The Survival Prospects of the Weimar Republic
The statement that by the beginning of 1929 the survival prospects of
the Weimar republic looked good brings many different political,
economic and social views of the events and attitudes of that year and
the 4 years (from 1924) leading up to it to a head. This essay will
argue that while the statement can be evidenced by several
improvements in different sectors, these improvements were only on the
surface. If the fundamental flaws of the republic (exhibited in
destabilizing factors to be discussed) are looked at accurately, its
failures were inevitable. The great depression merely accelerated this
inevitability.
One argument that that supports the idea that survival prospects of
Weimar looked good by 1929 is economic. The terror that the German
people felt when faced with reparations was to be allayed by foreign
minister Gustav Stressemans orchestration of the introduction of the
Dawes plan in1924 (tailored to his policy of fulfillment of the
Versailles treaty). The newly establish Rentenmark currency was
stabilized by this influx of almost 25.5 billion marks worth of
foreign capital. It also set the stage for the Young plan, established
in 1928. This plan “parceled” reparations payments into easily payable
chunks, another move of Stressemans that seemed a viable step towards
encouraging the motivation of the German people to get the states
economic house in order. These factors were obvious opportunities for
Germany to grow and prosper. Indeed, it can be seen why noted
historian M. Fullbrook could say that “under Stressemans’ guidance, it
might appear that a considerable amount h...
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...KPDs’ rural membership by 10% in 1928). It can be seen
that by 1929, all was definitely not positive economically and that
this would not mean well for the prospects of Weimar’s’ survival, even
with out The Great depression of 1931.
In conclusion, it can be seen that while there were some positive
economic, political and foreign policy developments from 1924 to 1929,
these were merely on the surface and covered innumerable flaws in the
Weimar system. The lack of understanding of democracy in German
society, the negative perceptions and revisionist ideals leftover from
the Versailles Treaty and the structurally induced economic weaknesses
were all evident throughout the time period, and would have caused the
republic eventual downfall. The great depression of 1931, while it
sped up this process, was merely a catalyst.
Wukovits, John F., ed. America's Decades: The 1920's. San Diego: Greehaven Press Inc., 2000. Print.
This investigation will address the research question, to what extent was Germany’s post-World War I economic depression a causal factor in Hitler’s rise to power from 1919 to 1934? With the Treaty of Versailles, the German government was required to pay 132 billion gold marks of war reparations, drastically worsened with the US Wall Street crash. This effectively crippled the German economy and created a desperate people. For this investigation, Hitler’s private life history and pre-military career will not be analyzed. His political rise will be examined from the perspective of economic and social factors. Several primary sources will be explored, including the Hitler’s Mein Kampf and Hitler’s 25-Point Program. In addition, tertiary sources covering Hitler’s non-personal life and rise to power will be studied.
The period after World War One was very politically unstable. Many different kinds of governments, such as fascism and communism, were coming up all over Europe. One country that especially faced this political fluctuation was Germany. After the war, Germany was forced into a democracy known as the Weimar Republic, but this government soon collapsed and Hitler’s fascism took over. There were various factors that contributed to the fall of the Weimar Republic, but three major ones were the lack of popular support for the government, the lack of efficiency and internal organization, and the competition of other, more conservative parties such as the Nazis.
The 1920s were a time of leisure and carelessness. The Great War had ended in 1918 and everyone was eager to return to some semblance of normalcy. The end of the war and the horrors and atrocities that it resulted in now faced millions of people. Easily obtainable credit and rapidly rising stock prices prompted many to invest, resulting in big payoffs and newfound wealth for many. However, overproduction and inflated stock prices increased by corrupt industrialists culminat...
The 1920s for the United States was a time of change. New changes politically, socially, and economically had impacted the American society in several ways, both good and bad. The changes had led to positive things for the US, including a growing economy, new technology, and more rights for women. On the downside, the new changes in the US had caused racial competition and tension over labor and other opportunities that had been created in the US.
Living in the crumbled remains of Germany, or the Weimar Republic, in the 1920’s was a dismal existence. Hyperinflation was rampant and the national debt skyrocketed as a result of the punishing features of the Treaty of Versailles. During the depression, however, a mysterious Austrian emerged from the depths of the German penal system and gave the desperate German people a glimpse of hope in very dark times. He called for a return to “Fatherland” principles where greater Germany was seen as the center of their universe with zealous pride. Under Hitler’s leadership, Nazi Germany rapidly grew and expanded, continually approaching the goal of world domination and the “Thousand-Year Reich” that Hitler promised the German people. Only a few years later, Nazi Wehrmacht soldiers could be seen marching the streets from Paris to Leningrad (St. Petersburg, Russia). The German Empire, however, like all other expansive empires, had its limits and integral components such as resources, manpower, and industrial capacity began to fall in short supply further crippling the Nazi war machine. Basically, by 1944, “Nazi Germany’s fundamental problem was that she has conquered more territory than she could defend” (Ambrose, 27). Hitler conquered a vast area and vowed to defend every single inch of his empire with every last drop of blood at his disposal. As Frederick the Great warned, “He who defends everything, defends nothing” (Ambrose, 33). It is interesting to study any empire’s rise and fall because similarities are always present, even with some nations today promising to fight the evil, when it reality, it might be becoming what it vows to fight.
After the First World War Germany recognised her first ever democratic government, the Weimar republic lasted from 1918 – 1933 an astonishingly long time given its turbulent start. The November revolution saw the election of soldier and worker councils similar to that of the Russian revolution in 1917, it spread across Germany like wildfire and in turn split the country before a democracy could even be instated nevertheless on November 9th 1918 the German republic was established. From then on The Weimar Republic was set on unstable and insecure path and this is why it is one of Germanys most important historical periods; it was Germanys earliest form of non-imperial government and rule and its collapse in 1933 paved the way for the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party. For these reasons there have been endless works published on the Weimar republic and the outpouring of literature post world war two focuses on the collapse of the Weimar republic and how the Nazi party came to power. However, to understand why the debate surrounding the Golden Era in the Weimar Republic is an interesting one and lacking in historical works, it is key to examine the historiography of the Weimar republic as a whole. Furthermore, to understand why historians focus on other periods in the Weimar’s history in particular the consequences of the treaty of Versailles and the consequences of the Wall Street crash in 1928 which led to its collapse.
...ted by mobsters (criminals, gangsters) in their quest for territory to distribute alcohol. With the installment plan, everything could be bought on credit. It allowed people to buy goods over an longer period, without having to pay much money at time of purchase. However, there was a central weakness, superficial economic prosperity, people sunk into debt. The 1920s gave negative impacts as well with the country being divided, rise of anti-immigrant socialist parties, labor unrest, corruption in the government, and organized crime.
The Nazi party affected many people around the world through both the Holocaust and World War II. Hitler had a plan to exterminate all the Jews, and propelled this idea through the Holocaust putting Jews in concentration camps and killing them. Hitler's evil plan caused one of the world's biggest tragedies, World War II.
...ced back to the changes in society, economy, and politics during the two decades of 1900 and 1920.
The Weimar years were marked by extraordinary and unrivaled economic, political, and social struggles and crises. Its beginning was marked as being especially difficult in that Germany was wiped out and devastated after four years of the unprecedented warfare of World War I. By 1918 the world had been shocked with over 8.5 million killed on both Allies and Axis sides and many more severely mangled and scarred – body, mind and spirit. This is seen as German Soldier, Ernst Simmel, writes, “when I speak about the war as an event, as the cause of illness, I anticipate something has revealed...namely that it is not only the bloody war which leaves such devastating traces in those who took part in it. Rather, it is also the difficult conflict in which the individual finds himself in his fight against a world transformed by war. Either in the trenches or at home can befall a single organ, or it may encompass the entire person” (Simmel, 1918). For Ernst, and millions of other participants, the war had turned forever changed their world.
The Weakness of the Weimar Republic and Hitler's Rise to Power The question directly relates to the idea that the political power of a country can be taken over by ambitious people in different ways. From our knowledge we know there is three ways this can be done…by take over by force, also known as a 'coup d'etat', in a more democratic and just way or by a political deal. In the 1920's and the 1930's Hitler led a right wing political party and was seen by many as a dictator. He wanted to overthrow and control the German government and he tried all three of these ways in an attempt to do so, some methods were more successful than others.
2. What were weaknesses of the Weimar Republic? How did different political groups seek to remedy these weaknesses?
The causes of the failure of the Weimar government are multi-faceted. However, I assert that the Weimar government's inability to keep the people's confidence in their capabilities, which eventually rendered them obsolete, was fundamentally due to the threats from within rather than the external hazards. Through exploring the flaws in the constitution and the threats to the WG's authority from the outside, it will be proven that what brought the WR down were its intrinsic vulnerabilities , and that the external threats were only catalysts of their downfall; without the presence of the internal weaknesses in the first place, the external perils would not have been able to threaten the rule of the government.
The Extent to Which the Weimar Republic Recovered after 1923 In the period after 1923, under Gustav Stresemann, Germany was able to stand back on its feet and overcome many of its difficulties. Weimar Republic was created in 1919 to govern a defeated Germany after World War One. Germany was facing many social, political and economical problems while the new constitution laid open for the seizure of power. There were many rebellions and attempted revolutions making the country very unstable. Situations were made worse by the harsh terms of Treaty of Versailles, causing hyperinflation and a huge amount of national debt.