1. Failures of the Weimar Republic
Mr. Meester
AP European History

2. Post-War Germany
The collapse of the German war effort in 1918 created a political crisis.
Forced the abdication of the Kaiser
The German Republic on November 9, 1918.
On Feb. 11, 1919, an assembly met in the historic town of Weimar to write a new constitution and selected Friedrich Ebert President of Germany.
The Majority Socialists, the Catholic Center Party, and the German Democratic Party dominated the new assembly.

3. Problems of the Weimar Republic
The new government faced a number of serious domestic problems that challenged its authority.
Acceptance of the Frieddensdiktat “the dictated peace.”
The violent Communist Spartikist Rebellion of 1919 in Berlin.
Flawed constitution.
The losses in territory, manpower, and economy suffered due to the war, coupled with a $30.4 billion in reparations, had severe impact on the German economy and society.

4. Inflationary Problems
Hopes of future reductions, caused Germany to borrow heavily and make payments to fulfill its early debt obligations.
The result was hyperinflation the Mark went from 8.4 per dollar in 1919 to 7,000 Marks pre dollar by December, 1922.
The Weimar government underlined Allied insensitivity to Germany’s plight.
After the Allied Reparations Commission declared Germany in default on its debt, the French the Belgians occupied the Ruhr.

5. German Resistance
Chancellor Wilhelm Cuno encouraged the Ruhr’s Germans passively to resist the occupation
Began printing more Marks which dropped from 40,000 to the dollar in January 1923 to 4.2 trillion to the dollar eleven months later
The occupation ended in September due to stronger Allied sympathy to Germany
But the Hyperinflationary had severe economic, social, and political consequences.

6. 1923 German Marks

7. Weimar Politics,
Germany’s economic and social difficulties deeply affected its infant democracy.
From February 1919 to August 1923, the country had six Chancellors.
In the aftermath new elections resulted in a defeat of the ruling coalition and a drifting toward extremism
The Democrats (DDP) lost seats to the German National People’s Party (DVP)
The Majority Socialists lost seats to the more reactionary Independent Socialists.

8. Hitler on the scene In late 1923 Hitler makes his political debut.
He had grown up in Austria and been exposed to the anti-Semitic views of the Christian Social Party
Settled in Munich after the war
A veteran, he felt war had given him purpose
Joined the National Socialist German Workers Party
The Nazis had issued the 25 points in 1920
Also formed the Sturmsbteilung (SA) or Stormtroopers
Hitler rose to power modeling himself after Mussolini
1923 Munich Beer Hall revolt resulted in Hitler going to prison
Wrote Main Kampf was released after a few months

9. Gustav Stresemann
The dominant figure in German politics from 1923 to 1929 was Gustav Stresemann, leader of the DVP.
He was Chancellor during 1923, he was more important as Foreign Minister from 1923 to his death in 1929.
In 1926 he received the Nobel Peace prize for his work.

10. Stresemann Policies
Stresemann reestablished the value of the German currency by establishing a new currency called the Rentenmark.
He promoted the end of passive resistance in the Ruhr area.
Worked with the Allies to renegotiate the debt repayment of Germany.
The Dawes Plan
The peak of Stresemann’s efforts to restore Germany to normal status in the European community was the Locarno Pact, December 1, 1925.

11. Locarno The Locarno Agreement was designed to allow a fresh start
Recognized boundaries in the west
France supported German membership in the League of Nations
France agreed to pull troops out of the Rhineland 5 years early
Lead to a spirit of optimism which would give us the Kellog-Briand Pact
However this spirit proved to be unjustified
Many problems still existed particularly in the East
Germans didn’t want to keep paying reparations, etc.

12. Weimar Politics,
The elections of 1924 saw gains for both the Communists with 3,700,000 votes and the Nazis Party with almost 2,000,000 votes.
In 1925, Paul von Hindenburg was elected president of the government.
Hindenburg vowed to protect the Weimar government and its constitution.
The elections of 1928 saw greater gains for the Social Democrats, getting almost one-third of the popular vote.
The Nazis lost one seat in the Reichstag while the Communists gained seats.