...Versailles: one of the points of the treaty was that Germany had to pay reparations to France, Belgium and the United Kingdom as a payment for the allies’ loss in the war. However, the huge sum of 132000 million marks was practically impossible for Germany to pay, especially after the devastation of the First World War, when a lot of the country’s money had been spent on industry, making war materials. France and Belgium saw this as a refusal to keep to the terms of the treaty; they therefore invaded the Ruhr (the part of Germany where its industries were) to take the money by force. The Germans could not resist this invasion physically as their arms had been dramatically reduced by the treaty of Versailles. Instead, they fought back by passive resistance and refused to work for their occupiers. But, as they weren’t working, they didn’t get paid – so the Weimar government began to print millions of marks to keep up their payment. Consequently, the German economy spiralled into massive hyperinflation – in November 1928, one egg cost 80000 million German marks. Workers’ wages simply could not keep up with the rate of inflation. One of the ways Streismann helped Germany to recover from this economic crisis was to introduce a new currency called the rentenmark. The old German marks were recalled and burnt. This brought inflation under control and the new currency was quickly accepted by the German people and made the economy more stable. People could once again receive wages and...
Words: 1111 - Pages: 5
...1923-1928” Do you agree? The period 1925-1929 if often considered to be the ‘Golden Years’ of Weimar Germany’s political history. Gustav Stresemann was in power or in positions of influence between 1906 and 1923. During this period Germany gained political power and the economic difficulties started to be overcome. Stresemann helped rebuild Germany after a year of crisis in 1923. There were many different factors Stresemann controlled behind the main reason of success for the Weimar Republic. These included economic problems such as inflation, Dawes Plan and Young Plan, international affairs and Social Reforms. I agree that biggest success of Stresemann was controlling inflation because he was able to stabilise the money in the country and by this happening it created a domino effect for his other successes. Firstly, Germany faced economic problems. Hyperinflation was a major part of this which is when prices are rising and the value of money is falling. Germany began to suffer inflation during the war but things got further worse after the war when there was a demand of £6,600,000 reparation payments. In 1923 French troops occupied the Ruhr in Germany due to Germany failing to pay an instalment of reparations on time. Workers were told to go on strike and so all workers on strike had to be given financial support. The government responded in printing more and more banknotes resulting in hyperinflation. In November 1923, Stresemann faced a decision of allowing inflation to carry on...
Words: 1663 - Pages: 7
...How stable were the ‘Stresemann Years’ of the Weimar Republic, 1924-29? Timeline: 1924: May: Nationalist vote increases in Reichstag elections August: Reichstag accepts the Dawes Plan 1925: February: Death of President Ebert April: Hindenburg elected President October: Locarno Treaties signed 1926: September: Germany admitted the League of Nations 1927: August: Commercial Treaty signed – between France and Germany 1928: May: Number of socialist votes in Reichstag election increase 1929: September: Allies begin military evacuation of the Rhineland October: Stresemann dies December: Referendum upholds decision to adopt Young Plan. Relative Political Stability * This period of the Weimar = absence of attempts to threaten republic * However – no political stability = parliamentary system failed to develop * Main reason for no development: Coalition government = not enough support to tackle issues that faced democracy (blame with political parties) * Some parties still acted as interest groups representing own sectional group rather than national parties government (due to their inexperience in forming govt) * Due to PR – parties need to be cooperative [eg. DVP’s association with business interest made them refuse coalition with SPD in 1926] – therefore frequent political paralysis * Inability to cooperate = inability to tackle social/economic problems * Therefore not really politically stable Chancellor’s of the Weimar...
Words: 3252 - Pages: 14
...Introduction The purpose of this essay is to investigate and explain how the Treaty of Versailles affected the German economy. I find this subject relevant since it is a big event in European history. During the years after the First World War Germany had a lot of debts and faced a lot of reparation costs. Even though the meaning of most of the peace treaties was to encourage the world economy, re-build cities and maintain peace, not a lot of these goals were fulfilled. Background The First World War was a military conflict that included a lot of countries around the world. The war started at June 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918. The war was played out between the great power countries and they were divided in to two parts, the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire) and the Entente (Russia, Great Britain, France and USA). When the war ended in 1918, negations began to try to come up with solutions to all the problems and crises that had been caused by the war. All the countries involved in the war gathered in France in 1919 to start the peace negotiations. An important treaty written during these negotiations was the Treaty Of Versailles. It was signed by Germany and the Entente.1 The Demands Germany was seen as being head responsible for the upcoming of WW1 and had caused the most damage to other countries; therefor the Treaty of Versailles included numerous demands that Germany had to obey. France got permission to occupy the coal-mines...
Words: 1331 - Pages: 6
...History 4,6,10 Questions Describe the problems facing Germany 1919-1921 After the war there were many problems facing Germany; the idea of a democracy, the threat from the left and the threat from the right. One left wing group was a communist party known as the sparticists. They were led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. They argued strongly against the views the Weimar Republic leader Ebert policies. Early in 1919 the Sparticists launched their bid for power, joined by ex-soldiers and sailors they seized control of many towns. The Kaiser had been exiled and the allies made Germany have a democracy therefore the birth of the Weimar Republic. Many Germans though were against this as they were used to the old German ways; this caused much civil unrest and led to many acts of violence. The treaty of Versailles was created this was very outrageous for many Germans for example Germany had to accept responsibility for the war. The Germans thought that the Weimar Republic had stabbed Germany in the back. Finally the threat from the right these people liked the Kaisers way of rule and did not like the idea of democracy this caused even more unrest and caused riots in the future. These people were called the Freikorps. The leader Dr Wolfgang Kapp. Explain why the trench occupation of the ruhr causes problems for Germany in 1923 In January in 1923 French and Belgium troops entered the Ruhr to try and take resources for Germany to pay back their debt. The results of the...
Words: 963 - Pages: 4
...Protests against the Treaty of Versailles in Germany. Protests against the Treaty of Versailles in Germany. Question: What were ‘reparations’, and what changes were made to the Treaty of Versailles over this issue between 1919 and 1932? Question: What were ‘reparations’, and what changes were made to the Treaty of Versailles over this issue between 1919 and 1932? Versailles Treaty Reparations on Germany Versailles Treaty Reparations on Germany Word Count: 1,101 Word Count: 1,101 2014 2014 Joel Joel Versailles Treaty Reparations on Germany Versailles Treaty Reparations on Germany What were ‘reparations’, and what changes were made to the Treaty of Versailles over this issue between 1919 and 1932? After WWI, following the defeat of the Central Powers, the Treaty of Versailles, designed chiefly by France, Britain, and USA, was signed by Germany. The treaty was intended to suppress Germany under the reins of a ‘harsh peace’. The conditions of the treaty subjugated Germany in many ways: Germany had to accept guilt for starting the war, had land taken in what is known as the Territorial Clauses, had limits put on their military power in what is known as disarmament, and were excluded from the League Of Nations; but worst of all the terms, Germany had to pay reparations – the bill to compensate for war damages. Article 232 of the Versailles Treaty read, “The Allied and Associated Governments, however, require, and Germany undertakes, that she will make...
Words: 1701 - Pages: 7
...having no job to go to anymore. This source was published in 1964, 35 years after the Great Depression making it a secondary source. Some may argue that due to it being a secondary source it is less reliable as it wasn’t written primarily at the time and could differ from the actual events that happened during the Depression. It also maybe exaggerated. Despite this however Gruding doesn’t use statistical evidence which means even though this source could be exaggerated it is not numerically exaggerated. This source on the other hand from historical knowledge is fairly accurate and so is useful because what happened in Germany during the time is represented accurately. It’s true the Weimar Republic was devastated by the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. The Crash had a devastating impact on the American economy but because America had propped up the Weimar Republic with huge loans in 1924 (the Dawes Plan) and in 1929 (the Young Plan), what happened to the American economy impacted the Weimar Republic’s economy and society due to them being so dependent on American loans (the USA was also Germany’s biggest trading partner which affected Germany massively). America now needed those loans back to assist her faltering economy. America gave Germany 90 days to start to re-pay money loaned to her. Companies throughout Germany primarily in the industrial zones such as the Ruhr went bankrupt and workers were laid off in their millions. Unemployment affected...
Words: 860 - Pages: 4
...Part 1 - Weimar Germany 1918-1929 1) The Treaty of Versailles ▪ Kaiser abdicates November 9th 1918, Armistice (cease-fire) signed November 11th ▪ Treaty of Versailles signed June 1919 ▪ It is a DIKTAT – something forced on to Germany. Allies say that they will carry on the war if Germans do not sign. ▪ For many Germans the defeat in WW1, national humiliation, the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar constitution & democracy are all linked – helps explain why democracy is weak in Germany ▪ Terms of the Treaty – ▪ Germany has to pay REPARATIONS (fixed in 1921 as £6600 million) ▪ Germany loses all its COLONIES (overseas parts of their empire) ▪ German army limited to 100,000 men with no air force & a small navy with only 6 battleships and no submarines ▪ 13% of Germany is now transferred to neighbouring countries as the map is redrawn ▪ Germany loses land to France (Alsace-Lorraine), Belgium, Poland (Posen & West Prussia) & Denmark ▪ 15% of German coal mines are lost in map changes ▪ Many Germans blame the defeat in the war on “the stab in the back” (DOLCHSTOSS) – i.e. the Socialists / Communists / Jews betrayed Germany & the army was never defeated. This myth makes it harder to accept the Treaty ▪ Treaty weakened democracy in Germany and the German economy ▪ Friedrich Ebert appointed Chancellor in October 1918 2) The Weimar Constitution ▪ A National Assembly was elected to write this new constitution ▪ It met in Weimar because Berlin was...
Words: 5018 - Pages: 21
...History Revision Aug 1914 – Nov 1918 The cost of WW1 to Britain - $35,334,012,000 (highest of all the allied powers) and 994,138 British people died. April 1919 Treaty of Versailles – Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war (Clause 231) and pay £6,600 million in reparations. She was forbidden to have submarines or an air force and could only have a navy of six battleships and an Army of just 100,000 men. She also lost territory to Britain and France. The League of Nations – an international organisation designed to preserve the peace and solve international disputes by arbitration; based on a system of collective security (article 10). 42 countries joined at the start and by the 1930s this became 60. The covenant of the League of Nations was agreed as part of the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 held at Versailles – it aimed to stop war, improve people’s lives and jobs, disarm and enforce the Treaty of Versailles). In May 1920, the US Senate voted against Versailles (due to isolationism) and did not join. Summer 1919 John Maynard Keynes published ‘The Economic Consequences of the Peace’ – said that the Treaty of Versailles was ‘economic insanity’ and an example of a ‘Carthaginian Peace’. It sold 60,000 copies in the first 2 months, 100,000 copies in the first 6 months and was translated into 14 languages. Aug 1919 – 1934 ‘Ten Year Rule’ – British spending was only £102 million on defence in 1932, compared to £760 million in 1919 – 1920. March 1921 Anglo-Soviet...
Words: 3898 - Pages: 16
...Intro to Economic Thought (ECO 105) Robert Ellmann Financial Crises Irina Sterpu __________________________________________________________________________________ OUTLINE Introduction into the topic and its origins The Great Depression 1929-1939 German Hyperinflation 1918-1923 The Great Recession 2008 1973 Oil Crisis European Sovereign Debt Crisis 2009, onward Ruble Crisis 1998 Black Monday 1987 Conclusion References Financial crises – definitions and origin The majority of economists and monetarists define financial crises as a manifestation form of banking crises, with an impact on financial stability and reaching the state of collapse of the financial infrastructure in the absence of central bank‟s intervention. Financial collapse which affects most of the companies generates quickly problems over the banking system as the following consequences: the panic of the clients, inability to distinguish between the efficiency and the difficulty of banks, deposit withdrawals. Jack Reed, an American politician mentions: “The financial crisis is a stark reminder that transparency and disclosure are essential in today's marketplace.” In economic literature, the problems in the banking system are the main sources of the financial crises. All the economic collapses require injections of liquidity or public financial funds, in some cases, private funds from banks and international institutions. Financial crises have usually...
Words: 2177 - Pages: 9
... |Treaty of Versailles signed | |July 1919 |Weimar Constitution announced | |March 1920 |Kapp Putsch signed | |January 1923 |Occupation of the Ruhr | |January-November 1923 |Hyperinflation | |8-9 November 1923 |Munich Putsch | |1924 |Dawes Plan | |1925 |Locarno Treaties | |1926...
Words: 13280 - Pages: 54
...republic After the First World War, Kaiser resigned due to November Revolution and later on, in 1919, a federal republic met in Weimar, Germany to replace the imperial form of government, which is known as Weimar Republic. This Republic lasted until 1933, and was destroyed by Hitler. It went to three stages. In the first stage, which was from 1919-23, there was instability when the republic was struggling to survive. In the second stage, from 1923-29, there was stability when Gustav Streseman was the leading politician. This stability was due to the Dawes plan of 1924 in which USA provided huge loans. In the third or last stage, from 1929-33 there was instability again which led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. The short term cause was the world economic crisis, which has disastrous effects on Germany, resulting in 6.5 million unemployed. This sudden situation made the government unable to cope with the situation and by the end of 1923 the Weimar republic seemed on the verge of collapse. There were several long term causes for that. Some of them were: 1. It had a number of disadvantages from the beginning the Republic was formed. a. It had accepted the humiliation and unpopular treaty of Versailles Treaty: The republic was not strong enough to reject the defeat and dishonour. b. There was a traditional lack of respect for democratic government: The Germans always favoured the army, and thought that the Democrats had ‘stabbed them in the back’ after signing...
Words: 2090 - Pages: 9
...1 GCSE HISTORY GERMANY 1918-1939 REVISION This awesome booklet has been designed to help you get exam-ready. It contains the ‘essential’, need-to-know points for the Germany unit, plus useful revision boosters and guidance on answering exam questions. Remember, getting your exam technique sorted is a must if you’re going to succeed in the exam - it’s just as important as knowing your stuff! CONTENTS....There are 4 sections to this booklet. 3 Hitler overcomes his opposition 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918 1929 1933 1934 2 The rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis 1939 4 The Nazi dictatorship 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918-33 Introduction If, just for fun, we were to make a graph showing the fortunes of the Weimar Republic, it would probably look like this…. B A Phase A 1918-23: The WR suffers from a few major teething problems, and struggles to survive. C Phase B 1924-28: ‘The Golden Twenties’. Things are on the up for the WR, as it recovers from its earlier problems. But beneath the surface, there are still weaknesses. Phase C 1929-1933: With the Wall St. Crash and the Great Depression, the WR comes ‘crashing’ down! Of course, during each phase, the Nazis were experiencing their own political rollercoaster ride. Broadly speaking, whenever the WR was enjoying success, the Nazis were not, and vice versa. More about that later. What was the Weimar Republic and why was it set up? A lot...
Words: 13770 - Pages: 56
...“The Great Depression (1929-39) was the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world” (The Great Depression-History.com 2012). The great depression is said to have begun after the First World War, It was a time of hardship and uncertainty. Although the great depression began in the United States it spread throughout the globe and affected almost every country. It brought about drastic declines in output, severe unemployment, and serious deflation. Many countries such as Britain, Germany and France came out of the war with large debts to pay, this was due to the fact that they had been borrowing from The United States of America, after its entrance into financial crisis the rest of the countries depending on its financing would inevitably enter down turn and face similar crisis. World War 1 also left many industrialized countries weak and in large debts, they needed to finance the rebuilding of their economies and industries that were damaged during the war, this made it harder for them to recover. There are a number of explanations to as what brought about the great depression in 1929. These are structural and monetary weaknesses as well as a number of specific events that enhanced the effects from one country to another and eventually to all major industrialized countries. What Caused the great depression? The depression was also said to have partially started with the crash of the stock market in...
Words: 2819 - Pages: 12
...Higher Level History Notes 19th Century Russia The Russian people are descendants of the ‘Rus’ who are thought to be a mixture of Scandinavian and Slavic origin and settled in that region out of ± 800 AD Byzantine Empire A major legacy of the Byzantine Empire for the Russians was the eastern orthodox or Greek Orthodox Church With the decline of Byzantium came a wave of conquest from the East, the Mongols until the 15th century (Tatars). To a large extent, the Mongols allowed Russians to maintain their way of life: - Slavic based languages including writing system (Cyrillic) - Orthodox religion The Russians adopted much from Asian culture and this led western Europeans to think less of the Russians Geographically Russia was isolated from the rest of Europe: - Entirely land locked (mostly) - Huge Plains of Eastern Europe prevented overland travel During these early years there were a series of muscovite princes based in Moscow and called themselves Tsars. By the 17th century the Romanov family became the ruling dynasty: - Alexander I (1801-1825) - Nicholas I (1825-1855) - Alexander II (1855-1881) - Alexander III (1881-1894) - Nicholas II (1894-1917) Under the rule of Peter the Great (1689-1728) Russia grew greatly in size and entered the European World www.ibscrewed.org The Russia of 1800 was one of the greatest autocracies in Europe where: - The Tsar’s rule was absolute - There was a small...
Words: 32400 - Pages: 130
