The Weimar Republic was the Political regime German Reich between 1919 and 1933. It is indeed in the town of Weimar that, following the German defeat at the end of the First World War, the German constituent National Assembly wrote a new constitution which was adopted the July 31st 1919.
First German democratic regime, it was marked by many tensions and internal conflicts. It disappeared de facto after the accession with the capacity Adolf Hitler, in January 1933. If the constitution were formally invalidated only after the end of the Second world war, the legal measurements taken by the government Nazi destroyed all the mechanisms of the democratic system and what is called gave rise to the Third Reich.
Controlled revolution: establishment of the republic (1918-1919)
See also: German Revolution
Since 1916, the German Empire of 1871 is controlled by the soldiers of Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL, supreme command of the army ), with as chief of staff Paul von Hindenburg. When it appeared that the war was lost, the OHL required that a civil government be formed.
The October 28th 1918, the constitution of 1871 was amended to make of Reich a parliamentary Démocratie, which had been refused for one half-century. The chancellor would be from now on responsible in front of the Reichstag and either in front of the emperor. The original plan to transform Germany into a constitutional monarchy quickly became obsolete whereas the country thundered of revolt. Germany collapsed under the soldiers and the casualties returning of the face. Violence was omnipresent, of the engagements occurred between rival groups of left and right-hand side.
The October 29th, a rebellion burst when the military command, without consultation of the government, ordered an ultimate exit with the German fleet. An operation almost without hope from a military point of view, and which was likely to put an end to the peace negotiations. The crews of two ships of Wilhelmshaven mutinèrent themselves. When the soldiers stopped approximately: 1000 sailors, and transported them to Kiel, this revolt local transformed themselves quickly into a generalized rebellion which extended quickly to all Germany. Sailors, soldiers as of the workmen solidarized themselves with the mutineers. Those started to elect “working councils” which gathered working and soldiers on the model of the Soviet S of the Russian Révolution. Those then seize the civil and military power in many cities. The November 7th, the revolution reached Munich, causing the escape of the last German sovereign, Louis III of Bavaria.
In the beginning, the request of the councils of workmen was modest, they wanted to obtain the release of the held sailors. Contrary to the Russia before, these councils were one year not controlled by the Communist party of Germany, which was not founded. However, with the emergence of the Soviet Union, this rebellion caused great concern in the higher and average classes. The country seemed with the day before to become a republic Socialiste.
The representatives of the working class themselves were divided. The independent social democrat (USPD) tended to the introduction of a socialist system separated from the majority social democrats. The remainder of the social democrats (“MSPD”), who supported a parliamentary system, decided to take the head of the movement and asked the November 7th the emperor Guillaume II to abdicate.
The November 9th 1918, the Republic was proclaimed by Philipp Scheidemann with the Palais of the Reichstag to Berlin, two hours before the socialist republic of Karl Liebknecht. Always the November 9th, in a litigious act, the chancellor of Reich, the prince max von Baden, transferred all its capacities to Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the MSPD. It was clear that this act would not be enough in itself to satisfy the masses.
The following day, a revolutionary government called Conseil of the police chiefs of the people ( Rat der Volksbeauftragten ) was created. It included/understood three members of the MSPD and three members of the USPD, and Co-was directed by Ebert for the MSPD and Hugo Haase for the USPD. Although this government was confirmed by the working council of the workers of Berlin, the spartakists, which composed the left wing of the USPD and were directed by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, were opposed to it.
Ebert called then with a Congrès of the councils of workmen and soldiers of Reich, which took place of the 16 with the December 20th 1918, and in which the MSPD obtained the majority. Ebert succeeds in making hold quickly of the elections to train the constituent National Assembly in order to set up a parliamentary constitution as fast as possible, thus marginalizing the movement for the introduction of a socialist republic.
In order to secure a new government able to preserve the control of the country, Ebert was combined with the OHL, directed by the successor of Ludendorff, the general Wilhelm Groener. This Ebert-Groener pact stipulated that the government would not reform the army as long as this one swore to protect the government. On a side, this arrangement symbolized the acceptance of this government by the army and reassured the middle-classes, and on another side, the left wing regarded this agreement as a treason of the interests of the workers, and made to army a preserving group which will have a great influence on the destiny of the Weimar Republic. This marked also one of the stages of the division of the working class between the SPD and the Communist party (KPD).
The rupture becomes final the November 23rd 1918 when Ebert calls upon the OHL to subdue a mutiny in Berlin at the time which soldiers had taken the control of the city and blocked the Chancellery of Reich. The brutal intervention made many deaths and wounded, causing the call of the left wing with the secession with the MSPD, which from their point of view had made a pact with the soldiers counter-revolutionaries in order to remove the revolution. The USPD then leaves the Council of the police chiefs of the people after only a few weeks. The scission becomes even deeper when in December, the Communist party of Germany (KPD) is founded by the movement Spartakiste and other groups claiming revolutionary Marxisme.
In January, a new attempt to establish a socialist mode by the workers in the streets of Berlin is repressed by the unit of a Freikorps, a paramilitary group composed of volunteers. The point of nonreturn is reached the January 15th with the assassination of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. At the request of Ebert, the murderers are not judged by a civil court, but by a military tribunal which delivers sentences very light. One can in particular quote the génral Walter von Lüttwitz which repressed with its men rising spartakist.
The elections with the constituent National Assembly took place the January 19th 1919. At this time there the left parties, including USPD, were not really organized, and KPD had refused to be presented to the elections, which led to a solid majority in seats for the moderate movements. To avoid the riots in progress with Berlin, the constituent National Assembly meets in the town of Weimar, thus giving him its nonofficial name.
During the debates with Weimar, the engagements continued. A “Soviet republic” was even declared with Munich, but it was stopped by the Freikorps and of the units of the regular army, causing the continuation of the engagements in the country. Engagements took place also in the Eastern provinces which remained faithful to the emperor and did not want a republic.
During this time, the delegation with the peace talks signed the Traité of Versailles, acceptor of important reductions in the German army, the payment of important war damagees, and a clause of responsibility for the war. Thus was born the myth from the stab in the back which was a great success. Adolf Hitler (among many others) will reproach later the Republic the signature of this treaty.
The president of Reich, Friedrich Ebert of the MSPD, promulgated the news new constitution the August 11th 1919.
First years: internal conflicts (1919-1923)
As of the beginning, the republic was under the pressure of the extremists of all edges. The extreme-left showed the social democrats to betray the ideal of the labor movement while being combined with the forces of the old mode, instead of continuing a communist revolution. The line was opposed to the democratic system and preferred to preserve the authoritative State that of 1871 was the empire.
The March 13rd 1920 takes place the Putsch of Kapp. Troops of the Freikorps occupied Berlin and installed Wolfgang Kapp, a journalist of right-hand side, at the post of chancellor of the new government. Ebert was withdrawn with the Parliament of Berlin and settled with Dresden. The response was immediate, a call to the general strike was launched. This one was total and lasted four days, blocking all the economy, which obliged Kapp and the Freikorps to be withdrawn as of the March 17th.
Inspired by the success of the general strike, a communist revolt occurred in the the Ruhr in 1920 when 50.000 people formed a Red Army and took the control of the province. The regular army and the Freikorps reflect fine with this one without to have received order of the government. Of another communist rebellions were also stopped in March 1921 in the Saxony and with Hamburg.
The June 24th 1922, the Foreign Minister Walter Rathenau is assassinated by the Organization Consul, a terrorist group of extreme-right-hand side.
In 1923, the republic did not have any more the means of paying the repairs established by the Traité of Versailles, and the new government ceased the payments. In answer, the France under the direction of Raymond Poincaré and the Belgium occupy the the Ruhr, the most industrialized area Germany. They took the control of the mines and the factories the January 11th 1923. The call with the general strike and the passive resistance for 8 months brought the German economy towards collapse.
Although burdens the workmen with them were to be paid by the State, with this intention, of the currency was printed in mass, which opened one period of Hyperinflation. The value of the mark declines of 4,2 mark per dollar with 1 000 000 of marks per dollar in August 1923 and passes to 4 200 000 000 000 of marks per dollar on November 20th of the same year. December 1st, a new currency, the Rentenmark, is created at the rate of 4 200 000 000 000 of marks per dollar.
After the adoption of the Plane Dawes, for rééchelonnement of the damage, the payment of repairs could begin again and the August 17th 1924 the French troops started to leave the the Ruhr.
The November 8th 1923 took place a new attack against the republic: the Putsch of the brewery fomented by Adolf Hitler with Munich. In spite of the failure of the putsch and its temporary prohibition, NSDAP (Nazi party) founded in 1920 will become one of the principal forces which will lead to the collapse of the republic.
The golden age of Stresemann (1923-1929)
Gustav Stresemann was chancellor for a short period in 1923 and Foreign Minister of 1923 with 1929. It was one relatively stable period for the Weimar Republic with few demonstrations and a beginning of economic revival.
The first action of Stresemann was to introduce a new currency, the Rentenmark, to stop the hyperinflation which corroded the economy and the German company. It on several occasions makes a success of its operation while refusing to increase the money supply, first cause of the inflationary spiral. In order to continue the stabilization of the economy, it decreased the national expenditure and increased the taxes.
During this period, the Plan Dawes was introduced which aimed at associating the refunding of the war reparations with the economic capacity of Germany. At the same time, Germany is allowed with the Société of the Nations, finds arrangements for its western border, signs a pact of neutrality with the Russia, and stops disarmament. However, this progress is financed by foreign loans, increasing the debt of the country, while the trade decreases and that unemployment increases. The reforms that Stresemann sets up do not modify in-depth the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, but they give him the appearance of a democracy.
In 1929, the death of Stresemann coincides with the end of the golden age of the Weimar Republic.
The collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler
A general dissatisfaction
In March 1930, the government of Brüning (“ Zentrum ”) increases the taxes on the companies, which displeases with employers then, in September 1931, it launches a policy of Déflation with fall of the wages, the prices and the rents. This policy fails and dissatisfied all the citizens. At the time of the anticipated elections of the September 11th 1930, KPD and especially the Nazi party carry out good performances because of their program which promise full employment. The Nazi party includes/understands 375.000 members then.
Arrival of Adolf Hitler with the capacity
Nazis and Communists clash in the streets: the government is exceeded by the situation. With the second turn of the presidential election (April 10th 1932), Paul von Hindenburg, hero of the war of 1870 (the weather had been captive Napoleon III with Sedan) and of the First World War, beats Adolf Hitler which carries out all the same 13 million voice compared with 39 million with the old marshal, conservative, but having profited from the carryforward of the voices of the Socialists. With the anticipated legislative elections of the July 31st 1932, the Nazis obtain a relative majority, the Party counts 1,4 million members. Hindenburg wants to name Adolf Hitler chancellor. This last refuses, because it is not yet in strong position. Hindenburg dissolves the Reichstag then, and with the elections of the November 6th 1932, there is a light retreat of the Nazis, but employers starts to vote for them to make failure with the Communists, who cannot be combined to the Socialists on order Stalin which still preaches the tactics “ class against class ”.
End of the democracy
Hitler accepts the post of chancellor the January 30th 1933, on the condition of proceeding to new elections. As of the February 4th 1933, certain socialist newspapers and Communists are prohibited. The February 27th 1933, the building of the Reichstag is set fire to by a Dutch communist unemployed, perhaps handled. The following day, an order in Council, the Reichstagsbrandverordnung, restricted individual freedoms.Hitler shows the Communists of this fire, makes prohibit the KPD, suspends the freedom of thought (February 28th, 1933), which makes it possible to stop many anti-nazis. In spite of the climate of terror, the elections of March 5th, 1933 give only 44% of the seats for the Nazis to the Reichstag. The communist deputies are stopped, which gives him the absolute majority (51% of the voices). The March 23rd 1933, the law “ on the suppression of the misery of the People and Reich ” grants to him the full powerss by 441 votes against 92.
The November 12th 1933, of new “elections” to the Reichstag are organized on a single list comprising only Nazis who are elected with 92% of “yes”. Hitler then removes the Assemblies in the Länder and equips Germany with a centralized administration.
In accordance with its strategy, Hitler reached the capacity by the legal channel, on a demagogic and populist program, with the assistance of the political parties of the right-hand side and the “ Zentrum ”, like “rampart” against Communism.
The July 14th, 1933, the Nazi party becomes the only legal party; its emblem and its Idéologie are present everywhere. President Hindenburg dies the August 2nd 1934, but the presidential elections are removed. Hitler cumulates the two functions then: President of the Republic and Chancellor under the name of Reichsführer. Nearly 90% of the voters approve this constitutional upheaval by referendum. By the “ Führerprinzip ”, he affirms to be responsible in front of nobody.
Consequently, one speaks about Third Reich, even if formally the Weimar Republic repealed forever by the Nazis.
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