In this case, the opposition to the Treaty of Versailles actually does not explain this example of political extremism to any extent because the Treaty had not been signed yet. It was actually political differences (i.e. extreme left-wing did not want to accept any form of democratic parliament) that caused the Sparticist Revolt.
Another example of political extremism which took place in the Weimar Republic, 1919-1923, was the Kapp Putsch. The Kapp Putsch took place in 1920 and was a communist uprising in the Ruhr. In March 1920, the Entharat Brigade, a group in the Freikorps, refused to meet the governments demand to disband and marched into Berlin under the leadership of Wolfgang Kapp in an attempt to overthrow the government. The government turned to the army to suppress the uprising but the army refused to act against Kapp’s supporters, with many of them being ex-soldiers. Because of this, the uprising was initially successful; the government were unable to resist and new President Ebert was forced to flee. However, the government used the only defence that it had left – the workers in Berlin. The government persuaded the trade unions to stage a general strike and, as a result, the capital was paralysed. Kapp could no longer control the situation and the rebellion failed.
Opposition to the Treaty of Versailles could be argued to be slightly responsible for this second example of political extremism as the ex armed forces felt humiliated by it. It was the treaty of Versailles that included the clause which stated the German army must be reduced and so led the government to demand that they disband, therefore leading to Kapp Putsch.
However, the Kapp Putsch was not merely a response to the signature of the Treaty but a reflection of broader post-war circumstance, including the twin social evils of economic slump and epidemic influenza. Four and a half years of war and sacrifice had overstretched the German economy. As a result, shortages of food and fuel had rendered the population vulnerable to the influenza epidemic sweeping Europe in 1918. This influenza epidemic had a far greater effect on German mortality; 250% more deaths in Germany that year than in England. It is thought that nearly 750 000 died of a combination of flu and starvation. This figure included mainly civilians but it also included soldiers who had survived the horror of war, returned to Germany and died of disease. Many Germans sought to blame the new government for these problems; another reason why Kapp’s followers felt action needed to be taken to remove from power the government.
The last example of political extremism that took place in the prescribed period was the Munich Putsch, 1923. The Munich Putsch was a right-wing attempt to seize power in Munich, led by Hitler, leader of extreme right party NSDAP (or Nazi Party.) By 1923, although membership was increasing, the Nazi party had not succeeded in establishing itself outside of Bavaria (in southern Germany). Hitler was becoming impatient. Nevertheless, hyperinflation and the invasion of the Ruhr in 1923 had weakened support for the Weimar government. These two crises were a result of the reparations from the Versailles Treaty, which were fixed in 1921. The total amount of reparations came to 132,000 million marks. Germany claimed this was completely unrealistic since she had lost important resources and industrial land, also because of the Treaty. However, the government continued to print paper money even when it did not have sufficient resources to support the currency to try meet these reparations. This led to constantly rising inflation, or hyperinflation. By 1923 prices had become so ridiculous that by August there was an incredible 1 million marks to the US Dollar. People no longer carried their money in purses or wallets. Instead they had to stuff banknotes into wheelbarrows. When Germany could no t make the reparations payment due in 1923 and the coal, promised to the victorious allies in the Treaty of Versailles, was delayed, France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr. The two countries faced no military opposition. Germany was hardly in a position to fight back after the Treaty of Versailles had reduced its army. However, German workers refused to work and extract the coal for the French. This had catastrophic consequences on Germany’s economy. Who would pay for the striking workers? The government took it as their responsibility and paid out huge sums of money.
Hitler decided to use the weakening support, due to the crises, of the Weimar government to his own advantage to try and obtain more support and membership for his own Party. Throughout the crises Hitler and the Nazi press kept up its barrage against the Weimar republic, and then attempted a direct action, via the Munich Putsch, in an attempt to seize power and stop the crises. The Munich Putsch march that Hitler had organised collapsed when he faced opposition from Bavarian police. Hitler faced a five year prison sentence.
The factors which explain this final example of political extremism that took place in the prescribed period are also economic, like the Kapp Putsch. However, the factors each have a direct link to the Treaty of Versailles. The link comes from the failure to pay the 1923 reparations instalment stated by the Treaty of Versailles. This led to the occupation of the Ruhr by France-Belgian troops, leading to the consequent passive resistant and hyperinflation, and therefore to the Munich Putsch.
In conclusion, I feel that the opposition to he Treaty of Versailles explains political extremism to a fairly large extent in the Weimar republic, 1919-1923. I believe this because from discussing the three major political extremist episodes in the prescribed period, I have recognised that the opposition to the Treaty of Versailles had direct links with two of the examples of political extremism; Kapp and Munich Putsch. Also the fact that the treaty was signed in 1919 and opposition to it was still evident in 1923 and its problems were still having an affect shows that it had a great influence. However, I have also recognised and mentioned other factors which contribute to explaining some of the examples of political extremism. These factors cannot be ignored and I feel that they could perhaps be argued to be equally as important.
