Early Challenges to Weimar

The Treaty of Versailles

The terms of peace were agreed in the Treaty of Versailles, in 1919. The German people believed the treaty was diktat (a dictated peace) and that it was unfair.

General terms of Versailles

Germany accepted blame for the war (Article 231, the ‘War Guilt Clause’).
Germany must pay £6.6 billion in reparations (payments to the victors) to the Allies.
This meant a huge loss of land in Europe and all their German colonies.
- Germany lost 13% of its land and 12.5% of its population.

Military terms of Versailles

Military restrictions, which included having a maximum of 100,000 soldiers, 15,000 sailors, 6 ships, 0 submarines and 0 armoured vehicles.
The demilitarisation (removing military from an area) of the Rhineland.
Not being able to join with Austria.

Resentment of Versailles

Some Germans felt that Germany could have won the war and so were ‘stabbed in the back’ by Ebert and his government that signed the armistice. These politicians were known as the 'November Criminals'.

Public opinion

The historian James Hawes says 'Germany should have won the war'. Germany was usually the first country to develop new weapons like poison gas, very heavy artillery, and functioning submarines.
Hawes says that 'in August 1918, most Germans still genuinely thought they were going to win the war'.
This made the terms of Versailles even harder to accept.

Political Changes and Unrest in the Weimar Republic

In its early years, the Weimar Republic struggled to cope with the pressures of the Treaty of Versailles. Already unpopular, the Weimar Republic needed to prove that democracy could be a success. Between 1919 and 1923, there were 376 political assassinations.

Challenges from the left - Spartacist Uprising

The Spartacists were a Communist group supported by the Soviet Union. They were led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
In January 1919, the Spartacists staged a revolt (rebellion) in Berlin and hoped to lead a general strike. The ultimate aim was to overthrow the Weimar Republic.
Ebert used a right-wing (conservative) group of former soldiers, called the Freikorps, to stop the uprising.
- He recognised the need to use political extremist (holding extreme views) groups against one another.

Key challenges from the right - Kapp Putsch

In March 1920, the Freikorps in Berlin staged a rebellion. Wolfgang Kapp was the leader of the Freikorps in this rebellion.
- The aim was to seize control and stop the Weimar democratic system.
The putsch failed because German workers went on strike. This forced Kapp to flee.
Wolfgang Kapp was a nationalist German civil servant. Some people believe that Kapp was a puppet for General Ludendorff, although this is unconfirmed.
One unit in the Kapp Putsch had swastikas on their helmets.

Background of the Munich Putsch

The second challenge from the right was the Munich Putsch in 1923.
The National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP), also known as the Nazi Party, staged the Munich Putsch.
Hitler had been introduced to Ludendorff by Rohm, the leader of the SA.
- Adolf Hitler and Ludendorff (the general who told the Kaiser to abdicate in World War One) led the putsch.
The Nazis thought the Weimar Republic was weak because of the economic crisis in 1923.

The Munich Putsch

In November 1923, the Nazis entered a meeting of the Bavarian government. Hitler demanded the government’s support.
- The Nazis took control of the local police and army headquarters. But Ludendorff secretly let the government leaders go.
The next day, Hitler marched on Munich to declare himself President of Germany.
- But the state police met the Nazis. They arrested Hitler, who received a 1-year sentence of 'fortress arrest'.

Hitler's imprisonment

Hitler used his trial for publicity to spread the Nazi message.
In prison he wrote his bestseller, 'Mein Kampf', which outlined his political objectives.
- Most importantly, the need to destroy democracy, the need for Lebensraum (to expand German territory to house the population), and the inferiority of the Jews.
Hitler realised he needed to reorganise the Nazi party to gain success.

'Mein Kampf'

Hitler wrote 'Mein Kampf' in prison.
He spoke of the 'need' to destroy German democracy, to increase Lebensraum (living space) to house Germans, and spoke of the 'inferiority' of the Jews.

1The Weimar Republic 1918-1929

1.1World War One

1.1.1WW1

1.1.2The Weimar Republic

1.1.3Early Challenges to Weimar

1.1.4Reparations & the Ruhr

1.1.5Weimar Recovery

1.1.6Weimar Living Standards

1.1.7Weimar Culture

1.1.8End of Topic Test - WW1 & Weimar

1.1.9Grade 9 - The Weimar Republic

2Hitler's Rise to Power 1919-1933

2.1Early Development of the Nazi Party

2.1.1Hitler & the Beginnings of the Nazi Party

2.1.2End of Topic Test - Start of the Nazi Party

2.2The Munich Putsch & the Lean Years

2.2.1The Munich Putsch

2.2.2The Lean Years, 1923-1929

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Putsch & Lean Years

2.2.4Grade 9 - Hitler's Rise to Power

2.3The Growth of Support for the Nazis

2.3.1The Impact of the Great Depression

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Great Depression

2.4How Hitler Became Chancellor

2.4.1Article 48 & Political Turmoil

2.4.2von Papen & Hindenburg's Pact

2.4.3End of Topic Test - Chancellory

2.4.4Grade 9 - How Hitler Became Chancellor

3Nazi Control & Dictatorship 1933-1939

3.1Creating a Dictatorship, 1933-1934

3.1.1The Rise of Hitler

3.1.2End of Topic Test - Dictatorship

3.2The Police State

3.2.1The Police State

3.2.2Repression & Concentration Camps

3.2.3The Nazis & Religion

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Police State

3.2.5Grade 9 - Dictatorship and Police State

3.3Controlling & Influencing Attitudes

3.3.1Propaganda & Censorship

3.3.2Nazi Art & Culture

3.3.3Church Opposition & Social Conformity

3.3.4Youth Opposition & the July Plot

3.3.5End of Topic Test - Controlling Attitudes

3.3.6Grade 9 - Controlling Attitudes

4Life in Nazi Germany 1933-1939

4.1Life in Nazi Germany

4.1.1Women in Nazi Germany

4.1.2Youths in Nazi Germany

4.1.3Employment & Living Standards

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Life in Nazi Germany

4.2The Persecution of Minorities

4.2.1Nazi Racial Beliefs

4.2.2The Persecution of the Jews

4.2.3The Death Camps

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Persecution

4.2.5Grade 9 - Life in Nazi Germany

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