1. Weimar Republic
Allies offered peace to Germany, but Germany had to become democratic.
Kaiser refused, but there was a sailors’ revolt, so on Nov 9th 1918 he abdicated.
Friedrich Ebert became the new leader.
There was to be a new constitution and new laws and right for the people.

2. 1st act was to sign the Versailles Treaty
Named for the city in
which the constitution
was developed

3. Problems The threat from the left The Treaty of Versailles
The threat from the right
Economic problems

4. Threat from the left
Spartacists (communist party) under Liebknecht and Luxemburg
They followed Russian model
They incited the Communist revolution
A second revolution in Bavaria.

5. Ebert worked together with the Freikorps to crush the revolts.
This caused tension between Ebert and his party (SPD)
Most Germans were agreed however, they feared a bloody civil war, like in Russia.

6. Freikorps

7. Treaty of Versailles
Many Germans felt they had been btrayed (“stabbed in the back”) by Ebert and his government.
This divided the politicians and caused political unrest
Until Hitler rose to power in 1933, the Treaty was still a much hated topic.

8. The threat from the right
Strong nationalism, many people who supported the kaiser were still in place.
1920: Kapp-putsch Freikorps soldiers into Berlin. Situation saved by a general strike.
Kapp was prosecuted, but the rest of the leaders not.

9. Kapp putsch

10. Many political murders
1923: Munich putsch (Beer Hall Putsch). Hitler tried to take over Bavaria. Weimar troops responded.
Hitler was held responsible and put on trial.
He received a very light sentence.

11. Leaders of the Beer Hall Putsch

12. Economic problems Reparations: 6600 million pounds, annually.
In 1922 Germany didn’t pay.

13. Occupation of the Rhineland
1923, Germany fails to pay reparations to France and Belgium too.
France and Belgium occupy the Rhineland to force payments
Germans launch a general strike of non-cooperation with the occupiers
Govt. pays strikers to strike

14. Hyperinflation
Payments to strikers forces Weimar government to print money to fund it.
Far too much is printed compared to what it is worth.
In 1914 there were four marks to every dollar.
In 1924 there were 4,000,000,000,000,00 marks per dollar.

15. Stresemann Miracle
Gustav Stresemann served as the prime minister and stabilized the mark by following the advice of Hjalmar Schacht
Germany stabilizes and begins to grow again without inflation
Finally, Stresemann settles the western border with France with the Locarno Treaty.

17. THE FACTS Stresemann was Chancellor in 1923 only.
His main role was as Foreign Minister from 1924
He was a right-winger and more able than Ebert
He built up Germany’s prosperity again although all of Europe was recovering
He signed Germany up to the Dawes Plan in 1924

18. Treaty of Locarno Perhaps the high point of the Weimar Republic
Germany agrees to respect its western border with France and Belgium.
This allows Germany to enter the League of Nations and removes Germany from diplomatic isolation

19. Golden Era 1924-1929 Economy grows quite well
Culture become famous for its plays, art, etc., though decadent.
“Americanization” as some parts of culture look to America for guidance.
Movie industry become world famous, esp., the “Mountain films” like a US Western.

20. Crisis years
Great Depression hits as unemployment goes to record levels.
Governments fall as no one can solve the problem of the Depression
Private armies of political parties battle in the streets as public loses faith in the Republic to solve problems.