Did Germany Under Stresemann and the Weimar Republic Experience A Recovery In The Period From 1924 to 1929?

1. Stopping Aggression
2. Disarmament
3. Encouraging Cooperation
4. Improving living and working standards.

Another treaty was signed, the Kellogg pact in which 65 nations agreed not to use force to settle arguments. This meant that the countries that were involved in the Great War could concentrate on rebuilding and becoming the powerhouses they were before the war. The results of Stresemann’s policies were that there was economic recovery, political stabilisation and a return to power in Germany. The economic recovery included an end to hyperinflation. Many foreign loans were taken and used to improve the German position even more and to repay repositions.  New industrial techniques were being used and there was a growth in economy. There was a rise in living standard. The political stabilisation showed because there was a stable government maintained. There was a decline in support for extreme parties. There was also a reduction in the threat in violent revolution. Germany began their return to a great power state by entering into the Council of the Leagues of Nations. The signing of many treaties caused a reduction in fear of Germany starting another war. Allied troops began to leave the Rhineland and the area began to become independent of the presence of French troops.

The time under Stresemann in the so-called ‘Golden Years’ was not all good. There were many problems of all types. These were economic problems, a lack of positive support for the Weimar Republic and a large number of hostile nationalists. The economic problems included the dependency of foreign loans from the USA. If these loans stopped then the entire foundation of Germany would collapse and the majority of Germans would fall back into poverty. A lot of the Germany’s economy was not prospering as much as it was made out that they were. A lot of economy was in decline and if the economy stopped getting help from the government would collapse again. There is a huge amount of unemployment due to the millions of soldiers now without jobs and the start of women’s employment. This huge unemployment rate meant that there were war veterans roaming the street ready to rise up and revolt and riot. There was a lot of angry nationalists who were seeing a weak and poverty stricken Germany where a few years ago Germany was the main power in Europe. They resented Stresemann for his decision to end passive resistance and his acceptance of reparations, which seemed to the signs of weakness. The acceptance of Western borders seemed as another slap to the face as Germany had lost land that it owned before the Great War. These factors caused a lack in support in the Weimar Republic and so people tolerated and accepted the Republic but did not fully support it and if their was a better option they would support that but at that time there wasn’t. The election of Hindenburg as president by a small margin on the second ballot was not liked and when he appointed the inexperienced Franz von Papen to chancellor there was outrage as the NAZI party was the biggest party in the Reichstag with 230 seats. Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler and he reappointed Von Papen. Hitler was offered the position of vice-chancellor and the job of advising Von Papen but he refused.

I think that Germany under Stresemann experienced and economic recovery in the period from 1924 to 1929 because Germany became a much more economically advanced and stable country than in the pre-Golden Years period with much economic recovery including an great reduction of hyperinflation. Domestic stability was achieved and in particular there was a much less likelihood of violent uprising than in the pre-Golden Years period. International stability was also achieved and Germany began to return to the great power state they used to be and entered the League of Nations. I think that there was in a great period of recovery under Stresemann and the Weimar Republic in the years from 1924 to 1929. There are great many more good points about recovery than problems which are mainly minor and can be unavoidable like there is no real way to completely stop inflation or to have complete support of the whole country as there are always going to be extremists who want to do things differently. Hindenburg was a favourite of the country and you cannot blame him for not making Hitler, a man with very extremist views, in the second most powerful job in the country after his own.