SGQ #1

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
To what extent is there a set of circumstances that will predict the rise of a single party state?

GERMANY: Modern World History p. 301-309

Why did the Weimar Republic fail?

A. Disadvantages
1. why was Versailles "humiliating" and "unpopular"?
i. treaty's acceptance of arms limitations, reparations, and war guilt clause
ii. always associated with defeat and dishonor
iii. German nationalists hated this
2. who did people generally believe should run the country?
i. the army and the "officer class"
were the German people justified in the view? why/why not?
ii. no because they didn't realize it was General Ludendorff who has asked for an armistice while the Kaiser was in power
3. what weaknesses existed in the Weimar parliamentary system?
i. it was based on a system of proportional representation, but there were so many different groups that no party could ever win an overall majority
ii. a succession of coalition governments was inevitable; no party was able to carry out its program
4. why did the political parties have no experience?
i. before 1919, it had really been the Chancellor with all the authority
how did the political parties deal with their bitter rivalries?
ii. by organizing their own private armies, which led to more threat of civil war, outbreaks of violence, and attempts to overthrow the republic

B. Outbreaks of Violence
1. Sparticists
i. who was behind it?
The communists, led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
ii. how bad was it?
kind of bad, considering the communists were in every major city, President Ebert was beseiged in the chancellory in Berlin, the government had to ask for the help of anti-communist ex-army officers (Freikorps) and it ended in the 2 communist leaders being clubbed to death
iii. how was it defeated?
The Freikorps helped the govt fight off the communists

2. Kapp Putsch
i. who was behind it?
the Freikorps, who refused the govt's order to disband and declared Dr Wolfgang Kapp as Chancellor
ii. how bad was it?
maybe not so bloody, but the german army refused to do anything because the generals were in agreement with Freikorps, and then after the strike of the Berlin workers which froze the capital, the government still ended up really weak
iii. how was it defeated?
The strike of berlin workers forced Kapp to resign and the gov't regained control, but it was really weak and could barely disband the Freikorps

3. assassinations
i. who was behind it?
Mainly ex-Freikorps members (victims: the Jewish foreign minister and the leader of the armistice delegation)
ii. how bad was it?
Not bad in one respect because the government was not allowed to punish the criminals severely because of right-wing resistance, so there wasn't horrible violence or anything. But it was bad for the government!!

4. Beer Hall Putsch
i. who was behind it?
Hitler, helped by General Ludendorff
ii. how bad was it?
easily broken up, so not so bad
iii. how was it defeated?
The police easily broke up Hitler's march ("national revolution") from Munich to overthrow the gov't in Berlin. Hitler was sentenced to 5 yrs in jail but only served 9 months because Bavarian authorities "has some sympathy with his aims"

5. private armies expand
i. who was behind it?
Every party, especially the Nazis and communists who had regular street fights
ii. how bad was it?
No major battles, only minor fights, but really decreased people's confidence in government; they wanted to return to a strong, authoritarian govt which would maintain strict public order
iii. how was it defeated?
All parties had their meetings broken up by rival armies, but the police seemed powerless to prevent it happening (it wasn't really defeated)

C. Economic problems
1. why was Germany facing bankruptcy?
The enormous expense of the war, which had lasted much longer than most people expected.
2. what was the problem with the reparations payments?
Germany didn't have the money... in 1921 they payed the 50mill due, then requested permission to suspend payments till her economy recovered, but france refused
3. how did France attempt to deal with the reparations issue?
Since germany couldn't make her annual payments, France occupied the Ruhr in an attempt to seize goods from factories and mines. -> German workers stop working, so Ruhr is paralyzed and value of mark falls

E. Nazi popularity

1. how did the Nazis propose to fulfill their promises?
i. by ridding Germany of all the people who were the "real problem" (Marxists, Jews, etc)
ii. They promised to overthrow the Versailles settlement and then bring all Germans into the Reich
2. i.What was the SA?
"Storm Troopers", the Nazi private army
ii. Why was the SA so popular?
Because it gave a small wage and a uniform to jobless people
3. Where did the fear of communism come from?
Wealthy landowners and industrialists (capitalists)
4. What were Hitler's political abilities?
i. energy
ii. willpower
iii. gift for public speaking
iv. use of latest modern communication techniques (mass rallies, parades, film, radio, travelling all over Germany in a plane)
5. What kinds of people supported the Nazis?
Working class, lower middle classes (office-workers, shop-keepers, civil servants, teachers and small-scale farmers)