Download Western Civilization II HIS-102

Modern Europe
HIS-107
Unit 8 – 1920s
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Weimar Germany
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(1918-1933)
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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November Revolution (November 9, 1918)
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Occurred two days before the end of World War I
Bloodless overthrow of the imperial government
The kaiser abdicated
Social Democratic Party (SPD) announced a new German
republic
Socialists wanted democratic reforms within existing
imperial bureaucracy
Radicals and communists wanted more wide sweeping
reforms
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Communists and independent socialists staged armed uprisings
in Berlin
Social Democrats tried to crush the uprisings
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Elections not held until January 1919
New government was headed by president Friedrich
Ebert
New Constitution
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Very democratic system
Proportional representation - All votes were counted up
centrally to divide seats fairly between parties
Article 48 – Gave the president the right to dismiss Parliament
and rule by himself in cases of “emergency”
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Weak governmental system
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Proportional representation made it difficult for one party to
gain a majority
This meant coalitions would have to be formed to gain the
majority
Between 1919-1932, there were a total of 21 governments
Difficult to pass legislation
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This led to the president more and more using his powers to pass
legislation
By 1930, three times as many laws were passed by the president than
by the Reichstag
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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During the first five years, the republic saw riots, strikes,
shootings and attempts to overthrow Ebert’s coalition
government
Communists
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Felt that Ebert and the socialists had failed to complete the
revolution because they had not abolished private property
The Freikorps
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Former army officers fighting Bolsheviks, Poles, and
communists
Fiercely right-wing anti-Marxist, anti-Semitic, and anti-liberal
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Spartacists
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Led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
Radical socialists
Became the foundation of the Communist Party
Spartacist Uprising (January 5-12, 1919)
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General strike led by the Spartacists in Berlin
Failed attempt to overthrow Ebert’s government
Freikorps were brought in to bring peace and stability back to
Berlin
Both Luxemburg and Liebknecht were killed
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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“Red Bavaria” (April 6 – May 3, 1919)
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The Spartacists were successfully able to seize the Bavarian
government in Munich
Friekorps were once again sent into put down the communist
regime
Kapp Putsch (March 1920)
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Military led attempted coup led by Wolfgang Kapp
Very reactionary and strongly monarchistic
A general strike was called as a way to defeat the putsch
Over 250,000 banded together against the putsch
Friekorps refused to join the putsch
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Kapp Putsch
“Stop! Whosoever proceeds will be shot”
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Weimar coalition
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Socialists, Catholic centrists, and liberal democrats
Parliamentary liberalism
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Pluralistic framework
Universal suffrage for men and women
Bill of rights that guaranteed civil liberties
The failure of Weimar
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Social, political, and economic crisis
The humiliation of World War I
Germany “stabbed in the back” by socialists and Jews
What was needed was authoritarian leadership
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Treaty of Versailles (1919)
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Article 231 – “War Guilt Clause”
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Placed full blame on Germany for the start of the war
Ordered reparations of over 132 billion marks to the Allied countries
Many Germans saw this as an embarrassment since it left the
country economically broke and unarmed
In April 1921, the Allies first began demanding payment of
war reparations from Germany
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The final reparations bill was announced as being £6.6 billion
(~$292 billion in 2011)
The German government asked for permission to suspend
payments until the German economy recovered
The Allies refused
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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In 1922, Germany fails to pay reparations to France and
Belgium
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In January 1923, France and Belgium respond by
occupying the Ruhr as a way to force payments
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Specifically they defaulted on coal and timber deliveries
This was the center of German coal, iron, and steel production
Germans launch a general strike of passive resistance
with the occupiers
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German government actually paid the workers to strike
However, the German government had to figure out a way of
paying the workers
It started to print more money
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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This led to rapid devaluation of the German mark
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In 1921, the exchange rate was 75 marks to $1 U.S.
In November 1923, it 4 billion marks to $1 U.S.
Many lost their life savings due to the devaluation of the mark
By the end of 1923, the Weimar government was able to
bring things back under control
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Mostly done at the hands of Chancellor Gustav Stresemann
Strikes were brought to an end and a new currency, the
Rentenmark was issued
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Million Mark notes being used as note paper
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(October 1923)
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Woman burning
Marks as a heat
source
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Dawes Plan (1924)
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Called for the withdrawal of French and Belgian troops from
the Ruhr
Germany was given more time to pay reparations
Also given 800 million marks in U.S. loans
Germany stabilizes and begins to grow again without
inflation
Young Plan (1930)
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Clear that Germany still could not make large payments
Reduced payments to 112 billion Marks ($103 billion in 2011)
over 59 years
Also allowed for 2/3 of the annual payments to be postponed
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For three
generations, you’ll
have to slave away!
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Locarno Treaties (October 1925)
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Guaranteed the common boundaries of Belgium, France, and
Germany as specified in the Treaty of Versailles of 1919
Germany signed treaties with Poland and Czechoslovakia,
agreeing to change the eastern borders of Germany by
arbitration only
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Despite Germany’s apparent recovery after 1923, there
were still serious problems
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Many people’s life savings had been wiped out by hyperinflation
and they were bitterly angry
Economically, Germany was heavily dependent upon US loans,
which could be recalled at any time
Ebert died in 1925 and was replaced by Hindenburg
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Hindenburg was a conservative leader which showed how much
support remained for the old, authoritarian Germany
Stresemann’s attempts to revise the Treaty of Versailles met
with little success at the League of Nations
Weimar Germany (1918-1933)
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Just before his death in 1929, Stresemann said: “The
economic position is only flourishing on the surface.
Germany is in fact dancing on a volcano. If the short-term
credits are called in, a large section of our economy will
collapse…”
In October 1929, the Wall Street Crash saw the value of
US shares collapse
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US bankers and businesses started recalling their loans
The result was a worldwide depression
This meant economic disaster for Germany
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Adolph Hitler
Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party
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In September 1919, Hitler was working as a police spy for
the German Army
One of his duties was to infiltrate the German Worker’s
Party (DAP)
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He liked the ideas of the party and joined it
It promoted the idea of nationalistic “non-Jewish” socialism
This became the foundation of the Nazi party
In October 1920, Hitler creates the Sturm Abteilung (SA),
which became his own private army
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Their job was to protect Hitler and disrupt meetings of
political opponents
The SA became known as “storm troopers”
Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party
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In July 1921, Hitler was elected to be Führer of the party
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By 1923, Germany’s economy was in rough shape
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He renamed it to the National Socialist German Workers’
Party (NSDAP), or the Nazi party
In September 1923, Germany resumed making reparation
payments to France
By November, people would be required to carry billions of
marks to buy groceries, of which many could not afford
The Nazi party felt this was the perfect opportunity to
seize power
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By November 1923, the Nazi party had over 55,000 members
Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party
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Their plan called for the kidnapping of Bavarian leaders
at a Munich beer hall
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Munich Beer Hall Putsch (November 8, 1923)
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They would then force them at gunpoint to make Hitler their
leader
They had a famous WWI general on their side who would then
help them win over the army
Hitler and his SA troops stormed in to the beer hall
He managed to convince the leaders to support him
However, they were unable to secure the support of the army
Hitler was arrested for conspiracy to commit treason
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Leaders of the Beer Hall Putsch
Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party
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Hitler was put on trial in February 1924
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During the trial he stated:
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The judges at the time were Nazi sympathizers
Hitler used the trial to spread Nazi propaganda
“I alone bear the responsibility. But I am not a criminal because
of that. If today I stand here as a revolutionary, it is as a
revolutionary against the revolution. There is no such thing as
high treason against the traitors of 1918.”
He was still found guilty and sentenced to five years in
prison with possibility of parole
He was given a large and comfortable cell at Landsberg
prison
Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party
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During his time in prison, Hitler dictated Mein Kampf
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It contained a number of his political ideas
In included his belief in lebensraum, “living room,” for Germans
It also included the concept of a “superior” race (the Aryans)
and “inferior” races (Jews and Slavs)
He was released from prison on December 20, 1924
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By this time, he realized his mistake was not having the support
of the military
Instead, he was going to get support of the people and the
army by using the democratic process to his advantage
Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party
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While Hitler was in prison, the popularity of the Nazi
party had declined
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When he was released from prison, he spent the next few
years reorganizing the Nazi party
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It had even been banned in Bavaria after the Putsch
Designed it to give a more legitimate appearance
He used his oratory skills to win over politicians and masses
He reworked his image to appeal to the middle and upper
classes
Hitler was able to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in Bavaria
However, the Nazi party did not have any real power until
1929
Political
Parties in the
Reichstag
May
1924
Dec.
1924
May
1928
Sep.
1930
July
1932
Nov.
1932
Mar.
1933
Communist
Party (KPD)
62
45
54
77
89
100
81
Social
Democratic
Party (SDP)
100
131
153
143
133
121
120
Catholic
Centre Party
(BVP)
81
88
78
87
97
90
93
Nationalist
Party (DNVP)
95
103
73
41
37
52
52
Nazi Party
(NSDAP)
32
14
12
107
230
196
288
102
112
121
122
22
35
23
Other
Parties
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German political representation in the Reichstag
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Rise of Fascism in Italy
Italy after World War I
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Aftermath of World War I
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Problems:
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A democracy in distress
700,000 dead
$15 billion debt
Split between the industrial north and agrarian south
Conflict over land, wages, and local power
Government corruption and indecision
Inflation, unemployment, and strikes
Demands for radical reform
Italy after World War I
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In 1920, socialists and anarchists attempted to take
control of the factories
Red Leagues formed in the countryside to break up large
estates
In the November 1920 elections, Italians abandoned the
center and shifted to the extremes
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On the right was the Catholic People’s Party
On the left was the Socialist Party
Both did not want revolution but instead pushed for greater
reforms
The rise of socialism led to the rise of more right-wing
vigilante groups
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Fascism
Fascism
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Totalitarian philosophy of government that glorifies the
state and nation and assigns to the state control over
every aspect of national life
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Comes from the Latin word fasces
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In ancient Rome, the fasces were cylindrical bundles of wooden rods,
tied tightly together around an axe
They symbolize unity and power
A form of extreme right-wing ideology
It celebrates the nation or the race as an organic
community transcending all other loyalties
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Powerful and continuing nationalism
Constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, etc.
Flags are seen everywhere
Fascism
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Fascism seeks forcibly to subordinate all aspects of
society to its vision of organic community
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It uses organized violence to suppress opposition
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This is usually through a totalitarian state
Glorification of force
Accepts the tenets of Social Darwinism
Is anti-democratic
The individual had no significance except as a member of
the state
Fascism
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The fascists were taught:
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Credere! (to believe)
Obbedire! (to obey)
Combattere! (to fight)
The “phoenix rising up from the ashes”
Emphasis on a national or racial rebirth after a period of
decline or destruction
Calls for a “spiritual revolution” against signs of moral
decay (such as individualism and materialism)
Seeks to purge “alien” forces and groups that threaten
the organic community
Fascism
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Fascist governments tend to use the most common
religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public
opinion
They meld religious rhetoric, symbolism, mythology, etc.,
into their policies
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Appears to give a religious permission to government policies
Organized labor is the only real threat to a fascist
government
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Labor unions are suppressed or independent unions are
eliminated
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist state often
are the ones who put the government leaders into power
Fascism
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Fascism, to some extent, was a product of a general
feeling of anxiety and fear among the middle class of postwar Italy:
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Fears regarding the survival of capitalism
Economic depression
The rise of a militant left
A feeling of national shame and humiliation at Italy’s poor
treatment by the other Entente leaders after World War I
Fascism
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In 1920, the Italian Socialist Party organized militant
strikes in Turin and other northern Italian industrial cities
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There was the belief that the economic chaos in the north
could spread to the rest of Italy
Hundreds of new fascist groups developed throughout
Italy in response
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“Black Shirts” (paramilitary squadriste) violently attacked the
Socialists
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Benito Mussolini
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(1883-1945)
Mussolini
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Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (1883–1945)
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Editor of Avantia (1904-1914)
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Was born to a socialist father and teacher mother
Fled to Switzerland in 1902 to avoid military duty
Returned to Italy in 1904
Leading socialist daily
Lost editorship when he urged Italy to side with the Allies
during World War I
As a supporter for the war, he was kicked out of the
socialist party
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The party wanted Italy to remain neutral
Mussolini
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He fought briefly in the war before he was wounded
When he returned to Milan he had turned to the right
wing
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Moved towards revolutionary nationalism
Founded Il Poplo d’Italia (The People of Italy)
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Pushed his ideas for support of the war and the guarantees
promised by the Allies
His editorial positions:
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The war was a turning point for Italy
The returning combat soldiers would form a new elite and bring
about a new type of state
This new elite would transform Italian politics and society
Mussolini
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He also began organizing the right-wing groups
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Attracted young, idealist, fanatical nationalists who were upset
with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Became known as fasci (“groups” in Italian)
In 1919, Mussolini formed the Fasci Italiani di
Combattimento
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Italian Combat Squad consisting of 200 members
Claimed to oppose discrimination based on social class and
was strongly opposed to all forms of class war
Wanted to raise Italy back up to the greatness of the old
Roman Empire
This helped the party gain support mainly of the middle-class
Fascism In Italy
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The national government continued to weaken
In the 1921 election, Fascists won 35 seats
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In September 1922, Mussolini began negotiations with the
king to allow the Fascist party into the government
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They were included in the political coalition bloc of Prime
Minister Giovanni Giolitti’s government
When that failed, Mussolini threatened a coup d'état
On October 28, 1922, 50,000 fascist militia marched on
Rome
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Occupied the city
Victor Emmanuel III refused to allowed the military to arrest
the Fascists
Fascism In Italy
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He invited Mussolini to join a coalition government with
Giolitti
On December 24, 925, Mussolini took full control of the
government
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A law was passed naming him “head of the government”
He was answerable to no one, not even the king
The Fascist Party took over the Italian government
without firing a single shot
Failure of the Italian government was more in its
weakness than the power of the Fascist Party
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Also partly due to the failure of Peace of Versailles
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Black Shirts marching on Rome
Italy Under Mussolini
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The Fascist Party set up a one-party dictatorship
Three doctrines
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First step was to change the government
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Statism - “Nothing above, outside, or against the state”
Nationalism - The “highest form of society”
Militarism - The “ennoblement” of man in war
Got rid the electoral laws
Abolished cabinet system
Mussolini assumed role of prime minister and party
leader (Il Duce)
Introduced repression and censorship
Italy Under Mussolini
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Ending class conflict
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Lateran Treaty (1929)
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A managed economy
A corporate state
Granted independence to papal residence in the Vatican City
Also promised restitution for expropriations occurred during
unification
Roman Catholicism established as the state religion
Maintaining the status quo and “making the trains run on
time”
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Peace between Rome and the Church
The Great Depression
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The 1920s were a period of prosperity for most of
Europe
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Even Germany saw a rise in production after 1924
Problems with this prosperity:
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Based mainly on credit
Workers still made much less than they were worth
Wages lagged behind profits and dividends
Agricultural depression due to the destruction of fields during
World War I
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Modern technology caused the production of wheat to dramatically
increase
However demand remained the same so prices plummeted
Most farmers could not make enough to pay off their mortgages
The Great Depression
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Crash of 1929
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Wall Street Crash of October 1929 brought about the collapse
of the American financial system
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This led to a chain reaction of crashes of other western
financial systems
Common patterns of economic crisis:
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Decreased trade
Cutbacks in production and consumption
Increased unemployment
Widespread deprivation and frustration
Radical political agitation
The Great Depression
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Agricultural countries were hurt
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Many countries left the gold standard
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Their exports of agricultural goods were worth much less than
the goods they were importing
This led to a decline in the value of their currencies
This was because they had to use their gold reserves to pay for
their imports
Started with Britain but was followed by 20 other countries
Led to the further devaluation of most of the currency
Tariffs were implemented or increased
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Designed to protect domestic production
Quotas were adopted by many nations as well