Lesson 2a – Weimar Germany (1924~29)

Essential Question
O Was there a Golden Age for the Weimar
Republic between 1924~29?

Learning Outcomes - Students will:

O Preview – How did it survive?
O Learn about the success and failures of the economy

Success Criteria
I can determine if the economy was strong
or not
 Preview
O Extremist groups didn’t gain
support until the Great
Depression began

• How was the Weimar

Republic able to succeed
after the turbulent early
years (1919~1923)?
 Vocab
O Golden Age
O Cartel
O Coalition
O Proportional Representation
 Economy
• 1928 – production levels reach
1913 levels
• Foreign loans increased because of
high German interest rates (ex. Ford
and GM heavily invested)
• Cartels – monopolies
O Ex. IG Farben became the largest
manufacturer in Europe
• Exports rose 40% between 1925~29
• Wages rose for workers every year
 ‘Germany is dancing on a
Economic Problems volcano. If the short-term
credits are called in, a
• Tariffs still remained throughout the large section of our
world economy would collapse.”
O Germany traditionally depended on
foreign trade
O Loss of pre-WW1 territory meant
smaller market
O Agricultural Problems
O 1/3 of the population, a fall in world
food prices meant no profit
O Thus, farmers spent less
O Germans didn’t invest, therefore the
economy was completely reliant on
foreign loans
O Gov’t debt rose to 26% of GDP
What conclusion
can you make
about German
Z I nist
Democracy? u
NA Centre-Right Centre-Left m
m
Co
 Politics
O Coalition politics
O Parties worked together, despite
having different opinions
O Ex. The left-centre coalition SPD,
DDP and DVP agreed on foreign
policy, but disagreed on domestic
O Extremist groups (KPD, NSDAP)
support fell
O Proportional Representation
O Seats based on popular vote,
meaning that it would be difficult
to gain a clear majority
 Weimar Strengths and
Weaknesses

Strengths

Long-term success?

Weakness
 Answer this question
How far had the economy and politics of Germany
improved after 1924?
Lesson 2b – Weimar Germany (1924~29)
Essential Question
O Was there a Golden Age for the Weimar
Republic between 1924~29?

Learning Outcomes - Students will:

O Preview – Weimar golden age or problematic?
O Learn about Stresemann’s foreign policy
O Discuss if he was successful or not?

Success Criteria
I can compare if Stresemann’s foreign
policy was a success or not
 Preview
O Why is this time called
the “Golden Age?”

O What problems are the

Weimar Republic
facing?
 Vocab
O Hindenburg
O Ersatzkaiser
O A.J. Nicholls
O Stresemann
O Fulfilment
O Locarno Pact
 The close election.
Presidency President – directly
What does it show
about German
O 1925 – Ebert died unexpectedly elected
society?
O Paul von Hindenburg is elected
president
O Received 48%
O 2nd place 45%
Chancellor – chosen
O Ersatzkaiser (substitute kaiser)
by the president. Usually
O Right leaning and not a supporter of the leader of the largest
the Republic party
O Voted because people believed he
would restore the monarchy or
create a military-type regime
O A.J. Nicholls – “he refused to
betray the republic, but he did not
rally people to its banner”
 Foreign Policy
O Stresemann
O Recognized the German army was
defeated, not stabbed in the back
O Goal: restore Germany as a world
power and Fulfilment
O Conform to the T of V, but try to
revise it
O How:
O use the power of the German
economy
O work with the French, who controlled
the balance of power;
 Foreign Policy
O Use the Germany economy
O Dawes Plan
O Work with France and Europe
O Locarno Pact
1. Accept the Western borders of Germany with
France and Belgium, supported by England and
Italy
2. Permanently de-militarize the Rhineland
3. Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia will settle
disputes peacefully
O Significance – Germany is treated as equals with
Europe, freed from isolation, France is less worried
and less likely to ally with Eastern allies
O 1926 – joins League of Nations
O 1928 – sign Kellog-Briand Pact
O 1929 – Rhineland is evacuated by the West and
reparations reduced
 Answer these
question
Explain the changes in German foreign
policy after 1924.
Was it positive or negative, explain why?
 Stresemann: Success or Failure
Success Failure

O E. Kolb – O Walsdorff – Stresemann

overestimated his ability to
‘astonishingly
establish friendly relations &
successful’ limits and slow pace resulted in
O J. Wright – ‘ dead ends + Polish problem not
Weimar’s greatest solved
statesman’ O Right-wing never accepted
Fulfilment and broad support for
his policies never materialized