4 - Political instability and extremism, 1919-24 Flashcards
(40 cards)
What were the problems with coalition governments?
Because of system of proportional representation no party could ever form a government all by itself so it was always coalitions, so didn’t all have the same views
Many parties dedicated to overthrowing the Republic - so moderate centre parties pressured to work together to form stable coalitions
In times of crisis society become more polarised and support extreme parties more, and these parties wouldn’t join coalitions making it more difficult
How many coalitions were there from 1919-1923?
ten
What was the main challenge from the left?
The Spartacist uprising
When did the Spartacist uprising start?
5th January 1919
Who led the Spartacists?
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
Where was the Sparticist uprising?
Berlin
What was the aim of the Sparticist uprising?
To overthrow Ebert’s government and set up a revolutionary communist regime
What was the leadership and support like of the Sparticist uprising?
Poorly prepared Poorly supported - Sparticists hadn’t secured the support of the majority of the working class in Berlin, in whose name they claimed to be acting
How was the Spartacist uprising suppressed?
Ebert relied on the army but General Groener had few reliable military units at his command so had to rely on Friekorps
By 13th of January, Spartacist rising crushed after brutal street fighting
Leaders executed
Who were the Friekorps?
Field Marshal Hindenburg and General Groener encouraged former officers to recruit volunteer forces into new Friekorps units
Majority of recruits came from demobilised junior army officers and NCOs
Also attracted students, adventurers, and drifters
Under overall command of General Walter Luttwitz
Supplied with uniforms and weapons from army stores but not officially part of the army
Less disciplined
Examples of further left-wing risings
March 1919 - Spartacists in Berlin, communist government in Bavaria - both suppressed
April 1919 - strikes in industrial Halle and Ruhr
1920 - workers showed power in defeating right-wing Kapp Putsch, communists formed ‘Red Army’ of 50,000 workers and seized control of Ruhr, virtual civil war followed, troubles Halle and Dresden
March 1921 - KPD tried to force a revolution, crushed by police and 145 killed
1923 - further strike activity, suppressed
Was the government threatened by left-wing revolts?
not seriously, but did damage Republic as fear of a ‘red revolution’ frightened law-abiding middle classes into supporting right-wing
What weakened the right-wing ability to overthrow the Republic?
divisions- some wanted monarchy, some wanted dictatorship, some wanted united Germany, some wanted independent Bavaria
Where were right-wing ideas strong?
Friekorps, army, large landowners, industrialists, civil servants, police, judges
Why did the Kapp Putsch happen?
As of the Treaty of Versailles, the army needed to be reduced and some Freikorps units had to be disbanded
General Walther von Luttwitz refused to disbanded on of his Freikorps units - the government ordered his arrest
He decided to march his troops in Berlin in protest
When was the Kapp Putsch?
February 1920
Who supported Luttwitz?
sympathetic officers
right-wing civil servant and politician Wolfgang Kapp (who was intent on organising a putsch)
Who didn’t support Luttwitz and why?
Generals Hans von Seeckt and Ludendorff
Sympathised but were aware of the dangers of voicing open support
What was Ebert’s government forced to do?
withdraw to Dresden
What did Ebert and his chancellor do to try and stop the rising?
called on the regular army to crush the rising
Seeckt told Ebert ‘Troops do not fire on troops: when Reichswehr fires on Reichswehr, all comradeship within the officer corps has vanished’
Did the Kapp Putsch gather support?
failed to gain widespread support even from right-wing
civil servants and bankers remained lukewarm
trade unions (encouraged by Ebert’s government) called general strike
What ended the Kapp Putsch?
After the strike Berlin was brought to a standstill and within four days the putsch collapsed
Kapp and Luttwitz forced to flee
Ebert’s government returned
What lessons did the Kapp Putsch teach?
army not to be trusted
civil servants could be disloyal
workers as a group could show their power
without the armys support, the Weimar government was weak
What was the treatment like in the trial following the Kapp Putsch?
right-wing judges were lenient to those brought to trial
contrasting strongly with the harsh treatment suffered by the left wing
showing the government wasn’t really in control
