The document summarizes the establishment and challenges of the Weimar Republic in Germany following World War 1. It discusses how Germany was defeated and faced chaos, influenza and harsh peace terms from the Allies to become a democracy. Despite opposition, elections were held and the Social Democratic Party came to power. However, the Republic faced opposition from Communists and nationalist groups as well as severe economic problems due to reparations and the Ruhr occupation. The Dawes Plan provided loans that stabilized the economy in the mid-1920s under Foreign Minister Stresemann, who improved foreign relations through the Locarno Treaties and Germany's entry into the League of Nations. However, long term economic and political stability relied on continued foreign loans.

1. Almudena
Corrales
Social Sciences

2. Introduction:
• The WW1 had destroyed much of old Germany.
• The proud German Army was defeated.
• Also a flue epidemy was sweaping the
country, killing thousands of people already
weakened by rations.

3. It was named after Weimar, the city where the constitutional assembly took place.
• Germany was in state of chaos.
• The Allies offered Germany peace, but under strict condition:
GERMANY SHOULD BECOME DEMOCRATIC
• November 1918, the Kaiser abdicated his throne and left Germany for the
Netherlands.
• Ebert became the new leader of the Republic of Germany.
• A new Constitution was drawn up. (Students Book, page 139).
• The reaction of the politicians in Germany was unenthusiastic. He had
opposition from both right and left.

4. • Despite this opposition, in January 1919 free elections took place for the
first time in Germany’s history.
• Ebert’s party won majority and he became the President of the Weimar
Republic.

5. POLITICAL OPPONENTS:
LEFT RIGHT
Communists Freikorps, Nazi
• Communist revolucionaries lacked • Lacked support of people
support
• Had no outstanding leaders
• They never gained more than 15% in
elections
• Army suspicious of extreme
• Leaders: groups such as the Nazis in 1923.
Rosa
Luxemburg
• Most working people supported
Ebert’s SPD

6. ECONOMIC DESASTER
• The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to pay reparations to the Allies.
• The reparations bill was announced in April 1921.
Here is a summary. Germany lost:
10 per cent of its land
All of its overseas colonies
12.5 per cent of its population
16 per cent of its coal and 48 per cent of its iron industry
• In adition:
Its army was reduced to 100,000; it was not allowed to have an air
force; its navy was reduced.
Germany had to accept blame for starting the war and was forced to
pay reparations.

7. ECONOMIC DESASTER
The Ruhr:
• Ebert try to did his best to negotiate concessions from the Allies.
• They had war debts to pay to the USA
• January 1923, French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr and began to
take what was owned to them in form of goods and raw materials.
• The results of the occupation were disastrous for Germany: this was the
most important economic region.
• The government ordered the
workers to carry out passive
resistace  strike.
• French reacted harshly, killing
over 100 workers.

8. ECONOMIC DESASTER
Hyperinflaction:
• Because it had no goods to trade the government printed money
• Prices rose dramatically
• Money was worthless
• Poor people suffered, also middle class and pensioners

10. • Stresemann was Chancellor in 1923 only.
• His main role was as Foreign Minister from 1924
• He was a right-winger and more able than Ebert
• He built up Germany’s prosperity again although all
of Europe was recovering
• He signed Germany up to the Dawes Plan in 1924

11. The Dawes Plan (as proposed by the Dawes Committee, chaired by Charles G. Dawes) was an
attempt in 1924 to solve the reparations problem, which had bedeviled international politics, in
the wake of the Ruhr occupation and the hyperinflation crisis. It provided for the Allies to collect
war reparations debt from Germany. Intended as an interim measure, the Young Plan was
adopted in 1929 to replace it.
•Germany’s reparations paid over a longer period
• America lent money to German industry and also to the
Government to pay reparations
• German currency reorganised

12. Stresemann showed real skill in foreign policy – 1925
1. Locarno Treaties – 1925
2. 1926 – Germany joined the League of Nations
3. Young plan - 1929
After a number of years in the wilderness Germany
was accepted back into the international community

13. Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Czechoslovakia,
Poland met at Locarno in Switzerland.
Signed a number of treaties to settle disputes between
themselves
1. France, Belgium and Germany agreed to accept
borders as drawn up by Treaty of Versailles
2. Rhineland stayed demilitarised
3. France would protect Poland and Czechoslovakia if
attacked by Germany
4. Germany would not use force to settle disputes
with neighbours

14. • Golden age of German cinema
• Night life, cabaret POSITIVES
n
• Removal of censorship
e
• Unemployment and poverty still high g
at
• Growing prosperity based on USA loans – iv
es
what would happen if USA wanted the money back ?

15.  Draw a table summarizing the next aspects of
the Weimar Republic under Stresemann:
ACHIEVEMENTS PROBLEMS
ECONOMY CULTURE POLITICS FOREIGN ECONOMY CULTURE POLITICS FOREIGN
POLICY POLICY