Weimar Republic

The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic IPA {{IPA|/?va?mar/}} (German Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar where a national assembly convened to produce a new constitution after the German Monarchy and German Empire were abolished following the nation's defeat in World War I.

The early years: internal conflict (1919-1923)

The Republic was under great pressure from both left and right-wing extremists. The left accused the ruling Social Democrats of having betrayed the ideals of the workers' movement by avoiding a communist revolution. The right was opposed to any democratic system, preferring an authoritarian state like the 1871 Empire. To further undermine the Republic's credibility the right (especially the military) blamed it for Germany's defeat in World War I (see Dolchstoßlegende).

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The Kapp Putsch took place on March 13, 1920, involving a group of Freikorps troops who captured Berlin and installed Wolfgang Kapp (a right wing journalist) as chancellor. The national government fled to Stuttgart and called for a general strike. This completely halted the economy and the Kapp government had collapsed by March 17.

Related Topics:
Kapp Putsch - March 13 - 1920 - Freikorps - Berlin - Wolfgang Kapp - Stuttgart - General strike - March 17

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Inspired by the general strikes, a communist uprising began in the Ruhr region when 50,000 people formed a "Red Army" and took control of the province. The regular army and the Freikorps ended the uprising without orders from the government. Other communist rebellions were put down in March 1921 in Saxony and Hamburg.

Related Topics:
Ruhr region - Freikorps - 1921 - Saxony - Hamburg

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By 1923, the Republic could no longer afford the reparations payments required by the Versailles treaty, and the government defaulted. In response, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr region, Germany's most productive industrial region at the time, taking control of most mining and manufacturing companies in January of 1923. Strikes were called, and passive resistance was encouraged. These strikes lasted eight months, further damaging the economy and raising expensive imports.

Related Topics:
1923 - French - Belgian - Occupied the Ruhr region

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Since striking workers were paid benefits by the state, much additional currency was printed, fueling a period of hyperinflation. The value of the Mark had declined from 4.2 per US dollar to 1,000,000 per dollar by August 1923 and 4,200,000,000,000 per dollar on November 20. On December 1, a new currency, the Rentenmark, was introduced at the rate of 1,000,000,000,000 old marks for 1 new mark. Reparation payments resumed, and the Ruhr was returned to Germany.

Related Topics:
Hyperinflation - Rentenmark

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Further pressure from the right came in 1923 with the Beer Hall Putsch, staged by Adolf Hitler in Munich. In 1920, the German Workers' Party had become the Nazi Party (NSDAP), and would become a driving force in the collapse of Weimar. Hitler was named chairman of the party in July 1921. The SA was established in November 1921 and acted as Hitler's personal army. On November 8, 1923, the Kampfbund, in a pact with Erich Ludendorff, took over a meeting by Bavarian prime minister Gustav von Kahr at a beer hall in Munich. Ludendorff and Hitler declared a new government, planning to take control of Munich the following day. The 3,000 rebels were thwarted by 100 policemen. Hitler was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, a minimum sentence for the charge and he served only nine months before his release. Following the failure of the Beer Hall Putsch, his imprisonment and subsequent release, Hitler focused on legal methods of gaining power.

Related Topics:
Beer Hall Putsch - Adolf Hitler - Munich - 1920 - German Workers' Party - Nazi Party - 1921 - SA - November 8 - 1923 - Kampfbund - Erich Ludendorff - Gustav von Kahr

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