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Apath to a dead end: the Weimar Republic's inevitable failure and therise of Hitler to power. There were various factors that contributed tothe failure of the Weimar Republic of Germany and the ascent ofHitler's National Socialist German Workers Party into power on January30, 1933. Various conflicting problems were concurrent with theeventuation of the Republic that, from the outset, its first governingbody the socialist party (SPD) was forced to contend with. Theseincluded the aspect of German imperialism, the unresolved defeat of1918, financial collapse and the forced struggle against the activitiesof the National party as well as inflation. Other factors whichinfluenced the failure of Weimar were the structural weaknesses inducedby the constitution and the basic lack of support for the Republicamong the German people particularly amongst the elite. All in all,these aspects were the major causes which doomed the Weimar republic toultimate failure and the eventual ascent of Hiller's nationalist partyto power. The new socialist government of Weimar (SPD), whoseconstitution was adopted on July 30, 1919, entered a situation they byno means created. The period during which they were appointed to rulewas associated with defeat and misery, and when disorder wasnationwide. The situation then, was that of revolution. However, ratherthan to make a socialist revolution they co-operated with the liberalsand with the catholic centre party to lead Germany in a reformedversion of her old self. In June 1919, they voted to comply with thetreaty of Versailles (the vindictive settlement imposed by the Parispeace conference). However, the signing of the Treaty served to promoteprotest and unrest amongst the soldiers, sailors and the German peoplegenerally, and democracy thus resulted in becoming an alien device. Theimperial army, for instance, never got over the humiliation ofsurrender which they felt was a ‘stab in the back' by their owncountrymen. The sailors at Kiel mutinied in a last desperate effort onOctober 28 and On November 9, 1919, the streets were filled with crowdsmarching to demonstrate at the centre of Berlin. Similarly, even beforethe contingency of these incidents, the centre party, a liberal groupwho were the coalition government of the acting SPD formed by PhillipScheidemann, resigned rather than sign the Treaty of Versailles.Besides, German patriotism was strong, in particular because the Germanpeople believed they had fought a defensive war and were told theirsoldiers were ‘unconquered in the field.' Therefore, the humiliatingTreaty came as a rude shock to the German people who, correspondingly,blamed the politicians for betraying the soldiers in signing thearmistice and saw them as compounding their treason by accepting thepeace settlement. They spoke of the ‘November criminals' and protested“A nation of seventy million suffers, but does not die.” These factorspropagated in the promotion of anti republican feeling, the conclusionsof which were clearly reflected in the results of the election of June1920. To illustrate, the SPD lost nearly half its seats (many to theUSDP) and the right wing parties (DVP and DNVP) increased their shareat the expense of the democrats. “Defeated on the battlefield, defeatedat the conference table, defeated at the polls, the republic embarkedon its uncertain career.” Furthermore, compliance with the Treaty ofVersailles meant that Germany would have to make reparation payments itcould scarcely afford. This fact placed a heavy strain on the alreadysuffering economy of Germany which was bankrupted by four years of warthus ensuing in the ascend of inflation and the occasioning of therespite of payments by Germany in 1922. “In January the alreadytraumatic climate in Germany was exacerbated by its evasiveness andreluctance to pay overdue reparations.” The French reacted by occupyingthe Ruhr, a major industrial area of Germany, in January 1923. This wasfelt a grave humiliation by the German people and eventuated inwidespread discontent. “The economic distress caused by the Frenchoccupation of the Ruhr and the German passive resistance was enormous.”Consequently, workers in the Ruhr mines and factories resisted bystriking. However, Germany's currency was already fragile, and in faceof the occurring circumstances consequent to the Ruhr invasion and theoverprinting of currency, the Mark fell to chronic levels, eventuallyreaching the value of four billion against the US dollar whichtherefore generated in massive hyperinflation. Furthermore, theeconomic instability, on top of the disillusionment and resent causedby the humiliating peace settlement, vast sections of German societycame to feel alienated from the Republic. They responded by attackingthe democracy and as a consequence it became impossible to control thehostility and discontent. “Urban hunger, peasant hoarding, the blackmarket, pilfering and profiteering created social hostilities andindividual despair.” “In all 35,000 armed men converged on Munich.” Inaddition, the deteriorating economic and social situation also managedto wreak havoc on the political atmosphere of the time and the Republicthus eventuated in having no positive friends and too many enemies. Toillustrate, the Republic faced opposition from the extreme left bySpartacists who resorted to force in efforts to overturn the Republic.In March 1920, the Republic was also challenged from the right by theFreikorps who in Berlin launched a pro-Monarchist putsch in an attemptto install Wolfgang Kapp as Chancellor. During this incident troopsboth refused to defend the Republic or take action against Freikorps.Fortunately, however, the working classes then responded by organisinga general strike in Berlin which had the effect of frustrating thisputsch. The culminations were that the present regime was able tosurvive despite the numerous threats. Nonetheless, extremism remainedto pollute the atmosphere, the evidence being represented in thealarming amount of political assassinations that continued occurring.In evidence, according to an estimate of the Minister of Justice,rightists committed 354 murders between 1919 and 1923. During thistime, when the Republic was suffering most and was being threatened,practically from all sides, Hitler had been making affective attemptsto capitalise on the resultant circumstances. He exploited the economiccollapse by blaming it on all those he wished to portray as enemies.These were the same enemies he declared as the ‘November criminals' whohad brought about Germany's defeat in 1918- “those mythical bogeymenwho, from inside Germany, had deliberately brought their own country toits knees.” Hitler's plan was to seize power in Munich, and, withBavaria as his base, to launch (as he had explained in public thatSeptember) a march on Berlin not unlike Mussolini's march on Rome of ayear earlier, but without first being invited to take power, asMussolini had been. Hitler, however, continued to fail until 1933 whenhe finally seized power. Nonetheless, the continued disruption causedby his attacks on the Republic, notably his Munich putsch, in additionto the economic crises as well as the resurfacing of the previouslyunresolved issues promulgated the grounds for an increasedanti-republican sentiment which reached a climax in 1923 when theRepublic was on its knees due to hyperinflation. It was against thistraumatic background that the leadership of the republic was passed tothe hands of Gustav Stresemann in August 1923. Stresemann transmittedhimself as a rational and reasonable man who would seek compromise andconciliation rather that conflict, as said by Ramm. His determinationand ambition to rectify circumstances in Germany were realised inNovember 1923 when he introduced a new currency. “At the end of 1923,the German currency was stabilised by the introduction of Rentenmark,valued at one billion old Marks.” Further stability came with the Dawesplan of April 1924, which provided a modified settlement of thereparation issues. In addition, French troops were then confirmed toleave the Ruhr, and disputes between the two countries then went toindependent ruling. In September, Stresemann called off passiveresistance unconditionally. These headed many positive changes inGermany, whose effects were transmitted universally in almost everyfacet of German life. Likewise Germany's relations with the westernnations were considerably improved. The proof came with the Lucarnopact of 1925. By 1929, the German economy revived, or as put byTraynor, it was ‘superficially prosperous.' Notwithstanding, thechanges Stresemann managed to bring about still had the effect ofdeviating opposition by both the extremist groups on the right as wellas the left. However, while it seemed that politics may have settleddown, the circumstances that were to follow in the coming years provedthat Stresemann perhaps merely postponed internal problems rather thaneradicated them. The relative stability achieved through the late 1920sby Gustav Stresemann was, for instance, heavily reliant upon foreigninvestment, loans and economic prosperity, not only in Germany but alsoin the United States from whence much of Germany's foreign investmentsoriginated. Consequently, as the American economy boomed theattractiveness of investment in Germany became overshadowed and theGerman economy thus, again proceeded to decline in 1928. Additionally,during October 1929, two crises befell the Republic - GustavStresemann, the architect of Germany's stability, died and later thatmonth the collapse of share prices began on the New York stockexchange. Had Germany's prosperity and economic stability been selfreliant events and circumstances on the New York stock exchange mayhave had a somewhat subtle effect in Germany. However, as said earlier,Germany's prosperity was merely financed by international loans and wasexcessively reliant on foreign investment. Correspondingly, Germany wasthus forced to remain in a very vulnerable position, the resultsleading to the onset of depression and the virtual crumbling of theRepublic's very foundations in recourse to the Wall Street crash duringthe end of 1929. The depression that hit Germany in 1929, is said tohave been the most severe economic depression in modern world history.It devastated the lives of the urban population as well as those livingin the country districts who in recourse to the economic circumstancesstruggled desperately. “Many farmers, small businessmen and retailerswere in trouble while process and wages were rising.” The unemploymentfigures for Germany show the rapid deterioration of the economicclimate. In September 1929 1.3 million employable workers wereunemployed, for September 1930 the figures rose to 3 million, inSeptember 1931 the figure was 4.35 million and by 1932 unemploymentreportedly escalated to 6 million. These conditions, in addition to theloss of confidence generated overseas which resulted in the rapidwithdrawal of the foreign loans Germany relied on extensively placedadditional strain on the republic. “The extent to which Germany hadcome to rely on foreign assistance was underlined when these loans wererapidly withdrawn.”
Apath to a dead end: the Weimar Republic's inevitable failure and therise of Hitler to power. There were various factors that contributed tothe failure of the Weimar Republic of Germany and the ascent ofHitler's National Socialist German Workers Party into power on January30, 1933. Various conflicting problems were concurrent with theeventuation of the Republic that, from the outset, its first governingbody the socialist party (SPD) was forced to contend with. Theseincluded the aspect of German imperialism, the unresolved defeat of1918, financial collapse and the forced struggle against the activitiesof the National party as well as inflation. Other factors whichinfluenced the failure of Weimar were the structural weaknesses inducedby the constitution and the basic lack of support for the Republicamong the German people particularly amongst the elite. All in all,these aspects were the major causes which doomed the Weimar republic toultimate failure and the eventual ascent of Hiller's nationalist partyto power. The new socialist government of Weimar (SPD), whoseconstitution was adopted on July 30, 1919, entered a situation they byno means created. The period during which they were appointed to rulewas associated with defeat and misery, and when disorder wasnationwide. The situation then, was that of revolution. However, ratherthan to make a socialist revolution they co-operated with the liberalsand with the catholic centre party to lead Germany in a reformedversion of her old self. In June 1919, they voted to comply with thetreaty of Versailles (the vindictive settlement imposed by the Parispeace conference). However, the signing of the Treaty served to promoteprotest and unrest amongst the soldiers, sailors and the German peoplegenerally, and democracy thus resulted in becoming an alien device. Theimperial army, for instance, never got over the humiliation ofsurrender which they felt was a ‘stab in the back' by their owncountrymen. The sailors at Kiel mutinied in a last desperate effort onOctober 28 and On November 9, 1919, the streets were filled with crowdsmarching to demonstrate at the centre of Berlin. Similarly, even beforethe contingency of these incidents, the centre party, a liberal groupwho were the coalition government of the acting SPD formed by PhillipScheidemann, resigned rather than sign the Treaty of Versailles.Besides, German patriotism was strong, in particular because the Germanpeople believed they had fought a defensive war and were told theirsoldiers were ‘unconquered in the field.' Therefore, the humiliatingTreaty came as a rude shock to the German people who, correspondingly,blamed the politicians for betraying the soldiers in signing thearmistice and saw them as compounding their treason by accepting thepeace settlement. They spoke of the ‘November criminals' and protested“A nation of seventy million suffers, but does not die.” These factorspropagated in the promotion of anti republican feeling, the conclusionsof which were clearly reflected in the results of the election of June1920. To illustrate, the SPD lost nearly half its seats (many to theUSDP) and the right wing parties (DVP and DNVP) increased their shareat the expense of the democrats. “Defeated on the battlefield, defeatedat the conference table, defeated at the polls, the republic embarkedon its uncertain career.” Furthermore, compliance with the Treaty ofVersailles meant that Germany would have to make reparation payments itcould scarcely afford. This fact placed a heavy strain on the alreadysuffering economy of Germany which was bankrupted by four years of warthus ensuing in the ascend of inflation and the occasioning of therespite of payments by Germany in 1922. “In January the alreadytraumatic climate in Germany was exacerbated by its evasiveness andreluctance to pay overdue reparations.” The French reacted by occupyingthe Ruhr, a major industrial area of Germany, in January 1923. This wasfelt a grave humiliation by the German people and eventuated inwidespread discontent. “The economic distress caused by the Frenchoccupation of the Ruhr and the German passive resistance was enormous.”Consequently, workers in the Ruhr mines and factories resisted bystriking. However, Germany's currency was already fragile, and in faceof the occurring circumstances consequent to the Ruhr invasion and theoverprinting of currency, the Mark fell to chronic levels, eventuallyreaching the value of four billion against the US dollar whichtherefore generated in massive hyperinflation. Furthermore, theeconomic instability, on top of the disillusionment and resent causedby the humiliating peace settlement, vast sections of German societycame to feel alienated from the Republic. They responded by attackingthe democracy and as a consequence it became impossible to control thehostility and discontent. “Urban hunger, peasant hoarding, the blackmarket, pilfering and profiteering created social hostilities andindividual despair.” “In all 35,000 armed men converged on Munich.” Inaddition, the deteriorating economic and social situation also managedto wreak havoc on the political atmosphere of the time and the Republicthus eventuated in having no positive friends and too many enemies. Toillustrate, the Republic faced opposition from the extreme left bySpartacists who resorted to force in efforts to overturn the Republic.In March 1920, the Republic was also challenged from the right by theFreikorps who in Berlin launched a pro-Monarchist putsch in an attemptto install Wolfgang Kapp as Chancellor. During this incident troopsboth refused to defend the Republic or take action against Freikorps.Fortunately, however, the working classes then responded by organisinga general strike in Berlin which had the effect of frustrating thisputsch. The culminations were that the present regime was able tosurvive despite the numerous threats. Nonetheless, extremism remainedto pollute the atmosphere, the evidence being represented in thealarming amount of political assassinations that continued occurring.In evidence, according to an estimate of the Minister of Justice,rightists committed 354 murders between 1919 and 1923. During thistime, when the Republic was suffering most and was being threatened,practically from all sides, Hitler had been making affective attemptsto capitalise on the resultant circumstances. He exploited the economiccollapse by blaming it on all those he wished to portray as enemies.These were the same enemies he declared as the ‘November criminals' whohad brought about Germany's defeat in 1918- “those mythical bogeymenwho, from inside Germany, had deliberately brought their own country toits knees.” Hitler's plan was to seize power in Munich, and, withBavaria as his base, to launch (as he had explained in public thatSeptember) a march on Berlin not unlike Mussolini's march on Rome of ayear earlier, but without first being invited to take power, asMussolini had been. Hitler, however, continued to fail until 1933 whenhe finally seized power. Nonetheless, the continued disruption causedby his attacks on the Republic, notably his Munich putsch, in additionto the economic crises as well as the resurfacing of the previouslyunresolved issues promulgated the grounds for an increasedanti-republican sentiment which reached a climax in 1923 when theRepublic was on its knees due to hyperinflation. It was against thistraumatic background that the leadership of the republic was passed tothe hands of Gustav Stresemann in August 1923. Stresemann transmittedhimself as a rational and reasonable man who would seek compromise andconciliation rather that conflict, as said by Ramm. His determinationand ambition to rectify circumstances in Germany were realised inNovember 1923 when he introduced a new currency. “At the end of 1923,the German currency was stabilised by the introduction of Rentenmark,valued at one billion old Marks.” Further stability came with the Dawesplan of April 1924, which provided a modified settlement of thereparation issues. In addition, French troops were then confirmed toleave the Ruhr, and disputes between the two countries then went toindependent ruling. In September, Stresemann called off passiveresistance unconditionally. These headed many positive changes inGermany, whose effects were transmitted universally in almost everyfacet of German life. Likewise Germany's relations with the westernnations were considerably improved. The proof came with the Lucarnopact of 1925. By 1929, the German economy revived, or as put byTraynor, it was ‘superficially prosperous.' Notwithstanding, thechanges Stresemann managed to bring about still had the effect ofdeviating opposition by both the extremist groups on the right as wellas the left. However, while it seemed that politics may have settleddown, the circumstances that were to follow in the coming years provedthat Stresemann perhaps merely postponed internal problems rather thaneradicated them. The relative stability achieved through the late 1920sby Gustav Stresemann was, for instance, heavily reliant upon foreigninvestment, loans and economic prosperity, not only in Germany but alsoin the United States from whence much of Germany's foreign investmentsoriginated. Consequently, as the American economy boomed theattractiveness of investment in Germany became overshadowed and theGerman economy thus, again proceeded to decline in 1928. Additionally,during October 1929, two crises befell the Republic - GustavStresemann, the architect of Germany's stability, died and later thatmonth the collapse of share prices began on the New York stockexchange. Had Germany's prosperity and economic stability been selfreliant events and circumstances on the New York stock exchange mayhave had a somewhat subtle effect in Germany. However, as said earlier,Germany's prosperity was merely financed by international loans and wasexcessively reliant on foreign investment. Correspondingly, Germany wasthus forced to remain in a very vulnerable position, the resultsleading to the onset of depression and the virtual crumbling of theRepublic's very foundations in recourse to the Wall Street crash duringthe end of 1929. The depression that hit Germany in 1929, is said tohave been the most severe economic depression in modern world history.It devastated the lives of the urban population as well as those livingin the country districts who in recourse to the economic circumstancesstruggled desperately. “Many farmers, small businessmen and retailerswere in trouble while process and wages were rising.” The unemploymentfigures for Germany show the rapid deterioration of the economicclimate. In September 1929 1.3 million employable workers wereunemployed, for September 1930 the figures rose to 3 million, inSeptember 1931 the figure was 4.35 million and by 1932 unemploymentreportedly escalated to 6 million. These conditions, in addition to theloss of confidence generated overseas which resulted in the rapidwithdrawal of the foreign loans Germany relied on extensively placedadditional strain on the republic. “The extent to which Germany hadcome to rely on foreign assistance was underlined when these loans wererapidly withdrawn.”
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