Weimar_Democracy

Weimar Democracy, which arose from defeat and which replaced a authoritarian imperialist regime, never had very wide support from the German people. Despite fierce opposition from right and left the Weimar republic survived a difficult period of 1919-1923 to a period of stability of the mid 20s, when the fundamental political problems were masked until exposure by the economic and political problems of 1929. The Weimar republic attempted to do the most it could in the situations that arose thus it made some fundamentally wrong decisions that eventually destroyed the Republic. The German monarchy was dismantled in November 1918 in order to secure favorable peace. Prince Von Baden handed power to Friedrich Ebert the leader of the majority Socialists, who were blamed for the signing of the treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Thus they were known as the November criminals and the stab in the back theory was adopted by right wing groups. Essences of democracy in Germany had been compromised when Ebert and general Groener made a pact to support each other against left wing revolutionists. Sefton Delmer stated that Weimar was born with a whole in its heart. The Weimar government was very successful in stopping the threat of communism with the use of its Freikorps, ex-services men to keep and maintain order. The Weimar Freikorps successfully ended the Bavarian republic on the 8th of May thus ending the communist republic. The Weimar’s test came when they encountered the Spartacus’s in Berlin. Fighting bitter street battles and killing their leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht thus extreme left wing was dealt with success by the Weimar. After the early instabilities the Weimar republic constructed its constitution on the 11th of August 1919. Its constitution lead to instabilities within the republic with significant flaws such as Article 22 which was multi party governments and Article 48, the president could suspend the fundamental rights of citizens if public order and security were seriously disturbed the was used by Adolf Hitler to bring an end to democracy. The Weimar republic was constantly with the rise of par-military groups such as the Kapp-Putsch in 1920 when Gustav Kapp a right wing Prussian official sized power this showed the lack of authority in Weimar governments the putsch was over when a general strike occurred in Berlin, Gustav fled to Sweden. Durning this period the Ferikorps had fought with the Red army of the Ruhr were 1000 workers were killed and order restored. This had a significant effect of the Social Democrats vote fell from 11million to 6million in a vote of no confidence. The Weimar obeyed the Treaty of Versailles by paying reparations. In 1923 the French, alleging that a consignment of telegraph poles was not delivered thus they invaded the Ruhr area demanding to take what the Germans could not deliver, they occupied factories and mines demanding the Germans to work. The Weimar’s decision of Passive resistance were German’s don’t work proved to be the most disastrous decision made by the government since getting into power. The occupation of the Ruhr was a failure the French result was even worse for the Germans. The policy of passive resistance had halted the production of coal in Germany. The government started to print more money to accommodate for the costs, which lead to the disaster of hyperinflation. The richest part in Germany was no longer producing goods, prices began to spiral. In November 1923 one loaf of bread cost 201000000000. The official rate of exchange changed several times a day. The middle class suffered the most. The new Government under Gustav Stresemann, who was chancellor from August to November 1923 made a necessary decision by ending passive resistance and introducing the Rehtenmark. This shows how certain people within the Weimar were able to make successful decisions on attempting to remove it self from economic suffering. The middle of the 1920s has often been called the golden years of the Weimar. At this point the situation in Germany was changing radically for the better. Not only had all attempts to overthrow the republic failed, a new era of economic improvement, social order and cultural change was occurring. The middle years of the Weimar were also known as The Stresemann Era 1924-1929. Stresemann followed a policy of fulfillment, his first action was reparations. The Dawes plan of 1924 resulted in reduction of reparations and availability of foreign loans form the US, plus the French would the Ruhr. The next plan was the Locarno Treaty was Germany accepted its borders after WW1 and it was admitted into the League of Nations. Stresemann was seeking to put Germany in its rightful position on the world stage. Thus in 1929 the Young plan was achieved were a set limit on reparations were agreed to. Historians argue that even in the good years their economy was fragile and reparations were paid by foreign loans. Stresemann said the “Germany is dancing on the edge of a volcano”. That it only prospered as long as Foreign aid flowed. Weimar Germany experienced an out pouring new culture and social change. The Stinnes-legion pact, trade unions achieved 8 hour and social security but employers resented this. Cultural innovations in Berlin become famous for its theaters, music and literacy and artistic life. Radio made its appearance and German scientist won 7 noble prizes between 1919-1929. But within German society there were groups resentful of democracy and nostalgic for order. The death of Ebert in 1925 and the election of war hero Field marshal Hindenburg showed that the Germans still supported and seek a right wing authoritarian leader. As Stresemann predicted Germany fell into the volcano when the Great Depression on the 29th of October 1929, saw thousands of business go into bankruptcy and collapse of whole industries, the young plan become invalid and government decisions saw the rise of unemployment form 2million to 6million and the death of Stresemann in 1929 saw political instability and the end of Democracy when the Muller government resigned in 1932. Government policies worsened the depression. The Weimar republic was troubled almost throughout its existence. It was blamed for all the misfortunes and harsh peace of the treaty of Versailles and it couldn’t sustain and control the rise of right wing political groups such as Hitler and his Nazis whose ultimate goal was to destroy democracy. In dealing with situations and Germany Louis L Snyder sates; “the problem of maintaining order and discipline in the army seemed more serious than any need to build up new contingents loyal to socialism or the republic”. Thus Weimar was destroyed because of its social, economic and political stabilities which brought its destruction and allowed The rise of Nazism.