What was the Weimar Republic?

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What was the Weimar Republic?

• Setting the Context
• WWI and the Treaty of Versailles

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The Powder Keg of World War I

• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism

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Nationalism even on the homefront
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Western Eastern Fronts

• Western front particularly deadly
• Most of fighting outside of Germany

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Trench Warfare the Stalemate
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Casualties of WWI
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The end of WWI 1917-18

• Russia had left the war, but America was entering
• German generals, worried about this new blood,
  asked the Kaiser to step down and set up a
  democracy to win American favor
• German generals immediately recommended that the
  new German leadership sign an armistice (11/11/18)

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Treaty of Versailles

• Blames Germany
• Requires Germany to pay reparations
• Makes Germany drastically reduce its military
• Disbands German alliances
• Puts occupying army in Germany
• Sets up League of Nations, but doesnt let
  Germany enter it

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German Support for the Treaty?

• Leaders knew military losing
• Changed from monarchy to democracy to please
  Americans
• Generals told political leaders to surrender
  sign Treaty of Versailles

• Citizens had believed war propaganda
• Knew nothing of defeat until Kaiser left
• Shocked to have lost
• Even more shocked to hear Treaty terms
• Deutsche Zeitung denounces treaty!

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The Weimar Republic1919 - 1933

• Elected Reichstag members by political party, not
  person
• Proportional Representation (1)
• Rule by coalition
• 20 governments in 14 years!
• Chaos on the streets of Berlin force the
  government to move Germanys capital to Weimar

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Economic Problems

• Reparations of 33 billion
• Hyperinflation - 1923
• French forces occupy the Ruhr valley

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Enough is enough

• 1924 - Dawes Plan American businesses help out
• 1926 Germany joins League of Nations
• 1928 Germany allowed to participate in Olympics
• Democratic elections of Weimar Republic starts to
  take hold

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1929 A Turning Point Year

• Stock Market Crash world wide Depression
• American loans pulled back
• Unemployment starts to rise again
• Gustav Stresemann, German Foreign Minister since
  1923, dies

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Forces/Decision-Makersin the Weimar Republic

• Landowners
• Major industry owners
• Army officers
• University Professors
• Labor Union leaders
• Political party leaders

• LEFT OUT
• Women
• Jews (1 of population)

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Another power the public, especially crowds in
the street
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What was living in the Weimar Republic like for
ordinary Germans?

• An exploration on-line