Much of this was due to the work of Gustav Stresemann, who was chancellor of the coalition government. He played a pivotal role in Germany joining the League of Nations in 1926, which demonstrated its move out of economic depression and toward normal diplomatic status. Germany's admission was a victory for Stresemann and the republic. It was a step on the road to overcoming defeat in World War 1, and becoming once again a respected member of the world community. Stesemann's policy of fulfilment was a policy in support of German co-operation with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. This Policy ended passive resistance in the Ruhr and announced that Germany would comply with the Treaty of Versailles. With the Ending of passive resistance Germany could now seek to remedy hyperinflation. With this, the economy started to rebuild itself as people started to go back to work, and foreign relationships started to flourish.
The Dawes Plan in 1924, lead by US Banker Charles G. Dawes, helped Germany after the incident in the Ruhr, to pay their reparations payments more on their terms. The terms of this committee meant that Germany would still be required to pay the reparations, but after a period of years, it would be adjusted to Germany's ability to pay. The Dawes Plan provided short term economic benefits to the German economy, softened the burdens of war reparations, stabilised the currency and brought increased foreign investments and loans to the German market. This allowed more people to go back to work, and gave Germany a new sense of creative determination and Germany became to the European Centre of music, film, art and literature. The Young Plan in 1929, was an attempt by former wartime allies to support the government of Weimar Germany. The plan was a generous attempt, headed by the US and Owen Young, to support Germany through her financial pain. It reduced the reparations to 112 billion marks, to be paid over a period of 59 years. Germany was required to pay a third of the sum required each year, the other two thirds to be paid if Germany could do so in a manner that wold not harm her economic development. Therefore it can be seen that loans allowed Germany to stay afloat financially, by putting the money into crucial areas, allowing the GermanbReichstag, to gain support and sustain democracy.
The Stinnes-Legien agreement on the 15th of November 1918 was a contract between trade unions and German industry, which put the bases of co-operation between employers and employees. It was lead by big business Hugo Stinnes, and Carl Legien for the Trade Unions. This agreement gave the unions legal recognition and brought in an 8 hour working day. Legion agreed to no strokes as long as Stinnes fulfilled his side of the agreement. The Stinnes-Legien agreement guaranteed many of the Trade union's central demands, such as mandatory collective bargaining, which gave the Weimar Government peace of mind. It was through this which lead to the workers defeating right wing rebellion the Spartacists, by means of general strike. The strike received massive support among the working class. The unions, sympathetic to the government dominated by social democrats joined the strike as well The ensuing struggles claimed numerous victims among workers all over the country. The Stinnes-Legien agreement played an important role in sustaining Democracy in Germany from the period 1919-1933, because it gave the government the support they needed to survive.
The Ebert-Groener Pact was an agreement between President Ebert and Wilhelm Groener (German Army) that ensured the safety of the new Weimar Republic in its early days. Facing threats from the Spartacists, led by Liebknecht and Luxembourg, the Army, along with the Freikorps, were allowed to crack down on left-wing groups posing a danger to the new Government. In return, the Army would be able to retain its independence and support from the interventions of bureaucrats. Ebert's stated when asked about a social revolution was, 'I don't want that, indeed I hate it like sin.' Ebert and Groener agreed that Ebert would gain full army support against left-wing revolutionaries, so long as he was to put the brakes on a revolution. The Ebert-Groener pact suppressed the left-wing Spartacist (communists) revolution in late 1918/19. Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution allowed the President to rule by decree and to use the army to restore law and order. Ebert used the power of Article 48 on 136 occasions. Ebert issued decrees to remove democratically elected stare governments. He even issued a backdated decree which made legal a series of summary executions that had been carried out during the early violent years of the Republic. Ebert's justification was that he was safeguarding the Republic during dangerous times. However, his powers were invariably used against threats to the Republic from the left, not the right. The army was eager to act against left wing groups such as the spartacists, however, right-wing threats to the Republic, eg the Kapp Putsch were ignored. Some of Kapp's supporters were serving and former members of of the army. The Chieft of the Army Commond, General Hans Von Seeckt stated that, 'Reichwehr do not fire upon Reichwehr.' Clearly, the democratic republic could not count upon the loyalty of the army.
Historian Richard Evans once said that, 'Article 48 included no proper provisions for the ultimate reassertion of power by the legislature.. and Ebert used it not just for emergencies but also in non-emergency situations where steering legislation through the Reichstag would have been to difficult.' Ebert and the democratic Weimar Republic survived but at the cost of leaving the old imperial army untouched. Therefore it can be seen that the Ebert Groener Pact played a fundamental role in allowing successive Democratic governments to continue during the period from 1919-33.
Through factors such as loans including the Dawes, Young plan and the role of Gustav Stressemann, the Stinnes-Legien agreement and the Ebert Groener Pact, Germany's Reichstag during the period from1919-1933 was able to stay afloat and remain a democratic state.
