Weimar and Nazi Germany

By cwifujv
  • Period: to

    Weimar Republic

    Weimar constitution
    - President elected every 7 years
    - Reichstag (new German parliament) elected every 4 years
    - Members were elected in a proportional representation
    - Women were allowed to vote and voting age was lowered to 20

  • Abdication of King, Declaration of a new republic

    King - Kaiser Wilhelm II
    Largely unpopular and many germans wanted democracy and the war to end
    SPD (Social Democratic Party) called for his resignation in Nov 1918

  • Armistice

    Ceasefire to end WW1
    - Allies (France, Britain and USA) signed an armistice (truce)
    - New republic was under pressure to sign as its people were starving and military morale was low but many right wing Germans believed that Germany could still win the war and saw the truce as a betrayal

  • Spartacist Uprising - Left Wing

    Led by communists - Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
    - Tried to take over Berlin by taking control of buildings (newspaper headquarters)
    - 50,000 workers went on strike in support Resolved by Ebert called right-wing Freikorps (ex German soldiers) which used violence killing over 100 workers

  • Treaty of Versailles signed

    Germany had to take the blame - War Guilt Clause (Article 231)
    - Armed forces reduced to 100,000 men and 6 warships (left them vulnerable)
    - Forced to pay £6600 million in reparations
    - Colonies were now called mandates under the control of League of Nations
    - German military banned from Rhineland - left them open to attack on west side Germans called the treaty 'Diktat' (forced upon them) and blamed Ebert
    Weimar politicians involved with signing - 'November Criminals'

  • Kapp Putsch - Right Wing

    Led by Wolfgang Kapp with some Freikorps taking part
    • Wanted to create a new right-wing government
    • Opposed by German workers and they staged a general uprising and Kapp was forced to give up
    Threats to government still remained

  • Fail in reparation payment -> Hyperinflation

    As Germany couldn't pay the reparations, France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr - rich industrial part in Germany
    - Led to fury in Germany and workers were told to go on strike in return for compensation payment
    - Germany tried to solve debt problem by printing more money
    - Led to hyperinflation as the currency became worthless led to worse situation in food and goods supplies

  • Gustav Stresemann

    Chancellor of Weimar Republic between Aug and Nov 1923
    - Sept 1923, ended strike in the Ruhr so tensions would reduce between France, Belgium and Germany and could stop paying compensation payments
    - Nov 1923, replaced German mark with Rentenmark to stabilise currency

  • Dawes Plan

    • France and Belgium withdrew from the Ruhr
    • Lowered amount that had to be paid per year but not the amount that had to be paid in full
    • USA gave £40 million to help pay of other debts

  • Locarno Pact

    Germany, France and Belgium agreed to respect joint borders even those created in Treaty of Versailles

  • League of Nations

    Germany was allowed to join

  • Kellogg-Briand Pact

    Signed by 62 countries in total promising not to use violence to settle disputes

  • Young Plan

    Allies agreed to reduce reparations to a quarter of the original amount
    Given 59 years to pay them