1. Year 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933
President Ebert Hindenburg
Summary Many problems ending in hyperinflation Stresemann‟s “golden years” Great Depression
Events Nov 1918- Kaiser abdicates- Ebertin charge
Jan 1919- Spartacist(Communist) Putsch is
crushed by the Freikorps.
Elections held and Constitution agreed, but no
party wins a majority so weak coalitions due to
Proportional Representation.
Treaty of Versailles damages German economy
and many angry at government.
1920- Kapp Putsch launched by Freikorps. Only
fails because of „passive resistance‟.
Jan 1923- France and Belgium invade the Ruhr as
Germany stops paying reparations.
Ebert orders „passive resistance‟- prints money to
pay workers = hyperinflation.
November- Hitler angry=Munich Putsch fails.
To deal with hyperinflation,
Stresemannresumes paying reparations = very
unpopular and new currency introduced-
Rentenmark.As a result, hyperinflation ends,
but no compensation for lost savings.
1924- Dawes Plan- huge US loans =
government spending = jobs/happy people.(But,
always at least 1 million unemployed).
1925- Locarno Treaty- peace agreement =
1926- Germany let in League of Nations
No attempted putsches 1924-29 as life was
good for most people = no need for change.
1929- Young Plan- less and longer to pay
October 1929- Wall Street
Crash. US loans recalled- many
businesses fail- 6m unemployed,
23m rely on benefits. Great
Depression = votes for extremist
parties increases.
• Hindenburg uses Article 48, but
govt. can’t solve problems. Taxes
raised/benefits lowered and
political violence increases.
• Hindenburg tries to find
alternatives to Hitler as chancellor
(Brϋnning, von Papen,
vonSchleicher). All three fail.
January 1933- Hitlermade
chancellorbut in weak position.
Nazis • Set up as anti-Communist party in 1918.
• Hitler joins and soonleader- great speaker.
• Anti-Jew, ToV, democracy and Communism.
• Munich Putsch fails. Hitler arrested but his
trial gains himpublicity = sent to prison.
• Hitler released from prison having written
Mein Kampf- plans to win power through
democratic means.
• Reorganises the party, but only gets 3% of
vote- too anti-Jewish, SA too violent and life is
good so people aren‟t interested.
Goebbels = Nazi propaganda. SA
soup kitchens. SA violence = rich
on side = allows use of technology
= more effective propaganda.
Hitler a great speaker and flexible
policies.
Weimar Germany 1918-33