The Weimar Republic 1919–1929

The Weimar Republic was the democratic government of Germany from 1919 until Hitler's seizure of power in 1933. The period 1919–29 has two phases: a crisis phase (1919–23) of revolts, hyperinflation and foreign occupation; and a golden years phase (1924–29) of relative stability under Gustav Stresemann's leadership. You need to know the events, explain the causes, and weigh how strong Weimar really was.

The Weimar Constitution

Drafted in the city of Weimar in February 1919, the constitution gave Germany:

• President — directly elected, served 7 years; could dissolve the Reichstag, appoint the Chancellor and use Article 48 to rule by decree in emergencies.
• Reichstag — elected by proportional representation; vote share = seat share.
• Bill of rights — free speech, assembly, religion; women's suffrage.

Strengths: highly democratic on paper. Weaknesses: PR encouraged tiny extremist parties; Article 48 gave a single politician huge power; the army (Reichswehr) and judiciary were unreformed and largely anti-republican.

Early threats 1919–1923

The Treaty of Versailles (June 1919) wrecked Weimar's reputation before it began. Germany lost 13% of its land, 10% of its population, all colonies, the Saar coalfields, and was forced to sign Article 231 (the War Guilt Clause) — accepting sole blame and £6.6 billion (132 billion gold marks) in reparations. Germans called the treaty a Diktat — a dictated peace — and the new politicians who signed it the November Criminals.

The Spartacist uprising (Jan 1919) — Communists Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg led a revolt in Berlin. The SPD government used the Freikorps (right-wing ex-soldiers) to crush it; both leaders were murdered.

The Kapp Putsch (March 1920) — right-wing Wolfgang Kapp seized Berlin with Freikorps support. The army refused to fire on fellow soldiers. The government called a general strike — workers stopped electricity, water and trains, paralysing the city. The putsch collapsed in 4 days.

The Munich (Beer Hall) Putsch (Nov 1923) — Hitler and the Nazis tried to seize power in Bavaria. It failed, killed 16 Nazis, and Hitler got a 5-year sentence (served 9 months) during which he wrote Mein Kampf.

The 1923 hyperinflation

Germany missed reparations payments in 1923. France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr to seize coal and steel. The government called for passive resistance — workers stopped working, and the government printed money to pay them. The result was hyperinflation:

• In 1922 a loaf of bread cost 163 marks. By November 1923 it cost 200 billion marks.
• Pensioners and savers were ruined; debtors and asset-owners did well.
• The middle class lost faith in the Republic.

Stresemann and the golden years 1924–29

Gustav Stresemann was Chancellor for 100 days then Foreign Minister 1923–29. His pragmatic policies stabilised Germany:

• Rentenmark (Nov 1923, then Reichsmark in Aug 1924) — new currencies that ended hyperinflation.
• Dawes Plan (1924) — restructured reparations and brought $200 m of US loans, fuelling the economy.
• Locarno Treaty (1925) — Germany freely accepted its western borders; reduced fear of revanchism.
• League of Nations (1926) — Germany re-admitted as a permanent council member.
• Young Plan (1929) — further reduced reparations and lengthened payment to 1988.

By 1929 industrial output had recovered above 1913 levels; unemployment was low; the arts and culture flourished.

Cultural Weimar

Weimar Berlin became a global cultural capital: Bauhaus design (Walter Gropius), Expressionist cinema (Metropolis, Nosferatu), the cabaret of Marlene Dietrich, the music of Kurt Weill, the writings of Erich Maria Remarque (All Quiet on the Western Front). To liberals this was thrilling. To conservatives it was decadence — and helped feed support for the Nazis later.

How strong was Weimar by 1929?

Strengths:

• Stable currency, recovered economy.
• Democratic elections accepted by major parties.
• Cultural prestige, foreign investment.

Weaknesses (the historian Detlev Peukert calls Weimar "a republic without republicans"):

• Reliant on US loans — Wall Street Crash exposed Germany.
• PR continued to spawn many parties.
• Anti-republican right (DNVP, Stahlhelm) and left (KPD) still strong.
• Article 48 used too readily.
• Stresemann died in October 1929 — months before the Great Depression hit.