Gustav Stresemann was the Chancellor of Germany in 1923. He was one of the best politicians of the Weimar Republic

by amrita90210 (student)

Amrita Sian

Stresemann essay

Gustav Stresemann was the Chancellor of Germany in 1923. He was one of the best politicians of the Weimar Republic. He faced several problems as Germany was about to collapse and groups like the Nazi’s more likely to take over, with such a weak economy. People had to swap things because money meant nothing any more. So, he decided to solve some of Germany’s problems.

One of the biggest problems in Germany was the invasion of the French Ruhr. Stresemann sent the Ruhr workers back to work for the French. This was good because, it meant that the workers were being paid again. This helped the German economy and gave their families the money and support that they strived for. However, it was seen as a defeat by the public and the government looked like they were giving in to the French. It also meant that Germany lost a huge amount of their steel production which was the most profitable part of German production.

Another problem that Germany faced was hyperinflation. Stresemann stopped the Government from printing money. He did this by scrapping the old Currency (the mark) and by bringing in a new one – (The Renten) but this was temporary. It stopped hyperinflation and made German money worth something again. People were able to buy goods and be properly paid. It increased confidence. But the damage was already done; groups like the pensioners and middle class had already lost their entire life savings. Germans had gone through a year of misery and blamed the Government for it. The new currency was better, ...

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Another one of Germanys many problems was that Germanys economy had been destroyed. Stresemann took out a huge loan from the USA called the Dawes Plan. This was good because, it gave Germany instant cash to help its people and invest in its week economy. The hope was that the money would help Germany become strong again. Although Germany started to recover, and the production improved a lot. Unemployment always remained a problem. Germany also had to pay these loans back to the USA soon after Stresemann died.

Germany had to pay back massive reparations after the war. This put Germany in an extremely uneasy position. Stresemann’s solution to this was called The Dawes plan. It restructured the Reparation system, so that they were more affordable for the German people. Eventually it became less money each year, but it was paid for longer. This was good because it meant that Germany had a bit more money to fund its recovery. However, The Reparations would not be fully paid until the 1980’s. Germany couldn’t really afford them and was still in a bad state.

Other Countries didn’t trust Germany which caused problems. So, Stresemann signed the Locarno pact, agreeing never to use violence to settle disputes again. Fundamentally, In 1929 The Young Plan agreed to the terms of the TOV in exchange for another loan. It was good because, it bought Germany into European politics again. Countries are willing to talk to Germany and deal with the country again. This lead to more trust, help and a lot more foreign money coming in. But, the Weimar Republic finally had to accept the TOV. Many Germans hated the French and British for the harsh peace terms.

Stresemann and the recovery from this crisis was one of the Weimar Republic’s greatest achievements.