How Far Do the Early Problems of the Weimar Republic Suggest That It Was Doomed from the Start

CHRISTY .C. UKAEGBU DP1W HISTORY HL WEIMAR REPUPLIC QUESTION: How far do the early problems of the Weimar Republic suggest that it was doomed from the start? The Weimar Republic from the start faced a lot of crisis that caused the crash and the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the constitution. Some of the different early problems or crises that were faced by the Weimar republic were: Ineffective Constitution, Left-wing Rebellions, Right-wing terrorism, Invasion inflation (1923 crisis) and Munich Putsch. The Weimar Republic wasn’t that supported by the people and therefore found it very hard to implement any law or rules on the people though it had very good and promising laws in the Constitution but the people still didn’t support it. The Weimar Republic had a very ineffective constitution in the sense that their constitution gave the rights of making and passing out laws to the president and also the constitution and the system of government was democratic which meant that the President and the Reichstag (parliament) had to be vote in. Because of the fact that the Weimar Republic and constitution was democratic 28 parties were been formed and because it had proportional voting system it was hard and almost impossible to develop a majority in the Reichstag and therefore led to an often change in government. Within 1919-33 there were up to 20 different and separate coalition of government and the people who were elected didn’t usually last long in the government and the longest government lasted for only two years. Due to the chaos and disorganization that was caused be the Weimar Republic people started losing faith and hope in the democratic way of government. “The Army, led by the right-wing General Hans von Seeckt, was not fully under the government’s control. It failed to support government during the Kapp Putsch or the crisis of 1923” (Johndclare.net (1919). The extract above from the website is trying to say that the Army that was led by the right-wing General Hans von Seeckt was not fully and completely under the control of the government and also they failed to support government during the Kapp Putsch or the crisis of 1923. Also as at this particular time the German states had too much power therefore making it hard to pay tension or focus on the government and also during this time many of their high leaders were right-wingers especially the Judges and this therefore made them to want to destroy the government. Right from the start the Weimar Republic and government were faced with a lot of problem like opposition between right-wing and left-wing. The left-wing Spartacist that was lead by two men who were called Luxemburg and Liebknecht who admired and like the new Russian political system of communism and wanted Germany to be like that. The two of them saw the fall of the Kaiser as an opportunity to make and place Germany into the same system of government as that of Russia which they attempted to do in January 1919 which they revolted and wanted to take control of Berlin with the support of USPD. With support and backing of USPD they declared a new revolutionary government but they failed because Ebert, who was the elected President, had already won the backing and support of the military using the Ebert-Groaner pact and they succeeded in suppressing the revolt. “This pact was significant, the government had associated itself with the right, and perhaps this early incident is one of the factors which would convince the government to appoint Hitler Chancellor in 1933. The Right was next to revolt. In 1920 the Kapp Putsch revolt occurred. Monarchists seized government buildings in Berlin, and even forced the government to flee to Stuttgart. The rebels however, surrendered on March 17 as unions declared a general strike. The government had another close escape. The early major activities of Hitler included his 'Beer Hall Putsch ' where he tried to seize control of The Bavarian government. His revolt was like the others; crushed, but clear opposition to the republic had been established” (Psikoloji.fisek.com.tr (1997)). The extract from the above website trying to say that the pact that was formed in 1919 was very significant and also successful in 1919 and also that the government as at that time had associated itself with the right-wing and this was considered to be the most early incident that was responsible for convincing the government to appoint Hitler the Chancellor of Germany. After the left-wing had revolted and lost the right-wing were the next to revolt. In 1920, the Kapp Putsch revolt occurred. Monarchies as at this time seized the government building in Berlin to the extent that it forced the government to flee to Stuttgart but the rebels surrendered on March 17 as the different unions declared a general strike which cause / made the government to have another close collapse. Invasion inflation was caused by the reparations that Germany was told at the Treaty of Versailles and also another cause of the invasion inflation was the French invasion of the Ruhr. At the Treaty of Versailles Germany was told to pay a reparation fee to France in other to cover the damages that occurred in France during the WW1 which made the Germany to surfer a lot because as at that time that Germany was demanded the reparation fee they didn’t have the money or aid to pay them with when the French people saw that the Germany was not able to pay them their money they decide to invasion a part of Germany called the Ruhr which was the most industry part of Germany and that was Germany had a little hope of surviving. When the Ruhr was invaded the Germany government told its workers not to work for the French and also told the worker to go on a general strike but they would still get paid accordingly. Because of that assurance that was given to the workers by the government, they stopped working for the French and due to this fact the government of German had to print out more money in other to the workers which they stopped from working for the French. This therefore made the government to print out a lot of money to the extent that the money lost its value and Germany as at that time suffered from hyper inflation. “The cause of the trouble was Reparations – the government paid them by printing more money, causing inflation. In January 1923, Germany failed to make a payment, and France invaded the Ruhr. This humiliated the government, which ordered a general strike, and paid the strikers by printing more money, causing hyperinflation. In Berlin on 1 October 1923, soldiers calling themselves Black Reichswehr rebelled, led by Bruno Buchrucker. The Rhineland declared independence (21–22 October). In Saxony and Thuringia the Communists took power. On 8–9 November 1923, Hitler’s Nazis tried to take control of Bavaria (the Munich Putsch)” (Johndclare.net (1919)). The extract from the website above is trying to say that the general strike that was ordered by the government was the main cause of the of invasion inflation and the invasion of the French to the Ruhr was the trigger cause as to why the German government ordered a general strike and why the inflation started in the first place. In conclusion the four different crisis that are mentioned in the paragraphs above are the main and early problem that Weimar Republic faced. And also the main reasons that caused the doom of the Weimar Republic right from the beginning and also those were the main crisis and problems that was faced by the Weimar Republic that was responsible for the collapse and doom of the Weimar Republic and Constitution. References *Gcsehistory.org.uk (2010) The forming of the Weimar Republic. [online] Available at: http://www.gcsehistory.org.uk/modernworld/germany/weimarorigins.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Historylearningsite.co.uk (1871) Friedrich Ebert. [online] Available at: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/friedrich_ebert.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Johndclare.net (1919) Weimar Problems. [online] Available at: http://www.johndclare.net/Weimar3.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Markedbyteachers.com (1918) GCSE How far do the early problems of the Weimar Republic suggest it was doomed from the start? Coursework, Essay and Homework Help from Marked By Teachers.com. [online] Available at: http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/history/how-far-do-the-early-problems-of-the-weimar-republic-suggest-it-was-doomed-from-the-start.html [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Psikoloji.fisek.com.tr (1997) Doomed from the Start, how accurate is this statement regarding the Weimar Republic?. [online] Available at: http://psikoloji.fisek.com.tr/makale/doomed.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Unknown. (2013) Untitled. [online] Available at: http://cclayton1.edublogs.org/files/2011/12/Was-Weimar-doomed-from-the-start-2k390sj.pdf [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013].

References: *Gcsehistory.org.uk (2010) The forming of the Weimar Republic. [online] Available at: http://www.gcsehistory.org.uk/modernworld/germany/weimarorigins.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Historylearningsite.co.uk (1871) Friedrich Ebert. [online] Available at: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/friedrich_ebert.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Johndclare.net (1919) Weimar Problems. [online] Available at: http://www.johndclare.net/Weimar3.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Markedbyteachers.com (1918) GCSE How far do the early problems of the Weimar Republic suggest it was doomed from the start? Coursework, Essay and Homework Help from Marked By Teachers.com. [online] Available at: http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/history/how-far-do-the-early-problems-of-the-weimar-republic-suggest-it-was-doomed-from-the-start.html [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Psikoloji.fisek.com.tr (1997) Doomed from the Start, how accurate is this statement regarding the Weimar Republic?. [online] Available at: http://psikoloji.fisek.com.tr/makale/doomed.htm [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013]. *Unknown. (2013) Untitled. [online] Available at: http://cclayton1.edublogs.org/files/2011/12/Was-Weimar-doomed-from-the-start-2k390sj.pdf [Accessed: 10 Apr 2013].