Marx tried to strengthen his coalition by inviting the SPD back into
government
● Marx was forced to call a second reichstag election to better the political situation
, ○ SPD gained 31 seats which bettered their situation because the political
stability and improving economic situation meant that extremist parties had
lost their appeal
■ Communists faired badly but the nazis and their nationalist parties lost
the most
● Hans Luther became new chancellor in 1925
○ He was an experienced politician who had already served as finance minister
under several chancellors including Stresseman
○ Formed a center-right coalition which excluded the SPD and brought in for the
first time members of the DNVP into the government
○ Because of Stresemann Locarno part the DNVP withdrew from the
government and forced the resignation of Luther's cabinet which lasted a few
weeks until Hindenburg intervened
■ Luther believed that if a right center-coalition was possible, a minority
government was preferable to one which included the socialists so
Luther formed a new minority government in 1926
○ Luther's second coalition (center, DDP, DVP) lasted four months which was
shut due to, disagreement over the republics flag
● Over Marxs numerous governments which lasted only couple of months, there was a
lot of political instability between parties and numerous forming of new coalitions
Period of economic recovery
● Acceptance of the Dawes plan triggered a period of economic recovery
● Germany entering a period of greater stability and prosperity lowered resentment
against the republic and people became less interested in extremist politics
● Between 1924-1930 Germany got 25.5 billion marks in american loans as well as
substantial amounts in foreign investment
● Inflow of foreign capital allowed the government to indulge in public building to see
the construction of new hospitals and schools
● Coal and iron industries flourished
● Strikes and working days lost fell drastically
● Unemployment still stood at nearly two million and the economy was heavily
dependent on loans, foreign indebtedness had risen to half the national income
Weimar society and Culture
● In germany and europe the 1920s saw long established social and cultural norms
present in traditional authoritarian societies being challenged
● Influence of aristocracy had been replaced by the dominance of the commercial and
industrial influence
● Left-wing and trade unions gave working classes a platform from which to fight for
improved conditions and
● greater political representation
● Women became increasingly employed and gained economic emancipation
● Women were rejecting former constrains
● Religious teachings and traditional values were questioned
● Explosion of popular entertainment
○ Music halls and theater began to be replaced by the cinema
● The weimar years produced a diversity of new creative talent and were a time of
considerable cultural achievement in Germany
● Bauhaus movement was a school of architecture and design
Essay Plans
,Thesis: although credit can be given for a degree of economic, political and social
stabilization in this era, it is clear that there were too many underlying structural weaknesses
in the economy, that the Constitution remained problematic and that most Germans were
deeply conservative and resistant to change. All this made the Golden Years a superficial
construction whose prospects for survival were undermined by these vulnerabilities.
1. To what extend did 1924-29 represent a period of political stability for the weimar?
a. Yes: stabilization was evident through the gain of pro-democracy parties
gaining support and the reduction of political violence
i. Between 1924-1929 no political figures assassinated
ii. Pro-weimar parties gained ground in 1928 election
b. No: underlying constitutional weaknesses undermined the weimar governing
and the presence of extremist parties was still evident
i. Political violence remained (SA, KPD fighting league)
ii. Liberal parties swayed to the right and Centre Z party drifted towards
authoritarianism under Brunning
iii. 6 short lived coalition governments between 1924-29 showing political
instability
iv. Weaknesses in weimar constitution (proportional representation,
article 48)
v. Radical parties (KPD, NSDAP, DNVP) never went away
vi. 1925 right wing Hindenburg elected as president and tended towards
authoritarianism and happy to rule by article 48
2. To what extent did 1924-1929 represent a period of economic recovery for the
Weimar?
a. Yes: period of economic recovery and growth
i. Dawes plan 1924 saw reparation payments being dealt with better and
big inflow of foreign investment
ii. Workers wages increased 1924-29
b. No: economic vulnerability showed that in 1927 and onward the economy was
beginning to fault
i. Growing trade deficit (germany importing more than exporting)
ii. Low productivity in the economy (high wages, lack of investment in
capital)
iii. Agricultural sector price crash 1927 onwards
iv. Unemployment stayed above 1 million
v. Increased costs of welfare schemes (unemployment insurance,
housing, health, education)
vi. Higher taxes and not shifting budget deficit
3. To what extent did 1924-1929 represent a period of foreign policy success for the
Weimar?
a. Yes: Stresseman dealt successfully with foreign policy and reduced tensions
surrounding Germany and made economic settlements
i. Stresemann foreign minister 1923-29 determined to improve germany
international position
ii. Dawes plan 1924
iii. Locarno pact 1925
iv. LON 1926
v. Berlin treaty 1926
vi. Young plan
b. No: Stressemans appeasement to terms made the more nationalist parties
angry because they saw it as him agreeing to the terms of the TOV
, Paris Peace Treaties
Treaty of Versailles
Aim
● Dealt with Germany. Covenant of the League of Nations, war guilt clause,
reparations, territorial adjustments, disarmament
● USA wanted- wanted a moderate, fixed amount which should be levied against
Germany (president Wilson believed that a huge reparation payment for Germany
would leave them resentment and lay the seeds for another war) 22 billion
● Britain wanted- Germany pay war pensions, imperial war cabinet (argued that the
reparations for the cost of war should be included in soldiers pensions), wanted the
USA to cancel debt (but this meant france had to pay britain its debt, and France
could only pay with reparations from germany), Lloyd George said high reparations
would prevent Germany from rebuilding its army 120 billion
● France wanted- repertion to pay for rebuilding the northern areas of france and most
of belgium, expected reparations to pay for the entire war and french military
pensions as well, reparations be a punishment for germany starting the war and to
damage the german economy, 220 billion
Major clauses
● Covenant league of nations
● War guilt clause: Germany was guilty of starting WW1
● Reparation payments: Germany should pay for some damage, but the price was
argued a lot
● Territorial adjustments: germany would not keep any of its territories
● German disarmament:
● Germany would reduce its army to a maximum of 10,000, no artillery, no air force, no
poison as or tanks, if germany wanted to develop a weapon it would have to be
approved by allied governments, navy was limited too
Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1919
Aim
● Main clauses dealt with; war guilt, reparations, territorial adjustments and
disarmament.
● Britain and France wanted to restrain Bulgaria territorially, and disarm it.
● The USA and Italy did not want to treat Bulgaria as harshly.
major clauses
● War guilt
○ Bulgaria was forced to admit that it had caused much loss of life and damage
to the allies
● Reparations
○ Bulgaria was required to pay the Allies 2.25 billion gold francs (£100 million)
● Territorial adjustments
○ Bulgaria lost the province of Western Thrace, which bordered the Aegean
Sea, to the Allied powers (later given to Greece).
○ Over 2500 sq km of Western Bulgaria was ceded to Yugoslavia without a
plebiscite.
● Disarmament
○ The army was reduced to 20,000 men and conscription forbidden.
○ Only 33,000 rifles were allowed in the country for any purposes.
○ Only one factory was allowed for the making of weapons and munitions.
○ Most military schools were abolished.
○ The navy was reduced to four torpedo boats and six motorboats, with no
torpedoes.
○ Both submarines and an air force were completely forbidden.
Mussolini
Mussolini’s Rise
Political weaknesses of the new italian state
