Political problems 1918-1924

Question 1

Ebert-Groener Pact

Answer 1

• 10 Oct 1918
• Groener assures army leadership would support government
• Ebert promised to resist demands to democratise army and defend Germany from communism
• Ebert: needed to ensure transition to new republic
• Left: felt betrayed, led to revolutions

Question 2

Spartacist Revolt

Answer 2

• January 1919
• Led by Luxemburg and Liebknecht of KPD
• Backed by Soviet Union, well-funded
• Eichhorn sacked by Ebert- well-liked chief police in Berlin
• Thousands protest; Spartacists use opportunity to undermine government and organise protest
• 100,000 workers take over government’s newspaper and telegraph offices
• 16 January: Ebert orders Reichswehr officers to organise soldiers released from army into Freikorps units
• Leaders arrested and executed

Question 3

NSDAP established

Answer 3

• February 1920
• Hitler becomes leader in July

Question 4

Kapp Putsch

Answer 4

1920 March
- Treaty forced government to reduce size of army and disband Freikorp units- Luttwitz refused and marched in protest supported by Wolfgang Kapp
- 12,000 freikorps
- Seeckt refused “troops do not fire on troops”
- Ebert called a general strike
- Berlin brought to a standstill, collapsed within 4 days
> taught Ebert to not trust army

Question 5

Organisation Consul

Answer 5

• nationalist paramilitary group- ex-Freikorps
• Killed Erzberger August 1921 (finance minister)
• killed Rathenau (foreign minister) in 1922- over 700,000 protestors

Question 6

Treaty of Rapallo

Answer 6

• April 1922
• negotiated by Rathenau with Russia
• Why?
  > both suffered punitive treaties
  > both disliked independent Poland backed by France
  > both outcasts banned from League of nations
• Terms
  > resume trade and economic cooperation
  > diplomatic relations restored
  > all compensation for war dropped
  > Germany to train pilots and develop weapons in Russia

Question 7

Law for protection of republic

Answer 7

1922 July
- Attempt to halt political assassinations- severe penalties
- not effective; judges right-wing sympathisers
- Rathenau’s killers received average of 4 years each
- 326 right-wing killers left unpunished
- 10 left-wing killers sentenced to death

Question 8

Occupation of Ruhr

Answer 8

• January 1923
• Due to missed payments; Ruhr extremely important to German economy
• Unites country in anti-French feeling
• Passive resistance set up by Cuno

Question 9

Stresemann (DVP) becomes chancellor

Answer 9

• August-November 1923
• “Great Coalition” parties from both left and right (DVP, Centre, Socialists, DDP)
• Stops passive resistance in Ruhr
  > led to serious unrest and Beer Hall Putsch, but financially pragmatic
• Curbed inflation, revolts failed

Question 10

Munich Beer Hall Putsch

Answer 10

• November 1923 by Hitler and associates
• Hitler secured support of Ludendorff (war hero); set out to win over army commanders and Bavarian leaders in Beer hall
• Surrounded Beer hall with SA announcing revolition
• Forced Kahr and von Lossow to agree to his plan to march on Berlin- Lossow refused to obey orders, only listened to von Kahr
• Failed
• OUTCOME
  > Lenient jail sentences, Hitler only spent 9 months in jail in which he wrote Mein Kampf, successful long-term
• Nazis banned