Weimar+changes+(1919-1929)

Pat O’Neill 1 November 29, 2009 Mr. Hinze/Post WWI paper

Inevitable The changes of the 1930’s in Germany including the Hitler and fascist takeover was not a complete and visible effort from those involved in the regime. The origins of social and economic change in Germany in the 1930’s were due to the actions taken by political figures and groups in the 1920’s. After WWI, acts such as the Treaty of Versailles, the efforts of Erich Ludendorf and other factors led to a social and economic change in Weimar Germany. The Weimar Republic was unstable and flawed. Even when they had a strong leader such as Streseman, they were unable to keep him in office. In only a little over a decade, The Weimar Republic had gone through countless hardships. There was hyperinflation, depression, conflict between government officials, and mistrust between the people and the government that ran them. Erich Ludendorf was an important factor leading to the social change in the Weimar Republic. After the leave of Kaiser Wilhelm, Ludendorf had new, left-wing, Liberal group put in to help with peace negotiations and the Treaty of Versailles. Ludendorf then made these liberal politicians out to be villains and renounced them as the “November Criminals”. This set the tone for much political disputes during the 1920’s. These liberals struggled to gain support now that they had gained the reputation as traitors to the Weimar people. While Ludendorf did not agree with these governing liberals, he also worked with Adolph Hitler to take down the Weimar Government. This effort by Hitler is known as the Munich Beer Hall Putsch. Even though the putsch was unsuccessful and led to the imprisonment of Hitler, it showed the unease with the Weimar people toward their government. Ludendorff, after having fallout with the Nazi party retired in 1928. His power and affect in Weimar Germany was undeniable. Taking a more positive approach, Gustav Streseman had a very important role in saving a failing German economy during one of the greatest inflations in world history. The Great inflation was not the only hyperinflation in post World War I Germany; however, it was the most prominent of all hyperinflations. The hyperinflation was so severe that in 1923, the value of one gold Mark rose to one trillion paper marks. People were actually burning wheel barrows of their own money because their money was worth trillions less than actual wood. Costs were going up by thousands on regular items every couple minutes. No one had a legitimate solution to the situation until Gustav Streseman made a decision. In 1923 when Streseman was elected Chancellor of the Weimar Republic, he had the responsibility to the Germans to bring them out of their hyperinflation. His solution was the Rentenmark. The Rentenmark was worth 1*10 to the twelfth paper marks. The Rentenmark was successful in pulling Weimar out of their hyperinflation. Even though Streseman had this success, he was unsuccessful in making the people completely happy. His failure to deal with the Munich Beer Hall Putsch offenders among other things ended his role as Weimar Chancellor as long as further hurting the reputations of the social democrats. Moving toward the social situation of Weimar Germany, one would have to give focus to the Bolshevik influence and the dangerous Freikorps. The German officers of World War I raised their own private armies that were to be called the Freikorps. They would be used to defend Germany from threats of the Russian Red Army. What would result would be a war between these thugs and soldiers banned together into private armies, and members of the Social Democratic party. Hundreds would die in the wake of this conflict. This was all due to just one conspiracy of a Red Threat and irrational decisions to the solution from Freikorps leaders. The Spartacist did not agree with the current state of Weimar Germany government. They felt it in their best interest to revolt against the German Government in Berlin. Their protest was dealt with swiftly by the merciless Freikorps. The armed and organized Freikorps put down the Berlin revolt. The Freikorps in 1919 killed 12 Social Democrats to prove their threatening role in Weimar Germany. Even though the Freikorps had complete control over the Spartacist efforts, the Spartacists were able to continue to gain power. During the 1920’s the Spartacists were able to turn their group into a minor political party The Freikorps did not just stop after they put down the Spartacist revolt. This German police force would later become Hitler’s Brown shirts during the Beer Hall putsch and later incidents. Some would ultimately become Hitler’s SS. This was the brutal police force that rounded up a slaughtered thousands of Jewish people. Many of them also were part of the SA which on the Night of Long Knives, many were rounded up and killed by Hitler’s soldiers. Along with all these failures were also some successes. The Dawes plan helped a country that was in uncontrollable get back on the right track. The American banks helped pay the reparations set in place by the Treaty of Versailles. Even though other nations were helping, Germany would still hold the Treaty against those nations. The Ruhr crisis gave Germany back the Ruhr region which had been occupied by the French. The region brought back much industrial business and markets which helped improve the failing German economy. Even though these successes made a difference, they would not suffice. The weaknesses outweighed the strengths. Germany needed a charismatic leader who could take control and make the German people finally feel comfortable again. They needed someone who could pull the country out of the economic failures. The only option for the people was Adolf Hitler. The Weimar Republic which imprisoned Hitler in the 1920’s would be overtaken. The social and economic changes in the 1920’s set the stage for Hitler’s takeover which helped revitalize a dying nation.

Word Count: 1,101

The words and thoughts in this story were completely my own unless otherwise cited. Chung, T K. "Nazi Germany." The Corner of the World. N.p., 2009. Web. 3 Dec. 2009. .

Clare, John D. "Weimar Flourishes." GreenField History. N.p., 2009. Web. 3 Dec. 2009. .

"Erich Ludendorf." Brittanica Online school addition. Brittanica, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2009. .

Goodman, George J.W. "The German hyperinflation, 1923." Paper Money (1960): 57-62. Web. 19 Nov. 2009. .

Schenk, Robert. "A case of inflation." German Hyperinflation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. .

Wolfson, Robert, and John Laver. Years of Change: European History 1890-1990. London, England: Hodder Murray, 2001. Print.