Germany - 2011 HSC Question PDF

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2011 HSC: ‘The impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the Weimar republic to 1929 was more significant than any other factor’. How accurate is this statement? The Weimar Republic failed in Germany due to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, to a certain extent. The treaty most certainly laid the groundworks for many of the problems Germany was yet to face. However, other factors, such as the Great Depression, came as a result from outside elements yet still contributed to the fall of the Weimar Republic. Historians argue whether or not democracy in Germany was bound to fail from the start, as the signing of the treaty forced upon a system of government that was disliked by many of the population. The signing of the armistice on 11 November 1918 came as a great shock to many German people, as they were promised by the military that they were going to win the war. Revolutionary action began with a mutiny among the sailors at Wilhelmshaven and Kiel. Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils were set up in many towns in northern Germany, whilst the southern German state of Bavaria declared itself a republic. Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate, and a civilian government was set up. In May 1919 the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were made known, and once again came a similar shock to the people of Germany. The representatives of Germany were not allowed to make negotiations, and had no choice but to sign the treaty. The treaty terms included: military provisions (eg. German army to be reduced to 100 000), territorial provisions (eg. The return of Alsace and Lorraine to France), colonial provisions (loss of all colonies), reparations (pay the cost of the war), and finally the ‘war guilt clause’ (Germany take responsibility for the war). On 28 June 1919 two German delegates signed the treaty and were forced to accept the humiliation of defeat. Hatred of the treaty cut across all classes in Germany. As a result, the army shifted the blame for losing the war to the civilians on the homefront, especially the republicans who overthrew the monarchy in the German Revolution in 1918-19. It was named the ‘stab in the back’ myth. The treaty created a legacy of long-term bitterness in German society, and every German government after 1919 sought to evade or reverse the terms of the treaty. The Weimar Republic and the democracy were weakened because both were forever associated with the Treaty of Versailles. This became a constant theme used by those who opposed the republic and the democratic system. As a result of the economic provisions of the treaty, Germany was weakened in its ability to restore the economy. In the following years after the treaty was signed, Germany struggled as a nation. The Kapp Putsch in 1920 was a perfect example of forces from the right attempting to overthrow the government. This was because the government was trying to carry out the military clauses of the treaty. The putsch failed as there was working-class resistance, no support from the army and the calling of a general strike. In 1921 it was becoming evident that Germany was struggling to pay reparations. After a successful payment in August, Germany announced at the end of the year that it was unable to meet the second reparation deadline. In December 1922 the Reparation Commission then declared Germany had fallen behind in the delivery of coal and telegraph poles to France. The following month 60 000 troops from France and Belgium crossed the border and occupied the Ruhr, the most important industrial area of Germany. France was determined that Germany meet its obligations from the Treaty of Versailles as they wanted to assert their authority and believed that Germany had never accepted defeat. As a result there was a call for passive resistance and Germans in the Ruhr went on strike and refused to cooperate in any way with the French. The effective shutdown had disastrous results for the already failing economy. The inflation that had plagued Germany since the war now quickly degenerated into the phenomenon of hyperinflation.

Prices in Germany were linked to the exchange rate, and by the start of September 1923 one US dollar was worth 10 million marks. On the other hand, it can be argued that the reason the Weimar Republic was unable to properly establish itself was because Germany had a long tradition of monarchical leadership. The relentless resistance of right-wing political parties constantly undermined the republic. An example of this would be the Nazi Party and its leader Adolf Hitler. Hitler’s work in building the power and reputation of the party meant they could take control of Germany autocratically, where democracy no longer existed. In 1923 Hitler staged a failed putsch in Munich, and his punishment of 5 years imprisonment, (with parole available after 5 months) clearly demonstrates how even the judicial system disapproved of democracy. The government was constantly in strife. There was political instability, with frequent changes in the coalition government as a result of the 9 elections the Weimar Republic held from 1919-33. Leadership also went through numerous changes, and there were countless political assassinations and uprisings or revolutions. Violence in the street became the norm. The Great Depression was another cause of the failure of democracy – but not as a direct result of the treaty. Foreign investment declined as money moved out of Europe and into the booming New York Stock Market. Therefore, interest rates in Germany rose in the hope of attracting investment and this contributed to a fall-off in the level of economic activity. Production slowed and unemployment began to rise. However the real problems began with the collapse of the New York Stock Market in October 1929. As the US started its slide into economic depression, American banks recalled their short-term loans to Germany, and the German economy began to experience the full impact of economic collapse. It was in these conditions that the extremist parties like the Nazis and Communists prospered. It can be argued that the Treaty of Versailles was the original problem or cause of the failure of the Weimar Republic, as the results gained were significant. The problems that Germany faced for years to follow had a substantial impact on the democratic government, which never really overcame any of the issues. While democracy in Germany wasn’t a failure from the start, it undoubtedly was weakened by the difficulties the treaty gave way to in later years....