Also, the anger coming from the German people over the treaty and it’s problems, Armed forces were reduced such as the army an navy, Despair amongst the people from the problems, War Guilt from the defeat of the war and they were to blame and Loss of Land. In other words, Germany was humiliated.
The time got to the worst after the war had ended when extreme poverty and hunger struck amongst them; they were so poor they could not afford food. Everyone was getting sick, a disease called Flu Epidemic killed thousands of Germans, Clothes Shortage; they could not afford to receive clothing, young babies had to sleep wrapped round in newspapers; everything was disastrous.
The Left Wing Party posed a threat to the Weimar Republic demanding Equality and communism (also known as The Reds) attempt to take control of Germany in 1919. The Left party was also known as the Sparticist Revolt. It was led by ‘Karl Liebknecht’ and ‘Rosa Luxemburg’. They believed in ‘Democracy’. They argued powerfully in order for Germany to become democratic. The Sparticists decided to gain power by forming rebel soldiers and sailors together.
However, a Freikorps was formed by the anti-communist ex-soldiers (which from an agreement with Friedrich Ebert) tried to insult the revolt to help the government, this lead to fighting in streets with a number of casualties.
Between the Sparticists and Freikorps, the Freikorps won the battle. This was known as the Kapp Putsch.
A threat was posed from the Right Wing Party, they insisted of a dictatorship. Their leader was called ‘Wolfgang Kapp’. This party was known to be quite violent towards Ebert’s government. One of the reasons was because many of these people had lived prospered growing up from the strong leader ‘The Kaiser’ and preferred living with a strong Germany and a strong army.
In March of 1920, The Kapp Putsch and 5000 Friekorps tried to control Germany by using force into Berlin as a rebellion but ended up failing. The workers strike forced Friekorps/Kapp to back down and the capital received no transport, power or water.
The Right posed another threat. In November 1923, The Nazi Party which was led by Adolf Hitler tried to use force and violence to take control. This was what was known as the Munich Putsch. Hitler had ex-soldiers with him including SA (Brown shirts) Leader Ernst Rohm working in a Private Army.
Hitler was jailed for 5 years but only served 9 months for persuading the Judge and arguing for Germany’s rights. Also, the judge that served Hitler that trial was the exact same judge who tried him for disorder 2 years ago, he got released twice. So it seemed that the members in the Right Wing had many friends working in high places.
The Party’s and Hitler’s main phrase was; ‘Germany for the Germans’.
In 1921, Germany had paid £50 million worth of reperations to France but at the end of 1922, nothing was paid which meant France received nothing from Germany. France was not at all happy and they also had war debts to pay back to USA which made them more frustrated. So early in January 1923, France decided to invade The Ruhr which is on the border between Germany and France. Its steel works and railways are very crucial to Germany and its economy. Belgian and French troops entered the Ruhr (legally under the treaty) and took what they were owed (materials and goods). In a total, approximately 132 Germans lost their lives by French soldiers. The whole of Germany where furious for what had happened; which created more instability for the Weimar Republic. Both parties on the left and right were very unhappy.
Another enormous problem for the Weimar Republic was Hyperinflation in 1923. The government had no supplies to trade after the war and treaty of Versailles that Germans were devastated from; So they decided to print off more money, they considered this to be a great idea at first, but it did not go according to plan. Because of the Increase of money being printed, Prices of goods and wages began to rise too which was not at all a good thing. Everyone began to realize that the German Mark became worthless. Everyone suffered from this event; Poor people and especially rich people, those who had savings lost everything. One of the rising prices of a popular good was bread; people soon could not afford to purchase bread! In Berlin in 1918 the price of bread was 0.63 marks, then in 1922 the price of bread increased to 163 marks, in January 1923 the cost of bread became 250 marks, in July 1923, the cost of bread rose to 3465 marks, September of 1923 the value of bread came to 1,512,000 marks and in November 1923 the price of bread came to an astonishing 201,000,000,000 marks! Which a middle class family’s savings which may have been able to buy a house in 1921 then could not even buy a loaf of bread in 1923!
In conclusion; I would like to sum up the main points and problems of the Weimar Republic.
Signing of the Treaty that created massive problems for Germany which lead to poverty including starvation, Flu Epidemic killing thousands of Germans, Reperations of £6600 million to be paid back to France, Armed Forces had to be reduced and also lost land.
Another main problem was the Invasion of the Ruhr, this occurred when Germany could not pay back £50 million worth of reperations to France. In the early 1923, France then invaded the Ruhr taking goods from Germany and also killing many Germans leaving everyone devastated.
Hyperinflation was a main and serious problem for the Republic; In 1923, the government printed off more money which also meant wages and prices had risen. Leaving many people especially the rich devastated as the rich had saved up for so long which could have been very useful in the future but then could not even afford to buy them a loaf of bread! The German mark became worthless and became another problem for the Weimar Government.
There were two political parties, the left and right wings. Both argued over what they thought was right. A threat from the left demanded Communism (The Reds) and equality, they believed in Democracy. Trying to take control of Germany, they were also known as the Sparticist Revolt.
The Right Wing Party posed 2 threats. They demanded of a dictatorship. First threat was in early 1920 when The Kapp Putsch and 5000 Friekorps tried to control Germany into Berlin by using force. They did not succeed and failed.
Second threat was when Adolf Hitler and ex soldiers -the brown shirts with leader Ernst Rohm used violence to take control of Germany known as the Munich Putsch. Hitler ended up being jailed for 5 years but only served 9 months in total.
In my opinion, I thought that the main problem for the Weimar Republic was Hyperinflation. This is because of the huge devastation which struck Germany because of Hyperinflation. During 1923 just after the war had ended and the problems of the treaty had begun, Germans were devastated. The government then decided to print more money off hoping to help Germany but it did not. The wages and prices of goods rose when more money was being printed off.
For example in Berlin, the cost of bread at the year if 1918 was 0.63 marks and at November of 1923, the cost of bread increased to an enormous value of 201,000,000,000 marks! Also in 1921, the equivalent amount of marks to £1 would be 500 marks and at the year of 1923, £1 then was equivalent to 14,000,000,000,000 marks!
Workers needed wheelbarrows to take home their wages and wages had to be paid daily soon instead of weekly.
The German Mark became worthless to everyone.
Those who had savings lost everything; all money that they had saved up for a new house, goods etc then would not even be able to get them one loaf of bread!
It got so bad that children were playing with money by the millions!
The pensioners also suffered, Pensioners found that their monthly pension would not even been able to buy a cup of coffee. Overall, Germany suffered a terrible period not being able to purchase simple products such as a loaf of bread!
