Weimar in crisis, 1919–23 Cambridge IGCSE History revision
Not started
Learn it
In plain words
In its first five years the Republic was attacked by communists from one side and nationalists from the other, lost its richest region to foreign troops, and watched its money turn into waste paper. It is a wonder that it lasted until 1924.
9 things to know
- Threat from the left: in January 1919 the Spartacists, who were communists led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, tried to seize power in Berlin. The government used the Freikorps, bands of former soldiers, to crush them. Both leaders were murdered.
- The Treaty of Versailles, signed in June 1919, was hated by almost all Germans. The government was blamed for accepting it.
- Threat from the right: in March 1920 Freikorps units took over Berlin in the Kapp Putsch. The army refused to stop them. The putsch collapsed when Berlin's workers went on strike and brought the city to a halt.
- Political murders were common. There were hundreds of them in these years, most carried out by right-wing extremists, and the judges treated right-wing killers leniently.
- In 1922 Germany failed to make a reparations payment. In January 1923 French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr.
- The government called for passive resistance and printed money to pay the strikers. The result was hyperinflation.
- Losers: people with savings or fixed incomes, such as pensioners and the middle class, lost everything. Winners: people with debts, who could pay them off with worthless money.
- In August 1923 Gustav Stresemann became chancellor. He called off passive resistance and introduced a new currency, the Rentenmark, which ended the hyperinflation.
- In November 1923 Hitler's attempt to seize power, the Munich Putsch, was defeated. The Republic had survived.
Worked example
"The greatest threat to the Weimar Republic between 1919 and 1923 came from the right." How far do you agree? Plan a 10-mark answer.
- The right: the Kapp Putsch took Berlin and the army would not act. Hundreds of political murders were carried out, with sympathetic judges. The Munich Putsch came in 1923.
- The left: the Spartacists in 1919 and other communist risings aimed at a revolution like Russia's.
- The economy: the Ruhr and hyperinflation in 1923 hurt far more people than any putsch.
- Judgement: the right was more dangerous than the left, because it had friends in the army and the courts. The economic crisis did the most lasting harm.
Tips and tricks
- Left means communists who wanted a revolution like Russia's. Right means nationalists who wanted a strong ruler and the old Germany back. Know which rising was which.
- The Kapp Putsch was beaten by a strike, not by the army. The detail shows that the army could not be relied on.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Weimar in crisis, 1919–23: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Who led the Spartacists?
They were communists.
Who were the Freikorps?
They crushed the Spartacists, and later tried to take power themselves.
Who gained from hyperinflation?
Debts could be paid off with worthless money.
What ended the hyperinflation?
Stresemann introduced it in 1923.
What did the army's behaviour in the Kapp Putsch show about the Republic?Stretch
It crushed the left, and would not fire on the right.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 16 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Weimar in crisis, 1919–23
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 · 16 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What was the Spartacist Uprising?[4]
Show answerHide answer
In January 1919 the Spartacists, a communist group, tried to seize power in Berlin. They were led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. The government used the Freikorps to crush the rising. Both leaders were killed.
Why did hyperinflation affect some Germans more than others?[6]
Show answerHide answer
People with savings saw them become worthless, and those on fixed incomes, such as pensioners, could no longer afford to live. The middle classes were hit hardest. People with debts or mortgages gained, because they could repay with worthless money. Workers were partly protected, as wages were raised, but wages never kept up with prices.
Why did the Kapp Putsch fail?[6]
Show answerHide answer
The Freikorps took Berlin, and the army refused to act against them. But the government called on the workers of Berlin to strike. The general strike stopped gas, water, electricity and transport. Kapp could not govern a city that had stopped working, and gave up after a few days.
Answers: Weimar in crisis, 1919–23
- 1. In January 1919 the Spartacists, a communist group, tried to seize power in Berlin. They were led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. The government used the Freikorps to crush the rising. Both leaders were killed.
- 2. People with savings saw them become worthless, and those on fixed incomes, such as pensioners, could no longer afford to live. The middle classes were hit hardest. People with debts or mortgages gained, because they could repay with worthless money. Workers were partly protected, as wages were raised, but wages never kept up with prices.
- 3. The Freikorps took Berlin, and the army refused to act against them. But the government called on the workers of Berlin to strike. The general strike stopped gas, water, electricity and transport. Kapp could not govern a city that had stopped working, and gave up after a few days.